Marketing, B.S.

Marketing focuses first and foremost on customers — understanding them, attracting them, and maintaining their loyalty. In this way, marketing undertakes the management of demand. The Richard A. Chaifetz School of Business marketing program at Saint Louis University provides students with the practical skills and training necessary to succeed in professional marketing positions worldwide. In addition, graduates are creative in their approach to problem-solving with an understanding of human behavior in its qualitative and quantitative dimensions.

Students network with marketing professionals through live case studies and internships with leading corporations. These companies span a variety of industries, including consumer packaged goods, financial services, entertainment, communications and research.

The marketing program at Saint Louis University is one that is fully dedicated to student success by connecting us with a comprehensive network of resources and teachers that understand the industry and encourage students to operate at their highest potential."—Benjamin Poblocki, class of 2022

In addition, SLU's Department of Marketing has an established advisory board of marketing professionals that regularly consult with and assist the department.

Students may choose to pursue a minor in marketing in addition to their chosen business or non-business major.

Curriculum Overview

Marketing develops and tests product concepts, designs merchandising and promotional campaigns, creates and manages the relationship with the customer, collects and analyzes information about the marketplace and creates and carries out the sales plans that generate profit for the firm. Academic courses, therefore, undertake the analysis of buyer behavior, study integrated methods of marketing communications and closely consider the management and implementation of a wide range of marketing strategies and tactics.

The marketing department values and retains close ties with businesses and not-for-profits. For example, the department partnered with the Nielsen Company to bring Nielsen’s data and data analysis tools into several of the department's required and elective courses. Annually, the marketing department conducts a “live case-study” in which a business professional presents an actual marketing problem they faced (or are currently facing) and challenges the undergraduate marketing students to debate, discuss and help solve practical marketing problems. The department is also fully engaged in new forms of electronic commerce that incorporate social media and digital marketing. Current and new course offerings integrate traditional marketing with new non-traditional methods and techniques.

The faculty also supports students engaged in internships and provides other support and encouragement as they consider and pursue various career options. Students with multi-disciplinary interests desiring to keep a range of career options open may also find marketing a good fit. Students with interests in health care management, sports business, international business and entrepreneurship often do focused studies in the marketing area. Two active advisory boards, one consisting of experienced marketing leaders and the other recent alumni working in marketing and related fields, provide students access to a network of professionals.

Internships and Student Organizations

St. Louis’ metropolitan location provides many internship opportunities that allow students to gain career-related work experience while applying classroom learning to practice. Students may also earn academic credit from internships. Supervised by a representative from the organization and a faculty mentor, students have interned with advertising agencies, sports teams, telecommunication firms and other companies.

The Marketing Club provides students with the opportunity to learn about the different career paths in marketing, along with the opportunity to network with marketing professionals. 

Careers

A wide range of opportunities exists for marketing graduates in fields such as advertising, market research, product management, public relations and sales. 

Graduates join a global network of nearly 20,000 alumni from the Richard A. Chaifetz School of Business with careers in fields such as:

• Personal selling or sales management
• International marketing specialist
• Sports marketer
• Social media or digital marketing manager
• Advertising account executive
• Public relations
• Retail

Admission Requirements

Freshman

Begin your application for this program at www.slu.edu/apply. Saint Louis University also accepts the Common App. 

All applications are thoroughly and carefully reviewed. Solid academic performance in college preparatory coursework is a primary criterion in reviewing a freshman applicant’s file. 

To be considered for admission to any Saint Louis University undergraduate program, the applicant must be graduating from an accredited high school, have an acceptable HiSET exam score or take the General Education Development (GED) test. Beginning with the 2021-22 academic year, undergraduate applicants will not be required to submit standardized test scores (ACT or SAT) in order to be considered for admission. Applicants will be evaluated equally, with or without submitted test scores.

Transfer

Begin your application for this program at www.slu.edu/apply. 

Applicants must be a graduate of an accredited high school or have an acceptable score on the GED. An official high school transcript and official test scores are required only of those students who have attempted fewer than 24 transferable semester credits (or 30 quarter credits) of college credit. Those having completed 24 credits or more of college credit need only submit a transcript from previously attended college(s).

