MS (Master of Science) in Apparel and Fashion Business Management
HSBC AUW School of Apparel
AUW in association with HSBC Bangladesh has established the HSBC-AUW School of Apparel to offer a fourteen-month full-time MS (Master of Science) program in Apparel and Fashion Business Management. The MS (Master of Science) in Apparel and Fashion Business Management program seeks to create a pool of expertly trained women from Bangladesh who will go on to manage local businesses. The program will build executive talent and enable enduring skill formation within the country while contributing towards the social goals of sustainability and women empowerment. Academic Excellence, Industry Relevance, and Social Significance would be the defining features of the Program. This aims to seek excellence in terms of attracting top-quality students, first-rate quality faculty with state-of-the-art curriculum, and placement in leading organizations. The MS program is designed and delivered in association with leading international Universities and Institutions renowned for Fashion Management and Apparel Manufacturing education. The RMG companies, including manufacturers, vendors, and global retailers, would be prospective recruiters of future graduates. The knowledge and skills acquired in the MS program can be transferable to other industries.
MS (Master of Science) Apparel and Fashion Business Management
About the Program
Through curated courses, the young professionals will develop technological know-how, superior communication skills, and contemporary knowledge needed for Apparel and Fashion Business Management, enabling them to directly enter the RMG industry in Bangladesh in middle and senior leadership roles. The ideal outcome would be for these companies to hire the students upon graduation. For the employing companies, these graduates offer a sustainable solution to their people and talent needs at managerial levels and minimize costs and lead times involved in hiring overseas executives. Each graduate will also have a mentor who will formally review their performance, for some time. The program will be refined and adjusted in partnership with feedback from the RMG companies.
Program Objectives
- Create a pathway for women to grow into leadership roles in the apparel and fashion businesses that navigate the economic, cultural, political, and regulatory challenges at the local and global levels.
- Offer apparel and fashion management education with a curriculum characterized by academic excellence, industry relevance, and social significance to prepare women graduates for the evolving demands of the apparel and fashion industry
- Build women executive talent and enable enduring skill formation while contributing towards the social goals of sustainability and women empowerment.
- Equip women graduates with contemporary knowledge and skills in managing people, projects, and resources, effectively and efficiently.
- Develop analytical and strategic thinking skills to solve complex business problems unique to the apparel and fashion industry.
- Develop ethical and environmental sensibilities by understanding ethical and sustainable business practices applicable to the apparel and fashion industry.
Program Learning Outcomes
- Apply leadership and management knowledge and skills to effectively lead teams, manage projects and resources, and make business decisions in the fashion and apparel industry.
- Analyze market trends, consumer behavior, and global supply chains to make business decisions.
- Apply principles and practices of product design, development, quality assurance, and manufacturing for the effectiveness and efficiency of apparel and fashion production systems.
- Apply principles and practices of merchandising and retailing for customer engagement and competitiveness.
- Apply analytical and strategic thinking skills to solve complex business problems unique to the apparel and fashion industry.
- Apply ethical and sustainable business practices meeting standards for the environmental, social, and governance.
Curriculum
Additional Learning
Along with the coursework, students will also complete two to three Google Certifications in Digital Marketing, Data Analytics, and Project Management, as well as two workshops on Data Analysis with Excel and Presentation Skills.
Industry Internship
The Industry Internship provides students with a hands-on opportunity to apply the theories, concepts, and tools learned in university in a real-life business situation. The HSBC-AUW School of Apparel partners with apparel companies in Bangladesh to provide internship opportunities where students will be assigned a specific business problem to solve for their Internship Project. The output of the internship, the Internship Project Report, will be the culmination of the one-year MS program; it will validate learning, provide solutions to real-world challenges, and improve the students career prospects by showcasing their capabilities to potential future employers.
FAQs
A. MS Program
1. What is the MS program about?
MS Apparel and Fashion Business Management is a fourteen-month full-time post graduate management program with emphasis on Apparel and Fashion Business. The program is designed to create a pool of expertly trained women from Bangladesh who will go on to manage Apparel and Fashion businesses.
