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Let’s be honest, Fashion and Beauty Communications is not necessarily a program you would find at any college across the country. A lot of people might consider the area something you just have a passion for, or maybe something you can find at a company you hope to work for. Definitely not the face of academia. However, Syracuse University’s Newhouse School of Public Communications and the school of Visual and Performing Arts have shattered this belief with their offering of the Fashion and Beauty Communications Milestone (FBCM) program. 

 

In my four years of schooling as a student at Newhouse, I have been lucky enough to be a part of this program. I am a writer who hopes one day to focus on culture and fashion writing. When I found this program in the fall of my sophomore year, I instantly applied. Since my admission to the program, I constantly get questions from possible employers, other students, and friends. They are always asking me, “what is the program, exactly?” If you are one of those people interested but not quite sure what the program is, let me explain. 

 

The FBCM is a collaborative program between Newhouse and VPA. The aim of this program is to allow students in any major within these two schools to be able to gain a specialization in everything fashion and beauty adds to the world. Basically, this means that when you graduate as part of the milestone, you will have a deeper knowledge of the fashion and beauty industry. You will also know how to talk about it in a meaningful way relating to today's culture.

 

Within the program, you take a minimum of five courses over the span of the years you are enrolled. These classes span across both communications and fashion design and the curriculum is geared specifically towards your home college. Throughout the past three years I have taken everything from the History of Ancient Fashion to Content Creation for Fashion and Beauty Writing. The classes are an escape from the mundane of normal college life. You are learning from people who have the type of experience in the industry that at first makes you a little intimidated to even be sitting in their presence. Within the program, you are also offered the chance to hear from industry giants that come and speak in small groups about their careers in a speaker series.

 

Following the completion of the milestone, you graduate with a distinction in Fashion and Beauty Communications. You leave Syracuse with a portfolio of work from the FBCM courses showing your mastery of the field and your proficiency to be able to work in a career focused in this. 

 

My time in the milestone has given me more than I could possibly explain. Through the milestone I have been able to make connections with people in the industry and have lasting mentorships with professors who want to see you go out and make a change in the industry. During the fall of 2021, in one of my milestone classes I had the opportunity to hear from celebrity stylist, Andrew Gelwicks. In the Spring of 2022, I ended up interning for him for five months. If it hadn’t been for my FBCM professor, Sharon Kanter, and her class, this connection would have never been made. 

 

The milestone pushes every student to be able to put their best foot forward when applying to organizations, internships, and jobs post-grad. It allows everyone to feel confident in their ability to write about any topic under the umbrella of fashion and beauty in a more nuanced way. It explains so much about the way our culture is today, and how we got here. More than anything, it creates  bright spots in any daily schedule of boring college classes. 

 

To apply or to learn more about the program, check out the website here