Merchandising, MS

Admission requirements

The student must meet the requirements for admission to the Toulouse Graduate School. Included in these requirements are:

a bachelor’s degree from an accredited university;
an overall undergraduate GPA of at least 3.0 for the last 60 semester hours of course work or a 2.8 GPA on all undergraduate work;
acceptable scores on the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) or the GMAT must be submitted with application. (GRE or GMAT score must be less than 10 years old.);
a demonstrated proficiency in oral and written English; and
a minimum of 24 semester hours of undergraduate work in merchandising, or the equivalent; 12 of the 24 hours must be advanced. Students who do not meet the requirements must complete specified prerequisite courses in merchandising before beginning the graduate program. No single prerequisite course may have a grade lower than a B.

In addition, to be considered for admission into the merchandising program, students need to submit the following to the SMHM graduate coordinator:

three letters of recommendation from employers or teachers;
a resume; and
a professional essay that addresses the student’s motivation and perseverance toward educational goals, academic or professional honors, recognitions and awards, and a demonstrated commitment to the field of study.

Degree requirements

The student must earn a minimum of 36 semester hours.

Merchandising core, 3 hours

MDSE 5500 - Merchandising Strategies (is required for all merchandising majors)

Research tools, 6 hours

Courses in major, 18–21 hours

Maximum of 6 hours from the following

A maximum of 6 hours from the following may be included as part of the major:

Electives, 6 hours

Up to 6 hours may be taken in courses outside of merchandising with the consent of the division chair and the student’s major professor. The thesis option requires 6 hours of electives in a related area.

Options under the degree

The student will select one of the following options.

Thesis Option: This option requires a minimum of 36 hours with 24 hours in the student’s major area, including 6 hours of SMHM 5950 , Master’s Thesis, plus 6 hours of research tools. Students must have a minimum of 6 elective hours from a department outside merchandising. The student must complete and defend the thesis successfully and submit it for approval.
Individual Research Option: This option requires a minimum of 27 semester hours in the student’s major area (including research tools), 3 hours of SMHM 5920 , Problem in Lieu of Thesis, and up to 6 hours of electives for a total of 36.