Marketing
The marketing curriculum is designed to prepare students for careers in various marketing career paths (visit the Careers in Marketing website). The marketing area helps students learn the foundational knowledge and the latest marketing advances, with special attention given to consumer and societal well-being. This program is ranked 10th in the United States by U.S. News & World Report.
The field of marketing calls for creative thinkers with diverse interests and backgrounds. It allows applying economics, psychology, sociology, anthropology, statistics, and mathematics to contribute to the growth of the U.S. and global economy. Marketing concepts and activities today spread far beyond packaged- and durable-goods companies to encompass the business strategies of diverse industries such as service providers, nonprofit institutions, and even political entities. Marketing acumen and skills are critical to succeed in any area of business, regardless of specific positions or job titles, because it involves finding innovative solutions to ever-changing challenges and leveraging evolving opportunities.
Given the innovations taking place in the industry and the interdisciplinary approach expected from marketing professionals, the marketing area constantly updates its curriculum and offers creative and cutting-edge courses to prepare students for marketing careers. The marketing area offers various courses that reflect the challenges in the U.S. and global marketplace, emphasizing the creation of value for consumers, businesses, and society at large.
Students have the option of following a track in their marketing major by directing some of their coursework in their major electives in a planned manner. Possible focus areas include strategic branding, marketing analytics, digital marketing, or integrated marketing communications. Students pursuing a concentration (in marketing or other business areas) may also complete these courses by adding a secondary concentration. Please see your class dean for advice and direction If you would like to consider one of these focus areas.
How courses are counted
Students must note the following policy for how courses are counted. A student may count a maximum of one class in fulfilling more than one purpose—that is, toward any combination of major, minor, and primary or secondary concentration. For example, only one economics class could count toward both a finance major and an economics minor; any additional economics class would count toward the finance major OR the economics minor, but not both. Similarly, one management class could count toward both a primary concentration in management and a minor in sustainable business, but any subsequent management class would not count toward both. Any exceptions to these rules will be posted within the specific area major, minor, or concentration requirements.
For more information
MKBU 3225. Marketing Principles. (3 Credits)
Marketing's role within an organization is to develop products or services that have value to potential customers, to estimate that value and price accordingly to distribute the goods efficiently and to communicate their value and availability effectively. This course introduces students to techniques and theories that help the marketer to accomplish these tasks, whether for a mom- and-pop store or a global or multinational manufacturer.
Attribute: BUMI.
MKBU 3431. Professional Selling and Sales Management. (3 Credits)
American businesses spend substantial sums on personal selling and employ more than 6.4 million people in sales and sales-related jobs. This course studies the field in depth with an analytical approach to organizing and managing the sales, function, personnel, development, forecasting, budgeting, communication ethics, and the role of government. Selective cases relate to theory and practice. Independent (but supervised) research by students is encouraged.
Prerequisite: MKBU 3225.
MKBU 3432. ST: Fashion Marketing. (3 Credits)
This course examines the marketing mix through the lens of the fashion industry. Topics to be covered include merchandising , new product development with an emphasis on private label and celebrity brands, customer loyalty programs, and licensing among others. Students will also explore the key issues and challenges of the fashion business model and discuss emerging trends such as m-commerce, social media and apps.
Attribute: FASH.
Prerequisite: MKBU 3225.
MKBU 3434. Fundamentals of Integrated Marketing Communication. (3 Credits)
Advertising is the most pervasive element of the marketing mix: the average American family of four is exposed to 1,500 advertising messages a day! Students will study the role of advertising in the marketing communications mix, allocating the promotional budget and developing advertising strategy: product positioning, creative development, media planning, research and control, legal issues and ethical considerations. Students will apply theories to case discussion and develop a full-fledged competitive advertising campaign for a potential "client." Note for Gabelli students: Since MKBU 3434 is an upper-level business course, credit for this course (for transfer students) can come only from accredited business schools (AACSB guidelines) and not from similarly titled courses at liberal arts colleges.
Attributes: CCMS, COMC, COMM, NMAC, NMDD, NMMI.
Prerequisite: MKBU 3225.
