Professional Selling Major, B.A.

Print Degree Planner (opens a new window) |

Department of Marketing

College of Business

Available Program Format(s): Online, In-Person, Hybrid

About the Program

The B.A. in Professional Selling is a specialized curriculum designed to equip students with the necessary skills to launch careers in sales. The program emphasizes the professional selling process, the importance of trust and relationships, value creation and communication, sales enablement technology, and what to expect from a career. In addition to sales-specific coursework, students will complete business courses and additional requirements that provide a background across business functions. The major offers flexibility for students to apply elective credits to a certificate or minor to specialize in an area of sales (a minor is not required). The Center for Professional Selling is recognized as a “Top University for Sales Education” by the Sales Education Foundation and is accredited as a full member by the University Sales Center Alliance.

Student Outcomes

Upon completion of the Professional Selling Major, B.A., students will be able to:

Assess a sales opportunity by asking questions
Develop appropriate responses to buyer objections
Propose next steps to advance the close

General Degree Requirements

To earn a degree, students must satisfy all requirements in each of the four areas below, in addition to their individual major requirements.

Program Requirements

A total of 120 semester hours are required for graduation.
To earn a Bachelor of Arts degree in Professional Selling, a student must successfully complete 30 or more credit hours of business coursework at MSU Denver. This 30-hour residency requirement can be met by completing any business courses with the prefix ACC, ACCM, BNK, BUS, CIS, ECO, FIN, MGT, MKT, and REL. A student must complete at least twelve (12) upper-division semester hours in Marketing at MSU Denver. 
A grade of C- or better is required for each course in this program to count toward the bachelor’s degree. Students should note that programs differ in the minimum grade required.
A minor is not required for this program.

General Studies Requirements: 33 credits

Students should consult the General Studies Requirements for a list of courses that fulfill the General Studies Requirements for degree completion.

Written Communication (6 credits)
Oral Communication (3 credits)
- Recommended: COMM 1010 - Presentational Speaking or COMM 1100 - Fundamentals of Oral Communication (one of these courses required in the prerequisites section)
Quantitative Literacy (3 credits)
- Recommended: MTH 1210 - Introduction to Statistics * or MTH 1310 - Finite Mathematics for the Management and Social Sciences * (one of these courses required in the prerequisites section)
Arts and Humanities (6 credits)
Historical (3 credits)
Natural and Physical Sciences (6 credits)
Social and Behavioral Sciences (6 credits)
- Recommended: ECO 2010 - Principles of Macroeconomics and ECO 2020 - Principles of Microeconomics (these courses required in the prerequisites section)
Global Diversity (0 or 3 credits**)

** Students will fulfill the global diversity requirement by taking an approved course within one of the following categories: arts and humanities; historical; natural and physical sciences; or social and behavioral sciences.

Multicultural Requirement: 0 or 3 credits

Students should consult the Multicultural Graduation Requirements for a list of courses that fulfill the Multicultural Requirement for degree completion.
Many programs include courses that meet this requirement. Students should consult with their advisor to determine what program courses may fulfill this requirement.
- Recommended: MKT 3750 - Multicultural Marketing ; this course fulfills the multicultural requirement and is a major requirement.

Required Prerequisites: 13 credits

COMM 1010 - Presentational Speaking Credits: 3
or
COMM 1100 - Fundamentals of Oral Communication Credits: 3
ECO 2010 - Principles of Macroeconomics Credits: 3
ECO 2020 - Principles of Microeconomics Credits: 3
MTH 1210 - Introduction to Statistics Credits: 4
or
MTH 1310 - Finite Mathematics for the Management and Social Sciences Credits: 4
* MTH 1110 or MTH 1400 is acceptable for transfer students or students changing their major. Consult with the Department of Mathematics and Statistics on substitutions.

Professional Selling Major Requirements: 48 credits

ACC 1010 - Fundamentals of Accounting Credits: 3
or
ACC 2010 - Principles of Accounting I Credits: 3
BUS 1850 - Introduction to Business Credits: 3 *
BUS 1950 - Business Communication Credits: 3
BUS 3040 - Global Corporate Social Responsibility and Sustainability Credits: 3
CIS 2010 - Foundations of Information Systems Credits: 3
FIN 3150 - Personal Financial Planning Credits: 3
MGT 2210 - Legal Environment of Business I Credits: 3
MGT 3000 - Organizational Management Credits: 3
MKT 2250 - Introduction to Sales Credits: 3
MKT 3000 - Principles of Marketing Credits: 3
MKT 3160 - Sales Leadership Credits: 3
MKT 3250 - Personal Selling Credits: 3
MKT 3320 - Inside Sales Credits: 3
MKT 3330 - Marketing and Sales Metrics Credits: 3
MKT 3350 - Social Selling Credits: 3
MKT 3750 - Multicultural Marketing Credits: 3
* Transfer students that transfer in 6 or more credits of business courses will not need to take BUS 1850 but may take any other College of Business 3-credit hour course that does not appear in their Major or Business Core requirements.

Professional Selling Elective Requirements: 12 credits

Twelve credit hours of any upper division MKT prefix courses and/or courses from the approved list:

MKT 3000-4999 Upper Division Marketing Courses
MKT 1260 - Customer Service Credits: 3
COMM 3010 - Business and Professional Speaking Credits: 3
MGT 3530 - Human Resources Management Credits: 3
MGT 4050 - Purchasing and Supply Chain Management Credits: 3
MGT 4620 - Performance Management and Reward Systems Credits: 3
MGT 4640 - Employee Training and Development Credits: 3

Senior Experience: 3 credits

MKT 4250 - Advanced Selling Credits: 3

Summary of Requirements

General Studies Requirements	33 credits
Multicultural Requirement	0-3 credits
Prerequisite Courses	13 credits
Major Requirements	48 credits
Major Electives	12 credits
Senior Experience	3 credits
Unrestricted Electives	8-23 credits
Total for the Professional Selling Major, B.S.	120 credits

Required courses for the major may also count for General Studies and Multicultural requirements, so the total credits listed may be greater than the number required to complete the degree. Therefore, it is important that you work with your advisor to make sure you are meeting requirements for your degree.