Transfer students must have a cumulative 2.70 GPA to be admitted to the accounting program and a 2.50 GPA for all other majors. In reviewing a transfer applicant’s file, the office of admission holistically examines the student’s academic performance in college-level coursework as an indicator of the student’s ability to meet the academic rigors of Saint Louis University.

International Applicants

Begin your application for this program at www.slu.edu/apply. 

All admission policies and requirements for domestic students apply to international students along with the following:

• You must demonstrate English Language proficiency.
• Proof of financial support must include:
  • A letter of financial support from the person(s) or sponsoring agency funding your time at Saint Louis University.
  • A letter from the sponsor's bank verifying that the funds are available and will be so for the duration of your study at the University.
• Academic records, in English translation, of students who have undertaken postsecondary studies outside the United States must include the courses taken and/or lectures attended, practical laboratory work, the maximum and minimum grades attainable, the grades earned or the results of all end-of-term examinations, and any honors or degrees received. WES and ECE transcripts are accepted.

Scholarships and Financial Aid

There are two principal ways to help finance a Saint Louis University education:

• Scholarships: Scholarships are awarded based on academic achievement, service, leadership and financial need.
• Financial Aid: Financial aid is provided in the form of grants and loans, some of which require repayment.

For priority consideration for merit-based scholarships, apply for admission by Dec. 1 and complete a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) by March 1.

For information on other scholarships and financial aid, visit the student financial services office online at https://www.slu.edu/financial-aid.

Accreditation

The Richard A. Chaifetz School of Business is accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB), the world’s largest business education alliance and accrediting body of business schools, ensuring continuous quality improvement in terms of curriculum, instructional resources, student selection, career placement and intellectual contributions and qualifications of the faculty. Fewer than 5% of business schools worldwide have achieved AACSB accreditation. 

1. Graduates will be able to understand essential business concepts and how the various functional areas of business are related.
2. Graduates will be able to demonstrate knowledge of ethical concepts and corporate social responsibility and be able to evaluate business problems from multiple ethical perspectives.
3.  Graduates will be able to identify and structure business problems and propose actionable solutions to business problems and when applicable utilizing appropriate technology.
4.  Graduates will be able to demonstrate effective written communication.
5.  Graduates will be able to understand how cultures, politics, laws, ethics, and economies influence and impacts business and use tools and concepts to analyze and formulate an international business strategy.
6. Graduates will know essential marketing concepts (e.g. consumer decision-making process, marketing mix).
7. Graduates will be able to apply knowledge of marketing strategy (e.g. target market, marketing mix, planning and budgeting).
8. Graduates will be able to use information/data to make marketing decisions.

Eighteen credits are required in addition to MKT 3000 Introduction to Marketing Management (3 cr), which is taken as a business common body of knowledge requirement.

†

In addition to completing lower and upper division coursework in all areas of business, each student typically selects a business major before or during the first semester of the junior year. Required credits vary between 18-21 credits and are determined by the appropriate department. To broaden their expertise, students may complete more than one major in business, or a major and a minor in business. However, outside of the Business Common Body of Knowledge (CBK), a maximum of one business course (3 credit hours) may be used to fulfill requirements in two business majors/minors.

*

Students have an option to organize their required courses and electives into designated curricular tracks, as the following examples illustrate:

Brand Management: MKT 3400 Integrated Marketing Communications (3 cr), MKT 4550 International Marketing (3 cr), MKT 4600 Brand Management (3 cr)

Business Development:  MKT 4440 Personal Selling (3 cr), MKT 4450 Sales Management (3 cr), MKT 4650 Marketing Analytics (3 cr)

Marketing Analytics: MKT 3600 Marketing Research (3 cr), MKT 4400 Consumer Behavior (3 cr), MKT 4650 Marketing Analytics (3 cr)

Marketing Communications: MKT 3400 Integrated Marketing Communications (3 cr), MKT 4400 Consumer Behavior (3 cr), MKT 4600 Brand Management (3 cr)

‡

Electives may be selected from any area of study within the University, giving the student the opportunity to diversify his/her background.

