Nov 05, 2024  
2024-2025 University Catalog 
    
2024-2025 University Catalog

Retail Management, BS

Location(s): West Lafayette


About the Program


The Retail Management program prepares students for successful careers in the buying, distribution, merchandising, and marketing of consumer goods and services in the fast-paced and constantly evolving world of retail and related industries. Through the program, students develop a strong foundation in critical thinking, communication, and practical skills. These include: consumer behavior, retail operations, strategy, and leadership. Students acquire knowledge and skill sets that encompass industry trend analysis, retail marketing plans, luxury branding, and cutting-edge retail technology. The Program requires an internship prior to graduation to gain valuable industry experience. Overall, graduates of this program are well equipped to pursue a range of exciting opportunities, including positions in retail management, buying, product merchandising, brand strategy, and supply chain management. 

For students interested in the fashion retail industry, the Program offers a unique one-year study opportunity with the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) in New York City. Students accepted to the FIT program spend their junior year studying Fashion Business Management. Courses taken in this program transfer back to Purdue, and students successfully completing the FIT program earn an associate degree from FIT.

Division of Consumer Science

Retail Management Major Change (CODO) Requirements   

Degree Requirements


120 Credits Required

Other Departmental/Program Course Requirements (52-59 credits)


Electives (14-23 credits)


GPA Requirements


  • 2.0 GPA required for graduation.

Course Requirements and Notes


  • Field Experience: Students may opt for the Study Abroad Internship Program in Dublin, London, or Sydney (6 credits) to fulfill this requirement.

Pass/No Pass Policy


  • A student may elect the Pass / Not-Pass option for elective courses only. Students may elect to take University Core Curriculum courses Pass / Not-Pass; however, some major Plans of Study require courses that also fulfill UCC foundational outcomes. In such cases, students may not elect the Pass / Not-Pass option.  A maximum of 24 credits of elective courses under the Pass / Not-pass grading option can be used toward graduation requirements. For further information, students should refer to the College of Health and Human Sciences Pass / Not-Pass Policy.

University Requirements


University Core Requirements


For a complete listing of University Core Course Selectives, visit the University Senate Website.
  • Human Cultures: Behavioral/Social Science (BSS)
  • Human Cultures: Humanities (HUM)
  • Information Literacy (IL)
  • Oral Communication (OC)
  • Quantitative Reasoning (QR)
  • Science #1 (SCI)
  • Science #2 (SCI)
  • Science, Technology, and Society (STS)
  • Written Communication (WC) 

Civics Literacy Proficiency Requirement


The Civics Literacy Proficiency activities are designed to develop civic knowledge of Purdue students in an effort to graduate a more informed citizenry. For more information visit the Civics Literacy Proficiency website.

To obtain the Civics Literacy Proficiency, students will complete an educational activity as part of their chosen Civics Literacy Pathway and pass the Purdue Civics knowledge test.  The knowledge test can be completed at any time while the pathway is being perused.  There are three different pathways:

  • Civics Event pathway - Attend six approved civics-related events and pass the required exam; or
  • Civics Literacy Podcast pathway - Complete 12 podcasts created by the Purdue Center for C-SPAN Scholarship & Engagement that use C-SPAN material and pass the required exam; or
  • Approved course pathway - Complete  one of the following approved courses and pass the required exam.

More details about each pathway and how to complete the requirement can be found on the Civics Literacy Student Dashboard in myPurdue.

Upper Level Requirement


  • Resident study at Purdue University for at least two semesters and the enrollment in and completion of at least 32 semester hours of coursework required and approved for the completion of the degree. These courses are expected to be at least junior-level (30000+) courses.
  • Students should be able to fulfill most, if not all, of these credits within their major requirements; there should be a clear pathway for students to complete any credits not completed within their major.

Sample 4-Year Plan


Fall 1st Year


16-17 Credits


14-16 Credits


14-16 Credits


Spring 2nd Year


15 Credits


15 Credits


Spring 3rd Year


14-15 Credits


Summer 3rd Year


1-3 Credits


Fall 4th Year


12-15 Credits


Spring 4th Year


12-15 Credits


Pre-Requisite Information


For pre-requisite information, log in to mypurdue.purdue.edu and click here.

World Language Courses


World Language proficiency requirements vary by program. The following list is inclusive of all world languages PWL offers for credit; for acceptable languages and proficiency levels, see your advisor. (ASL-American Sign Language; ARAB-Arabic; CHNS-Chinese; FR-French; GER-German; GREK-Greek(Ancient); HEBR-Hebrew(Biblical); HEBR-Hebrew(Modern); ITAL-Italian; JPNS-Japanese; KOR-Korean; LATN-Latin; PTGS=Portuguese; RUSS-Russian; SPAN-Spanish)

Critical Course


The ♦ course is considered critical.

In alignment with the Degree Map Guidance for Indiana’s Public Colleges and Universities, published by the Commission for Higher Education (pursuant to HEA 1348-2013), a Critical Course is identified as “one that a student must be able to pass to persist and succeed in a particular major. Students who want to be nurses, for example, should know that they are expected to be proficient in courses like biology in order to be successful. These would be identified by the institutions for each degree program.”

Disclaimer


The student is ultimately responsible for knowing and completing all degree requirements. Consultation with an advisor may result in an altered plan customized for an individual student. The myPurduePlan powered by DegreeWorks is the knowledge source for specific requirements and completion.

Comparative information about Purdue University and other U.S. educational institutions is also available through the College Navigator tool, provided by the National Center for Education Statistics, and through the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.