The field of Marketing includes a variety of related business activities. While individual occupations within these diverse areas may be specialized, decisions in any one of them require a broad understanding of the marketing process and an ability to analyze the factors that influence it. The marketing process begins with the identification and design of products or services, which will satisfy customer needs in both for-profit and non-profit environments. It continues with the packaging, pricing, advertising, distribution, sales promotion and servicing of the firms' offerings, whether in the real space or virtual (internet) environment.
The major in Marketing is designed as a comprehensive study of all these activities, providing both the common background required for any marketing career and an opportunity for specialization based on the student's interests. Students learn through the classroom as well as outside research projects involving real world marketing challenges.
This broadly designed major is appropriate for careers in:
- generalized marketing and brand management
- advertising, PR, and promotional strategy
- personal selling and sales management
- retail merchandising and management, and
- marketing research
In this extremely competitive age of business, marketing provides the tools and skills necessary for differentiating companies, products and individuals. An understanding of product design, advertising, pricing, consumer behavior and distribution management is also essential. This major will actively promote an internship experience for students that can greatly facilitate the job search process.