A major in marketing acquaints students with the managerial decisions and actions that surround the satisfaction of customer needs in the purchase and use of goods and services. Examples of marketing decision areas are product development, pricing, marketing communication, marketing analytics, and personal selling. Completion of the major prepares students for careers such as product manager, marketing analyst, digital marketing specialist, marketing consultant, advertising or promotions manager, marketing researcher, sales representative or manager, and special events manager; in the public and private sectors. Some graduates also find careers in the retail industry, be it store management, market analysis, or purchasing.
Undergraduate Major in Marketing
For undergraduate curriculum in business, major in marketing.
The Department of Marketing offers a major in marketing. Students will complete the general education requirements (including business foundation courses), supporting courses/major prerequisites, business core requirements for the bachelor of science (BS) degree, and 18 additional credits in the major.
The instructional objective of the Marketing department is to provide knowledge of the marketing process and an understanding of its functions. Students are expected to develop decision-making skills, computational skills, and communication skills with appreciation for global marketplace and ethical concerns.
Students are limited to three business majors/degrees within the Ivy College of Business, or a total of three business major/minors within the college. This limit is on business majors/degrees/minors only, and does not apply to multiple majors/degrees/minors taken outside the Ivy College of Business.
For more information on the undergraduate major in Marketing, please visit: https://www.ivybusiness.iastate.edu/undergraduate/majors-minors/marketing/
Undergraduate Minor in Business and Technology Consulting
The Department of Marketing also offers a minor for any student with a major in the Ivy College of Business. The Business and Technology Consulting minor prepares you for a career as a business consultant. Every year consulting companies attract talented graduates across the world. As a consultant, you gain broad exposure to business issues, solve different business problems, make an impact on major businesses, and become an expert in a specific business functional area. The minor provides a systematic process for students to strengthen problem-solving skills and prepare them to become better communicators and future leaders.
The minor requires 15 credits from an approved list of courses, including at least 6 credits in courses numbered 300 or above taken at Iowa State University with a grade of C or higher. The minor must include at least 9 credits that are not used to meet any other department, college, or university requirement. Students with declared majors have priority over students with declared minors in courses with space constraints.
| Required Courses (9 credits): | ||
| MKT 367X | Consultative Problem Solving | 3 |
| FIN 415 | Business Financing Decisions | 3 |
| MIS 495 | Case Practicum | 3 |
| or SCM 495 | Case Practicum | |
| or MKT 495X | Case Competitions in Sales and Marketing | |
| Elective Courses (6 credits): | ||
| Select 6 credit hours from the list below: | ||
| SCM 450 | Enterprise Resource Planning Systems in Supply Chain | 3 |
| SCM 440 | Supply Chain Information Systems | 3 |
| SCM 424 | Process Management, Analysis, and Improvement | 3 |
| SCM 340 | Project Management | 3 |
| MIS 435 | Information Systems Infrastructure | 3 |
| MIS 436 | Introduction to Business Analytics | 3 |
| MIS 320 | Database Management Systems | 3 |
| MKT 445 | Customer Relationship Management | 3 |
| MKT 368 | Marketing Analytics | 3 |
| MGMT 320 | Corporate Entrepreneurship, Innovation and Technology Management | 3 |
| MGMT 473X | Advanced Human Resource Management I | 3 |
| FIN 435 | Venture Capital, Private Equity, and Mergers and Acquisitions | 3 |
| ACCT 315 | Business Data Streams and Issues | 3 |
| ACCT 371X | Entrepreneurship and Accounting Information | 3 |
| ACCT 384 | Accounting Information Systems and Analytics | 3 |
Students are limited to three business majors/degrees within the Ivy College of Business, or a total of three business major/minors within the college. This limit is on business majors/degrees/minors only, and does not apply to multiple majors/degrees/minors taken outside the Ivy College of Business.
