Welcome to an Exciting Marketing Career!

Marketing Curriculum

Student Survival Tips

1. Get to know a faculty member in the Marketing Department in whom you can confide and seek advice for scheduling, career advice and counseling. If you don't know any of the marketing faculty, visit the Marketing Department office (BA 102) and ask to be assigned to a faculty member.

2. Do not try to take all of your marketing course work in two semesters.

3. Use your courses to get involved in practical learning projects (such as internships, marketing plans, research projects, and papers) that will be useful after graduation. Focus your academic energy on a career. When you do a project, try to choose a topic that will enhance your career knowledge, as well as satisfy the course requirement. Also, try to combine projects with current business experiences and experiences you want to have.

4. Identify concentrations within the marketing curriculum and find out what types of courses to take outside the major to support your area(s) of professional and career interest. Design a supporting area or minor that is closely aligned to your interests. Do not take needless courses unrelated to your career.

5. Plan your final semester carefully. The most demanding courses in your program are senior-level marketing courses and Business Policy, normally taken in the last semester. Generally, students are advised not to take more than 12 hours during this final semester. By doing so, students will have larger quantities of high quality time to spend on these final, most directly relevant classes, as well as finding employment. In order to have this luxury, students must plan carefully and take "heavier" class loads (15 hours) early in their careers.

6. Do not try to register for more than 15 hours per semester unless you have first obtained counsel and permission.

7. Complete the core requirements and declare your marketing major as early as possible, otherwise you will be closed out of courses.

8. Stay abreast of current business practices by reading business periodicals. Such efforts will make class material far more relevant and meaningful. Because most employers are only interested what you can do to enhance their organization, being current on the latest trends in business will make you far more valuable.

9. Check with the Marketing Department regarding scholarships, job opportunities and internships.

10. Get involved in student clubs and organizations. Such activities contribute greatly to your education and make you more marketable after graduating.

11. Get actively involved in professional and social organizations outside campus. Become a leader recognized by your peers and professors.

12. Budget your time. A common excuse used by students for failure is their lack of adequate time to complete tasks properly. Although valid in some cases, often students use their time neither efficiently nor effectively. Learn to budget time carefully and recognize the time tradeoffs being made when making a schedule. This is especially critical when you are doing group projects.

13. Coordinate school and work responsibilities very carefully. Do not let part-time work interfere with your academic performance. Keep your goals in mind. Students must carefully balance the time and effort demanded by competing activities.

14. Select part-time or full time work directly related to your career aspirations. The Marketing Department's internship program is an excellent way of improving your access to these opportunities. An internship will greatly enhance your marketing knowledge and will increase the likelihood of your gaining employment in the same marketing industry after graduation.

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