International Manufacturing &
Product Development
Curriculum
The following are the required courses for this major. Students meet with the Education Department to create a personalized academic plan. Transfer credits, placement tests, changes in curriculum, and other factors help determine which courses must be taken prior to graduation.
Click on a course title to expand and read the course description.
- Associate of Arts, Advanced Study (A.A.)
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IMPD 3100Strategies for Import/ExportUnits: 3
An in-depth overview of marketing strategies for both foreign and domestic environments. This course covers aspects including cultural, political, and economic differences, as well as government and trade regulations affecting the international marketer. Prerequisites: A.A. in Apparel Industry Management, Merchandise Product Development, or Fashion Design
IMPD 3150Global Relations & NegotiationsUnits: 3This comprehensive course focuses on negotiation tactics in the context of global business transactions. Students use skill building exercises to negotiate and communicate with an emphasis on cross-cultural conflicts. This course is designed to enhance students’ ability to identify problems, create solutions, innovate, and improve current practices and resolutions in a constantly changing global environment. Prerequisites: A.A. in Apparel Industry Management, Merchandise Product Development, or Fashion Design
IMPD 3250Sourcing Textiles for Import/Export IUnits: 3The course examines the process of sourcing textiles in the global marketplace. Emphasis is placed on methods used to research new fabric trends and their development. Prerequisite: IMPD 3100
IMPD 3300International Merchandising StrategiesUnits: 9Students research current fabric, color, retail, and style trends to forecast timely commercial conclusions for specific consumer markets. The students analyze potentials of global markets, and understand and identify consumer competition and brand positioning. Course includes a directed study tour to Europe to complete this research. Prerequisites: A.A. in Apparel Industry Management, Merchandise Product Development, or Fashion Design
IMPD 3350Management Concepts & Global EntrepreneurshipUnits: 3An advanced class in global management concepts and entrepreneurship that focuses on business management techniques, financing, long range strategic planning, budgeting, organizational structure, and labor issues. This course also provides exposure to global management strategies. Prerequisites: IMPD 3100, IMPD 3150
IMPD 3450ATechnology Applications for International Manufacturing IUnits: 3An advanced, in-depth, studio course that further develops the students’ rendering skills in Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator. Students learn efficient, effective techniques for developing design concepts in the two applications and gain proficiency in using the two in tandem to create tech packs, proposals, presentations, and flats. Students receive this training via demonstration, discussion, critique, and hands-on, learner-centered projects relating to their field. Prerequisites: A.A. in Apparel Industry Management, Merchandise Product Development, or Fashion Design
IMPD 3580Sourcing Textiles for Import/ExportUnits: 3The course examines the process of sourcing textiles in the global marketplace. Emphasis is placed on methods used to research new fabric trends and their development. Prerequisite: IMPD 3100
IMPD 3650Product Development Marketing Research StrategiesUnits: 6International merchandising strategies are used to develop an exclusive product line geared toward the lifestyles of the target market. Students meet with the industry partner for initial product line presentation, critique, and approval. This course requires technical research to understand Product Life Cycle Management & Product Data Management. Advanced training on browser based PDM where technical specification packages are created and applied. Prerequisite: IMPD 3300
IMPD 3780Textile SeminarUnits: 3An advanced course in sourcing textiles for import/export with emphasis on understanding the global flow of textiles and the production of these textiles into finished products. Students evaluate all aspects of quality as it relates to their industry product. Prerequisite: IMPD 3250
IMPD 3850Merchandise Sourcing & ProductionUnits: 9This thesis course examines global sourcing strategies with emphasis on full value cost, labor issues, assembly procedures, fit evaluations, quality control, customs clearance, and warehousing and shipping of finished products. This program includes field research in Asia to gain understanding of the global production cycle from the raw material stage to the finished product. Emphasis is placed on the sourcing and manufacturing of goods for a specific market. Final project is comprised of a global sourcing and manufacturing strategy with completed samples and an industry thesis presentation. Prerequisites: IMPD 3100, IMPD 3150, IMPD 3300,IMPD 3350, IMPD 3450A, IMPD 3450B, IMPD 3580, IMPD 3650, IMPD 4200, IMPD 4300
IMPD 3980Internship (Recommended)Units: 0Students gain practical experience with applications of classroom skills to actual work situations in the area of International Manufacturing & Product Development.
IMPD 4100Consumer Fit & Sample AnalysisUnits: 1An in-depth study of preproduction samples with an emphasis placed on fit for individual body types. Samples assessed to identify appropriate modifications for global manufacturing. Prerequisites: IMPD 3650, IMPD 4200
IMPD 4200Garment Construction & CostUnits: 1This course evaluates the correlation between garment construction and garment cost. Students construct and deconstruct a garment. Through a hands-on simulation students determine the appropriate product price. Prerequisite: IMPD 3300
IMPD 4300Professional Finance & Business PlanningUnits: 1International business and finance strategies are evaluated through an investigation of financial documentation and contractual agreements. Students identify business planning techniques and determine appropriate international practices for the apparel industry. Prerequisites: IMPD 3100, IMPD 3150
Total Units of Credit: 48
This program starts in the Summer on the Los Angeles campus.
Prerequisites:
FIDM degree in Apparel Industry Management, Fashion Design, or Merchandise Product Development, with a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 or higher.