For more information on the undergraduate minor in Business and Technology Consulting, please visit: https://www.ivybusiness.iastate.edu/undergraduate/majors-minors/
Undergraduate Minor in Marketing
The Department of Marketing also offers a minor for non-Marketing majors in the Ivy College of Business. The minor requires 15 credits from an approved list of courses, including at least 6 credits in courses numbered 300 or above taken at Iowa State University with a grade of C or higher. The minor must include at least 9 credits that are not used to meet any other department, college, or university requirement. Students with declared majors have priority over students with declared minors in courses with space constraints.
| Required Courses (6 credits): | ||
| MKT 340 | Principles of Marketing | 3 |
| MKT 447 | Consumer Behavior | 3 |
| Elective Courses (9 credits): | ||
| Select nine credit hours from 300 or 400 level Marketing courses. | ||
Students are limited to three business majors/degrees within the Ivy College of Business, or a total of three business major/minors within the college. This limit is on business majors/degrees/minors only, and does not apply to multiple majors/degrees/minors taken outside the Ivy College of Business.
For more information on the undergraduate minor in Marketing, please visit: https://www.ivybusiness.iastate.edu/undergraduate/majors-minors/
For the undergraduate certificate in professional sales.
Purpose
The certificate in professional sales is a course of study administered by the Department of Marketing in the Ivy College of Business. It is designed for all undergraduate majors who wish to enhance their degree and employment possibilities by adding expertise in professional selling. The certificate program will equip students with knowledge and skills related to developing and managing mutually beneficial relationships with customers. The certificate program is built on a strong theoretical background but emphasizes applications and practice. The certificate provides students with an opportunity to learn about the ethical, technological, analytical, and global aspects of professional sales.
Learning Outcomes
After completing the certificate in professional sales, students will be able to:
- Identify and describe the steps in a relational selling process to create value and achieve customer satisfaction,
- Apply the sales technology, skills and knowledge to business problems,
- Enhance oral communication skills and basic business writing skills,
- Build a network and develop professional relationships through corporate participation in the sales program, and
- Enhance career management options by gaining a better understanding of sales as a career option.
Requirements
The certificate in professional sales requires the completion of at least 7 courses, totaling 21 credit hours. At least 12 credits should be taken at Iowa State University.
| Required Courses (12 credits): | ||
| MKT 340 | Principles of Marketing | 3 |
| MKT 342 | Foundation Of Personal Selling | 3 |
| MKT 442 | Sales Management | 3 |
| MKT 450 | Advanced Professional Selling | 3 |
| Elective Courses (9 credits): | ||
| Select 9 credits of electives from the following list: | ||
| A M D 275 | Retail Merchandising | 3 |
| AGEDS 311 | Presentation and Sales Strategies for Agricultural Audiences | 3 |
| ADVRT 336 | Advertising Account Management | 3 |
| COMST 211 | Interpersonal Communication | 3 |
| C E 206 | Engineering Economic Analysis and Professional Issues in Civil Engineering | 3 |
| ECON 235 | Introduction to Agricultural Markets | 3 |
| ECON 236 | Agricultural Selling | 3 |
| ENGL 309 | Proposal and Report Writing | 3 |
| ENGL 314 | Technical Communication | 3 |
| ENGL 332 | Visual Communication of Quantitative Information | 3 |
| HSP M 540 | Strategic Marketing | 3 |
| I E 450 | Technical Sales for Engineers I | 3 |
| I E 451 | Technical Sales for Engineers II | 3 |
| I E 305 | Engineering Economic Analysis | 3 |
| I E 430 | Entrepreneurial Product Engineering | 3 |
| I E 434X | Entrepreneurial Product Engineering Design Project | 3 |
| PSYCH 280 | Social Psychology | 3 |
| PSYCH 380 | Social Cognition | 3 |
| PSYCH 450 | Industrial Psychology | 3 |
| PSYCH 314 | Motivation | 3 |
| SP CM 110 | Listening | 3 |
| SP CM 312 | Business and Professional Speaking | 3 |
| SP CM 327 | Persuasion and Social Influence | 3 |
| MKT 445 | Customer Relationship Management * | 3 |
| MKT 410 | Promotional Strategy * | 3 |
| MGMT 310 | Entrepreneurship and Innovation * | 3 |
| MGMT 422X | Negotiation and Conflict Resolution * | 3 |
| MGMT 471 | Personnel and Human Resource Management * | 3 |
| ENTSP 480 | Applied Entrepreneurship: Executing New Ventures and Projects * | 3 |
| SCM 486 | Principles of Purchasing and Supply Management * | 3 |
| * | Business courses listed as electives are available only to business majors. Non-business majors are limited to the 12 credits of required business courses for the certificate. |
In addition to the courses listed, independent study/special topics or other courses may count as electives for the certificate. Prior approval from the director of the Professional Sales Program or the chair of the Marketing Department is required.
