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Marketing, BSBA

Program Description

Many people believe that marketing consists only of advertising and personal selling. Although marketing includes these activities, the purpose of marketing in an organization is much broader; the purpose of marketing is to create and retain satisfied customers. Marketing begins by understanding consumer behavior, discovering customers’ needs and then developing programs to satisfy those needs.

The decisions made in creating marketing programs are essential to the success of any organization. Which customer groups shall we serve? What kind of products and services will we offer? How should they be priced, promoted, and distributed to the customer? The fundamental marketing concept is that organizations can achieve their goals by satisfying consumer needs.

The Marketing curriculum at La Salle University gives students the knowledge and skills they need to succeed in a variety of marketing related fields. Marketing classes and projects develop such skills as making effective presentations, creating advertising campaigns, analyzing consumer behavior, and conducting marketing research studies. In all Marketing classes, an emphasis is placed on involving students with real-world problems that will advance their ability to make sound business decisions.  

Marketing majors are encouraged to participate in the Marketing Department’s Internship Program. Here, participants work part-time in a marketing position under faculty supervision. The Department of Marketing has a tradition of interacting with students as they make both academic and career decisions. Marketing graduates may work in business, government, or non-profit organizations. Those who major in marketing are prepared to enter a wide variety of career fields; these include personal selling, retailing, public relations, advertising, direct marketing, marketing research, and marketing management.

The marketing field today is highly specialized. Our curriculum is designed to ensure that marketing students are more competitive in the marketplace by offering three specialized tracks: Marketing Management, Professional Sales and Digital Marketing.

Why Take This Major?

Marketing is a dynamic and cross-disciplinary field, integrating social, economic and quantitative sciences. It is at the core of every business and is the foundation to identifying consumer needs and creating a sustainable competitive advantage. Marketing knowledge ranges from developing creative content to capture consumer imagination, to innovating new products and customer experiences, to analyzing big data and market trends in response to marketplace disruptions.

Our students have the opportunity to acquire essential marketing skills necessary to begin a business career while still pursuing a broad range of interests. They gain an understanding of marketing through semester-long research projects with real clients and examine case studies of successful for-profit and nonprofit organizations.

  • Students learn how to deliver compelling sales presentations, create memorable advertising campaigns, analyze and understand consumer behavior, and—perhaps most importantly—they learn how to contribute to the spirit of team building and community service that are an essential part of the Explorer experience.
  • Faculty embrace the individual needs of each and every student. These dedicated professors strive to provide opportunities for mentorship and independent research. They foster connections with local, regional, and global businesses through the American Marketing Association, the Philly Ad Club, and the La Salle alumni network to support internship and co-op experiences and to help students reach their career goals.

Marketing in Real Life

Marketing is an exciting and multifaceted career choice, allowing future Explorers to engage their imaginative and innovative sides while harnessing their analytical and problem solving skills. 

Career opportunities for those with a Marketing degree include:

  • Account Executive
  • B2B Sales
  • Brand/Product Manager
  • Customer Relations Representative
  • Digital Advertising Specialist
  • Marketing Research Analyst
  • Media Analytics Coordinator
  • Meeting, Convention & Events Planner
  • Retail Buyer
  • Search Engine Marketing (SEM) Specialist
  • Social Media Officer
  • Supply Chain Logistics Specialist

Quote

“You can’t just ask customers what they want and then try to give that to them. By the time you get it built, they’ll want something new.”  Steve Jobs, former CEO of Apple

  • Our students can pursue their unique career interests through a combination of required courses and electives that inspires skill development through experiential learning in a variety of marketing fields. Students can engage in sales roleplays in a state-of-the art sales training lab, learn Search Engine Marketing (SEM) and Google Analytics, or create social media marketing content across multiple platforms.
  • Our professors regularly lead students to destinations in Europe, Asia, and Latin America in short-term travel study courses. They utilize their professional expertise and personal experiences to broaden student exposure to diversity, promote cross-cultural business exchanges, and enhance their global perspective.
  • Explorers studying marketing learn about the central role of marketing in creating value across all organizations, for-profit and nonprofits alike, as well as society at large. Students learn about the reciprocal impact of marketing on society through the importance of corporate citizenship, traditional and non-traditional business models, and the intersection of business and the community.