Marketing, B.S. (Behrend)

Program Description

The objective of the Marketing major is to provide professional education to students leading to careers in business, government, and non-profit organizations. Typically, graduates are employed in business-to-business marketing, marketing management, sales management, retailing, marketing research, digital marketing, and brand management. The major provides a solid foundation in marketing practice, such as analyzing and understanding the needs and wants of present and potential customers, designing appropriate product offerings, establishing pricing policies, developing communication strategies, devising efficient distribution strategies, researching marketing data for the above functions, and coordinating marketing programs with other functional areas of business.

What is Marketing?

Marketing is a broad field that seeks to understand consumer, firm, and societal behaviors and subsequently identify ideas, products, services, and methodological approaches that deliver value. According to the American Marketing Association, Marketing involves "the set of institutions and processes for creating, communicating, delivering, and exchanging offerings valuable to customers, clients, partners, and society at large. Not only does marketing guide firms' managerial decisions in the marketplace, but it also offers insights into consumer awareness, public policy making, and non-commercial exchange of value (e.g., altruistic giving)."

You Might Like This Program If...

• You're curious about the world around you.
• You're a natural storyteller.
• You think critically and find creative solutions.
• You're analytical and love to support your ideas with data.
• You try to understand how others are feeling.
• You're up-to-date with the latest news and trends.

Entrance to Major

Entry to the Marketing major requires the successful completion of 5 entry-to-major courses: ACCTG 211, ECON 102, ENGL 15 or ENGL 30H, MATH 110 or MATH 140, STAT 200 or SCM 200. Each course requires a C or better grade for successful complete.

Degree Requirements

For the Bachelor of Science degree in Marketing, a minimum of 122 credits is required:

21 of the 45 credits for General Edcuation are included in the Requirements for the Major. This includes: 6 credits of GQ courses; 6 credits of GS courses; 9 credits of GWS courses.

Per Senate Policy 83.80.5, the college dean or campus chancellor and program faculty may require up to 24 credits of coursework in the major to be taken at the location or in the college or program where the degree is earned.

Requirements for the Major

Each student must earn at least a grade of C in each 300- and 400-level course in the major field.

To graduate, a student enrolled in the major must earn a grade of C or better in each course designated by the major as a C-required course, as specified by Senate Policy 82-44.

Course List

Code	Title	Credits
Prescribed Courses
BA 241	Legal Environment of Business	2
BA 242	Social and Ethical Environment of Business	2
PSU 7	First-Year Seminar Behrend	1
Prescribed Courses: Require a grade of C or better
ACCTG 211	Financial and Managerial Accounting for Decision Making	4
CAS 100	Effective Speech	3
ECON 102	Introductory Microeconomic Analysis and Policy	3
ECON 104	Introductory Macroeconomic Analysis and Policy	3
ENGL 202D	Effective Writing: Business Writing	3
FIN 301	Corporation Finance	3
MGMT 301	Basic Management Concepts	3
MGMT 471W	Strategic Management and Business Policy	3
MIS 204	Introduction to Management Information Systems	3
MKTG 301	Principles of Marketing	3
MKTG 342	Marketing Research	3
MKTG 343	Introduction to Marketing Analytics	3
MKTG 444	Buyer Behavior and Applied Research	3
SCM 301	Supply Chain Management	3
Additional Courses
Additional Courses: Require a grade of C or better
ENGL 15	Rhetoric and Composition	3
or ENGL 30H	Honors Rhetoric and Composition
MATH 110	Techniques of Calculus I	4
or MATH 140	Calculus With Analytic Geometry I
MKTG 441	Sustainability in Marketing Strategy	3
or MKTG 450W	Marketing Strategy
SCM 200	Introduction to Statistics for Business	4
or STAT 200	Elementary Statistics
Select 3 credits from the following list:		3
ECON 470	International Trade and Finance
FIN 471	International Finance
IB 303	International Business Operations
MGMT 461	International Management
MKTG 445	Global Marketing
Other 300-400-level International Business courses
Select 15 credits of Marketing electives from:		15
MKTG 327	Retailing
MKTG 410	Personal Selling
MKTG 422	Advertising and Sales Promotion Management
MKTG 445	Global Marketing
MKTG 473	Digital Marketing
MKTG 475	Innovation and Product Management
MKTG 478	Services Marketing Management
MKTG 480	Intermediate Social Media Marketing
MKTG 485	Business-to-Business Marketing
MKTG 494	Research Project
MKTG 495	Internship
MKTG 496	Independent Studies
MKTG 497	Special Topics
Supporting Courses and Related Areas
Select 18 credits from any business major field or any non-business major field, except for all KINES (GHW) courses, any ENGL course below ENGL 15, and any MATH course below MATH 110. Exceptions may be petitioned through the applicable department chair.		18

General Education

Connecting career and curiosity, the General Education curriculum provides the opportunity for students to acquire transferable skills necessary to be successful in the future and to thrive while living in interconnected contexts. General Education aids students in developing intellectual curiosity, a strengthened ability to think, and a deeper sense of aesthetic appreciation. These are requirements for all baccalaureate students and are often partially incorporated into the requirements of a program. For additional information, see the General Education Requirements section of the Bulletin and consult your academic adviser.

