Student-Faculty Ratio
20:1
Full-Time Student Population
3,700
Part-Time Student Population
700
Full-Time Instructional Faculty
68
Part-Time Instructional Faculty
258
Full-Time Retention Rate
95%
Part-Time Retention Rate
75%
Degrees Awarded
- Associate degree
- Bachelor's degree
Instructional Programs
Occupational:
NoAcademic:
YesContinuing Professional:
NoRecreational/Avocational:
NoAdult Basic Remedial:
NoSecondary (High School):
NoPrograms/Majors Offered
8Most Popular Majors
- Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services, Other: Unknown
- Design and Visual Communications: Unknown
- Fashion and Apparel Design: Unknown
- Fashion and Apparel Merchandising: Unknown
Special Study Options
Distance Learning Opportunities:
YesStudy Abroad:
NoWeekend/Evening College:
YesTeacher Certification:
NoClass Sizes
Class sizes at FIDM vary. Sizes are most affected by what day a class is offered, what time, who the professor is, etc.
Classes are either small enough to get one-on-one time with a professor or large enough to be able to break up into small groups for projects.
Student/Professor Relationships
The instructors each have their own style. Generally, they are very helpful and open to reexplaining things to students until the students understand. Most instructors are still currently doing something in the industry and are still super passionate about what they do; you can see it in their teaching.
Testing & Grading Procedures
Testing and grading vary according to the instructors, but oftentimes, there could be a lighter amount of actual paper tests, replaced by projects or presentations instead. The grading scale is pretty standard: 90 and above is an A, 80 to 89 is a B, etc.
Typical Lecture - Single Day
A typical lecture day could consist of PowerPoint presentations with notes, taking information from the books, or even just talking about real life industry experience.
Typical Course - Start to Finish
Generally speaking, there is a new project or assignment given each week for all of the 10 weeks, excluding midterms and finals weeks. These projects are very intense; you learn a lot in a short amount of time, so try not to miss any classes!
Things I Wish I Knew Before Coming To School
- How hard the school really is. You can spend hours working on projects, and you have to be really careful to get enough sleep, but hopefully you'll love what you're doing!
- Time management. This is crucial at FIDM. Students balance course workloads, classes, jobs, and internships-sometimes all at the same time.
Tips to Succeed
- Do the best you can do on your assignments! All of the instructors at FIDM are industry working professionals or have worked previously in the industry. If they see potential in you, they could be references when it comes time to look for an internship or job.
- Network, network, network! This is the industry's motto. Meet as many people as you can while at FIDM, whether it be other students (you never know who they could work for or what company they own in the next handful of years), instructors, advisors, etc.
- Schedule your time wisely! Time management is crucial at FIDM. Don't overextend yourself to where you physically can't accomplish everything. However, you also don't want to waste time just messing around when you could pick up a part-time job or an internship to gain industry experience.
Faculty Diversity
African American:
13%Asian American:
6%Hispanic:
12%International:
0%Native American:
0%White:
69%Unknown:
0%Average Faculty Salary
$32,413
Academic/Career Counseling?
Yes
Did You Know?
- The president of FIDM, Tonian Hohberg, is around campus all of the time. Sometimes she rides the elevator with the students and asks about how their classes are going.
- Many instructors/professors have been or still are professionals working in the fashion industry!
- FIDM is actually a two-year, three-year, and four-year college.
- Besides having the WASC accreditation (Western Association of Schools and Colleges), FIDM has the NASAD (National Association of Schools of Art and Design) accreditation-only around 300 colleges in the whole country have that!