Textiles and Apparel Major & Courses

About the major

Textiles and apparel incorporates principles from the arts, sciences, humanities and business to offer an interdisciplinary and immersive academic experience, providing a dynamic education and setting students up for a breadth of career and academic opportunities. Students of Textiles and Apparel (TXA) are able to select from a wide range of innovative courses on campus, in New York City or Paris, France, or in studios and labs in collaboration with industry partners in the Austin area. TXA students study the art of design, the science of chemistry and physics and the application of retail principles. 

Students complete a major foundation curriculum and then choose from courses which will make up specializations–with students tracking through introductory, developing and mastery learning levels of content. Courses provide hands-on experience reflective of a field that is changing fast–harnessing the energy of rapidly evolving retail environments, learning from intercultural practices and customs, product development, consumer behavior, apparel and fashion design, computer-aided design, sustainability, and fiber and fabric testing, among other things. 

Learn more about TXA studies

Capstone experiences

Capstone experiences take students to high-profile venues and provide rich educational opportunities. Internships are available to enhance the educational experience and ensure strong career opportunities. Research is being conducted in bio-based fibers and specialized fabrics to address basic human needs of creative textile products.

Students gain a foundation in the chemical properties of textiles, fiber and fabric testing, design processes, CAD and product development. An understanding of the global apparel industry queues up the student to scaffold their learning experience with 24 to 36 hours in one or more of our specializations culminating in the capstone industry internship:

• Design: This option provides hands-on experience incorporating rapidly evolving fashion design practices, sustainability, apparel design, accessory design, product line development and 3D computer-aided design and pattern drafting.
• Merchandising: Through lecture and experiential learning formats, this option covers retail innovation, global competition and ethics, supply chain, sustainability, consumer experience, consumer behavior, experiential retail and strategic brand management. 
• Textiles: The Textiles option delivers knowledge and skills in new fiber and textile materials with application focuses on biopolymers, nano-textiles, circular processes and smart clothing.

All about Human Ecology at UT Austin

Courses TXA Students Take

Get a sense for some of the courses that many of our majors take below. A more complete list for each catalog may be found when you search for your degree option by the year of entry or catalog.