Marketing Undergraduate Major (BA, BS, HBA, HBS)
This program is available at the following locations:
- Corvallis
- Ecampus
Options available:
The marketing curriculum provides students with technical marketing skills and leadership training. Opportunities exist for marketing graduates in a wide variety of organizations, including manufacturing firms, service firms, retailers, wholesalers, advertising agencies, the communications media and government agencies. Career options include sales, advertising, retailing, brand management, logistics management, market research, purchasing management and more.
The heart of marketing is matching supply and demand in a complex, advanced economy. Marketing consists of a sequence of activities: identifying customer needs, developing goods and services to satisfy those needs, communicating information about products to potential customers, and distributing the products to customers. In small firms, a few people must carry out all the marketing functions or activities. Large corporations, on the other hand, tend to hire people with specific potential or skills to fill more specialized job requirements.
Major Code: 799
Upon successful completion of the program, students will meet the following learning outcomes:
- Articulate the place and contribution of marketing to the business enterprise.
- Define primary and secondary sources of information; give examples of methods used to collect primary data; give examples of sources for secondary data; compare and contrast the advantages and disadvantages of both types of data.
- Describe major bases for segmenting consumer and business markets; define and be able to apply the three steps of target marketing: market segmentation, target marketing and market positioning; understand how different situations in the competitive environment will affect choices in target marketing.
- Describe the major types of consumer buying behavior, the stages in the buyer decision process and completely outline the components of the marketing mix; identify how the firms marketing strategy and marketing mix must evolve and adapt to match consumer behavior and perceptions of the product (e.g., classification of products and services, brand image, price and value), the stage in the product life cycle and the competitive environment; summarize the importance of measuring and managing return on marketing.
- List and describe the steps in the new-product development (NPD) process; describe how the NPD process meshes with the adoption and diffusion process for those products.
- Identify the costs and benefits of marketing channels; discuss the firms and the functions involved in typical channels in North America.
- Identify the roles of advertising, sales promotion, public relations, personal selling and direct marketing in the promotion mix; compare and contrast integrated marketing communications with a non-integrated approach to the promotional mix.
- Illustrate how the international trade system, economic, political-legal and cultural environments in a foreign country affect a company’s international marketing decisions.
- Identify the major social criticisms of marketing.
Degree requirements include university core education, business and major curricula. The business curriculum provides students with a broad overview of business; basic skills in accounting and quantitative methods; an understanding of the legal and social environment of business; a background in management and organizational behavior, marketing, finance, and operations management; an understanding of the entrepreneurial process; and the opportunity to integrate coursework and further develop decision-making skills through the analysis of business cases. The lower-division business curriculum involves completion of courses within the first and second year that build a solid foundation for the upper-division curricula.
Transitions to OSU and Introduction to Business coursework will depend on student type. At registration, an academic advisor will determine the most appropriate path.