MKBU 3435. Consumer Behavior. (3 Credits)
An interdisciplinary approach to the study of consumer behavior and motivation. Topics include behavioral science findings and their implications in the marketing mix; socioeconomics, demographic and cultural influences; theories of promotion and communication; consumer behavior models; attitude measurement; perception and consumerism.
Attribute: FASH.
Prerequisite: MKBU 3225.
MKBU 3436. ST: The Business of Fashion. (3 Credits)
This course explores the dynamic business of fashion which is a significant contributor to the economy of NYC and the United States and is one of the largest employers in our country. Topics discussed will include: textiles, fibers, fabrics, leather and fur as well as product development, fashion enterprises, uniques channels of distribution, retailing, mechandising, globalization, the buying and selling of fashion products. Students will also learn basic business concepts such as: forms of business, entrepreneurship,, management, human resources, marketing, financial information, and socially responsible behavior and ethical issues in fashion. Whenever possible, guest speakers and visits to fashion-centric exhibits and points-of-interest will be incorporated into course-related activities.
Attribute: FASH.
MKBU 3439. ST: Branding. (3 Credits)
This course examines the strategic importance of branding by focusing on the various ways the brands acquire and sustain value in the marketplace. It analyzes relevant and comprehensive theories, ideas and concepts to demonstrate how managers can make strategic branding decisions. Students learn about socio-cultural perspectives on branding and brand management, financial considerations and consequences of branding decisions.
Attributes: 0CMK, ENT, FASH, NMDD.
Prerequisite: MKBU 3225.
MKBU 3440. Global Marketing. (3 Credits)
This course addresses the need for global approaches to today's business by focusing on product design, promotion, distribution channels and pricing strategies that are tailored to diverse international cultural, political, competitive and economic environments. Specific attention is place on the feasibility of import/export, and national or global policies regarding marketing issues.
Attribute: GLBB.
Prerequisite: MKBU 3225.
MKBU 3441. Marketing Research. (3 Credits)
A practical approach to the study of research principles and procedures as an important tool of marketing, stressing the role of research in planning, operating and controlling marketing activities. Problems are examined from the perspective of managerial decision making in the age of computers. Analytical and qualitative techniques and their applications to "live" cases are emphasized.
Attributes: 0CMK, PRQU.
Prerequisite: MKBU 3225.
MKBU 3442. ST: Marketing Consulting. (3 Credits)
Small groups of students-maxium 3- will work with organizations on a real life marketing problem. The students will work, with the host organization, but not necessarily at the organizations premises, towards a solution. The solution will be formally presented at the end of the semester to the host organization. Additionally the students will be able to draw on a tutor who is an experienced Marketing professional who will provide academic and practical support. This could be in any area of marketing, for eg: Research; Product Development; Communications; Internet. The students will be responsible for finding a host organization. This will be part of the grading criteria.
Prerequisites: MKBU 3445 or MKBU 3441 or MKBU 4451 or MKBU 4113 or MKBU 3435.
MKBU 3445. ST: Marketing Analytics. (3 Credits)
The course introduces students to a variety of marketing metrics and analyses. Students will be exposed to syndicated sources of data such as Nielsen and IRI, as well as the techniques for manipulating and analyzing primary data.
Attributes: 0CMK, ENT, PRQU.
Prerequisite: MKBU 3225.
MKBU 3448. ST: Social Marketing. (3 Credits)
This learning-by-doing course introduces students to the marketing dimensions of social innovation and sustainable business. Course projects address the full spectrum of marketing activities from conducting market research and identifying market opportunities to improving existing services and developing new services.
Attributes: BLEB, ENT, SOIN.
Prerequisite: MKBU 3225.
MKBU 3449. ST: Customer Experience Mgt. (3 Credits)
This course aims to teach students the discipline, methodology and process used to comprehensively manage a customer's exposure, interaction and transaction with a company, product, brand or service. It offers an integrated framework for managing customer experiences that would create a competitive advantage for companies.
Prerequisite: MKBU 3225.
MKBU 3454. ST: Design Thinking. (3 Credits)
Design thinking is an iterative problem-solving process of discovery, ideation, and experimentation that, when combined with business models, provides decision-makers with effective tools for innovation and transformation. This hands-on course will guide students in the use of a variety of design-based tools and techniques to clarify and solve human-centered organizational, business, and public service challenges.