The keystone symbol appears next to the title of any course that is designated as a General Education course. Program requirements may also satisfy General Education requirements and vary for each program.

Foundations (grade of C or better is required and Inter-Domain courses do not meet this requirement.)

• Quantification (GQ): 6 credits
• Writing and Speaking (GWS): 9 credits

Breadth in the Knowledge Domains (Inter-Domain courses do not meet this requirement.)

• Arts (GA): 3 credits
• Health and Wellness (GHW): 3 credits
• Humanities (GH): 3 credits
• Social and Behavioral Sciences (GS): 3 credits
• Natural Sciences (GN): 3 credits

Integrative Studies

• Inter-Domain Courses (Inter-Domain): 6 credits

Exploration

• GN, may be completed with Inter-Domain courses: 3 credits
• GA, GH, GN, GS, Inter-Domain courses. This may include 3 credits of World Language course work beyond the 12th credit level or the requirements for the student’s degree program, whichever is higher: 6 credits

University Degree Requirements

First Year Engagement

All students enrolled in a college or the Division of Undergraduate Studies at University Park, and the World Campus are required to take 1 to 3 credits of the First-Year Seminar, as specified by their college First-Year Engagement Plan.

Other Penn State colleges and campuses may require the First-Year Seminar; colleges and campuses that do not require a First-Year Seminar provide students with a first-year engagement experience.

First-year baccalaureate students entering Penn State should consult their academic adviser for these requirements.

Cultures Requirement

6 credits are required and may satisfy other requirements

• United States Cultures: 3 credits
• International Cultures: 3 credits

Writing Across the Curriculum

3 credits required from the college of graduation and likely prescribed as part of major requirements.

Total Minimum Credits

A minimum of 120 degree credits must be earned for a baccalaureate degree. The requirements for some programs may exceed 120 credits. Students should consult with their college or department adviser for information on specific credit requirements.

Quality of Work

Candidates must complete the degree requirements for their major and earn at least a 2.00 grade-point average for all courses completed within their degree program.

Limitations on Source and Time for Credit Acquisition

The college dean or campus chancellor and program faculty may require up to 24 credits of course work in the major to be taken at the location or in the college or program where the degree is earned. Credit used toward degree programs may need to be earned from a particular source or within time constraints (see Senate Policy 83-80). For more information, check the Suggested Academic Plan for your intended program.

Program Learning Objectives

• CRITICAL AND INTEGRATIVE THINKING: Students will be able to think critically across business disciplines by considering different perspectives and using an integrated, holistic approach to perform relevant analyses, construct valid arguments, and make appropriate conclusions.
• ORAL COMMUNICATION: Students will be able to execute the oral communication skills that they have learned in the interactive business courses to business situations where effective explanation, persuasion, exchanging information and ideas are essential.
• WRITING COMPETENCE: Students will be able to demonstrate effective business writing skills.
• TEAMWORK: Students will be positive contributors to an effective team functioning via application of their functional skills in addition to strong interpersonal skills.
• ETHICS AND SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY: Students will be able to recognize ethical issues and apply ethical theories in business situations at individual and/or organizational levels.
• FUNCTIONAL AREA KNOWLEDGE (ETS): Students will be able to apply foundational knowledge to analyze and solve problems and interpret written and visual material across various business domains.
• FUNCTIONAL AREA KNOWLEDGE (ACCOUNTING): Students will be able to demonstrate a broad general knowledge of the principles of accounting, both managerial and financial.
• FUNCTIONAL AREA KNOWLEDGE (ECONOMICS): Students will be able to demonstrate a broad general knowledge of the principles of economics, both microeconomics and macroeconomics
• FUNCTIONAL AREA KNOWLEDGE (FINANCE): Students will be able to demonstrate a broad general knowledge of the principles of finance.
• FUNCTIONAL AREA KNOWLEDGE (MIS): Students will be able to describe the benefits and challenges of applying information technology in various organizations and functional areas.
• FUNCTIONAL AREA KNOWLEDGE (INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS): Students will be able to apply basic multidisciplinary knowledge needed to conduct international business and analyze the impact of globalization.
• FUNCTIONAL AREA KNOWLEDGE (LEGAL ENVIRONMENT): Students will be able to identify key terms, concepts, and theories of the law, evaluate how law affects business, analyze legal issues, and apply the law to business situations.
• FUNCTIONAL AREA KNOWLEDGE (MANAGEMENT): Students will be able to demonstrate a broad knowledge of the business discipline of management.
• FUNCTIONAL AREA KNOWLEDGE (MARKETING): Students will be able to demonstrate comprehensive knowledge in the field of marketing.
• FUNCTIONAL AREA KNOWLEDGE (QUANTATIVE BUSINESS ANALYSIS): Students will be able to demonstrate a broad knowledge of quantitative business analysis.
• FUNCTIONAL AREA KNOWLEDGE (SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT): Students will be able to demonstrate a broad knowledge of supply chain management.