- Students entering OSU as their first college experience after high school will take a 100 Transitions course, BA 160, and a BA 16X series;
- Students entering OSU COB as a second-year transfer student (approximately three years to graduation) will take a 300 Transitions course, BA 160, and BA 101Z; or
- Students entering OSU COB as a third-year transfer student (approximately two years or less to graduation) will take a 300 Transitions course and BA 101Z.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Summary of Requirements | ||
| Business Curriculum 1 | 102-106 | |
| Marketing Curriculum | 34 | |
| Unspecified Core Education 1 | 22-26 | |
| Unrestricted Electives 2 | 14-22 | |
| Total Credits | 180 | |
- 1
Some courses in the Business Curriculum double-count with Core Education categories. Unspecified Core Education credits are not shared with the Business Curriculum
- 2
Options and minors are available to provide specializations and fulfill unrestricted elective credits
Business Curriculum
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Foundations of Business | ||
| Introduction to Business | ||
| Third-year transfer students may be eligible to waive BA 160. | ||
| BA 160 | +COB CAREER AND MAJOR EXPLORATION | 1 |
| Dependent on entry level, students will take one of the following: | 4-6 | |
| INNOVATION NATION--AWARENESS TO ACTION and INNOVATION NATION--IDEAS TO REALITY | ||
| LAUNCH PAD I and LAUNCH PAD II | ||
| INTRODUCTION TO BUSINESS | ||
| Communications | ||
| COMM 114 | +*ARGUMENT AND CRITICAL DISCOURSE | 3-4 |
| or COMM 111Z | +*PUBLIC SPEAKING | |
| or COMM 218Z | +*INTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATION | |
| Economics | ||
| ECON 201Z | +*PRINCIPLES OF MICROECONOMICS | 4 |
| ECON 202Z | +*PRINCIPLES OF MACROECONOMICS | 4 |
| Mathematics | ||
| MTH 241 | +*CALCULUS FOR MANAGEMENT AND SOCIAL SCIENCE | 4 |
| Writing | ||
| WR 323 | +*ADVANCED WRITING & ARGUMENTATION | 3-4 |
| or WR 227Z | +*TECHNICAL WRITING | |
| Business Core | ||
| BA 169Z | DATA ANALYSIS USING MICROSOFT EXCEL | 4 |
| BA 211Z | PRINCIPLES OF FINANCIAL ACCOUNTING | 4 |
| BA 213Z | PRINCIPLES OF MANAGERIAL ACCOUNTING | 4 |
| BA 223 | PRINCIPLES OF MARKETING 1 | 4 |
| or BA 390 | PRINCIPLES OF MARKETING | |
| BA 226Z | INTRODUCTION TO BUSINESS LAW | 4 |
| BA 240 | FINANCE | 4 |
| or BA 360 | INTRODUCTION TO FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT | |
| BA 252 | MANAGING INDIVIDUAL AND TEAM PERFORMANCE | 4 |
| BA 260 | FOUNDATIONS OF THE ENTREPRENEURIAL MINDSET | 4 |
| or BA 267 | INTRODUCTION TO ENTREPRENEURIAL MARKET OPPORTUNITIES | |
| BA 275 | FOUNDATIONS OF STATISTICAL INFERENCE | 4 |
| BA 270 | BUSINESS PROCESS MANAGEMENT | 4 |
| BA 347 | INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS | 4 |
| BA 354 | ^MANAGING ETHICS AND CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY | 4 |
| BA 357 | OPERATIONS AND SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT | 4 |
| BA 370 | BUSINESS INFORMATION SYSTEMS OVERVIEW | 4 |
| BA 375 | APPLIED QUANTITATIVE METHODS | 4 |
| BA 396 | +MARKETS AS SOCIAL STATUS SYSTEMS | 3 |
| or BA 398 | +SUSTAINABLE CAPITALISM: EXPLORING POWER, PROSPERITY, AND JUSTICE | |
| BA 466 | INTEGRATIVE STRATEGIC EXPERIENCE | 4 |
| Blueprint: Personal & Professional Development | ||
| Second Year | ||
