Marketing

Steven J. Newell, Interim Chair
JoAnn Atkin
Joseph J. Belonax
Andrew A. Brogowicz
Linda M. Delene
James Eckert
Bruce Ferrin
Frank Gambino
Karen Lancendorfer
Ronald Larson
Hanjoon Lee
Thaweephan Leingpibul
Mushtaq Luqmani
Michael McCardle
Betty Parker
Zahir A. Quraeshi
Robert Reck
Roberta Schultz
Ann Veeck
John Weitzel

Marketing involves the creation, pricing, promotion, and distribution of goods and services to satisfy customer needs and achieve organizational goals. Because marketing applies to all industries and encompasses many different activities, it offers a wide variety of career opportunities in fields such as advertising, brand and product management, customer service, supply chain management, global marketing, marketing research, retail management, sales and sales management, and sport marketing. A growing number of nonprofit organizations, such as arts councils, educational institutions, government agencies, hospitals, and museums, also employ marketers.

The Department of Marketing offers students a choice of four majors: Marketing (MKTJ), Advertising and Promotion (ADVJ), Food and Consumer Package Goods Marketing (FMKJ), and Sales and Business Marketing (SBMJ). The Department also offers minors in Advertising and Promotion (ADVN) and in Marketing (MKTN).

The Marketing major is intended for students who wish to receive general training in marketing while having the flexibility to choose marketing electives that correspond to their particular career interests. Marketing majors can pursue a variety of careers, such as sales and sales management, consumer/marketing research, sport marketing, or global marketing.

The Advertising and Promotion major prepares students for a variety of promotion-related positions, such as account management, media planning, and advertising sales. Graduates typically find employment in the advertising industry or in firms with marketing communications, promotion, or interactive marketing departments. Students are encouraged to pursue a related minor in Art, Communication, English (Writing Emphasis), or Imaging to enhance their creative skills.

The Food and Consumer Package Goods Marketing major prepares students for sales and category management positions with food and consumer packaged goods manufacturers and brokers, and for management positions with food retailers and wholesalers. Western Michigan University is nationally recognized as one of only a few leading universities offering a specialized major in food and consumer package goods marketing to prepare students for food and CPG industry careers.

The Sales and Business Marketing major prepares students for sales and marketing careers with firms that emphasize business-to-business marketing. It is strongly recommended that Sales and Business Marketing majors complete a minor in Biological Sciences, Chemistry, Computer Science, Imaging, Manufacturing Technology, or Physics to enhance their career opportunities with technology-oriented employers.

Program Requirements

Course requirements for each of the four majors and two minors are listed below. Course prerequisites are listed after the Marketing course descriptions later in this section. Any deviations from these course requirements and prerequisites must have the written approval of the department chairperson.

All Marketing major/minor programs must be approved in writing by a departmental advisor. Students should contact the Department of Marketing, 3210 Schneider Hall, for a list of faculty advisors and their office hours. BBA students wishing to declare a major must bring with them an approved Curriculum Guide issued by the College of Business Advising Office in 2130 Schneider Hall.

Applying for a minor

To be eligible to apply for a minor either in Advertising and Promotion or in Marketing, a student must have completed a minimum of 56 credit hours with an overall WMU grade point average of at least 2.50. However, meeting these minimum requirements does not guarantee admission into either minor, as the Department of Marketing receives far more minor applications than it has the capacity to accept. Admission into either minor will be based on space availability, overall grade point average, and a written statement on the application about how the minor will relate to the applicant’s major field of study and career objectives.

To declare a minor in Advertising and Promotion or Marketing, a student must complete an application form and submit it to the Department of Marketing. This application form can be picked up in the department office (3210 Schneider Hall), and is also available on the Web at www.hcob.wmich.edu/mktg. The deadlines for submitting the application are as follows: October 15 for admission for the Spring semester; February 15 for admission for the Summer I and Summer II sessions; and July 10 for admission for the Fall semester.

Applicants will be notified by e-mail about the status of their applications within four weeks following the above deadlines. If accepted into either the Advertising and Promotion or the Marketing minor, a student must meet with a department advisor to complete a minor slip and discuss specific requirements for the minor before registering for any marketing classes. Non-business majors are limited to a maximum of 30 credit hours of business courses at the time of graduation.