Attributes: 0CMK, ENT, NMAC, NMAT, NMDD, NMMI.
MKBU 3455. Business Anthropology in Global Context. (3 Credits)
Business anthropology is a growing field of study and an emerging professional market, globally. Anthropology holds that there are many different and complex social and cultural ways of ordering life. This course will instruct students on ways to develop and understand local consumer behavior for global brand reach, devise brand strategies for specific markets, and understand brands from a local point of view.
Prerequisite: MKBU 3225.
MKBU 3456. Global Consumer Behavior. (3 Credits)
This course studies consumer behavior in a global context with an interdisciplinary approach. Topics include behavioral science findings and their implications in the marketing mix; socioeconomics, demographic and cultural influences; theories of promotion and communication; consumer behavior models; attitude measurement; perception and consumerism.
Prerequisite: MKBU 3225.
MKBU 3457. Bus Anthrop in Global Context. (3 Credits)
Business anthropology is a growing field of study and an emerging professional market, globally. Business leaders increasingly find that insights from anthropology are necessary to reduce complexity and rethink what they can offer their customers on their terms. This course will instruct students on ways to develop and understand local consumer behavior for global brand reach, devise brand strategies for specific markets, and understand brands from a local point of view.
Prerequisite: MKBU 3225.
MKBU 3458. ST: Global Sustainability Mkt. (3 Credits)
This course aims to provide the knowledge and skills necessary to successfully market sustainable products and services in global markets. It examines global trends and issues that influence the success of sustainability marketing and discusses the role it plays for global companies. Students learn about the key elements of developing a successful marketing approach for sustainable offerings in global markets.
Prerequisite: MKBU 3225.
MKBU 3459. Cross Cultr Consumer Insight. (3 Credits)
This course applies theories of anthropology and ethnography to the study of consumer insights in a cross-cultural context. Topics include the study of cultures and subcultures, ethnographic research designs, customer immersion, and contemporary ethnographic writing.
Attribute: SOIN.
Prerequisite: MKBU 3225.
MKBU 3461. ST: Sustainable Fashion. (3 Credits)
This course delves deeply into the principles that define sustainable business, as well as the impact areas that are considered both the cause, and areas of cure, within fashion’s environmental, social, and economic footprint. It is through this greater understanding of the forces in sustainability that a more comprehensive set of strategic decisions can be considered in the planning and marketing of business within the fashion industry’s transforming reality. Through using different readings, cases, and assignments, students will master the analysis of more deeply structured marketing strategies that filter decisions through a broader lens of people, planet, and profit.
Attributes: ENST, ESEC, ESEL, FASH.
Prerequisite: MKBU 3225.
MKBU 3463. ST: Marketing Competition. (0 Credits)
Designing and organizing competitions and training and coaching students. Organizing tasks may include designing and preparing competition objectives and rules, tasks, timelines, judging, and managing the competition. Training and coaching activities may include teaching workshops and other training programs, guiding students on their tasks, reviewing their work and offering feedback, mock presentations, and other forms of support.
MKBU 4105. ST: Services Marketing. (3 Credits)
Services account for over 75% of the GDP in the US and, even in a difficult economic environment, many sectors are growing rapidly. This course will provide in-depth analysis of the challenges and opportunities in marketing services to consumers and businesses. Students will learn how to identify, create and develop winning service marketing strategies. Topics will include marketing principles, buyer behavior and delivery of service quality from both consumer and business-to-business perspectives.
Prerequisite: MKBU 3225.
MKBU 4109. ST:Revealing Consumer Insights. (1.5 to 3 Credits)
This course aims to teach students about revealing insights and underlying themes from vast consumer data to identify opportunities for improving consumer products, brands and services. Students will learn to discover insights and overall consumer trends and use them to make strategic marketing decisions.
Prerequisite: MKBU 3225.
MKBU 4112. ST: Data Driven Sales Strateg. (3 Credits)
This course provides a working understanding of different analytical tools like CRM software, Social Selling strategies and techniques to mine publicly available market data to strengthen sales engagements. In-class role playing utilizing the popular “Challenger Sales” methodology, presentation training and digital tools demonstrations are used enable best-in-class data-driven sales skills .
