Department of Marketing
Stephens Hall 123
Phone: 410-704-3357
Email: marketing@towson.edu
Why Study Marketing?
Do you want to translate creative ideas into the next great marketing campaign? Do you want using data analytics to develop innovative business strategies? Do you want to engage with clients, colleagues, and business partners to solve business problems and create value? If you find any of these challenges interesting, marketing may be the field for you.
Marketing is much more than the 4Ps - Product, Price, Promotion, and Place. It's an essential function of every business which makes marketers in high demand; without marketing there are no customers and without customers, there is no revenue. Marketing is an exciting field where creative thinking and critical thinking work hand-in-hand to create value for firms, their customers, and society as a whole.
Marketing is a dynamic profession that offers a wide variety of opportunities and career paths. Careers in marketing include brand management, marketing research, professional selling and sales force management, advertising, public relations, global marketing, nonprofit management, supply chain management, retailing, database management, business development, social media, data analytics, and many more.
For more information about the Marketing department, visit the website.
Requirements for Admission to the Business Administration Major
Students are admitted to the major in Business Administration (BUAD) after first being admitted to Towson University. Admission to TU does not guarantee admission to the major. In order to be admitted, students must satisfy the following requirements:
- Cumulative GPA of 2.00 or higher for all course work.
- Grade of C or higher in each of the Courses Required for Admission to Major (required courses can be viewed on each concentration page within the requirements section).
Degree candidates intending to major in Business Administration are designated as “pre-Business Administration” (PBUA) until admission into the BUAD major. Students are required to meet each term with their assigned faculty adviser to evaluate their progress toward completing the requirements for admission to the major and the degree.
At the start of each term and before registration, the CBE Student Academic and Career Services office will notify PBUA students of their admission status by email to their TU email addresses. Students will not be allowed to take upper-level “majors-only” CBE courses until being admitted to the Business Administration major.
Courses
MKTG 341 PRINCIPLES OF MARKETING (3)
Design, distribution, pricing and promotion of goods, services, places, people and causes of both national and international markets. Included is an introduction to strategic and tactical applications of marketing. Prerequisites: sophomore major/minor standing.
MKTG 345 MANAGING INTEGRATED MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS (3)
Focuses on planning and managing the integrated marketing communications (IMC) program of an organization. Topics include advertising, direct marketing, consumer and trade promotions, and public relations. Emphasis will be placed on strategic planning to effectively use promotional tools to meet marketing goals. Various regulatory, social, and economic factors that affect an organization's IMC program will be examined. Prerequisites: MKTG 451 or MKTG 431; major in BUAD or minor in MKTG; Junior/Senior standing.
MKTG 347 SERVICES MARKETING (3)
Examines the marketing of services. The uniqueness of services marketing will be analyzed along with the similarities to product marketing. Selected topics among the following services will be examined: health care, museums, government services, travel, transportation, food, education, banking, and legal services. The service aspects of product marketing will also be analyzed. Prerequisites: MKTG 451 or MKTG 431; Major in BUAD or minor in MKTG; Junior/Senior standing.
MKTG 349 PRODUCT MANAGEMENT (3)
Development of new goods and services, including idea generation, concept evaluation, test marketing, and product launch. Prerequisites: MKTG 341 and junior major standing.
MKTG 350 ENTREPRENEURIAL MARKETING (3)
Examines how start-up and small/medium-sized companies identify and critically evaluate opportunities that exist within new and established market niches and develop marketing plans to take advantage of those opportunities based on the creative use of scarce resources. Prerequisites: MKTG 341, junior / senior and major standing.
MKTG 355 RETAIL MANAGEMENT (3)
Provides students with an in-depth knowledge of marketing activities at the retail level in the business environment. Different types of retail institutions are examined as to the types of strategies employed in the performance of major functions, such as buying, merchandising, selling, advertising, and physical operation. Key issues, such as market segmentation, geographical location and internal organization, are analyzed. Prerequisites: MKTG 451 or MKTG 431; major in BUAD or minor in MKTG; junior/senior standing.
MKTG 361 MARKETING FOR NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS (3)
Analyzing marketing management approaches and techniques for non-profit sector; market-driven organizations, developing resources, designing and implementing the marketing mix. Prerequisites: MKTG 451 or MKTG 431 and major in BUAD or minor in MKTG; junior/senior standing.
MKTG 381 SUSTAINABLE MARKETING (3)
If businesses focus on making a profit but sustainability efforts focus on protecting the planet and its creatures (including humans), can the two coexist? The goal of Sustainable Marketing is to bridge this gap by providing an analysis of business practices that consumers, businesses, universities, governments, and society can implement to help reduce harm on the environment, increase economic conditions, and improve societal conditions. This course will cover topics such as sustainable business models and practices, sustainable marketing strategies, sustainable consumption and behavior, corporate ethical and social responsibilities, and social change and environmental performance. We will then discuss techniques that social marketers can employ to influence behaviors that will benefit both society as a whole and the targeted audience. This course has been offered as a special topic; students who have earned credit for this course as a special topic will not receive additional credit for MKTG 381. Prerequisites: MKTG 341; major in BUAD or minor in MKTG or ENSU; junior/senior standing.
MKTG 411 DIGITAL MARKETING (3)
Design, implementation, and assessment of digital marketing strategies that deliver value to customers, stakeholders, and the organization. Introduction to integrated digital communication strategies for brand management. Not open to students who have successfully completed EBTM 411/EBUS 411/ECOM 411. Prerequisites: MKTG 341, majors only; junior/senior standing.