Continuation Standards

Marketing students must maintain a 2.0 cumulative GPA in all courses used to fulfill the major.  

​Students will be on program probation if their GPA in major courses used to fulfill major requirements falls below a 2.00. Students will have one semester to increase their major cumulative GPA to a 2.00; if not, students will not be allowed to register for 3000 or 4000 level major courses.

Students will be automatically placed on university probation if any of the following occur:

• Their Saint Louis University cumulative grade point average falls below 2.00
• Their Saint Louis University semester grade point average is below a 1.00
• More than two "incomplete" or two "in-progress" grades on their academic transcript

During the probationary period, advisors help students achieve academic success by closely monitoring their academic performance.

In order to improve scholastically and demonstrate their ability to make progress toward a degree, students on probation may not register for more than 12 credits in the fall and spring semesters, three credits in the winter term, and no more than one course/four credits in any single summer session term.

The conditions under which a student is dismissed from the school include:

1. Inability to eliminate probationary status within the two semesters subsequent to the assignment of probation or
2. A grade point average deficit of more than 15 points.

For more information, see University Academic Policies and Procedures.

Business Common Body of Knowledge (CBK) 

¹

All other business CBK courses must be completed prior to taking BIZ 4000 Business Capstone (1 cr) and MGT 4000 Strategic Management and Policy (3 cr).

Arts and Sciences Core Requirements 

²

Must be completed by the end of the sophomore year in order to enroll in business courses junior year. MATH 1510 Calculus I (0,4 cr) or higher-level calculus course may be substituted for MATH 1320 Survey of Calculus (3 cr). 

³

Upper-division foreign language may be substituted; however, students for whom English is a second language may not complete this requirement in their native language.

⁴

Students who place out of MATH 1200 College Algebra (0,3 cr) (based on a Math Index score) must replace it with another approved math course. 

⁵

MATH course must be approved.

Graduation Requirements

To be certified for graduation, a student must complete all course requirements and meet all of the following conditions:

• Apply to graduate.
• Earn a minimum 2.00 cumulative GPA in all SLU coursework; accounting students must earn a minimum 2.70 cumulative grade point average (GPA) in all SLU coursework and earn grades of “C” or higher in all courses that fulfill the major requirements; for all other majors, students must earn a minimum 2.00 cumulative GPA in all major courses that fulfill the major requirements.
• Earn a minimum 2.00 cumulative GPA in all business coursework taken at Saint Louis University.
• Complete the Arts and Sciences core as specified in the business school curriculum.
• Complete 30 of the final 36 credits at the St. Louis campus or an approved study abroad program.
• Complete at least 50% of business coursework in residence at the St. Louis campus.*
• Complete major course requirements in residence at the St. Louis campus.*
• Students transferring from the Madrid campus must complete a minimum of 40 credits of coursework, including a minimum of 30 credits of business coursework in residence at the St. Louis campus.*

*

Students may pursue the economics, international business or marketing majors at the St. Louis campus and/or at the Madrid campus. The residency requirement then applies to courses taken at either campus.

Roadmaps are recommended semester-by-semester plans of study for programs and assume full-time enrollment unless otherwise noted.  

Courses and milestones designated as critical (marked with !) must be completed in the semester listed to ensure a timely graduation. Transfer credit may change the roadmap.

This roadmap should not be used in the place of regular academic advising appointments. All students are encouraged to meet with their advisor/mentor each semester.  Requirements, course availability and sequencing are subject to change.

¹

Must have completed by end of sophomore year.

²

See list of Arts and Sciences core required for business students.

³

Must take second semester sophomore year unless studying abroad.

⁴

See list of marketing electives.

⁵

Must have completed all other Business Common Body of Knowledge courses.

Students can complete all or part of the marketing major at SLU’s campus in Madrid.

Learn More

2+SLU programs are formal  transfer agreements for students seeking an associate degree at a partner institution. 

• Marketing, B.S. (Jeffco 2+SLU)
• Marketing, B.S. (STLCC 2+SLU)