| Third-year transfer students may be eligible to substitute BA 381 for second year Professional Development and Blueprint coursework. | ||
| BA 281 | PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT | 3 |
| BA 282 | DRAFTING YOUR CAREER BLUEPRINT | 1 |
| BA 283 | NAVIGATING CRUCIAL CONVERSATIONS IN THE WORKPLACE | 1 |
| BA 284 | FOUNDATIONS OF PERSONAL FINANCE I | 1 |
| Third Year | ||
| BA 311 | +FRAMING YOUR CAREER PLAN | 1 |
| BA 312 | FOUNDATIONS OF PERSONAL FINANCE II | 1 |
| BA 313 | A CASE FOR CIVIL DISCOURSE IN BUSINESS | 1 |
| Fourth Year | ||
| BA 411 | NAVIGATING CAREER TRANSITIONS | 1 |
| BA 412 | FINANCIAL PLANNING I | 1 |
| BA 413 | FINANCIAL PLANNING II | 1 |
| Total Credits | 102-106 | |
- *
Baccalaureate Core course. Applies to general education requirements for undergraduate students in a catalog year up to 2024-2025
- +
Core Education course. Applies to general education requirements for undergraduate students in catalog year 2025-2026 and beyond
- ^
Writing Intensive Curriculum (WIC) course
- 1
Course requires a grade of C or higher
Marketing Curriculum
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Required Courses | ||
| MRKT 323 | ADVANCED APPLICATION OF MARKETING PRINCIPLES | 4 |
| MRKT 396 | FUNDAMENTALS OF MARKETING RESEARCH | 4 |
| MRKT 489 | PERSONAL SELLING SKILLS AND TECHNIQUES | 4 |
| MRKT 492 | CONSUMER BEHAVIOR | 4 |
| MRKT 499 | MARKETING STRATEGY | 4 |
| Experiential Learning | ||
| Select 2 credits from the following courses: | 2 | |
Any COB 004 Internship (e.g. MRKT 004) 1 | ||
Any COB 403 Thesis (eg. MRKT 403) | ||
Any COB 405 Reading and Conference (eg. BA 405) | ||
Any COB 406 Projects (eg. MRKT 406) | ||
Any COB 409 Practicum (eg. MRKT 409) | ||
Any COB 410 Internship (eg. MRKT 410) | ||
| INTERNATIONAL EXCHANGE ORIENTATION and IMPACT OF CULTURE ON BUSINESS | ||
| Electives | ||
| Select a minimum of 12 credits from the following (see Focus Areas for guidance): 2 | 12 | |
| INTRODUCTION TO BUSINESS ANALYTICS AND ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE | ||
| INTRODUCTION TO MERCHANDISING MANAGEMENT | ||
| ^FASHION FORECASTING AND MARKET ANALYSIS | ||
| HISTORY OF CONTEMPORARY FASHION | ||
| MERCHANDISE PLANNING AND CONTROL | ||
| *GLOBAL SOURCING OF TEXTILES, APPAREL, AND FOOTWEAR | ||
| INFLUENCE AND NEGOTIATION | ||
| DIGITAL MARKETING PLATFORMS | ||
| SEARCH MARKETING | ||
| CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIP MANAGEMENT | ||
| PROFESSIONAL SALES | ||
| QUALITATIVE RESEARCH METHODS | ||
| INTEGRATED MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS | ||
| RETAIL MANAGEMENT | ||
| MARKETING RESEARCH PRACTICUM | ||
| GLOBAL MARKETING | ||
| SERVICES MARKETING | ||
| THE BUSINESS OF SPORT | ||
| INTRODUCTION TO SPORTS ANALYTICS | ||
| SPORTS MARKETING | ||
| FINANCING SPORT | ||
| SPORTS SPONSORSHIP | ||
| Total Credits | 34 | |
- 1
Students may substitute any COB 004 Internship course (eg. MRKT 004) for the experiential learning requirement if they do not need an additional 2 credits to meet their 180 degree total
- 2
Some elective courses require a prerequisite grade of C or higher
Focus Areas
Focus Areas are suggested course combinations directed at specific areas of interest and professional goals, but other combinations of focus area courses may be selected.