MKTG 412 ADVANCED DIGITAL MARKETING (3)
Will familiarize students with the applications of big data analytics in digital marketing. Students will learn a number of applications of big data analytics to digital marketing including machine learning, artificial intelligence, and text analysis, as applied to social media and online review platforms. Students will learn how each of these tools can help marketers become better decision makers and will apply what they have learned as they act as decision makers in realistic marketing scenarios. Prerequisites: MKTG 411; major in BUAD; junior/senior standing.
MKTG 425 CONSUMER BEHAVIOR ANALYSIS (3)
An examination of the buying behavior of individual and organizational buyers with regards to the decision process utilized when purchasing goods and services and the resulting consequences in the development of marketing strategies by business firms, and other organizations. Prerequisites: MKTG 341; major in BUAD or minor in MKTG; junior/senior standing.
MKTG 431 MARKETING ANALYTICS (3)
Assemble, manipulate, and synthesize internal and external secondary data to develop sophisticated situation analyses, empirical-based customer segmentation classifications and behavioral analyses, and metrics by which firms can evaluate their marketing strategies and dynamics. Prerequisites: MKTG 341, major in BUAD or minor in BUAN, junior/senior standing.
MKTG 441 MARKETING RESEARCH (3)
Students develop skills in the total research process, including the use of scientific methods for the acquisition, analysis and interpretation of marketing data. Includes coverage of primary research, secondary data sources and marketing information systems. Students receive an overview of exploratory, descriptive and causal research designs, as well as an understanding of sampling theory, questionnaire design, data collection, statistical analysis, and presentation of results. Prerequisites: ECON 205 or MATH 231 or equivalent; MKTG 341/ MKTG 342; majors only; junior/senior standing.
MKTG 445 GLOBAL MARKETING (3)
Impact of globalization, inter-country trade agreements, and national culture on country marketing environments and their influence on strategic marketing decisions related to pricing, product, channels of distribution, and marketing communications. Problems and obstacles related to acquiring information to guide market entry decisions and development of country marketing plans and policies. Prerequisites: MKTG 425; major in ACCT, BUAD, INST-BA or minor in MKTG or ENTR; junior/senior standing.
MKTG 451 PROFESSIONAL SELLING (3)
The role and principles of professional selling as it relates to an organization's marketing strategy, specific techniques for uncovering customer needs and delivering effective sales presentations, and the critical nature of building interpersonal relationships throughout a sales cycle. Prerequisites: MKTG 341; major in BUAD or minor in MKTG or ENTR; junior/senior standing.
MKTG 452 ADVANCED SELLING AND SALES MANAGEMENT (3)
Will prepare students for excellence in a professional selling position, as well as examine the elements of an effective salesforce as a key component of the organization's total marketing effort. Course objectives include understanding the sales process, team selling, salesforce structure, customer relationship management (CRM), uses of technology to improve salesforce effectiveness, and issues in recruiting, selecting, training, motivating, and compensating salespeople. Prerequisites: MKTG 451; BUAD major or MKTG minor; junior/senior standing.
MKTG 470 SPECIAL TOPICS IN MARKETING (3)
Course content varies with each topic. In-depth study of contemporary business issues and how they affect current marketing practices. May be repeated for a maximum of 6 units provided a different topic is covered. Prerequisites: MKTG 451 or MKTG 431; major in BUAD or minor in MKTG; junior/senior standing.
MKTG 485 STRATEGIC MARKETING (3)
Capstone course emphasizing management of marketing activities and the development and implementation of product, pricing, promotion and distribution strategies within an interdisciplinary context. Prerequisites: MKTG 341; 6 additional units from the following: MKTG 411, MKTG 425, MKTG 431, MKTG 441, MKTG 445, MKTG 451; BUAD major; senior standing.
MKTG 491 DIRECTED READINGS (1-3)
Assigned readings in selected functional or conceptual areas of marketing. A total of 6 units for any combination of directed readings, independent study and internship is allowed in the marketing area study. Prerequisites: consent of the instructor, a minimum of 3.00 cumulative GPA, completion of all 200- and 300- level BUAD core requirements, 2 additional Marketing courses, and a special permit.
MKTG 494 MARKETING STUDY ABROAD (3)
On-site course of study of the culture, history, economy, society, and political structure of the country and region visited as it relates to marketing and related business activities. This course may be structured as a study group accompanied by TU Department of Marketing faculty member or a course with an approved affiliated study abroad program. Prerequisites: MKTG 341; Marketing majors only; junior standing; must be registered in an approved study abroad program; and consent of the department chair.
MKTG 495 INDEPENDENT RESEARCH (1-3)
Directed research on specific problems in a functional area of marketing. A total of 6 units for any combination of directed readings, independent study and internship is allowed in the marketing area of study. Prerequisites: consent of the instructor, a minimum of 3.00 cumulative GPA, completion of all 200- and 300-level BUAD core requirements, 2 additional Marketing courses, and a special permit.
MKTG 497 MARKETING INTERNSHIP (1-3)
Students are required to work a minimum of 40 hours per unit in an actual business environment to gain practical application of marketing concepts. Upon completion, a formal portfolio presentation of the internship experience is required. A total of 6 units for any combination of directed readings, independent study and internship is allowed in the marketing area of study. S/U Grading. Prerequisites: Consent of the instructor, consent of the department, completion of all 200- and 300-level BUAD requirements and either 1) a minimum of 3.00 cumulative GPA and completion of two 400-level Marketing courses or 2) a minimum of 3.20 GPA and completion of one 400-level Marketing course.
Faculty
Professors: Philippe Duverger, Plamen Peev, Erin Steffes (Chairperson)
Associate Professors: Hua Chang (Graduate Program Director), Gauri Kulkarni, Sarah Magnotta
Assistant Professors: Zhenyu Jin, Brett Kazandjian, Leila Khoshghadam, Eunice Kim, YiChun Miriam Liu
Lecturers: Stacy Knight, John Rodman
Professor of Practice: Vanecia Fluelling