Marketing, Bachelor of Science (720)
Program Coordinator
Lukas Forbes, lukas.forbes@wku.edu, (270) 745-2993
Marketing
Marketing is a people-oriented, dynamic business function that leads to goal-oriented exchanges between individuals and organizations. Important marketing activities include developing an idea, good or service intended to satisfy consumer wants and needs, promoting/advertising it to likely customers, selling it at a mutually agreeable price, and distributing it in acceptable locations.
The objectives of the marketing program are to teach students
- The importance of marketing in an economy characterized by free consumer choice
- The knowledge and skills required to perform marketing activities
- The interaction between marketing and diverse environmental forces which impact marketing decisions.
The marketing student is prepared for a wide range of career opportunities in business and non-business, for-profit and not-for-profit organizations. Entry-level business positions serve as a step into professional selling and sales force management, pricing, product or brand management, social media marketing, advertising, market research, physical distribution, retail management and merchandising, sports and event marketing or purchasing. Marketing also provides a solid foundation for those who hope to own their own business in the future.
Careers in marketing often lead to high-level management positions. Non-business and not-for-profit organizations (hospitals, educational institutions and charitable groups) also seek well-trained marketing graduates.
When planning a program of study in this department, each student should be aware of the University’s academic requirements and regulations contained in this catalog in the chapter “Academic Information.” Specific attention should be given to the subsections in the chapter entitled (a) Academic Programs, (b) Colonnade Requirements, and (c) Academic Requirements and Regulations. Students should be aware that some academic programs may require additional scholastic regulations and standards not specified in the catalog. To obtain a copy of these regulations, students should contact the department chair.
Concentrations
- Strategic Marketing (MKGM)
- Marketing Sales (MKSA)
- Social Media Marketing (MKSM)
Program Requirements (84 hours)
A baccalaureate degree requires a minimum of 120 unduplicated semester hours. More information can be found at www.wku.edu/registrar/degree_certification.php.
Students who began WKU in the Fall 2014 and thereafter should review the Colonnade requirements located at: https://www.wku.edu/colonnade/colonnaderequirements.php.
The major in marketing requires 84 hours of professional and elective courses and leads to a Bachelor of Science degree. Marketing majors must earn a “C” or better in all Marketing classes (MKT prefix) used as part of the major. Transfer marketing classes with a grade lower than a “C” will not count towards the Marketing major. No minor or second major is required, although minors and certificates inside and outside the Gordon Ford College of Business are encouraged.
Core Courses
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Business Foundations | ||
| MATH 123 | Mathematical Applications for Business * | 3 |
| ACCT 110 | Accounting for Decision Makers | 3 |
| BDAN 250 | Introduction to Analytics | 3 |
| ECON 202 | Principles of Economics (Micro) | 3 |
| ECON 206 | Statistics | 3 |
| MGT 210 | Organization and Management | 3 |
| MKT 220 | Basic Marketing Concepts | 3 |
| FIN 330 | Principles of Finance | 3 |
| MGT 498 | Strategy and Policy | 3 |
| or ENT 496 | Small Business Analysis and Strategy | |
| Career Preparation | ||
| BA 170 | Business Student Basics 1 | 1 |
| or BA 175 | University Experience-Business | |
| or BA 220 | Special Topics in Business Administration (Lower Division) | |
| MGT 261 | Business Communication Fundamentals | 3 |
| MKT 399 | Career Readiness in Marketing | 1 |
| MKT 499 | Senior Assessment in Marketing | 1 |
| Required Courses for All Marketing Majors | ||
| FIN 161 | Personal Finance | 3 |
| BDAN 305 | Principles of MIS with Spreadsheets | 3 |
| ECON 306 | Statistical Analysis | 3 |
| MKT 321 | Consumer Behavior | 3 |
| MKT 325 | Personal Selling | 3 |
| MKT 421 | Marketing Research | 3 |
| MKT 422 | Marketing Management | 3 |
| MKT 423 | Supply Chain Management | 3 |
| Skillset 1: Ethics and Critical Thinking | ||
| Select 1 of the following courses or any ethics course with department approval: | 3 | |
| Legal Environment of Business | ||
| Ethics and Critical Thinking | ||
| Skillset 2: Data Analysis | ||
| Select 1 of the following courses or any data analysis course with department approval: | 3 | |
| Structured Data Analysis | ||
| Senior Seminar-Marketing | ||
| Digital Marketing | ||
| Skillset 3: Creative Execution | ||
| Select 1 of the following courses or any creative course with department approval: | 3 | |
| Integrated Marketing Communications | ||
| Social Media Marketing | ||
| Digital Media | ||
| Skillset 4: Negotiation | ||
| Select 1 of the following courses or any negotiation course with department approval: | 3 | |
| Business Negotiation | ||
| Advanced Personal Selling Strategies | ||
| Total Hours | 69 | |
- *
Or any calculus class, or math ACT score of at least 26, or math SAT score of at least 610.
