Course Descriptions

Courses numbered 1000-1999 are open to freshmen; 2000-2999 to sophomores; 3000-3999 to juniors; 4000-4999 to seniors. It is recommended that students elect courses in the years for which they are listed. Freshmen will be admitted to courses above the 2000 level only with the consent of the instructor and the student’s advisor. Juniors and seniors taking freshman courses may be expected to do additional work. Any course above 4999 is a graduate course.

NOTE:
The number in parentheses following the course title indicates the semester hours of credit assigned to the course.
An H following the course number indicates an honors level course.

GMKT 5000
Foundations of Strategic Marketing [Course] (4)
This course provides a fundamental overview of digital marketing channels as well as covers emerging digital media trends and tactics. The class emphasizes hands-on, applied learning through case study analysis, the creation of a comprehensive strategic digital marketing plan for a company, and the completion of a certificate in an area of the learner's choice, such as social media, digital marketing, or analytics. This course reinforces foundational marketing principles in the context of the rapidly evolving digital marketing landscape. The business impact of new media and associated technology on marketing strategy is discussed in detail. Class participants will leave with a working understanding of the terminology, technology, and digital marketing principles that will enable them to consult and create digital marketing plans in the future.

GMKT 5200
Marketing Research [Course] (4)
This course is designed to help students recognize the role of systematic information gathering and analysis in managerial decision making, and to help them develop an appreciation for the potential contributions and limitations of marketing research data whether developed internally or purchased externally. The course is aimed at training students to become the ultimate users of research, responsible for determining the scope and direction of research activities conducted on their behalf. Theoretical and practical aspects of the research process are covered. Key topics covered include fundamentals of research design, measurement issues, questionnaire design, sampling theory, data collection, and entry and the use of statistical analysis

GMKT 5300
Consumer and Audience Behavior [Course] (4)
The purpose of this course is to examine the basic concepts underlying consumer behavior with the goal of understanding how these concepts can be applied in developing marketing strategies and customer relationship management. We will apply principles and research from the social sciences (on such topics as attention, memory, motivation, attitudes, decision making, learning, social influences, and culture) to marketing strategies such as segmentation, positioning, and communication.

GMKT 5400
Strategic Branding [Course] (4)
This course will address the strategic importance of branding, provide theories and strategies for building, leveraging, and defending strong brands, and discuss current opportunities and challenges facing brand managers. Particular emphasis is placed on understanding psychological principles at the consumer level that will improve managerial decision-making with respect to brands. The course includes best practices in branding covering a wide range of companies. Attention is given to brand strategy; visual identity, emotional and experiential branding, including organizational branding issues. Also included are frameworks, concepts, methodologies, and tools to manage a branding project.

GMKT 5500
Strategic Creative Messaging [Course] (4)
This course provides students with an overview of the creative process as it relates to the development of an overall message, and the application of that message into creative executions. It looks at the various processes that are used in the industry, how these processes apply to all communication disciplines, and the understanding of what a true central idea is in the development of a creative marketing campaign. In addition, the course provides students with techniques to develop creativity and creative problem-solving skills to face the challenges in today’s complex and competitive work environment. Content marketing creation is covered in depth as well as messaging specific to a variety of platforms such as email, print, radio, and video. The course adopts an integrated marketing communication perspective and provides analytical skills useful for the planning, implementation, and evaluation of various elements of the communication mix.

GMKT 5600
Strategic Digital Marketing [Course] (4)
This course provides a fundamental overview of digital marketing channels as well as covers emerging digital media trends and tactics. The class emphasizes hands-on, applied learning through case study analysis, the creation of a comprehensive strategic digital marketing plan for a company, and a simulation where students can run PPC, email, and SEO campaigns to practice digital marketing first-hand. This course reinforces foundational marketing principles in the context of the rapidly evolving digital marketing landscape. The business impact of new media and associated technology on marketing strategy is discussed in detail. Class participants will leave with a working understanding of the terminology, technology, and digital marketing principles that will enable them to consult and create digital marketing plans in the future.

GMKT 5700
Advertising and Public Relations [Course] (4)
The roles of advertising and public relations are crucial in effectively developing an organization’s long-term reputation and image. This course includes a broad introduction of advertising: advertising from the viewpoint of clients, advertising agencies and media; as well as both the marketing aspects (strategy development; account management) and creative aspects (copywriting; art direction, production, and editing) of advertising. Students will study all forms of advertising: print, broadcast, out-of-home, and the latest advertising media such as direct mail and response, cable TV, and internet/interactive. Equal weight is given in this course to the study of public relations and all of the communication pieces that can be used to influence the firm’s public image and to establish its position in the marketplace. Specific content will include identification and nuances of publics, paid advertising versus earned publicity, crisis communications, special events, community relations, internal marketing, blogging, paid social media, media training, the press release and media kit, ethics, and current PR trends across various industries and consumer groups. Student outcomes for this course include the development of a PR plan and the creation of ads and commercials.

GMKT 5800
Advanded Marketing Strategy [Course] (4)
This course examines strategic processes that influence the direction of an organization. Graduate students learn techniques for defining the mission and objectives of an enterprise, understanding competitive forces and industry dynamics, analyzing components of sustained competitive advantage, matching organizational strengths with environmental opportunities, and developing strategies and policies to achieve the organization's mission and balance the interests of relevant stake holders. The graduate learners are introduced to the client company and will apply the theory and analyses to the development of a strategic audit, strategic objectives, marketing strategies and value proposition for the Strategic Marketing Plan: Client Project.

GMKT 5900
Advanced Integrated Marketing & Analytics [Course] (4)
As the second course in the two-course capstone sequence, this course will pull together learning from the entire program. Graduate learners will be challenged to develop and assess marketing tactics that align with a broader strategic framework. Students will be introduced to relationship mapping for the purpose of measuring the effectiveness and efficiency of proposed marketing tools. The ethical implications and the importance of transparent reporting will be discussed as well. Building on the strategic direction that was presented in GMKT 5800, graduate learners will complete a strategic marketing plan for a local client, with a goal of maximizing the return on the marketing investment. Throughout this course, students will be introduced to emerging trends within the marketing academic discipline as well as within the practice of marketing, and will explore the relationship between these two perspectives.

GMKT 6000
Client Project:Strategic Marketing Plan [Course] ()
Embedded within the two-course capstone sequence, graduate learners will develop a strategic marketing plan for a local client. The driving forces behind this project include: identifying external consumer/client needs and opportunities, and organizational strengths and capabilities that can be leveraged to increase brand equity. Students will apply learning outcomes with a focus on strategic objectives for the client, culminating in the identification of a strategic marketing recommendation and implementation plan within GMKT 5900. Through faculty/alumni mentorship, module assignments, and a consistent strategic framework, graduate learners will be prepared to develop a value-adding strategic marketing plan for the client organization. The students will be coached to synthesize their module-level learning in an over-arching strategic framework. Upon successful completion of this project, graduate learners will be able to: Demonstrate competencies in creativity, ethical decision-making, communication, customer focus, adding value, planning and time management, work-life balance, presentation skills, and strategic insight and agility; Demonstrate the ability to analyze and diagnose a company’s brand health and identify critical internal and external strategic factors; Demonstrate the ability to prescribe appropriate strategic change and the marketing initiatives necessary to support implementation; Demonstrate project management skills.