Academic Advising

The objectives of the university's academic advising program are to help advisees identify and achieve their academic goals, to promote their intellectual discovery, and to encourage students to take advantage of both in-and out-of class educational opportunities in order that they become self-directed learners and decision makers.

Both advisers and advisees share responsibility for making the advising relationship succeed. By encouraging their advisees to become engaged in their education, to meet their educational goals, and to develop the habit of learning, advisers assume a significant educational role. The advisee's unit of enrollment will provide each advisee with a primary academic adviser, the information needed to plan the chosen program of study, and referrals to other specialized resources.

READ SENATE POLICY 32-00: ADVISING POLICY

Erie

Sean (Hyunsoon) Yim, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Marketing
271 Burke
Erie, PA 16563
814-898-6431
sean.yim@psu.edu

Suggested Academic Plan

The suggested academic plan(s) listed on this page are the plan(s) that are in effect during the 2024-25 academic year. To access previous years' suggested academic plans, please visit the archive to view the appropriate Undergraduate Bulletin edition.

Marketing, B.S. at Erie Campus

The course series listed below provides only one of the many possible ways to move through this curriculum. The University may make changes in policies, procedures, educational offerings, and requirements at any time. This plan should be used in conjunction with your degree audit (accessible in LionPATH as either an Academic Requirements or What If report). Please consult with a Penn State academic adviser on a regular basis to develop and refine an academic plan that is appropriate for you.

*

Course requires a grade of C or better for the major

‡

Course requires a grade of C or better for General Education

#

Course is an Entrance to Major requirement

†

Course satisfies General Education and degree requirement

¹

Please see your academic adviser for approval before scheduling your course.

²

In order for a course to be eligible for an Approved Elective, the course can not be a lower level ENGL (1-6) or MATH (2-41) OR a GHW designated course. Please see your academic adviser if you have a question on a specific course.

³

All students are required to fulfill 45 credits of General Education courses. More information about this requirement can be found on the Baccalaureate Degree General Education Requirements page in the Bulletin.

⁴

MKTG 445 may be used as an International Business course or a Marketing Elective but, may not be used to satisfy the requirement in both categories.

University Requirements and General Education Notes:

US and IL are abbreviations used to designate courses that satisfy Cultural Diversity Requirements (United States and International Cultures).

W, M, X, and Y are the suffixes at the end of a course number used to designate courses that satisfy University Writing Across the Curriculum requirement.

General Education includes Foundations (GWS and GQ), Knowledge Domains (GHW, GN, GA, GH, GS) and Integrative Studies (Inter-domain) requirements. N or Q (Honors) is the suffix at the end of a course number used to help identify an Inter-domain course, but the inter-domain attribute is used to fill audit requirements. Foundations courses (GWS and GQ) require a grade of 'C' or better.

Career Paths

The Marketing major offers you a solid foundation in marketing concepts and practice, including marketing and consumer analytics, consumer behavior and psychology, distribution channels management, and digital marketing among and across other business units. Penn State Behrend has a comprehensive support system to help you identify and achieve your goals for college and beyond. Meet with your academic adviser often and take advantage of the services offered by the Academic and Career Planning Center beginning in your first semester.

Careers

Recent graduates of Penn State Behrend's B.S. in Marketing program work in marketing research, sales, social media analysis, supply chain analysis, marketing intelligence, sales analysis, and managerial consulting. Their employers include Abercrombie & Fitch, American Eagle, American Express Financial Advisers, Apple, Coca-Cola, Fleet Boston Financial, Hershey Co., IBM, Mars Inc., Naked Lime, Oracle, and Saks Fifth Avenue. Our graduates have also joined Campbell Soup Company, Dick's Sporting Goods, Mediahub, New York Urban League, Barber National Institute, Prada Group, and Lord Corporation.

MORE INFORMATION ABOUT POTENTIAL CAREER OPTIONS FOR GRADUATES OF THE MARKETING PROGRAM

Opportunities for Graduate Studies

Graduate study allows you to delve deeper into the subdisciplines of marketing that interest you most. Examples of master's- and doctoral-level study include social media management, content marketing, data-driven marketing analysis, digital marketing, consumer behavior, integrated marketing communications, and product marketing. Penn State Behrend also offers a hybrid MBA program that can be pursued in Erie and in Pittsburgh.

MORE INFORMATION ABOUT OPPORTUNITIES FOR GRADUATE STUDIES

Professional Resources

• AACSB International
• American Marketing Association

Accreditation

The Black School of Business is accredited by AACSB International—The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business. As the world’s largest business education alliance, AACSB connects educators, students, and business to achieve a common goal: to create the next generation of great leaders. Synonymous with the highest standards of excellence since 1916, AACSB provides quality assurance, business education intelligence, and professional development services to over 1,500 member organizations and more than 785 accredited business schools worldwide. AACSB’s mission is to foster engagement, accelerate innovation, and amplify impact in business education.

MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE ASSOCIATION TO ADVANCE COLLEGIATE SCHOOLS OF BUSINESS

Contact

Erie

BLACK SCHOOL OF BUSINESS
281 Jack Burke Research and Economic Development Center
Erie, PA 16563
814-898-6107
behrendbusiness@psu.edu

https://behrend.psu.edu/school-of-business