Welcome to the Graduate Program in Textiles, Apparel Design and Merchandising at LSU. Requirements and procedures specific to each graduate program are discussed in the Handbook. The Handbook is a supplement to the LSU General Catalog, which is the authoritative source for academic regulation of the University. It is the responsibility of graduate students to fulfill the requirements described in LSU’s current General Catalog and these Guidelines. Students are also responsible for being aware of and meeting the deadlines printed in the Graduate Calendar. Although the Catalog states explicitly that LSU reserves the right to change requirements at any time, TAM tries to apply those regulations that are in effect in the year students enter their programs.<br><br>Textile scientists investigate natural and synthetic organic polymers used in textile materials, together with preparation of sustainable composites made of plant-derived polymers and fibers. The cultural and historical significance of textiles and apparel is also extremely important. The department houses the LSU Textile and Costume Museum. The museum's holdings are global in scope and include prehistoric and ethnic textiles and garments as well as contemporary high fashions and high-tech textiles. The museum supports the teaching and research efforts of faculty and students. Special collections within the museum preserve a vital part of local, state and regional history. The museum's LSU collection documents innumerable aspects of the university's unique history. Its Louisiana collection includes Native American and Acadian textile artifacts, inaugural garments of previous governors and their families, Red Cross attire used during the Katrina recovery effort, and post-World War II feed sack clothing. The university recently provided new physical space to the museum where it will have a much larger public exhibition gallery with a dedicated entrance.