2. What is unique about the MS program? How is it different from other similar programs?
The program will build executive talent and enable enduring skill formation within the country while contributing towards the social goals of sustainability and women empowerment. Academic Excellence, Industry Relevance and Social Significance will be the defining features of the program and success will be measured in terms of number and quality of applicants, renowned faculty and curriculum, and placements in leading RMG organizations or buying houses. The Program is designed and delivered in association with leading international Universities and Institutions renowned in the area of Fashion Management and Apparel Manufacturing education.
3. What is the structure of the MS Apparel and Fashion Business Management program?
The MS program has 12 core courses covering the functional areas of Management, Apparel Design, Apparel Manufacturing, Retailing and Merchandising, and 16 intensive modules covering a range of management concepts, skills and tools. The courses will impart State-of-the-art knowledge and skills in Apparel and Fashion Business Management. In addition, industry practitioners and leading academics deliver guest lectures on the latest concepts, tools and practices of managing Apparel Business in a global market. The MS program consists of 12 months of academic instruction, two months of Internship in an RMG company, or a buying house, and completion of a Capstone Project. The students will return to the campus at the end of the Internship and Capstone Project and share their experiences and learning with the rest of the class. All students will undergo Industry Immersion prior to the start of the program. The industry immersion may be waved off for company-sponsored candidates on case-to-case basis.
4. What is the Capstone Project?
The student carryout a two-month Capstone Project in an RMG company or a buying house applying the theories, concepts and tools learned in university in a real-life business situation. The HSBC-AUW School of Apparel partnered with local RMG companies and international buying houses to provide work experience opportunities where students will be assigned a specific business problem to solve for their Capstone Project.
5. Who are the faculty teaching the courses and modules of the MS Program?
The courses in the MS program are taught by leading universities of the world. The faculty have substantial academic and industry experience in business management in general, apparel business in particular.
6. What is the batch size of the MS program?
The MS program has 40-50 students in each batch.
7. When does the program start and end?
The MS program starts in either January or September of every year. For the academic year 2025-26, the program starts on 5h August 2025 and ends on 31st March 2026.
8. What is the general profile of the students?
The MS program includes women graduates of AUW, women graduates of other universities of Bangladesh and women employees sponsored by apparel and fashion companies.
9. Are international women applicants eligible to apply for the MS program?
Companies can also sponsor international candidates. However, the program is open only to the women candidates from Bangladesh.
10. Do you accept transfer credits into the MS program?
The MS program does not accept transfer credits from other universities and institutions.
B. Admissions
1. When do I apply for the MS program?
The admissions to the program are normally held during October- November, and during June – August of every year. However, the MS program accepts expressions of interest throughout the year and may conduct the admission process for the upcoming intake during anytime of the year. Admission Tests and Interviews are held at AUW campus in Chittagong.
2. What is eligible for applying to the MS program?
The MS program is offered to candidates who fulfill the below criteria. In addition, all candidates are expected have leadership potential and an aptitude to make a career in the RMG industry.
2.1 AUW women graduates
- Bachelor’s degree in any discipline
- Minimum Cumulative GPA of 3.0
- A pass in HBS Core
- Qualifying in the Personal Interview
2.2 Women graduates from other Universities / Institutions
- Bachelor’s degree in any discipline
- Minimum Cumulative GPA of 3.0 (or equivalent letter grade or percentage points)
- A pass in HBS CORe / GMAT / IBA / AUW Admission Test / Any other recognized graduate admission test
- Qualifying in the Personal Interview
2.3 Company-sponsored candidates
- Bachelor’s degree in any discipline
- Minimum Cumulative GPA of 3.0 (or equivalent letter grade or percentage points). Any wavers must be approved by the Program Office
- A pass in HBS CORe / GMAT / IBA / AUW Admission Test / Any other recognized graduate admission test
- Qualifying in the Personal Interview
3. What is the fee for the MS program?
One-time payment
Admission Fee: $600
Caution Deposit (refundable): $200
Program Fees
Tuition: $4,000
Note: Room & Board will cost additional $2,000
4. How do I pay the fee for the MS program?
The MS program fees can be paid directly into the bank account below:
Payable: ASIAN UNIVERSITY FOR WOMEN
Bank Name: Trust Bank Limited
Bank Address: CDA Avenue Branch, Chittagong
Account Number: 0020-0320000133
Swift Code: TTBLBDDH020
Routing Number: 240151485
Admission Office
Ph: +880 1958 399842
Program Office
Ph: +880 1973 401234