Launch Your Fashion Career with a Fashion Design Company Co-op

Drexel University’s renowned cooperative education (Co-op) program seamlessly integrates professional growth with academic learning for aspiring fashion designers. This award-winning program enriches the traditional classroom and studio environment, providing students with invaluable, full-time practical work experience directly within their chosen field. The advantages are clear: Fashion Design undergraduates at Drexel gain six months of immersive experience working for leading fashion design companies, allowing them to explore specific areas of the industry that ignite their passion. A Drexel Co-op serves as a powerful bridge, connecting students with influential figures and innovative fashion design companies and retail leaders. This experience cultivates professional acumen and hones critical skills, all of which students bring back to enrich their studies and classroom contributions.

Fashion Design students at Drexel are universally enrolled in the university’s nationally recognized co-op program. This mandatory component of the curriculum places students in six-month industry positions during their third year, in either the Fall/Winter or Spring/Summer cycle. Our students consistently secure co-op roles with prominent designers and both national and international fashion design companies and brands. These opportunities span across major fashion hubs like New York City and Los Angeles, as well as other globally significant fashion-forward cities.

The Advantages of Co-op Programs for Fashion Students

Fashion Design students are highly sought after for a diverse spectrum of co-operative education opportunities both within the United States and internationally. These placements enable them to accumulate up to half a year of direct industry experience even before they graduate. Studies have consistently demonstrated that Drexel graduates who have completed co-op programs command higher starting salaries and receive superior performance evaluations compared to their peers. This competitive edge is a testament to the practical skills and industry insights gained through real-world experience at fashion design companies.

Our Fashion Design program benefits from strong, established connections within the fashion industry. This robust network is cultivated through our extensive alumni base and the numerous fashion design companies and firms that consistently recruit our students for both co-op placements and graduate positions. We actively engage industry professionals from all facets of the field—including fashion design, product development, buying, allocation, planning, marketing, and public relations—inviting them to campus as guest critics, lecturers, and resident experts. We foster a deeply connected community that is keenly attuned to the constantly evolving fashion landscape. Our core mission is to rigorously prepare students to effectively meet the escalating demands of employers within the dynamic Fashion Design Company sector and broader industry.

Diverse Co-op Opportunities within Fashion Design Companies

Local Opportunities in the Philadelphia Region

National Co-op Opportunities Across the USA

Global Co-op Opportunities in International Fashion Design Companies

Begin your journey into the world of fashion design. Explore Drexel Westphal’s Fashion Design Major today.