Consumer Insights Focus Area
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Select at least three courses from the following: | 12 | |
| INTRODUCTION TO BUSINESS ANALYTICS AND ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE | ||
| CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIP MANAGEMENT | ||
| QUALITATIVE RESEARCH METHODS | ||
| MARKETING RESEARCH PRACTICUM | ||
| Total Credits | 12 | |
Marketing and Digital Communication Focus Area
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| MRKT 484 | DIGITAL MARKETING PLATFORMS | 4 |
| MRKT 485 | SEARCH MARKETING | 4 |
| MRKT 493 | INTEGRATED MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS | 4 |
| Total Credits | 12 | |
Professional Sales and Personal Selling Focus Area
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| MGMT 455 | INFLUENCE AND NEGOTIATION | 4 |
| MRKT 486 | CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIP MANAGEMENT | 4 |
| MRKT 488 | PROFESSIONAL SALES | 4 |
| Total Credits | 12 | |
Sports Marketing Focus Area
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| SB 250 | THE BUSINESS OF SPORT | 4 |
| Select at least two courses from the following: | 8 | |
| INTRODUCTION TO SPORTS ANALYTICS | ||
| SPORTS MARKETING | ||
| FINANCING SPORT | ||
| SPORTS SPONSORSHIP | ||
| Total Credits | 12 | |
Fashion and Retail Marketing Focus Area (available in Corvallis only)
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| MRKT 495 | RETAIL MANAGEMENT | 4 |
| Select at least two courses from the following: | 8 | |
| INTRODUCTION TO MERCHANDISING MANAGEMENT | ||
| ^FASHION FORECASTING AND MARKET ANALYSIS | ||
| HISTORY OF CONTEMPORARY FASHION | ||
| MERCHANDISE PLANNING AND CONTROL | ||
| *GLOBAL SOURCING OF TEXTILES, APPAREL, AND FOOTWEAR | ||
| Total Credits | 12 | |
Marketing Management Focus Area
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Select 12 credits from the following courses: | 12 | |
| DIGITAL MARKETING PLATFORMS | ||
| SEARCH MARKETING | ||
| CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIP MANAGEMENT | ||
| PROFESSIONAL SALES | ||
| QUALITATIVE RESEARCH METHODS | ||
| INTEGRATED MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS | ||
| RETAIL MANAGEMENT | ||
| MARKETING RESEARCH PRACTICUM | ||
| GLOBAL MARKETING | ||
| SERVICES MARKETING | ||
| THE BUSINESS OF SPORT | ||
| SPORTS MARKETING | ||
| SPORTS SPONSORSHIP | ||
| Total Credits | 12 | |
Major Code: 799
Degree plans are subject to change and the following is only an example of how students may complete their degree in four years. Students should consult their advisor to determine the best degree plan for them. Contact details for advisors can be found on the Academic Advising page.
| First Year | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall | Credits | |
| BA 160 | +COB CAREER AND MAJOR EXPLORATION | 1 |
| MTH 111Z | +*PRECALCULUS I: FUNCTIONS | 4 |
| COMM 111Z | +*PUBLIC SPEAKING or +*ARGUMENT AND CRITICAL DISCOURSE or +*INTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATION | 3-4 |
| Core Ed: Arts & Humanities General | 3-4 | |
| Core Ed: Transitions | 2 | |
| Credits | 14 | |
| Winter | ||
| BA 161 | INNOVATION NATION--AWARENESS TO ACTION | 3 |
| BA 169Z | DATA ANALYSIS USING MICROSOFT EXCEL | 4 |
| ECON 202Z | +*PRINCIPLES OF MACROECONOMICS | 4 |
| MTH 241 | +*CALCULUS FOR MANAGEMENT AND SOCIAL SCIENCE | 4 |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Spring | ||
