At VCU’s Department of Fashion Design + Merchandising, students can enhance their career potential through digital badges, which serve as verified, online microcredentials representing the skills and knowledge gained during their studies. These badges, earned throughout their academic journey, can be easily integrated into resumes, email signatures, and social media profiles, providing employers with a clear and trustworthy way to verify qualifications while giving students a competitive edge in the job market.
Students have a variety of opportunities to earn digital badges that highlight their accomplishments. These badges are available through courses and activities that span multiple departments, showcasing a broad range of skills and experiences. To stay informed, students are encouraged to check out the full list of badging opportunities, which is regularly updated.
To earn your digital badge from the Department of Fashion Design + Merchandising, be sure to complete the FD+M Badge Completion Form. Submit this form only after meeting all the necessary criteria for the badge you’re pursuing. Double-check the specific requirements for your badge to ensure you’ve covered everything.
Advanced Fashion Technology
The Advanced Fashion Technology micro-credential recognizes intermediate skill in CLO 3D and is awarded to students who earn a final course average of 85 or higher in FASH 406 Advanced Fashion Technology.
FASH 406 is an upper level studio structured to prioritize the tools and operations in CLO 3D that are most relevant to real-world industry practice and entry-level roles. Students learn to customize avatars, build and style garments, translate virtual samples into physical prototypes, create digital textiles, generate tech packs and produce high quality renderings and animation.
Badge recipients demonstrate the ability to confidently navigate the CLO 3D program supporting more efficient production processes and reducing unnecessary physical waste. This credential signals to employers that the holder possesses both technical proficiency in CLO 3D and a practical understanding of how digital design integrates into modern apparel development workflows.