Prerequisite: MKBU 3225.
MKBU 4113. Digital Marketing. (3 Credits)
This course provides students with hands-on training in the conceptual foundations of digital marketing and the skills related to using tools to design, implement, and measure digital marketing activities. The course focuses on the underlying principles, strategic and tactical decisions, designing digital presence, and activities across various digital channels. This is accomplished through a series of educational materials, class discussions, hands-on practices, and projects. The course introduces students to the fundamental concepts and processes in digital marketing for today's competitive e-business environment.
Prerequisite: MKBU 3225.
MKBU 4114. Marketing Technology and Innovation. (3 Credits)
This course introduces students to the marketing implications of the latest technologies (the current and future trends). These technologies have led to new forms of marketing and customer-related activities. Marketing students need to have an overall understanding of the latest technological advances to take advantage of these technologies and be able to communicate with technology specialists. Adopting a learn-by-doing approach, the course seeks to help students integrate their knowledge and skills with the latest advances. Students will implement this integration of knowledge in assignments and projects that seek to create new value for consumers, offer personalized customer experience, address a marketing challenge, or create and capture new opportunities.
Prerequisite: MKBU 3225.
MKBU 4115. Ad Channel Planning and Activation. (3 Credits)
This course will teach students advanced approaches to developing advertising and media strategies, focusing on planning and paid media along with how to activate those messages in key outlets and platforms across both linear and digital channels (including social and programmatic media). Students will also learn about consumer engagement, audiences, targeting, as well as charting the consumer's path to purchase, and how proper brand messaging, channels, and activation can move the consumer along the consumer experience journey. The course will also focus on strategically integrating and coordinating various media channels with the tools available today to improve the chances and quality of engagement with consumers, thereby leading to successful and measurable marketing outcomes.
MKBU 4441. Marketing Strategy. (3 Credits)
Students exercise the business skills they have developed in previous course work in all functional fields by applying these techniques and theories to a series of marketing challenges. Case analysis and discussion present an integrated approach to decision making that will achieve corporate objectives.
Attribute: 0CMK.
MKBU 4442. ST: Mktg Fincl Services. (3 Credits)
Students completing a robust finance major (10 courses) can use this course to fulfill a finance elective. Students pursuing a finance concentration are not permitted to use this course to fulfill a finance concentration. The Finance Area advises students with a finance concentration to take a different Finance course to increase the depth of their understanding of finance. The objective of this course is to provide an understanding of the successful strategies associated with the marketing of financial services. Financial services have witnessed a significant growth in marketing activity during the past five years due to industry deregulation, intensified competition, and the emergence of new technologies and products. These changes have made it critical for business students who anticipate being active in financial services to expand their skill sets and to explore new approaches for successful marketing of these services. Many of these approaches are found through systematic exploration of opportunities arising from the financial decision making styles of consumers the dynamics by which technology will be influencing consumer choices in the near future. This course is intended for students who anticipate becoming active marketers of financial services at some point in their careers. Having completed this course, students should be able to manage consumer marketing activities for a wide array of financial services organizations.
MKBU 4451. ST: Data Driven Marketing Decisions. (3 Credits)
The course aims at offering students advanced analytical marketing and decision making tools in order to help them solve typical marketing managerial situations. It will allow students to simulate data driven marketing decisions and formulate sound recommendations. The course will deal with lectures that will immediately be applied to case studies and in-class exercises.
Attribute: PRQU.
Prerequisite: MKBU 3225.
MKBU 4454. ST: Sports Marketing. (3 Credits)
The entertainment sector is a major industry. Within that sector, sports activities are targeting a number of demographic and other segments of the population. While some sports (collegiate and professional) are quite successful in their marketing strategies, others struggle to gain or to hold their audience within a competitive market place. This course evaluates the marketing mix of those sports teams and institutions that are successful and assesses the marketing ingredients of those sports activities that are struggling to gain a larger or profitable share of the audience.
Attribute: SJOR.
Prerequisite: MKBU 3225.
