The Art Institute of Dallas was established in 1964 as the Dallas Fashion Merchandising College. It was later renamed in 1978 to the Fashion and Art Institute of Dallas. A year later, the Institute was approved to grant an Associate of Applied Arts Degree.
In 1964, the Dallas Fashion Merchandising College opened its doors.  It was rebranded as the Fashion and Art Institute of Dallas in 1978 and granted the ability to offer an Associate of Applied Arts degree a year later.