Students selecting a major in marketing will earn a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration (B.S.B.A.) degree under the program of study offered by the King's College William G. McGowan School of Business in Wilkes-Barre, Pa. A minor in marketing is also available.

What Makes the King's Marketing Program Different?

The Bachelor of Science in Business Administration degree with a major in marketing is designed to foster a detailed understanding of the marketing field and its role in business.

The King's College marketing curriculum prepares students for careers in advertising, brand management, media, market research, retail management, social media, digital marketing, sports marketing, professional sales, and other entry-level marketing positions. Our marketing degree is built upon the liberal learning competencies of effective communication, ethics, and social responsibility, which provides essential tools for professional success, including a detailed understanding of the different aspects of the marketing field and its role in the business environment.

Students are strongly encouraged to participate in our available internship opportunities that provide experiential learning and marketing training. In addition, students are welcome to use their elective credits to add a second major or minor from other McGowan School of Business programs or arts and sciences majors.

In conjunction with the Mass Communications Department, marketing majors can achieve a concentration or a minor in mass communications to supplement their degree in marketing. The minor and concentration in mass communications offers students the opportunity to gain a further understanding of the role of media in society along with specialized knowledge in advertising, brand communications, social media, and visual communications.

Majors in the William G. McGowan School of Business are accredited by AACSB International - The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business. AACSB Accreditation is the hallmark of excellence in business education and has been earned by less than six percent of the world's business programs.

Degrees Offered

  • Bachelor of Science in Business Administration (B.S.B.A.) with a marketing major
  • Marketing minor
  • Marketing minor for mass communications majors
  • Marketing concentration for mass communications majors

What Can You Do with a Marketing Degree?

The best marketing undergraduate programs prepare students with the analytical and professional skills needed for a career in private industry, service organizations, government agencies, or their own business. Students with marketing training have found success in a range of roles including:

  • Professional sales
  • Digital marketing (affiliate marketing, paid search, social media)
  • Consumer goods marketing
  • Retail management
  • Advertising
  • Health care administration
  • Financial Services
  • Brand management
  • Market research
  • Supply chain management
  • Fashion
  • Professional sports

King's College graduates work for a wide variety of organizations including the NFL, MLB, Hormel, Campbell Soup Company, ADP, Reuters, M&T Bank, Cintas, JP Morgan Chase & Co, Enterprise, Target, DHL Supply Chain, Mondelēz International, Pfizer, Dress Barn, InterMetro Industries, Benco Dental, and Vanguard.

Several graduates work in the digital marketing field with titles such as Retail Search Manager, Paid Social Director, Digital Marketing Strategist, Marketing and Communications Coordinator, and Client Account Strategist.

This industry offers several high demand and profitable marketing career opportunities. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median annual wage for advertising and promotions managers was $127,830 in May 2022. In addition, overall employment of advertising, promotions, and marketing managers is projected to grow six percent from 2022 to 2032, faster than the average for all occupations.

Opportunities for Graduate Studies

  • Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.)
  • Master of Science in marketing research
  • Master of Science in Sports Management
  • Juris Doctor (J.D.) (Law school)

Faculty and Contacts

Amy Parsons, Ph.D
Department Chairperson, Business & Management
Professor of Marketing
B.A., University of California, Berkley
M.B.A., Syracuse University
Ph.D., University of Massachusetts Amherst
E-mail: amyparsons@kings.edu
Dr. Parsons publishes in the areas of social media, marketing pedagogy, advertising, and consumer behavior.

Marketing Program Description

Marketing Courses

View a comprehensive list of all marketing course descriptions here.

CIS 110 - Introduction to Business Information Systems (3)

This course is designed to familiarize students with the terminology, computer applications, and concepts related to technologies used in business information systems. Students will gain a better understanding of how technology empowers business and creates transactions through strategic competitive advantages and efficiencies. Students will be introduced to business applications and learn how these applications support the business mission. This curriculum addresses the six general knowledge and skills areas detailed in the AACSB standards. This course focuses on Microsoft Excel, Access, and Power BI.

ECON 111: Introduction to Macroeconomics (3)

Macro-economic principles: the theory of national income, aggregate demand, and the level of employment; money and banking; and government fiscal policy.

ECON 112 - Introduction to Microeconomics (3)

Micro-economic principles: the theory of price under various market conditions; the economic function of government; elements of international economics.