MKBU 4456. ST: Global Corporate Communication. (3 Credits)
The ability to influence is a critical business skill for business professionals in any industry, including consulting. This course focuses on corporate communication, including both internal and external communication. It includes sessions with faculty and industry professionals. We first define corporate communication and persuasion to better understand how organizations develop long-term relationships with clients, as well as internal and external stakeholders. We will discuss how to assess corporate communication, as well as various modes of effective corporate communication. Students will demonstrate their ability to assess stakeholders and audit an organization’s communications. They will also gain experience in developing communication plans.
MKBU 4457. ST: CB Consulting Project. (3 Credits)
A team of undergraduate students will have the opportunity to participate in a one semester project acting as consultants in an advisory role. Students will be given a consulting project and asked to complete a plan for a final course of action for which a company can undertake. Students will apply their academic and individual expertise to the development of this plan.
MKBU 4462. ST: Global Immersion: Rome. (3 Credits)
This class aims to teach how a city as a whole could be incorporated into the marketing mix and be used for marketing purposes. It is a mix of rigor and eclecticism delivered in an accessible manner, in historical city of Rome. Class meetings prior to departure will be comprised of lectures focused on the class model, as well as film screenings to provide context and prepare students for their experience in Rome.
MKBU 4463. ST: Global Immersion Ireland. (3 Credits)
This study tour course focuses on doing business in Ireland and the European Union by allowing students to personally experience business practices and culture in this major global market. Students meet with facutly and periodically during the preceding semester to discuss reading assignments and tour arrangements. Students travel to Ireland in early January, to meet as a class with local businesses, advertising agencies, the U.S.-Irish Chamber of Commerce, government agencies, and manfactureres and retailers.
Attribute: GLBB.
MKBU 4465. ST: Study Tour in Paris. (3 Credits)
MKBU 4466. ST: Global Immersion Israel. (3 Credits)
The course provides students the first-hand opportunity to explore a vibrant business environment of Israeli organizations. Students are introduced to the management, marketing, and organizational practices across start-up, national, and international organizations within the country of Israel. Through the examination of impactful environmental factors, the role of national cultural, historical, and political setting are analyzed on how they shape and drive the unique business landscape in Israel. The course is a combination of in-class and online learning during the semester and culminating in a global immersion trip to Israel during the winter break.
MKBU 4469. ST: Global Immersion Germany. (3 Credits)
This course offers students an introduction to the field of social entrepreneurship. It will examine the evolution of social innovation and entrepreneurship theory and practice, compare and contrast organizational models and supportive ecosystems in the United States and Germany, and engage students in charting a course for the future.
MKBU 4477. ST: Study Tour to Spain. (3 Credits)
This course includes travel to Spain for business and cultural site visits as well as pre-travel lectures, assigned readings, pre-travel exam, company research assignments, and a final research paper.
Attribute: GLBB.
MKBU 4484. ST: Study Tour of Tokyo. (3 Credits)
This class aims to teach how a city as a whole could be incorporated into the marketing mix and be used for marketing purposes. It is a mix of rigor and eclecticism delivered in an accessible manner, in an extraordinary mega city of Tokyo. Class meetings prior to departure will be comprised of lectures focused on the class model, as well as film screenings to provide context and prepare students for their experience in Japan.
Prerequisite: MKBU 3225.
MKBU 4485. ST: Study Tour Iceland. (3 Credits)
Students will have the opportunity to learn firsthand the journey Iceland has taken from a country in the middle of a major financial crisis in 2008, to a new era of economic growth beginning in 2011 with growth in GDP as well as declined trends in unemployment. Visits to a variety of marketing /business related companies, both domestic and foreign, will focus on marketing to a segment of the EU that is still in the process of transforming a challenging situation into a country with an improved consumer confidence. A visit to Iceland's capital, Reykjavik, will be a representation of the marketing difficulties that once faced this now thriving city. In addition to business visits, cultural visits will enable students to understand the impact that this financial crisis has had on the social/cultural environment. Students will experience what many regard as" One of Europe's Recovery Success Stories"
Prerequisite: MKBU 3228.
MKBU 4706. Honors Thesis II - Marketing. (3 Credits)
Honors project in Marketing.
MKBU 4999. Independent Study. (1 to 4 Credits)