Marketing
Marketing is about the creation of value
Ultimately, great marketing is about creating customer commitment to the products, services, causes or ideas that one produces. The discipline is built on learning the core practices associated with bringing a product, service, or idea to market including product design and development, distribution, promotion and pricing. It also focuses on how to keep products competitive through market research, branding, customer service, innovation and promotion, including digital, social media and traditional advertising. A well developed marketing strategy, which puts the customer first, will improve any organization, including for profit firms, not-for-profit organizations and government agencies.
Individuals with a marketing degree, may become marketing managers responsible for all marketing related activities of the firm. Still others may specialize in one specific area such as sales, digital marketing, advertising and promotion, brand management, product development, marketing research & analytics, customer relationship management, or media management.
Focus on Experiential Learning
Through strong connections with alumni, advisory board members and local businesses, students are provided experiential learning that will allow them to "hit the ground running". This may include developing and analyzing a customer survey, conducting a focus group on a new product, running an eye tracking study to determine the best promotion campaign or designing a social media campaign, to introduce a new product. Students are given multiple classroom opportunities to help solve real marketing issues. Thus students are exposed to both theory and practice through courses that focus on “what to do,” and “how to do it”. The program also includes a semester long senior capstone experience with a firm,and internships and professionally taught specialty courses on state-of-the-art marketing practices taught by local experts.
State of the Art Facilities
The Marketing Department has state of the art facilities through the Suarez Behavioral Research Laboratory, Fisher Institute for Professional Selling and the Gary and Karen Taylor Institute for Direct Marketing. These facilities provide students opportunities for putting into practice their classroom learning. For example, sales students practice and receive feedback through video taping of sales role plays and sales negotiations, while marketing research classes utilize the focus group facilities, eye tracking equipment and survey software in the computer laboratories to conduct marketing research.
Requirements
Students must meet all requirements of:
- General Education Program
- College of Business Core Program
- Foundation courses within the Marketing program
- Professional experiences component of the program
- All other requirements of the major
Students may also pursue a dual major or a minor. By adding a limited number of credit hours, students could for example, pursue a double major in sales and marketing, or add a minor in international business. Check with your College of Business advisor to determine the specific requirements for the double major or minor of your choice.