ECON 221 - Statistics and Predictive Analytics (3)

An introduction to statistical methods used in business fields and economics. Topics include descriptive statistics, sampling, probability, basic statistical distributions, estimation, hypothesis testing, and introduction to regression analysis. This course applies statistical analysis, predictive techniques, and data analytics to problem-solving and business decision-making.

IB 241 - Globalization (3)

This course will provide a broad overview of the environment in which international business takes place. The topics to be covered include but are not limited to analysis of the political, legal, ethical, and cultural environments in which international businesses operate; understanding corporate strategy formulation in the face of government intervention; understanding the international monetary system; and discussing international trade and foreign direct investment. The course covers a broad spectrum of topics to equip students with the fundamentals of international business.

MATH 123 - Finite Mathematics and Business Analytics (3)

Topics include lines and linear functions; a geometric approach to linear programming; the simplex method; sensitivity analysis; integer-valued optimization problems; sets and counting; elementary probability; probability distributions and statistics. Utilization of graphing technology for the visualization of data; solving multivariable problems using Excel. Business applications emphasized. Prerequisite skill in arithmetic and Algebra II is required.

MKT 315 - Consumer Behavior (3)

A study of why consumers buy and how consumer behavior affects marketing strategy formulation. Topics include the individual (perceptions, needs, motives, personality, learning, and attitudes), group interactions, and applications to selected areas of the marketing mix (product, price, and advertising). Prerequisite: MSB 210.

MKT 320 - Retail Management (3)

The management of retail stores. Topics include consumer behavior, location, layout, personnel management, merchandise management, customer services, and financial control. Prerequisites: MSB 210.

MKT 330 - Selling Strategies (3)

A study of the role of personal selling in the promotional mix with an emphasis on the duties, responsibilities, and qualifications of sales representatives at the industrial level. Through role playing, students are required to apply the necessary steps involved in the selling process to a hypothetical sales presentation and demonstration. Prerequisite: MSB 210.

MKT 350 - Principles of Advertising (3)

The relation of advertising to modern business organizations and its role in the marketing field. Planning advertising, examination of various media, creating and managing advertising are included. Prerequisite: MSB 210.

MKT 360 - Digital Marketing (3)

In today's society marketers increasingly rely on the internet and other technology to sell their products. An examination of the process of planning, creating, and measuring the effectiveness of online, social media, and mobile marketing strategies is covered. Prerequisite: MSB 210.

MKT 385 - Global Supply Chain Management (3)

Global supply chain management involves development of the chain of supply, not merely from one level in a channel of distribution to that above it (i.e., from retailer to manufacturer), but rather involving examination of a channel up to producers of raw materials, to ensure the efficacy, and increasingly, the ethics of said channel. While the course would focus on the supply chain issues facing businesses, discussion could include the ultimate consumers as they begin to question human rights issues surrounding the production of the products they buy, as well as the environmental impact of said products. As it is increasingly difficult to construct a supply chain that involves purely domestic entities, this course takes a global perspective. Prerequisites: MSB 200 and MSB 210.

MKT 390 - International Marketing (3)

Introduction to multi-national marketing, with emphasis on: international competition; distribution systems; pricing and credit policies; promotional methods to include advertising; trade barriers; trade agreements; and the political, legal, cultural, ethical, and technological backgrounds. Prerequisites: MSB 210.

MKT 450 - Marketing Research (3)

The methodology of marketing research. Topics include problem formulation, determination of information sources, research design, data collection methods, sampling techniques, data collection, and analysis and interpretation of the data. Prerequisites: ECON 221, MKT 315 and MSB 210.

MKT 480 - Marketing Management (3)

A study of marketing problems of the firm through case studies. Emphasis is placed on the identification of problems and the choosing of appropriate alternative solutions. Senior status required. Prerequisites: ECON 221, MKT 315, MKT 450 and MSB 210.

MKT 480 L - Marketing Management Lab (1)

This course requires students to complete business problems utilizing relevant technology cycles and prepare solutions to marketing and business problems utilizing computer applications. Prerequisites: MSB 200, CIS 110, and ECON 221. The course must be taken with MKT 480.

MKT 499 - Marketing Internship (3-6)

An option for junior and senior majors to gain practical related experience in the field. Regular sessions with a faculty coordinator required. A minimum G.P.A. of 2.50 is required.

MSB 100 - Introduction to Business (1)

This course introduces students to the William G. McGowan School of Business in conjunction with the Angelo P. DeCesaris '53 Executive in Residence initiative, which assists students in making informed and proactive career decisions. The Executive in Residence develops student knowledge of the professional competencies of business and community and has students apply these competencies in supporting the common good. The career development process in this course will allow students to understand and make career choices based on an assessment of their interests, skills, and values as well as up-to-date information and mentoring about occupations and trends in the job market.