- 1
BA 175 is only for Business LLC students. BA 220 is only for WKU students and transfer students who choose a business major as a sophomore or higher.
Choose one concentration from below:
Strategic Marketing Concentration
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| Integrated Marketing Communications | ||
| Digital Marketing | ||
| Social Media Marketing | ||
| Select 1 of the following: | 3 | |
| Retailing Management and Strategy | ||
| Business-To-Business Marketing | ||
| Social Media Marketing | ||
| Select 6 hours of marketing electives: | 6 | |
MKT 3@ | ||
MKT 4@ | ||
| Select 3 hours of professional electives: | 3 | |
ACCT 3@ | ||
ACCT 4@ | ||
BA 3@ | ||
BA 4@ | ||
BDAN 3@ | ||
BDAN 4@ | ||
CIS 3@ | ||
CIS 4@ | ||
ECON 3@ | ||
ECON 4@ | ||
ENT 3@ | ||
ENT 4@ | ||
FIN 3@ | ||
FIN 4@ | ||
MGT 3@ | ||
MGT 4@ | ||
MKT 3@ | ||
MKT 4@ | ||
| Total Hours | 15 | |
Sales Concentration (MKSA)
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| MKT 329 | Business-To-Business Marketing | 3 |
| MKT 424 | Sales Force Management | 3 |
| MKT 425 | Advanced Personal Selling Strategies | 3 |
| Select 3 hours of marketing electives: | 3 | |
MKT 3@ | ||
MKT 4@ | ||
| Select 3 hours of professional electives | 3 | |
ACCT 3@ | ||
ACCT 4@ | ||
BA 3@ | ||
BA 4@ | ||
BDAN 3@ | ||
BDAN 4@ | ||
CIS 3@ | ||
CIS 4@ | ||
ECON 3@ | ||
ECON 4@ | ||
ENT 3@ | ||
ENT 4@ | ||
FIN 3@ | ||
FIN 4@ | ||
MGT 3@ | ||
MGT 4@ | ||
MKT 3@ | ||
MKT 4@ | ||
| Total Hours | 15 | |
Social Media Marketing Concentration (MKSM)
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| MKT 322 | Integrated Marketing Communications | 3 |
| MKT 328 | Digital Marketing | 3 |
| MKT 331 | Social Media Marketing | 3 |
| Select 3 hours of marketing electives: | 3 | |
MKT 3@ | ||
MKT 4@ | ||
| Select 3 hours of professional electives: | 3 | |
ACCT 3@ | ||
ACCT 4@ | ||
BA 3@ | ||
BA 4@ | ||
BDAN 3@ | ||
BDAN 4@ | ||
CIS 3@ | ||
CIS 4@ | ||
ECON 3@ | ||
ECON 4@ | ||
ENT 3@ | ||
ENT 4@ | ||
FIN 3@ | ||
FIN 4@ | ||
MGT 3@ | ||
MGT 4@ | ||
MKT 3@ | ||
MKT 4@ | ||
| Total Hours | 15 | |
Finish in Four Plans
Marketing, Marketing Sales Concentration (720)
| First Year | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| BA 170, BA 175, or BA 2201 | 1-3 | HIST 101 or HIST 102 | 3 |
| ECON 202 | 3 | ACCT 110 | 3 |
| FIN 161 | 3 | BDAN 250 | 3 |
| ENG 100 | 3 | COMM 145 | 3 |
| MATH 123 | 3 | Colonnade: Natural & Physical Sciences | 3 |
| 13-15 | 15 | ||
| Second Year | |||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| MGT 210 | 3 | MKT 220 | 3 |
| ECON 206 | 3 | MGT 261 | 3 |
| Colonnade: Literary Studies | 3 | Colonnade: Connections (Social & Cultural) | 3 |
| Colonnade: Arts and Humanities | 3 | General University Elective | 3 |
| Colonnade: Natural & Physical Sciences with Lab | 3 | Colonnade: Connections (Local to Global) | 3 |
| 15 | 15 | ||
| Third Year | |||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| FIN 330 | 3 | ECON 306 | 3 |
| MKT 321 | 3 | MKT 331, MKT 322, or ART 243 (Creative Execution Skillset) | 3 |
| BDAN 305 | 3 | MKT 329 | 3 |
| MKT 325 | 3 | MKT 424 | 3 |
| MGT 200 or MGT 305 | 3 | ENG 300 | 3 |
| MKT 399 | 1 | ||
| 16 | 15 | ||
