Majoring in Marketing

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With a major in Marketing, you will learn the issues surrounding bringing a product or service to market, including customer awareness, pricing and measuring success. You will be able to analyze marketing problems from an evidence-based perspective using data and generate well-thought-out, creative solutions.

A major in Marketing requires three foundational classes, and you have some flexibility in selection. Throughout your coursework, you will apply the principles of marketing to real-world situations to learn how the success (or failure) of marketing strategies depend on the adherence to foundational theories.

• All students are required to take Research and Analytics, which will introduce you to methods for collecting, analyzing, and interpreting consumer and market data. You’ll learn how to critically evaluate and communicate quantitative information and use it to make strategic decisions.
• For your second course, you can choose either Advanced Marketing Strategy or Sales Management.
  • In Advanced Marketing Strategy, you will learn the wide variety of factors that influence marketing decisions, using both quantitative and qualitative analysis.
  • In Sales Management, you will learn the principles of persuasion and personal branding as well as how to manage a sales team.
• For your third course, you can choose either Consumer Behavior or Social and Online Marketing.
  • In Consumer Behavior, you will learn the cognitive, emotional, social and contextual factors that govern consumer decision-making.
  • In Social and Online Marketing, you will use a mix of theoretical and practical exercises to help you see online tools from a marketing perspective.

You will take 9 hours of Marketing electives, which provide specialized knowledge in areas like brand management, consumer behavior, analytics, customer relationships, retailing and pricing. Sample courses include the following:

• Advertising and Promotion is designed to provide the conceptual underpinnings of marketing communication and reflect the role of media strategies in providing information, persuading, selling and creating popular culture. You will apply the concepts and develop a real-world marketing communication program.
• Brand Management addresses the fundamental branding decisions faced by a firm when determining how to build, measure and manage brand equity. You will learn how to plan brand strategies, evaluate brand strategies and examine the actions needed to improve a brand’s long term sustainability.
• New Product Development introduces students to the new product development process to maximize the likelihood of their success. Students will learn how to identify potential ideas and markets for new product development; how to position, price and advertise new products; and how to measure potential sales and success prior to launch.

In addition to elective requirements within your major, you will also complete 12 hours of general business electives. For these courses, you can choose from any area, as long as you are not also counting them toward your major requirements. With electives, you can explore topics outside your major that will apply to the career path you ultimately choose.

These select core courses will introduce important skills and concepts to help prepare you for a major in Marketing:

Degree Requirements

Required Courses

• MKTG 4110 Research & Analytics
• Either MKTG 4220 Sales Management or MKTG 4120 Advanced Marketing Strategy
• Either MKTG 4100 Consumer Behavior or MKTG 4250 Social and Online Marketing

Three additional MKTG courses selected from the following list:

Note: Not all electives are offered every year.
*Courses taken to fulfill the major requirements cannot be counted among the nine additional credits.

Career-Oriented Tracks and Suggested Classes

The following recommendations are provided as a guide to students with focused interests, but are not required.

Sales and Relationship Management Track

(32% of marketing graduates start their careers in this track)

Brand Management and Advertising Track

(16% of marketing graduates start their careers in this track)

Marketing Analytics Focus

Analytics help marketers make data-driven decisions to more efficiently target consumers.

Current students are encouraged to log into Gibson and select Degree Works Audit to check their progress and to meet with their Business Academic Advisor to review course selection.