The mission of the Textiles, Fashion Merchandising and Design (TMD) Department in the College of Business at the University of Rhode Island is to create and extend knowledge about the production, distribution, and consumption of textile, apparel, and related products both in Rhode Island and the northeastern United States, and beyond to the global community.
Undergraduate and master’s level graduate students prepare for careers as professionals in business, industry, education, government and cultural institutions. The Department’s efforts are aligned with the broad textile and apparel complex:
- Specialized textile manufacturing, particularly quality control, dyeing and finishing.
- Production and marketing/merchandising of textile, apparel, and interior furnishings products.
- Design of apparel and interiors.
- The interpretation and conservation of historic textiles and costume.
The mission is achieved by offering a curriculum that includes general education and opportunities for experiential learning, including internships and study abroad, to complement the major courses. The mission depends on a faculty current in their sub-disciplines and active in research. To augment both research and instruction, TMD maintains a textile gallery, a historic textile and costume collection, and laboratories for textile science, textile conservation, and apparel studies.