Marketing Major

Advisors: Jerry Holsopple and Jim Leaman
Degree: Bachelor of Science
Semester Hours: 48-49
Admission Requirements: Formal admission to the marketing major typically occurs at the end of the student's second year. Students must have minimally a 2.50 GPA in major courses. Students complete an application form that includes a CV, essay and two design projects. Students present the essay and design projects in a short pitch before a group of departmental faculty. Admitted students remain in good standing if their major GPA remains above 2.50. Students do not graduate with a major within which their GPA fails to reach 2.50.

This major prepares graduates for marketing jobs and careers in businesses, nonprofits, NGOs, and higher education. Students will learn the impact marketing has on larger cultural forces and as a significant dimension of social change, advocacy, and getting unique and challenging messages into the social dialogue. The marketing major consists of a common core (40 SH) and one of two tracks (8-9 SH) for a total of 48-49 SH.

Marketing majors may complete a media and design track or a management track. Students in the media and design track will be assigned an advisor in the VACA department and will complete a sophomore review according to VACA catalog policies. Students in the management track will be assigned a business and leadership advisor and will apply for formal admission to the program according to business and leadership catalog policies.

The media and design track teaches a set of skills that enable students to create media forms ranging from the single image to visual and text campaigns and longer form video storytelling. In addition to learning the technical skills of design, the management track prepares students for leadership and oversight roles of the marketing process.

Required Courses (40 SH)

  • BUAD 221 Principles of Management - 3 
  • CIS 211 Spreadsheet and Data Management - 1 
  • MKTG 201 Principles of Marketing - 3 
  • MKTG 311 Marketing Research - 3 
  • *MKTG 321 Consumer Behavior - 3 
  • *MKTG 330 Sales/E-Commerce - 3 
  • *MKTG 410 Strategic Marketing Management -
  • STAT 120 Descriptive Statistics - 2 
  • VACA 141 Foundations of Design - 4 
  • VACA 151 Photography I - 2 
  • VACA 142 Graphic Design I - 2 
  • VACA 242 Graphic Design II - 2 
  • VACA 344 Web Design and Social Media -
  • VACA 381 Cinema and Visual Theory - 2 
  • WRIT 210 News and Feature Writing - 3 

Media and Design Track (8 SH)

  • VACA 252 Photography II - 4 
  • VACA 345 Advanced Photoshop - 4 

Management Track (9 SH)

  • ACTG 221 Financial Accounting - 3 
  • BUAD 101 Business at EMU - 3 
  • BUAD 461 Strategic Leadership in Organizations -

* indicates the course is offered in alternate years