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Does the world of fashion, interior decorating and retail fascinate you?

If you love interacting with people and a fast paced challenging work environment,then a career in the field of Retail Merchandising and Interior Decorating is right for you.The opportunities in this forever growing billion-dollar industry are endless!

Our program prepares students for jobs starting at the mid employment level. The graduates of the program can choose from an array of career opportunities - buyer, department manager, store managers, visual merchandisers, interior decorators, promotion directors and more.

Service Learning

The National Commission on Service Learning defines service learning as "a teaching and learning approach that integrates community service with academic study to enrich learning, teach civic responsibility, and strengthen communities." 

Service learning is not a volunteer program or community service hours it is a learning experience that benefits both the student and the community partner. Through the service learning partnerships studentsare able to:

• Develop acquired classroom concepts through hands-on experience
• Explore various career options
• Gain valuable experience in visual merchandising, store layout, merchandising, and promotion
• Learn about management and human resource procedures
• Develop social, emotional, and cognitive skills
• Network with Retail Professionals
• Enhance their college education
• Make a contribution to the community
• Improve Human Relations skills

Fashion Show

The students in the Showmanship and Promotion class organize a professional fashion show each semester which is then presented in the community. The students apply for various positions and work as a team to produce the entire show.

Responsibilities include; show coordinator, who oversees the production of the show; store coordinators, who find stores to participate in the event and selects the clothing for each segment; set designer, designs and constructs the stage and runway; model coordinator, selects the models for the show; promotion coordinator, designs the logo for each year’s show and many other jobs.

The show is well received by the student audience and community and is aired on the college TV channel. The class reinforces teamwork, creative thinking, problem solving, and professional relationships with the community.

Retail Merchandising Program News:

2008:

• The Retail Merchandising Program classroom has just been remodeled offering the students a  new state of the art facilities for Fall 2008!

2007:

• Fall 2007 Fashion Show - Women's Fall Expo
• Retail Merchandising Program Service Learning: A Service Learning partnership between Rochester Community & Technical College Retail Merchandising Program and the Rochester Salvation Army Thrift Store reaps benefits for both partners. See how this collaboration impacted both partners in this brief video.
• Retail Merchandising Program, and Suzanne Dinusson, emeritus featured in Rochester Women Magazine:
  • Cover, Article
• RCTC Retail Merchandising Program Recognized by Salvation Army Thrift Store for the Grand Opening
• RCTC Retail Merchandising Students ~ “Art Bash” 2006 Benefit