Students need to fulfill the course prerequisites set by the Ivy College of Business.
A minimum of 9 credits used for the certificate may not be used to meet any other department, college, or university requirement for the baccalaureate degree except to satisfy the total credit requirement for graduation and to meet credit requirements in courses numbered 300 or above.
A certificate is not awarded until baccalaureate requirements are fulfilled.
Courses taken for the certificate may not be taken on a pass/not-pass basis.
A cumulative grade point average of at least 2.0 is required in courses taken for the certificate.
For more information on the undergraduate certificate in Professional Sales, please visit: https://www.ivybusiness.iastate.edu/undergraduate/majors-minors/
Curriculum:
Required and elective marketing major courses can be combined into three distinct tracks: marketing analytics, sales, and marketing management. In addition to the basic business requirements, marketing majors must also complete the following:
| Required Courses (9 credits): | ||
| MKT 444 | Marketing Research | 3 |
| MKT 447 | Consumer Behavior | 3 |
| MKT 443 | Strategic Marketing Management | 3 |
| Elective Courses (9 credits): | ||
| Select 9 credits of Marketing department courses, OR select one of the three Marketing elective TRACKS described below. | ||
| Optional Marketing Analytics Track (9 credits) | ||
| Select 9 credits: | ||
| MKT 361 | Social Media Marketing Strategy | 3 |
| MKT 368 | Marketing Analytics | 3 |
| MKT 445 | Customer Relationship Management | 3 |
| MKT 362X | Digital Marketing | 3 |
| Optional Sales Track (9 credits) | ||
| Select 9 credits: | ||
| MKT 342 | Foundation Of Personal Selling | 3 |
| MKT 442 | Sales Management | 3 |
| MKT 450 | Advanced Professional Selling | 3 |
| MKT 451 | Sales and Distribution Strategy | 3 |
| Optional Marketing Management Track (9 credits) | ||
| Select 9 credits: | ||
| MKT 342 | Foundation Of Personal Selling | 3 |
| MKT 361 | Social Media Marketing Strategy | 3 |
| MKT 410 | Promotional Strategy | 3 |
| MKT 448 | Global Marketing | 3 |
| MKT 453 | Brand Management | 3 |
| MKT 492 | Comparative Marketing | 3 |
| MKT 362X | Digital Marketing | 3 |
| Other Marketing Courses: | ||
| MKT 351 | Services Marketing | 3 |
| MKT 367X | Consultative Problem Solving | 3 |
| MKT 495X | Case Competitions in Sales and Marketing | 3 |
The X designation after a course number indicates this is an experimental course offered by the Department. Although in an experimental phase, these courses are open for registration just the same as permanent courses listed in the course catalog and count as elective choices in the major.
Marketing, B.S.
