From higher earning potential to in-demand skills, an MBA with a marketing concentration comes with a lot of benefits. Businesses in every industry need a marketing strategy to connect with their target audience and meet their goals. Because trends and technology are constantly changing, companies rely on marketing experts to think strategically and solve problems.
Learn how to adapt, build your network, and advance your career with the marketing concentration at Willamette MBA.
About the Marketing Concentration
When you choose this MBA concentration, you can expect to learn about marketing principles, strategies, analytics, and consumer behavior. You will focus on insights relevant in today’s landscape from marketing basics to advanced topics.
An MBA with a marketing concentration can help you gain vital skills as you begin your career. You don’t need to have been a marketing major to pursue the MBA marketing concentration. Your undergraduate degree can be in any subject. Our concentration will explore several areas of marketing while also enhancing your leadership skills.
- Marketing MBA vs. Marketing Concentration
As you research graduate degrees in marketing, consider which programs will give you career flexibility. An MBA is a versatile degree that can be applied to a variety of careers – and a degree program with a marketing concentration offers even more options.
Unlike an MBA from a traditional school of business, our MBA is cross-functional. Even though you choose the marketing concentration, you will still learn the fundamentals of all aspects of business – from finance to management systems. Choosing a specialized MBA marketing degree that only includes the study of marketing can limit your perspective for effective management decision-making and career flexibility.
Our program offers a close look at the differing needs of business, public, and non-profit organizations. Pursue a master’s degree that gives you options with Willamette MBA.
- Professional development and networking opportunities
Willamette proudly features networking and professional development opportunities through our chapter of the American Marketing Association (AMA). Connect with industry professionals, attend conferences, and learn more about the latest industry trends.
Willamette also offers a career management service to help prepare students for life post-graduation. You can hone your interview skills through training options or even visit company sites to connect with hiring managers. Willamette also offers career counseling, an internship program, mentor options, salary negotiation training, and resume writing assistance.
- Diverse career opportunities
Marketing graduates go on to pursue a diverse array of roles. Our alumni have distinguished themselves in positions such as Director of Marketing, Public Relations Manager, Account Executive, Marketing Analyst, and Product Manager. Their achievements span from roles in marketing communications to executive leadership positions. Notably, our graduates have also excelled as Marketing Research Managers, E-business Marketing Managers, Consultants, and Sales Managers.
- Key elective courses for our Marketing Concentration
Willamette's program is so successful because we combine core principles with industry trends. By combining traditional knowledge with real-life learning, our program will offer a competitive advantage to those in the job market.
Our core curriculum will help students gain a deeper understanding of all things related to business, public, and non-profit companies. For students interested in a marketing career, we offer tailored courses to help individuals propel their careers. Some of the marketing elective courses offered as part of the Marketing concentration at Willamette's MBA program include:
GSM 6004 - E-commerce and Digital Marketing Analytics
- This course is a hands-on learning opportunity where students participate in the Google Online Marketing Challenge (GOMC). They run real keyword advertising campaigns for organizations, gaining hands-on experience in digital marketing. The course covers topics like keyword planning, A-B testing, and statistical analysis.
GSM 6020 - Marketing Analytics
- Marketing is increasingly data-driven, and this course focuses on teaching students how to leverage data for marketing decision-making. This course explores tools such as Excel, Tableau, Google Analytics, and Adobe Analytics. Students also have the option to participate in the Adobe Analytics Challenge, where they solve real business problems with Big Data.
GSM 6231 - Strategic Marketing for Private & Public NFP Organizations
- This course delves into the unique challenges of marketing for not-for-profit organizations. Students learn to build productive relationships with donors and clients, emphasizing value creation.
GSM 6260 - Research for Marketing Decisions
- Marketing research is a cornerstone of effective marketing. This course teaches students how to gather, analyze, and interpret data to support decision-making. It emphasizes systematic and objective investigation.
GSM 6261 - Marketing Strategy
- In this course, students explore strategic marketing and the formulation of marketing strategies. They work on case studies and use a computer simulation called Markstrat to gain practical experience.
GSM 7251 - Internship
- Students can earn up to three semesters of internships for academic credit. A marketing internship enhances a student's resume, network, and professional experience.
Faculty members carefully craft these elective courses and core courses to provide students with a well-rounded education in marketing. By combining traditional and modern marketing principles, graduates will be prepared to work in all types of industries.
- Hands-On Learning
We're proud to incorporate hands-on learning throughout our program. Students can take up to three semesters of internships for academic credit. This allows students to gain real-world experience while acquiring knowledge and skills within their MBA courses.
All students will complete a hands-on learning course. First-year students take the two-semester PACE course where they provide consulting services and solve real problems for non-profit clients. Second-year students can select innovative elective courses with client projects and our hallmark experiential courses including our hallmark courses such as Angel Investing, Philanthropic Investment, and Student Investment Fund.
