Online B.S./B.A. in Marketing: Curriculum

Information Systems (IS) develop the information that managers use to make decisions and is a necessary component for the creation, storage, transformation and protection of business data. This course will introduce you to IS and the design, analysis and implementation of datasets and is intended to refine and extend skills in Microsoft Excel and other business management technologies. The course will conclude with a study of management information systems (MIS) and the role they play in organizations.

A principles course focusing on the basics of marketing. Students will complete market research projects, analyze target markets, determine marketing mixes (products, price, promotion, place) as well as selecting the appropriate marketing channels for target audiences. Students will also examine the relationship between pricing, customer value perception and brand equity.

Introductory course in financial concepts focusing on analyzing the firm’s performance, understanding risk and return and conducting capital budgeting and business valuation.

Study of primary functions of management of goal-directed organizations. Analysis of the internal organization structure and of management roles within complex organizations. Study of structural bases, work-flow pattern, leadership patterns and control systems upon human behavior.

This course examines how communication behavior differs among cultures in various contexts such as workplace, school, healthcare, and diplomacy. Students learn to be adaptive different worldviews, meaning system, stereotypes, and ethnocentric behavior. Major issues such as identity, ethnocentrism, and multiculturalism will be discussed.

Designing a purpose driven social media strategy helps to guide a business’ Online activity. In this class students will create digital and social media strategies that will drive brand awareness, create customer engagement and increase sales. Students will gain a broad perspective of the digital landscape and how to elevate a brand equity Online. They will also develop an understanding of the common digital tools such social media engagement (SEM), search engine optimization (SEO), and integrated digital marketing strategy.

Marketing research is the process of gathering and analyzing information about customers and competitors in the market. In this class students will learn how marketing research targets specific problems and seeks to solve them through the use of data collection and data analysis. Students will use data analysis to create correlations that support a predetermined research goal. Students will engage in activities that demonstrate practical application of market research theory.

Personal selling scenarios are important promotional elements where the product attributes are communicated to potential customers. Whether sales take place in the virtual or in-person environment, the customer is at the heart of a sales transaction. In this course students will learn how to create mutually beneficial sales presentations that connect specifically to a customer’s needs. Students will create holistic personal selling strategies that include post purchase behavior and the development of in-depth customer service plans.

In this course students will focus on learning how to effectively develop a brand strategy. Brand strategy is the development of a clear tactical plan to communicate the perception of the company’s credibility and reputation to its intended market. Students will analyze existing brands and create strategies to build brand equity and develop awareness of new brands. Students will create strategic and management sustainable brand strategy across a broad range of products and services.

Consumer behavior is the study of when, why, how, and where people do or do not buy a product. It blends elements from psychology, sociology, social anthropology and economics. The behavior that consumers display in searching for, purchasing, using, evaluating, and disposing of products and services reflects their beliefs of which will satisfy their overall needs. Consumer behavior describes two different kinds of consumer entities, the personal consumer and the organizational consumer.

Through the study of strategies, and techniques commonly used in international marketing, students will develop an understanding of how companies identify and develop business opportunities internationally. Students will learn how to evaluate viability of international markets as well as how to develop strategies to use when marketing their products internationally. By studying global sociocultural factors and analyzing their impact on marketing operations, the student will gain applicable knowledge related to international marketing.

Personal branding is the deliberate task of creating and communicating an individual’s image. Students enrolled in the MKT concentration will complete a culminating final project: a personal brand E-Portfolio. The creation of this personal brand project will require you to use the concepts, skills, and theory that you have gained through your marketing classes. The goal of completing this project is to develop an E-Portfolio students can use as a representation of the skills and abilities they have gained by completing the assigned marketing classes.

The marketing mix, also referred to as the 4’P’s, is defined as the set of tools that companies use to achieve their marketing goals; Product, Price, Place, & Promotion. Students will use critical thinking skills combined with market research to determine the appropriate promotional media for various products and services. Students will also develop communication skills by writing promotional messages for a variety of media, including but not limited to radio and television commercials, social media, and research briefs.

This course introduces the concepts, history, theories, legal/ethical issues, and routine practices of advertising as a medium of information in modern society. Students learn how advertising meshes with the ethos of our national culture, how advertising works in the market economy, how advertising appeals to consumers, and how to create selling ad copy.