Home Furnishings Merchandising

Your Future In Home Furnishings Merchandising

Are you looking for a unique major and career that will allow you to express your creativity and apply your business skills? Our Bachelor of Science degree in Home Furnishings Merchandising will provide you with a broad foundation and prepare you for a career in many areas across the industry.

Think of all the products — furniture, upholstery, fabrics, wall coverings, decorative accessories, tabletop objects, flooring, wall treatments, rugs, lighting, lamps, window treatments, cabinetry, countertops — that are selected and placed in environments for people to enjoy. Where do they originate? Who creates them? We are the industry that “designs the products designers use,” and we are involved in every aspect of the life of those products.

These fashionable and functional objects are constantly changing, and innovations are continuously happening. Product development and design, trends and forecasting, manufacturing, merchandising, visual display, and buying and selling are the core of this multi-billion dollar industry.

We are ideally located at UNT because the North Texas region is home to the Dallas Market Center and to many companies that design and produce furnishings and decorative accessories in the U.S. and abroad. The increasing global demand for home furnishings products means great career opportunities for our graduates.

Although you may be familiar with degrees focusing on apparel merchandising or interior design, the HFMD degree is distinct from these but retains strong links to both. Potential career opportunities exist with:

• Home accent and decorative accessory companies
• Home builders
• Home centers
• Home stagers
• Furniture and home furnishings companies
• Major retailers
• Manufacturers
• Sales representatives
• Showroom management
• Specialty companies and more

What we offer

We provide many professional development events featuring industry executives such as the Executive+Scholar Lecture Series, Merchandising Career Expo and the Consumer Experience Symposium. You can further expand your horizons with the Wholesale Market Menternship, global and regional study tours, and professional internships.

You can meet others who share your interests and get involved in student organizations, such as Merchandising Inc. and the National Retailing Federation Student Association. Our department also offers learning experiences beyond the classroom in areas including New York City, Hong Kong/China, Europe, the West Coast (digital retailing) and the Dallas-Fort Worth area. These study tours allow you to earn credit hours while experiencing international exposure to the industry.

Scholarships are available based on academic excellence, articulation of professional goals and financial need. Find more information about these scholarships at our website.

Our department has been recognized as one of the most comprehensive in the nation and is a recipient of the American Textile Manufacturers Institute Award for Excellence for innovative and exemplary programs and research.

What to expect

The Home Furnishings Merchandising program will prepare you to apply merchandising strategies in the global marketspace. Your knowledge about the industry is further enhanced by related merchandising courses. Faculty members work closely with the industry to tailor the program to meet the profession’s needs.

Courses include, but are not limited to, topics in:

• Aesthetics and environment
• Product design and development
• Decorative accessories and home accents
• Buying, planning and allocation
• Consumer experiences
• Drafting and computer aided design (CAD)
• Historic and contemporary styles in today’s marketplace
• The home furnishings marketspace environment
• Textiles for home furnishings

Because there are very few programs with this focus in the U.S., we are truly unique. This degree is the right fit for many students once they discover what we offer and the career possibilities that abound in this industry. You will be able to integrate creativity, innovation, product design and development, and business expertise to achieve your goals in this exciting industry.

How to enroll at UNT

High school students

Detailed information on recognized high school graduation programs and SAT/ACT requirements is available online.

In your senior year, apply for admission at applytexas.org by the March 1 priority date and request that your high school transcript be sent to the UNT admissions office. Do you live out of state? For your convenience, you can apply through the Common Application.

Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate courses can count toward college credit at UNT.

Transfer students

If you’re attending a Texas community college, you should consult our online transfer guides, the UNT Undergraduate Catalog and an academic counselor to review your degree plan. Proper planning will allow you to receive the maximum amount of transfer credits. Learn more at admissions.unt.edu/transfer.

Our Transfer Center will help you make a successful transition to college life at UNT by connecting you with a peer mentor and other campus resources.