What is Marketing?

 

Marketing focuses on planning and executing activities to satisfy customer demands. It includes such major tasks as environmental analysis, market measurement, product development, packaging, pricing, credit, logistics and transportation, supply chain management, physical distribution, advertising, promotion, selling, internet marketing strategy and product and customer services.

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COBA Requirements

All persons majoring in a program offered within the College of Business Administration (COBA) take a common core of courses that includes one or more courses in accounting, business law, communications, information systems, economics, finance, management, marketing and statistics. Also, to encourage students to broaden their academic preparation, COBA requires all its majors to complete at least 50 percent of their credit hours outside COBA.

To be admitted to the Marketing (MKT) degree program, students must have attained a combined GPA which places them among the top 2,000 COBA majors who are eligible. All Business majors must have a 2.50 or higher GPA at the time of graduation for all upper-division COBA courses attempted at Missouri State. 

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Areas of Study in Marketing

There are various specialization paths a student may choose:

Majors

Marketing (Comprehensive)

• Advertising and Promotion
• Marketing Management
• Marketing Research
• Retailing/Merchandising
• Sales/Sales Management
• Logistics and Supply Chain Management

Minors

• Advertising and Promotion
• e-Business
• International Marketing
• Logistics and Supply Chain Management
• Marketing
• Retailing/Merchandising
• Selling

The student, with the help of an advisor, may choose specific marketing courses for a major in fulfilling the semester hour marketing requirements and electives. The program of study for students of marketing includes a series of courses, which provides for a general education in the humanities, arts, and social and natural sciences.

 If you would like to change your major or minor to Marketing or Logistics and Supply Chain Managment, the advisors in Business Advisement will review your course of study. Please contact the Business Advisement Center, Glass Hall 106, 417.836.5386, to schedule an appointment with an advisor. You are always welcome to schedule an appointment with Dr. Robert Luke, Glass Hall 238, 417.836.5413, head of the Department of Marketing, to discuss your future in Marketing and/or Logistics and Supply Chain Management.

Detailed information about the specific requirements for these options and minors can be reviewed at the Business Advisement Center's Course Sequencing Plans.

 

What is the Employment Outlook?

Employment in Marketing is favorable for both the short and long-term as compared to most other types of academic preparation, especially for well-educated and competent people.

Mission of the Department of Marketing

Our mission is to provide an environment that encourages individual initiative and learning to prepare today's students to be tomorrow's leaders in business and government.

Twenty-three full-time faculty members spend much of their time with students in and out of the classroom. Over ninety percent of the classes are conducted by full-time faculty members with doctoral degrees - no graduate students teach in the classroom. Members of the faculty excel in their writing and publication activities. Many have written books, journal and proceedings articles, and feature articles in business publications. They openly share their and other research activities with students in the classroom so that the latest information is available for learning.

Things You Should Know...

Cooperative Education Internships:

Students majoring in Business Administration have the option of entering the Cooperative Education program. This program assists students in their professional development through internships off campus. Students may earn from one to three academic credits for a semester or more of cooperative education work experience.

Advisement:

COBA students are assigned a professional full-time advisor from our in-house Advisement Center, open from 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. weekdays. In addition, faculty and University administrators are always available. Please contact the Business Advisement Center, Glass Hall 106, phone: 417.836.5386.

The Masters of Business Administration Program:

The MBA program at Missouri State University is well-established and highly regarded by firms and business institutions. The program is designed to provide advanced course work in business administration on a professional level for students who have already earned a bachelor's degree. The objective of the MBA program is to enable each student to develop and apply conceptual, behavioral and technical skills necessary for effective and creative management. A concentration in Marketing, Logistics & Transportation or e-Business is available.

For More Information

Department of Marketing
College of Business Administration
Glass Hall
Missouri State University
901 S. National
Springfield, MO  65897

Phone: (417) 836-5413
Fax: (417) 836-4466
E-mail: Marketing@missouristate.edu