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How do you set your business apart in a digital-first economy? How do you attract buyers and increase sales on your website and through channels like social media and online marketplaces? As consumer habits shift from brick-and-mortar to e-commerce, the University of Missouri’s (Mizzou) online graduate certificate in digital merchandising program supplies you with the knowledge to stand out and thrive — whether you’re an entrepreneur or steering growth strategies from within a larger organization.
Expanding Mizzou’s unique niche of retail merchandising- and apparel-focused degree programs, this online certificate delivers a comprehensive overview of the industry. You learn to create content, organize website product presentations, manage inventory, monitor sales and engage potential customers across multiple channels. This holistic introduction suits those thinking about starting an online business, adapting their operations to the digital space or upgrading their knowledge of the e-commerce sector.
If you’re interested in advancing your knowledge, you can apply credits from the certificate to Mizzou’s master of science in textile and apparel management, an on-campus program.
Quick facts
Official name
Graduate Certificate in Digital MerchandisingCampus
Program type
Graduate certificateAcademic home
College of Arts & Science | Department of Textile and Apparel ManagementDelivery mode
100% onlineAccreditation
Higher Learning CommissionCredit hours
12Estimated cost
$6,300.00*This cost is for illustrative purposes only. Your hours and costs will differ, depending on your transfer hours, your course choices and your academic progress. See more about tuition and financial aid.
Career prospects
Stay ahead in or confidently enter the e-commerce field with an expansive tool kit for identifying and connecting with customers, making sales and tracking campaigns.
Related job titles include:
- (Digital) communication manager
- Digital data analyst
- (Digital) marketing manager
- (Digital) merchandiser
- Entrepreneur
- User experience designer or analyst
About the online graduate certificate in digital merchandising
Over several decades, the Department of Textile & Apparel Management has built a respected reputation upon programs that align with industry trends. As a result, students graduate positioned to shape the economy as merchandisers, buyers, designers and product developers.
The online graduate certificate in digital merchandising reflects the Department’s commitment to training professionals to excel in an increasingly online and global space. Students explore techniques for managing an e-commerce website and related supply chain with the guidance of internationally recognized and award-winning faculty. In the process, they become familiar with key data analysis and visualization tools, conduct related research and get an in-the-field perspective before applying concepts through their existing jobs or entrepreneurial aspirations.
Program structure
The graduate certificate in digital merchandising is a fully online, 12-credit-hour program designed to flexibly fit into the schedules of working professionals. Courses follow a semester schedule, and no campus visits are required.
Students typically take two classes per semester and finish the program in one year.
Course work includes
The online certificate exposes you to:
- Digital presentation and data visualization techniques with Adobe and other tools
- Merchandising, inventory control and other financial strategies
- Omnichannel retailing
- Digital merchandising and branding tactics
- Data analysis for tracking sales and forecasting
- Website, app and social media management best practices
Review all requirements for the online graduate certificate in digital merchandising.
Delivery
100% onlineCalendar system
Semester-basedTypical program length
1 yearTypical course load
2 classes per semesterFurther your education
If you choose to continue your education, this program offers a seamless transition from a graduate certificate to a textile and apparel management MS (on campus).
Accreditation
The University of Missouri is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission, one of six regional institutional accreditors in the United States.
Faculty spotlight
Li Zhao utilizes her experience and interaction with students to integrate real-world situations and challenges into the course content, projects and related assignments to better prepare students for their future careers. Dr. Zhao’s professional experience includes management positions in the sales and marketing departments of Wilkinson Group and Christian Dior in China. She has received numerous awards for research and teaching excellence, including the 2023 Provost’s Outstanding Junior Faculty Research and Creative Activity Award, the 2022 Rising Star Award from the International Textile and Apparel Association, multiple Paper of Distinction Awards and more.
Dr. Song-yi Youn is an Assistant Professor in the Textile and Apparel Management Department at the University of Missouri. She holds a bachelor’s degree and master’s degree in Clothing and Textiles. She completed a PhD in Consumer Behavior and a second PhD in Clothing and Textiles. Dr. Youn brings professional experience as a market analyst in the government agency, Korea Color and Fashion Trend Center. She proposed upcoming fashion trends based on analyzing consumer behaviors and industries in global fashion cities including New York, London, Paris, Milan, Tokyo, Beijing, and Seoul. She participated in product development strategy programs for luxury fashion brands.
Dr. Caroline Kopot is an Assistant Professor in the Textile and Apparel Management Department at the University of Missouri. She holds a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree in business. She completed her PhD in Polymer, Fiber and Textile Sciences with an emphasis in International Merchandising. Dr. Kopot’s professional experience includes management positions in the Brand Management industry in Indonesia with Metropolitan Retailmart, Mitra Adiperkasa, and MRC Group. She brings in her management and strategy as well as buying experiences to the classroom to challenge her students to understand not only the course content but also how to apply them in real-world industry situations. Before coming to TAM, as a Graduate Student, she taught Retail Planning and Buying, and Graduate Teaching Seminar at the University of Georgia. While she was working as a professional in the industry, she was also an adjunct Lecturer at Bina Nusantara University – School of Business, teaching Marketing Management, Consumer Behavior, and Product and Brand Management.