Sample 4-Year Plan (Your plan may differ)
| Freshman | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| BUSAD 102 or 103 | 1 | ECON 102 | 3 |
| ECON 101 | 3 | STAT 226 | 3 |
| COM S 113 | 3 | BUSAD 250 | 3 |
| ENGL 150 | 3 | ACCT 284 | 3 |
| MATH 150 | 3 | SP CM 212 | 3 |
| LIB 160 | 1 | BUSAD 203 | 1 |
| 14 | 16 | ||
| Sophomore | |||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| ACCT 285 | 3 | Global/International Perspective@ | 3 |
| MKT 340 | 3 | MKT 444 | 3 |
| ENGL 250 | 3 | ACCT 215 | 3 |
| Natural Science | 3 | Core Business Courses | 3 |
| MATH 151 | 3 | HUM/SOC SCI | 3 |
| 15 | 15 | ||
| Junior | |||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| PHIL 230 | 3 | MKT Electives | 6 |
| MKT 447 | 3 | Core Business Course | 3 |
| Core Business Course | 3 | Global/International Perspective@ | 3 |
| HUM/SOC SCI | 3 | Elective | 3 |
| US Diversity# | 3 | ||
| 15 | 15 | ||
| Senior | |||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| MKT Elective | 3 | MKT 443 | 3 |
| ENGL 302 | 3 | MGMT 478* | 3 |
| Core Business Courses | 6 | HUM/SOC SCI | 3 |
| General Elective | 5 | General Electives | 6 |
| 17 | 15 | ||
| Total Credits: 122 | |||
| @ | Courses in these requirements may also be used as Global Perspective. |
| # | US Diversity courses may be used to satisfy HUM/SOC SCI. |
| * | All core classes must be completed prior to taking MGMT 478 in the graduating semester. |
Students must be admitted to the professional program in business to major in marketing. The requirements to enter the professional program are:
1. Completion of at least 30 credits, Foundation Courses, ENGL 150, and all ENGL 101/99 courses if required.
2. A minimum GPA of 2.50 either cumulative or in the Foundation Courses. Early admission is allowed for Honors-eligible students. (See your adviser for specific information)
Graduation Requirements:
1. Grade of “C” or higher in at least 30 credits of Core and Major courses.
2. 42 credits of 300+ level courses from a four-year institution.
3. 50% of required Business courses must be earned at ISU.
4. At least 32 credits and the LAST 32 credits must be earned at ISU (exceptions for study abroad and internship may be requested).
5. 122 Credits minimum and a Cumulative GPA of at least 2.00 with no quality point deficiencies.
6. A grade of C or better in ENGL 250 required, and also in one other required ENGL course.
7. All 300-level and higher business credits must be earned at a four-year college.
8. Multiple business majors must have at least 15 distinct credits in each of the major requirements; when applicable, one course can be shared between business majors; see your adviser regarding multiple business degree requirements.
Graduate Study
The Department of Marketing participates in the full-time and part-time Master of Business Administration (MBA) and the PhD in Business and Technology programs. The MBA is a 48-credit, non-thesis, non-creative component curriculum. Thirty of the 48 credits are core courses and the remaining 18 are graduate electives. Within the MBA program, students may develop an area of specialization in marketing.
For more information about the MBA program with a specialization in Marketing, please visit: https://www.ivybusiness.iastate.edu/masters/mba/
The PhD in Business and Technology with a Marketing (MKT) specialization is a 56 credit (minimum) curriculum designed around four interrelated areas (core, specialization, minor, and research methods) and dissertation. The focus of the specialization is on marketing issues relating to strategic decision making, understanding consumer preferences and behaviors, and using data analytics for increasing the performance of the firm.
For more information about the PhD program with a specialization in Marketing, please visit: https://www.ivybusiness.iastate.edu/phd/
Courses
Courses primarily for undergraduates:
(3-0) Cr. 3. F.S.SS.
Prereq: credit or current enrollment in ECON 101
The role of marketing in society. Markets, marketing institutions, and marketing functions with emphases on product, price, marketing communication, and marketing channel decisions.
Cr. 3. F.S.
Prereq: Sophomore status or above
The process of selling and how to sell effectively. Focus on selling in a business environment and applying to concepts to general interpersonal settings in personal life. Students will actively participate in class, collaborate with teammates to develop skills to sell ideas and become more effective in representing themselves and their company and its products and services. Develop skills necessary to build long-term, profitable relationships with clients.
(3-0) Cr. 3. F.
Prereq: MKT 340
In-depth appreciation and understanding of the unique challenges inherent in creating, managing, and delivering quality services. Students will be introduced to and have the opportunity to work with concepts, tools, and strategies that address these challenges.
Cr. 3.