MSB 110 - Introduction to Financial Reporting (3)

A survey of the financial accounting concepts and procedures used as applied to service and trading business with an emphasis upon the uses and interpretation of financial statements.

MSB 120 - Introduction to Management Control and Planning (3)

An introduction to the role of accounting information in the measurement of business and employee performance, and to facilitate planning decisions such as product and service selection, budgeting, investments, and profit measurement. Prerequisite: MSB 110.

MSB 200 - Principles of Management (3)

The course provides an overview of the history of management thought and of managerial activities and analysis of the process of planning, organizing, leading, controlling, and forces of environments in which businesses operate. Topics include strategic planning, organizational design, human resources management, decision-making, ethics, and social responsibility. Relating topics to the current business environment is emphasized. The case analysis concerned with each of these forces is discussed, with emphasis on problem solving.

MSB 210 - Principles of Marketing (3)

An introduction to the field of marketing with particular emphasis on how companies develop marketing programs that are responsive to consumers' needs and wants for products and services.

MSB 220 - Financial Management (3)

The course introduces basic principles in finance such as cash flow, the time value of money, valuation of the firm and financial assets, and capital budgeting. Prerequisites: MSB 120, and ECON 221.

MSB 240 - Business Law I (3)

A study of the nature of law, legal reasoning, and procedures relating to the court systems, government regulation, administrative agencies, and the private judicial systems of arbitration and mediation. Topics include crimes and torts including economic and business-related aspects of each. Special emphasis is placed on contract law, including the formation, breach of contract, and legal remedies. Selected actual cases illustrate practical problems. Prerequisites: ENG 110, COMM 101, and CIS 110.

MSB 250 - Business Communication and Mentoring (3)

This course will help students to become more effective writers and presenters in the business workplace. The focus of this course is on the essentials of style, organization, and professionalism in the development of fundamental business correspondence, reports, and presentations. An interactive software program will be used to examine and refine writing abilities. Students will be required to produce documents and present information that reflects the appropriate and effective use of technology. Career exploration and mentoring components will be woven throughout the curriculum. Prerequisites: MSB 100, ENG 110, and COMM 101.

MSB 287 - Business Ethics (3)

Examination of the vocation and moral context of business; critical reflection, through engagement with the philosophical and Catholic traditions, on how to make a living and live well; and extended consideration of issues and problems that arise in contemporary business settings. Prerequisite: PHIL 101.

MSB 305 - Organizational Behavior (3)

An introduction to the field of Organizational Behavior. Organizational Behavior is an interdisciplinary field that examines human behavior in organizational settings and concerns the behavioral interactions of individuals, groups, and the organization itself. Prerequisite: MSB 200.

MSB 400 - Professional Seminar (2)

The course provides students the opportunity to draw upon and enhance their professional knowledge learned and applied throughout their coursework and allows them to reflect upon this body of knowledge. This course will also permit the students to combine their prior professional knowledge, career planning, and mentoring experiences to formulate a final action plan for a lifelong commitment to learning, career, and socially responsible behavior. Prerequisites: MSB 100, MSB 210, MSB 220, MSB 240, MSB 287, and MSB 305 and senior status.

MSB 480 - Strategic Management (3)

This capstone course uses strategic planning as a means of confirming and integrating participants' comprehensive business competencies. Conceptual knowledge acquired from business foundation courses is applied to the realities of the global management environment. The goal of this course is to provide an opportunity for students to synthesize concepts, identify problems, analyze and evaluate alternative solutions, and to formulate socially responsible actions. Prerequisites: MSB 100, MSB 210, MSB 220, MSB 240, MSB 287, and MSB 305 and senior status.

Marketing Degree Requirements

View a comprehensive list of all marketing degree requirements here.

