Marketing (MRKT)

Click here for program requirements as listed in Penn State's Undergraduate Degree Programs Bulletin.

This major is designed for students interested in careers involving sales, promotion, services, distribution, research, and planning for business and the public sector. The major provides students with key concepts and methods of analysis in marketing. It focuses on understanding customer needs, developing products or services, creating and implementing marketing plans, monitoring customer responses, and projecting marketing activities for the future.

For the B.S. degree in Marketing, a minimum of 120 credits is required. At least 50 percent of the Business credit hours required for the degree must be taken at Penn State Harrisburg. No more than 61 credits should be from Business and Business-related courses.

Opportunities in Marketing

Career Opportunities

Graduates of Penn State Harrisburg’s Marketing program can pursue career opportunities in marketing and sales management, advertising, marketing research, retail, public policy, public relations, education and training, and consumer affairs. These opportunities can be found in many settings including small business, large corporations, government, health care, educational institutions, and nonprofit organizations. The Marketing program also helps prepare the student for advanced study at the graduate level.

Accreditation

The Marketing program and all other programs in the Penn State Harrisburg School of Business Administration have achieved accreditation from the AACSB.

Internships

Each semester, Penn State Harrisburg’s School of Business Administration places student interns in a wide variety of businesses and agencies where they interact with professionals and participate in solving day-to-day problems. The internship opportunity provides students with increased understanding of principles learned in the classroom, the potential to develop a network of professional contacts, enhanced self-confidence and skills, and the ability to earn money for college and personal expenses. To participate in the internship program, students must be enrolled in the School of Business Administration, have a cumulative GPA of 3.0, and be second semester juniors. They also must have completed 6 credits in the major and have completed all Business core courses except B A 364 and B A 462. Interested students should contact the Internship Coordinator through the School of Business Administration office.

Additional Opportunities for Student-Business Interaction

In addition to internships, the School of Business Administration offers a number of courses that involve students in solving organizational problems or require a project focusing on some aspect of organizational management. Principles of Marketing provides students the opportunity to develop a marketing plan for business firms as a term project, International Marketing students develop a global marketing plan for an internationally oriented firm, and in Services Marketing, students create a marketing plan for a service organization.

Clubs and Honor Societies

The School of Business Administration encourages student participation in the Marketing Club, Mu Kappa Tau, an Honor Society, Sigma Iota Epsilon-the Management Honor Society, and Beta Gamma Sigma, the Business Honor Society of AACBS-accredited business schools.

Job Outlook

Demand for college graduates with marketing degrees is expected to increase faster than the average for all occupations through 2010, as reported by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Projected employment growth will vary by industry. For example, employment is expected to be best in business service areas as compared with manufacturing industries. While competition for jobs will be keen, graduates with strong communication skills, a high level of creativity, and related experience should have the best job opportunities.