Prereq: MKT 340
The course will cover marketing, advertising and communications strategies in the new media landscape where traditional media (e.g., television, print) and the online social media (i.e., Web 2.0; e.g., online social networks, user-generated content, blogs, forums) co-exist. Students will be expected to have knowledge about the fundamentals of traditional advertising methods and strategies. With this background knowledge, the primary focus of this course will be on understanding social media, how to build social media marketing strategies, and how to track their effectiveness. This course will not look at more tactical aspects of advertising/communications such as creative, message management, and publicity. This will first and foremost be a marketing strategy course.
(Cross-listed with MIS). (3-0) Cr. 3. F.S.
Prereq: MKT 340
Use of different tools to conduct various analyses to support marketing strategies. Topics include data visualization and exploration, forecasting, social media analytics and other marketing techniques. Development of skills such as structuring problems, and synthesizing results from quantitative analyses.
(3-0) Cr. 3. F.S.
Prereq: Credit or enrollment in MKT 447
Principles, concepts, and problems involved in the development and implementation of promotional strategies. Coordination of a variety of promotional elements: advertising, sales promotion, direct marketing, public relations and publicity of web communications, and personal selling.
(3-0) Cr. 3. F.S.
Prereq: MKT 340
Functional aspects of sales force management; personal selling methods; procedures for recruiting, selecting, and training new salespeople; compensation and expense control systems; problems of sales force motivation and supervision; methods of territorial and quota assignment; sales department budgets; distributor-dealer relations; other selected topics.
(3-0) Cr. 3. F.S.
Prereq: MKT 340
Examines how customer data can be used to enhance decisions relating to acquisition, development and retention. Topics include customer lifetime value, customer as assets, customer loyalty programs and customization.
(3-0) Cr. 3. F.S.
Prereq: MKT 340
Study of how consumers select, purchase, use, and dispose of goods and services. Includes analyses of how markets and others influence these processes. Application of concepts and methods of the behavioral sciences to marketing management decision making.
(3-0) Cr. 3. F.S.
Prereq: MKT 340
Marketing from a global perspective and familiarity with the problems and perspectives that global companies face. Concepts and principles of marketing strategies, market assessment, identify marketing opportunities, entry decision, emerging markets, effects of political, legal, economic and cultural environments, and decisions relating to segmentation, positioning, branding, product, price, distribution and promotions in a global setting.
(3-0) Cr. 3.
Prereq: MKT 340 and either MKT 342 or IE 450
Analysis of the theory and practice of personal selling with the context of relationship marketing and salesforce automation. Topics include: goal setting, prospecting, time/territory management, questioning, presentations, objections, commitment and customer service; simulations of selling situations.
(3-0) Cr. 3. F.S.
Prereq: MKT 340
Focuses on marketing channels, the downstream part of a value chain, companies that come together to bring products and services from their point of origin to the point of consumption. Topics include channel institutions, channel design, channel coordination and implementation. Highlights international and technological aspects of marketing channels so that students can successfully develop and manage marketing channels in a contemporary business environment.
(3-0) Cr. 3. F.S.
Prereq: MKT 447
Examines the role of brands and branding in market environments characterized by intense competition and consumer power. Covers issues relating to why branding is important to firms, what brands represent to consumers, and what should be done to manage them effectively.
Cr. 1-3. Repeatable.
Prereq: MKT 340, senior classification; permission of instructor
(3-0) Cr. 3. SS.
Prereq: MKT 340
Provides experience to students in culture, social, economic, and political environment of marketing in a foreign country. Students complete a term project (e.g., a marketing plan) based on information collected in the foreign country. Students attend briefings by experts/officials of private and public organizations.
Courses primarily for graduate students, open to qualified undergraduates:
(3-0) Cr. 3.
Prereq: Enrollment in MBA program or departmental permission
An analytical approach to the study of marketing issues and challenges of business firms and nonprofit organizations. Emphasis on the influence of the global marketplace and the marketing environment on marketing decision making; the determination of the organization's products, prices, channels and communication strategies; an orientation that ensures sustainability of marketing operations; and the organization's system for planning and controlling its marketing effort.
(3-0) Cr. 3. F.
Prereq: MKT 501, MKT 509
Scope and nature of global marketing operation; the context of international environment in which firms operate. Recent developments of international business activities, and a framework for better understanding of the basic forces driving international business and marketing operations. Development of market entry strategies and global marketing mix policies, as well as export operations. Organizational issues related to the globalization of the firm.
