Merchandising Pathway
An eye for design?
Does your student have an eye for design? Do they love arranging things until they look just right? Then a career in merchandising may be a good fit!
What Merchandisers do
Merchandisers work in a retail setting, cultivating new and engaging ways to display and sell more products. They analyze the store’s layout to find the best spots to place products that will make them look more appealing to customers. They must also have impressive organizational skills to create logical systems for sorting products that make items easy to locate quickly when needed. They also track the sales and revenue of each product piece to determine which are best-sellers and suggest potential special offers to help the store increase its profits.
Career Prep* offers a rigorous curriculum where students learn to plan, coordinate, and implement marketing strategies.
Gain real-world skills through project-based learning.
Career Prep has implemented project-based learning (PBL) for many courses in this pathway. PBL curriculum is designed to hone students’ problem-solving, communication, critical thinking, and team collaboration skills. This curriculum is taught by experienced business professionals and includes preparation in the Microsoft Office suite and practical, hands-on exercises that require students to analyze a company’s competitors, create an advertising campaign, and observe customer service interactions in their own community.
Our Merchandising Pathway Curriculum in Detail
All our students take the core courses required for high school graduation in their state. The chart below shows the additional classes that students in the Merchandising Pathway take. You can see the rest of the curriculum by viewing the full course list.
CAREER EXPLORATION COURSES
These courses provide an opportunity for students to gain insight into potential careers.
CAREER FOUNDATION COURSES
These courses are building blocks that prepare students for more specialized pathway courses.
CAREER PREPARATION COURSES
These courses prepare students for industry-recognized certification exams.
OPTIONAL CAREER LEARNING COURSES
While not required, these courses provide an opportunity for students to gain knowledge and skills that are useful in their chosen careers.
Business & Marketing Explorations
Intro to Business Information Management
Business Information Management: Data Essentials
Marketing 1
Marketing 2
Introduction to Management
Management: Insight and Oversight
Interpersonal Communication†
Accounting 1
Accounting 2
Principles of Business, Marketing, and Finance 1†
Principles of Business, Marketing, and Finance 2†
Fashion Design
Note: Pathway courses are subject to change.
†New in fall 2022
Get credentialed.
In a world where competition for jobs, pay increases, and academic success continues to increase, certifications provide a credible, third-party assessment of a student’s skills and knowledge of a given subject. Students in this pathway can prepare to take these industry-recognized certification exams:**
CAREER SKILLS CERTIFICATIONS
These baseline certifications prepare students with domain-specific, entry-level job skills.
A*S*K Concepts of Entrepreneurship/Management
A*S*K Fundamental Business Concepts
NOCTI General Management
NOCTI Accounting Basic
NOCTI Accounting Advanced
Choose a career. Prepare for the future.
Fashion designers create clothing, accessories, and footwear for wholesale or manufacturing establishments, apparel companies, retailers, theater or dance companies, and design firms. They work closely with a design team to develop ideas for new products based on research data.
2021 Median Salary
$77,450
Expected Job Growth Rate for 2020–2030
Little change
Typical Entry-Level Education
Bachelor’s degree
This data reflects the information available from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook on June 30, 2022. To learn more about this occupation, visit bls.gov/ooh/arts-and-design/fashion-designers.htm.
Buyers and purchasing agents buy products and services for organizations. Purchasing managers oversee the work of buyers and purchasing agents.
2021 Median Salary
$75,410
Expected Job Growth Rate for 2020–2030
Declining
Typical Entry-Level Education
Bachelor’s degree
This data reflects the information available from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook on June 30, 2022. To learn more about this occupation, visit bls.gov/ooh/business-and-financial/purchasing-managers-buyers-and-purchasing-agents.htm
Merchandise displayers and window trimmers plan commercial displays to entice and appeal to customers. They change or rotate window displays, interior display areas, or signage to reflect changes in inventory or promotion.
2021 Median Salary
$35,520
Expected Job Growth Rate for 2020–2030
Little or no change
Typical Entry-Level Education
High school diploma
This data reflects the information available from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook on June 30, 2022. To learn more about this occupation, visit bls.gov/oes/current/oes271026.htm.
FAQs
Merchandisers do not require a degree or certification to earn their position. However, students in the Merchandising Pathway can prepare for retail merchandising certifications to help them land a job and advance in the industry.
In high school, take electives like marketing and business communication. You can also look for an internship or job at a retail store near you.
Learn more about course offerings in other career fields.
Business Management & Administration
Criminal Justice & Community Services
Education & Training
Engineering & Manufacturing
Health Sciences
Hospitality & Tourism
Information Technology (IT)
Marketing
Visual Arts & Communications
*Career Prep is a program for grades 9–12. Some schools offer career exploration in middle school.
**Many Microsoft®️ Office certificates can be earned after completing one course. Other certificates require more classes to be better prepared, and students who participate in the program for at least two years will have further preparation for certification testing.
***Opportunities vary by school; please visit your school page or check with your school counselor.