| Fourth Year | |||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| MKT 421 | 3 | ENT 496 or MGT 498 | 3 |
| MKT 423 | 3 | MKT 422 | 3 |
| MKT 3@ or MKT 4@ (Marketing Elective) | 3 | MKT 425 | 3 |
| MKT 420 | 3 | MKT 499 | 1 |
| Colonnade: Connections (Systems) | 3 | Professional Elective | 3 |
| General Elective | 3 | ||
| 15 | 16 | ||
| Total Hours 120-122 | |||
Marketing, Social Media Marketing Concentration (720P, 720)
| First Year | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| BA 170, BA 175, or BA 2201 | 1 | HIST 101 or HIST 102 | 3 |
| ECON 202 | 3 | ACCT 110 | 3 |
| FIN 161 | 3 | BDAN 250 | 3 |
| ENG 100 | 3 | COMM 145 | 3 |
| MATH 123 | 3 | Colonnade: Natural & Physical Sciences | 3 |
| 13 | 15 | ||
| Second Year | |||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| MGT 210 | 3 | MKT 220 | 3 |
| ECON 206 | 3 | MGT 261 | 3 |
| Colonnade: Literary Studies | 3 | Colonnade: Connections (Social & Cultural) | 3 |
| Colonnade: Arts and Humanities | 3 | Colonnade: Connections (Local to Global) | 3 |
| Colonnade: Natural & Physical Sciences with Lab | 3 | General University Elective | 3 |
| 15 | 15 | ||
| Third Year | |||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| FIN 330 | 3 | ECON 306 | 3 |
| MKT 321 | 3 | MKT 331 | 3 |
| MKT 325 | 3 | MKT 328 | 3 |
| MKT 322 | 3 | BDAN 330 | 3 |
| MGT 200 or MGT 305 | 3 | MGT 405 | 3 |
| MKT 399 | 1 | ||
| 16 | 15 | ||
| Fourth Year | |||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| MKT 421 | 3 | ENT 496 or MGT 498 | 3 |
| Professional Upper-Division Elective OR Marketing Upper-Division Elective | 4 | MKT 422 | 3 |
| MKT 329 | 3 | MKT 3@ or MKT 4@ (Marketing Elective) | 3 |
| MKT 423 | 3 | Professional Elective | 3 |
| MKT 425 or MGT 405 | 3 | ||
| MKT 499 | 1 | ||
| 13 | 16 | ||
| Total Hours 118 | |||
Marketing, Strategic Marketing Concentration (720P, 720)
| First Year | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| BA 170, BA 175, or BA 2201 | 1 | HIST 101 or HIST 102 | 3 |
| ECON 202 | 3 | ACCT 110 | 3 |
| FIN 161 | 3 | BDAN 250 | 3 |
| ENG 100 | 3 | COMM 145 | 3 |
| MATH 123 | 3 | Colonnade: Natural & Physical Sciences | 3 |
| 13 | 15 | ||
| Second Year | |||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| MGT 210 | 3 | MKT 220 | 3 |
| ECON 206 | 3 | MGT 261 | 3 |
| Colonnade: Literary Studies | 3 | Colonnade: Connections (Social & Cultural) | 3 |
| Colonnade: Arts and Humanities | 3 | Colonnade: Connections (Local to Global) | 3 |
| Colonnade: Natural & Physical Sciences with Lab | 3 | General University Elective | 3 |
| 15 | 15 | ||
| Third Year | |||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| FIN 330 | 3 | ECON 306 | 3 |
| MKT 321 | 3 | MKT 329 | 3 |
| MGT 305 or MGT 200 | 3 | MKT 331 | 3 |
| MKT 325 | 3 | MKT 328 | 3 |
| BDAN 305 | 3 | MKT 3@ or MKT 4@ (Marketing Elective) | 3 |
| MKT 399 | 1 | ||
| 16 | 15 | ||
| Fourth Year | |||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| MKT 421 | 3 | MKT 422 | 3 |
| MKT 423 | 3 | ENT 496 or MGT 498 | 3 |
| MKT 322 | 3 | MKT 499 | 1 |
| BDAN 330 | 3 | MGT 405 | 3 |
| MKT 3@ or MKT 4@ (Marketing Elective) | 3 | MKT 327 | 3 |
| Professional Elective | 3 | ||
| 15 | 16 | ||
| Total Hours 120 | |||