REQUIRED CORE MARKETING COURSES (6 CREDITS)

  • ECON 111 Principles of Economics: Macro
  • MATH 123 Finite Mathematics & Business Analytics

BUSINESS FOUNDATIONS (45 CREDITS)

  • CIS 110 Introduction to Business Information Systems
  • ECON 112 Principles of Economics: Micro
  • ECON 221 Statistics and Predictive Analytics
  • IB 241 Globalization
  • MSB 100 Introduction to Business (1 credit)
  • MSB 110 Introduction to Financial Reporting
  • MSB 120 Introduction to Management Control and Planning
  • MSB 200 Principles of Management
  • MSB 210 Principles of Marketing
  • MSB 220 Financial Management
  • MSB 240 Business Law I
  • MSB 250 Business Communication and Mentoring
  • MSB 287 Business Ethics
  • MSB 305 Organizational Behavior
  • MSB 400 Professional Seminar (2 credits)
  • MSB 480 Strategic Management

MARKETING MAJOR REQUIREMENTS (20 CREDITS)

  • MKT 315 Consumer Behavior
  • MKT 360 Digital Marketing
  • MKT 450 Marketing Research
  • MKT 480 Marketing Management
  • MKT 480L Marketing Management Lab (1 credit)
  • CARP 412 Career Planning II (1 credit)

Plus MKT Electives (6 hours) selected from the following:

  • MKT 320 Retail Management
  • MKT 330 Selling Strategies
  • MKT 350 Principles of Advertising
  • MKT 385 Global Supply Chain Management
  • MKT 390 International Marketing

ELECTIVES(15 CREDITS)

Students may select any course offered/accepted by the college, including non-business courses. Marketing majors are encouraged to participate in the Experiential Learning/Internship Program and/or Study Abroad.

MINOR SEQUENCE REQUIREMENTS (6 COURSES - 18 CREDITS)
  • CIS 110 Introduction to Business Information Systems
  • MSB 210 Principles of Marketing
  • MKT 315 Consumer Behavior

Plus: MKT Electives (9 hours) Selected from the following:

  • MKT 320 Retail Management
  • MKT 330 Selling Strategies
  • MKT 350 Principles of Advertising
  • MKT 360 Digital Marketing
  • MKT 385 Global Supply Chain Management
  • MKT 390 International Marketing
  • MKT 450 Marketing Research
  • MKT 480 Marketing Management

MINOR REQUIREMENTS FOR MASS COMMUNICATIONS MAJOR

6 COURSES - 18 CREDITS

One of the following computer courses (3 credits)

  • CIS 110 Introduction to Business Information Systems
  • COMM 115 Computer Applications for Mass Communications

Required courses (6 credits):

  • MSB 210 Principles of Marketing
  • MKT 315 Consumer Behavior

Plus three elective courses from the following (9 credits)

  • MKT 330 Selling Strategies
  • MKT 350 Principles of Advertising
  • MKT 360 Digital Marketing
  • MKT 385 Global Supply Chain Management
  • MKT 390 International Marketing

CONCENTRATION REQUIREMENTS FOR MASS COMMUNICATIONS MAJORS

3 COURSES - 9 CREDITS

Required Marketing Courses (3 Credits):

  • MSB 210 Principles of Marketing

Plus two elective courses from the following (6 credits):

  • MKT 315 Consumer Behavior
  • MKT 330 Selling Strategies
  • MKT 350 Principles of Advertising
  • MKT 360 Digital Marketing
  • MKT 390 International Marketing

In fulfilling the requirements of the minor, students are required to complete more than 50 percent of the related coursework at King's College. Students in the mass communications concentration must complete all concentration course at King's College.

Mass communications students will not have the concentration designation included on their transcript upon graduation.

Students shall not earn credit for more than 15 hours in any designated course, or combination of courses within the William G. McGowan School of Business and/or courses in accounting, management, marketing, entrepreneurship, finance, health care management, human resources management, and international business without being declared as either a major or minor student of one of those majors, or being granted permission by the Dean of the William G. McGowan School of Business.

All courses offered by the McGowan School of Business beyond the 300-level must be completed at King's College in order to receive the Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with major in marketing degree, minor sequence in marketing, or for the fulfillment of any required course in any other degree or minor programs offered through the William G. McGowan School of Business unless permission is granted by the department chair in writing prior to the start of any coursework.

Major resources

Resources

Student Organizations

  • Marketing and Management Association
  • Mu Kappa Tau Honor Society
  • Beta Gamma Sigma

Beta Gamma Sigma is the international honor society serving business programs accredited by AACSB International - The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business. Membership in Beta Gamma Sigma is the highest recognition a business student can receive in a business program accredited by AACSB International.

Lifetime membership in the King's College William G. McGowan School of Business Chapter of Beta Gamma Sigma is by invitation. To be eligible for invitation, students must be in their second semester of their sophomore year and rank in the upper 10 percent of their class or be in the upper 10 percent of the junior or senior class. Other questions and requirements for invitation can be found on the Beta Gamma Sigma website.