Prospective Saint Mary’s students will be able to pursue a new major in marketing within the Department of Business and Economics, the College announced Friday.
James Rogers, senior lecturer in the department and business marketing coordinator, said conversations about developing a marketing major began in fall of 2018.
“The impetus for the marketing major was initially the large number of students enrolled as marketing concentration students, students indicating an interest in marketing among recently declared business majors and a similarly high interest in marketing among business intended students,” Rogers said.
Before the addition of the new marketing major, a concentration in marketing within the business major was the most specialized option available to students interested in the field. While the concentration will continue to be offered, the major provides a more comprehensive education in the methods and practices of the industry, Rogers said.
“Developing new courses in proper sequencing with existing courses was necessary to offer appropriate depth and breadth to meet the high requirements of the industry and post-graduate study,” Rogers said. “Creating a course rotation able to serve students and address the resources required to be successful had to be achieved.”
Rogers said the major consists of 12 core credits and 12 upper-level elective credits in addition to general business classes. New course offerings include “Digital and Social Media Marketing” and “Brand Management” to prepare graduates for work in an increasingly digital age in a field that values creativity and innovation.
“The marketing major now also offers a host of newer or entirely new cutting edge and market-savvy courses,” Rogers said. “[Primarily] among our new classes is ‘Service Marketing’ which focuses on the strongest growing sector of the global economy. At the very leading edge of courses offered by any curriculum will be ‘Artificial Intelligence Marketing’ first being offered in spring 2021.”
Additional perks of the new marketing major includes eligibility for membership in the College’s marketing honor society, Mu Kappa Tau. While the major officially goes into effect this fall, members of the class of 2021 can complete the marketing major provided they have stayed on track with their business courses.
“Students are showing a great deal of interest in the marketing major,” Rogers said. “Many rising sophomores have asked to declare marketing as their major a full year in advance of formal major declarations. It is our expectation this enthusiasm will accelerate as a comprehensive description of the major is rolled out in full detail.”
Rogers said the coordination and collaboration that have been expended to achieve this initiative will be rewarded by the knowledge that graduates will be better prepared to meet the demands of constantly evolving market conditions and be equipped with the skills necessary for success as business leaders of the future.
“[The major] offers students the opportunity to add vital knowledge, skills and abilities to prepare them for the fastest growing and well-compensated careers in the marketing field while delivering truly avant-garde materials and subject matter for market changes on the horizon,” said Rogers. “The marketing major benefits everyone associated with it. Students will learn more and be better prepared."
With the addition of this new major, Rogers said employers will seek out Saint Mary’s as an even deeper source for recruiting marketing team members and the marketing faculty will focus more intently on keeping the major at the very forefront of their discipline.