(3-0) Cr. 3. S.
Prereq: MKT 501
Principles and concepts of new product development and introduction; decision areas include market definition and structure, idea generation, concept evaluation, test marketing, launch tracking, and global product planning; models and techniques of new product evaluation used by consumer product companies.
(3-0) Cr. 3. S.
Prereq: MKT 501, BUSAD 502 or STAT 401
Marketing research methods are examined with emphasis on the use of advanced research methods in business research. Application of advanced sampling, measurement, and data analysis methods in research on market segmentation, market structure, consumers' perceptions and decision processes, marketing communication, new product development, and pricing.
(3-0) Cr. 3.
Prereq: MKT 501
Introduces the student to the field of marketing communications. Covers a number of topics and areas essential for understanding how to design and evaluate communication strategies necessary for the successful marketing of products and services. An integrated marketing communications (IMC) perspective is employed in covering material, with a corresponding focus on various elements of an IMC strategy, including advertising, promotions, point-of-purchase communications, direct marketing techniques, and other topics.
(3-0) Cr. 3. S.
Prereq: MKT 501
The behavior of consumers. Intensive review of literature from relevant disciplines. Applications of concepts and methods of the behavioral sciences to marketing management decision making.
Cr. 3.
Integrate various concepts to solve problems in marketing. Enhance skills such as formulating problems, structuring and prioritizing problems, synthesizing results and communicating intuition from complicated analyses. Topics include problem definition, issue tree dis-aggregation and the Pyramid Principle. The course will also provide an overview of various newly developed marketing theories and analytical tools.
(Cross-listed with MIS). Cr. 3. F.S.
Integration of various concepts to solve problems using appropriate tools. Specifically, the course consist of the following three components: (a) help students develop consultative problem-solving skills; (b) introduce various newly developed consumer behavior theories; (c) provide an overview of quantitative models in the field of marketing analytics. Hands-on experiences to enhance skills such as formulating problems, structuring and prioritizing problems, synthesizing results and communicating intuition from complicated analyses.
Cr. 1-3. Repeatable.
Prereq: Permission of instructor
For students wishing to do individual research in a particular area of marketing.
Courses for graduate students:
(3-0) Cr. 3.
Prereq: MGMT 601
A rigorous foundation of the major conceptual and methodological paradigms in the consumer-behavior literature. Seeks to aid students in understanding the psychological, sociological, and anthropological roots of consumer behavior research. Read the latest research in the area reported in leading consumer behavior/psychology journals.
(3-0) Cr. 3.
Prereq: MGMT 601
Review major contributions and recent developments in marketing strategy research and practice. Review commonly used modeling approaches and research methods to study strategic interaction between firms seeking to build competitive advantages. Provide an overview of empirical research regarding measurement, level and persistence of business success and implications of findings for theory and strategy development.
(3-0) Cr. 3.
Prereq: MKT 601
Addresses key strategy and implementation issues behind customer management. Topics such as typology of CM strategies, antecedents and outcomes; environmental and managerial influences on strategy formation; technology and impact on CM strategy; and value of CM strategy. Examine theories and concepts behind important CM issues such as customer satisfaction, customer loyalty and customer profitability.
(3-0) Cr. 3.
Prereq: MGMT 602
Inter-firm and network competition; relationship among suppliers, distributors, alliance partners, external employees, and internal employees. Theories including agency theory, network theory, relationship marketing, channels of distribution theories on cooperation versus competition, IOS theories.
(1-0) Cr. 1.
Prereq: enrollment in the PhD program
Preparation of a research manuscript to be submitted to a peer-reviewed academic journal. Students will work with a faculty mentor on a research project.
(1-0) Cr. 1.
Prereq: enrollment in the PhD program
Preparation of a second research manuscript to be submitted to a peer-reviewed academic journal. Although students work under the supervision of a faculty mentor, the students will take independent responsibility for the research project.
Cr. 12.
Prereq: Graduate classification, permission of dissertation supervisor
Research.