| BA 162 | INNOVATION NATION--IDEAS TO REALITY | 3 |
| ECON 201Z | +*PRINCIPLES OF MICROECONOMICS | 4 |
| WR 121Z | +*COMPOSITION I | 4 |
| Core Ed: Scientific Inquiry & Analysis | 4 | |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Second Year | ||
| Fall | ||
| BA 223 or BA 390 | PRINCIPLES OF MARKETING or PRINCIPLES OF MARKETING | 4 |
| BA 252 | MANAGING INDIVIDUAL AND TEAM PERFORMANCE | 4 |
| BA 281 | PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT | 3 |
| BA 282 | DRAFTING YOUR CAREER BLUEPRINT | 1 |
| Core Ed: Difference, Power & Oppression Foundations | 3-4 | |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Winter | ||
| BA 211Z | PRINCIPLES OF FINANCIAL ACCOUNTING | 4 |
| BA 260 or BA 267 | FOUNDATIONS OF THE ENTREPRENEURIAL MINDSET or INTRODUCTION TO ENTREPRENEURIAL MARKET OPPORTUNITIES | 4 |
| BA 275 | FOUNDATIONS OF STATISTICAL INFERENCE | 4 |
| BA 283 | NAVIGATING CRUCIAL CONVERSATIONS IN THE WORKPLACE | 1 |
| Elective | 2 | |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Spring | ||
| BA 213Z | PRINCIPLES OF MANAGERIAL ACCOUNTING | 4 |
| BA 226Z | INTRODUCTION TO BUSINESS LAW | 4 |
| BA 240 or BA 360 | FINANCE or INTRODUCTION TO FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT | 4 |
| BA 270 | BUSINESS PROCESS MANAGEMENT | 4 |
| BA 284 | FOUNDATIONS OF PERSONAL FINANCE I | 1 |
| Credits | 17 | |
| Third Year | ||
| Fall | ||
| BA 311 | +FRAMING YOUR CAREER PLAN | 1 |
| BA 354 | ^MANAGING ETHICS AND CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY | 4 |
| MRKT 323 | ADVANCED APPLICATION OF MARKETING PRINCIPLES | 4 |
| Core Ed: Scientific Inquiry & Analysis | 4 | |
| Elective | 2 | |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Winter | ||
| BA 312 | FOUNDATIONS OF PERSONAL FINANCE II | 1 |
| BA 357 | OPERATIONS AND SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT | 4 |
| MRKT 396 | FUNDAMENTALS OF MARKETING RESEARCH | 4 |
| WR 323 or WR 227Z | +*ADVANCED WRITING & ARGUMENTATION or +*TECHNICAL WRITING | 3-4 |
| Core Ed: Arts & Humanities Global | 3-4 | |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Spring | ||
| BA 313 | A CASE FOR CIVIL DISCOURSE IN BUSINESS | 1 |
| BA 347 | INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS | 4 |
| BA 370 | BUSINESS INFORMATION SYSTEMS OVERVIEW | 4 |
| BA 375 | APPLIED QUANTITATIVE METHODS | 4 |
| Experiential Learning | 2 | |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Fourth Year | ||
| Fall | ||
| BA 411 | NAVIGATING CAREER TRANSITIONS | 1 |
| MRKT 489 | PERSONAL SELLING SKILLS AND TECHNIQUES | 4 |
| MRKT 492 | CONSUMER BEHAVIOR | 4 |
| MRKT Elective | 4 | |
| Core Ed: Seeking Solutions | 3-4 | |
| Credits | 16 | |
| Winter | ||
| BA 396 or BA 398 | +MARKETS AS SOCIAL STATUS SYSTEMS or +SUSTAINABLE CAPITALISM: EXPLORING POWER, PROSPERITY, AND JUSTICE | 3 |
| BA 412 | FINANCIAL PLANNING I | 1 |
| BA 466 | INTEGRATIVE STRATEGIC EXPERIENCE | 4 |
| MRKT Elective | 4 | |
| Elective | 2 | |
| Credits | 14 | |
| Spring | ||
| BA 413 | FINANCIAL PLANNING II | 1 |
| MRKT 499 | MARKETING STRATEGY | 4 |
| MRKT Elective | 4 | |
| Elective | 5 | |
| Credits | 14 | |
| Total Credits | 180 | |
- *
Baccalaureate Core course. Applies to general education requirements for undergraduate students in a catalog year up to 2024-2025
- +
Core Education course. Applies to general education requirements for undergraduate students in catalog year 2025-2026 and beyond
- ^
Writing Intensive Curriculum (WIC) course