Marketing (MKTG)

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The Department of Marketing offers a B.S. degree with a major in marketing. The marketing major prepares students for careers which involve planning, implementing, organizing, and/or controlling the activities required in the exchange of goods and services with customers. The major provides students with the conceptual, analytical, communication, and quantitative skills necessary for careers in marketing. Students may pursue a general marketing plan of study or one of two areas of study. Areas of study focus on a distinct area of marketing and prepare students for careers in those specific fields.

The professional sales area of study offers students instruction dedicated to preparing them for entry-level sales positions and careers in sales management. Courses provide students with concepts of selling theory, applied skills, and frequent in-class and out-of-class contact with professional business people, including a Sales Advisory Board.

The interactive marketing area of study offers students a curriculum to prepare for careers with direct marketing service bureaus, direct marketing production houses, Web marketers, advertising agencies, and corporations using interactive marketing, direct marketing, or Web-based marketing. Dedicated laboratory facilities provide students with hands-on training in database analysis, Web-based marketing technologies, and geodemographic information systems.

Department Requirements

The Department of Marketing’s retention policy is competitive based on a student’s overall GPA and satisfactory completion of UBUS 310 as evidenced by a grade of C or better. To graduate as a marketing major, a student must earn a grade of at least C in each course required in the major, which includes courses in the business core and any additional upper-level required courses outside of marketing, required MKTG courses, and all electives required for the major.

All marketing majors must satisfactorily complete a portfolio of a selected collection of their marketing assignments to be turned in no later than the last week of classes in the semester that they graduate. Instructions for portfolio content may be found in the Department of Marketing.

To graduate as a marketing major or with a marketing minor, a transfer student will be required to take at least 12 semester hours of 300- and 400-level MKTG courses at NIU.

Marketing majors and minors may repeat a maximum of two 300- or 400-level MKTG courses.

Internship in Marketing

Marketing majors may submit an application for a marketing internship in their junior or senior year, preferably by February 1, for a summer internship. Applications will be reviewed by the departmental internship coordinator and approved on the basis of academic GPA (of approximately 2.75 overall GPA and approximately 3.00 GPA or above in the major), instructor recommendations, professional promise, demonstrated interest, and the completion of a minimum of 6 semester hours of marketing taken at NIU. Credit earned in the internship may not be used to fulfill the 9 semester-hour marketing electives requirement. Internships are available in leading companies selected by the internship coordinator. A student receives 3-6 semester hours of S/U credit for the internship based on a planned series of learning activities arranged and approved by the internship coordinator.

Marketing Faculty

Geoffrey L. Gordon, Ph.D., University of Kentucky, professor, OTA/ Off the Record Research Professor of Investment Research, chair
Timothy W. Aurand, Ed.D., Northern Illinois University, associate professor
Elisa Fredericks, Ph.D., University of Illinois, Chicago, associate professor
Peter H. Magnusson, Ph.D., St. Louis University, assistant professor
Paul R. Prabhaker, Ph.D., University of Rochester, professor
Rick E. Ridnour, Ph.D., Iowa State University, Distinguished Teaching Professor 
Robert J. Riggle, Ph.D., University of South Florida, assistant professor
Mark S. Rosenbaum, Ph.D., Arizona State University, assistant professor
Denise D. Schoenbachler, Ph.D., University of Kentucky, professor
Tanuja Singh, D.B.A., Southern Illinois University, professor
Dan C. Weilbaker, Ph.D., University of South Carolina, professor, McKesson Pharmaceutical Group Professor of Sales
Debra L. Zahay, Ph.D., University of Illinois, associate professor, Acxiom Corporation Professor of Interactive Marketing

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