Marketing Major, B.S.

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Department of Marketing

College of Business

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

About the Program

The B.S. in Marketing is a business degree that enables students to build a strong business background and marketing-specific expertise. The program prepares graduates for varied roles in marketing, spanning from brand building, digital marketing and social media, advertising and promotion, sales management, new product development, retailing and wholesaling, service management, and strategic planning, among many others, for organizations that include small local startups to major multinational corporations. Students will complete business core and additional requirements that provide a solid foundation across business functions. Within the major, students will complete required marketing coursework and choose 12 credits of upper-division marketing electives, enabling students to select from a broad array of courses that support students’ professional interests. As part of the College of Business, the B.S. in Marketing is accredited by AACSB.

Student Outcomes

Upon completion of the B.S. Marketing degree, students will be able to:

Identify and apply the stages of the consumer decision process.
Demonstrate an understanding of the elements of segmentation, targeting, and positioning as a means of making marketing decisions.
Identify and apply the principles of the marketing mix.
Demonstrate comprehension of marketing research design and processes.

The College of Business B.S. programs, including Marketing, share a common set of four cross-disciplinary core competencies, knowledge, and skills.

Competency 1: Communication - Business students will be able to:

1.1 - Communicate effectively through writing.
1.2 - Communicate effectively through speaking.

Competency 2: Business Solutions - Business students will be able to analyze a business situation and recommend effective solutions utilizing:

2.1 - appropriate technological frameworks.
2.2 - appropriate ethical frameworks.
2.3 - appropriate global frameworks.

Competency 3: Technological Agility - Business students will be able to:

3.1 - understand the impact of current technology on the business environment.

Competency 4: Core Knowledge - Business students will demonstrate competence in required business topics, including accounting, computer information systems, data analytics, economics, ethics, finance, marketing, management, and business law.

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 Science degree in Marketing, 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 and a course number of 2000 or higher. A student must complete at least twelve (12) upper-division semester hours in Marketing at MSU Denver. 
In order to graduate, students must maintain a 2.0 average inside the Business Core.
A grade of “C-” or better is required for each course in this program (i.e., major courses required) to count toward the bachelor’s degree.
In order to graduate, a grade of “C-” or better is required in MGT 4950.
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 , as one of these is required to fulfill an “Additional Requirement” for College of Business students completing any Bachelor of Science major.
Quantitative Literacy (3 credits)
- Recommended: MTH 1310 - Finite Mathematics for the Management and Social Sciences , as it is the pre-requisite for MTH 1320 , which is an “Additional Requirement” for College of Business students completing any Bachelor of Science major. 
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 (required in the Business Core)
- Recommended: ECO 2020 - Principles of Microeconomics (required in the Business Core) 
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.

Ethnic Studies & Social Justice Requirement: 0 or 3 credits

Students should consult the Ethnic Studies & Social Justice Graduation Requirement for a list of courses that fulfill the ESSJ 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.

College of Business Additional Requirements: 6-7 credits

COMM 1010 - Presentational Speaking Credits: 3
or
COMM 1100 - Fundamentals of Oral Communication Credits: 3
MTH 1320 - Calculus for the Management and Social Sciences Credits: 3 (pre-requisite: MTH 1310 ; can also accept MTH 1109 , MTH 1110 , MTH 1112 , or MTH 1400 ; with a grade of C- or better)

Business Core: 45 credits

All business majors require foundation course work in all significant areas of business theory and practice. The following courses are required for all students majoring in Marketing. Students must maintain a 2.0 average inside the Business Core. A student cannot register for a business core course until all General Studies requirements in Written Communication, Oral Communication, and Quantitative Literacy are complete.

BUS 1850 - Introduction to Business Credits: 3 *
BUS 1950 - Business Communication Credits: 3
BUS 3040 - Global Corporate Social Responsibility and Sustainability Credits: 3
ACC 2010 - Principles of Accounting I Credits: 3
ACC 2020 - Principles of Accounting II Credits: 3
CIS 2010 - Foundations of Information Systems Credits: 3
CIS 3300 - Business Analytics I (Descriptive and Predictive) Credits: 3
CIS 3320 - Business Analytics II (Prescriptive) Credits: 3
ECO 2010 - Principles of Macroeconomics Credits: 3
ECO 2020 - Principles of Microeconomics Credits: 3
FIN 3300 - Managerial Finance Credits: 3
MGT 2210 - Legal Environment of Business I Credits: 3
MGT 3000 - Organizational Management Credits: 3
MGT 4950 - Strategic Management Credits: 3 **
MKT 3000 - Principles of 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.

** “C-” or better must be earned in MGT 4950.

Marketing Major Requirements: 24 credits

A grade of “C-” or better is required for each course in this program (i.e., major courses required) to count toward the bachelor’s degree.

MKT 3010 - Marketing Research Credits: 3
MKT 3310 - Consumer Behavior Credits: 3
MKT 3710 - International Marketing Credits: 3
MKT 4560 - Marketing Strategy Credits: 3
Upper-division Marketing Electives: any 3000 or 4000 level MKT courses not listed in the Business Core or Major Requirements Credits: 12

Senior Experience: 3 credits

MGT 4950 - Strategic Management Credits: 3 (this course is also required in the Business Core)

Summary of Requirements

General Studies Requirement	33 credits
ESSJ Requirement	0-3 credits
College of Business Additional Requirements	6-7 credits
Business Core	45 credits
Major Requirements	24 credits
Senior Experience	(counted in business core)
Unrestricted Electives	8-21 credits
Total for the Marketing Major, B.S.	120 credits

Required courses for the major may also count for General Studies and ESSJ 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.

Program Modified June 30, 2023