Adidas Apparel Designer Looks to Further Career With Textiles Online Program

Christina Thomsen, a graduate student in NC State’s online Master of Textiles program, has worked for sportswear companies, such as  Reebok and Adidas, since completing her undergraduate studies at the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT).

During her undergraduate studies, Thomsen became interested in materials. One of her professors at FIT, Jeffrey Silberman, encouraged Thomsen to look into NC State’s textiles program.

“Jeffrey Silberman is an alumnus and a big reason why I am doing the program today,” Thomsen said. She said Silberman completed NC State’s online program while pursuing his own career.

Thomsen currently works full time as an apparel designer for Adidas in Nuremberg, Germany. Earning a master’s’ degree from the College of Textiles the traditional way was out, so she enrolled in the Textiles Online Program.

With a full-time career, how does Thomsen find time to do both?

“I only take one three-credit course per semester to make sure I still have a social life,” Thomsen explained. She adds that as long as school and work remain at the top of her priority list, everything else in life will get done.

“If you are diligent and can manage your own time, this degree will work for you. It gives you the freedom to really focus on what is important for you and what you’d like to get from it,” Thomsen said.

Although Thomsen’s focus is learning more about materials, some of the courses in the online program, such as Climate Communication and Independent Study, are helping her enhance other life skills.

“Climate communication seems unrelated to textiles but actually has a lot of value in speaking and giving context on a global scale, which you can use in communicating textiles,” Thomsen explained.

Thomsen is on track to complete her master’s degree in Spring 2018.

“I think my degree will give me credibility when speaking with others [about] design and textiles,” Thomsen said. “Materials are our future and it is important to know how to push that specific component forward.”

Students can learn more about the online Master of Textiles Program on the Textiles Online Programs website.

This post was originally published in Online and Distance Education News.