Marketing, B.S.

Marketing concerns the challenge of winning and keeping customers. 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.

In addition, the 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 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 non-profits. For example, the department partnered with the Nielsen Company to bring Nielsen’s data and data analysis tools into the department’s marketing analytics course, as well as several other required and elective courses. Annually, the marketing department conducts a “live case-study” in which business professionals present actual marketing problems that they faced (or are currently facing) and challenge 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 and 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 field, provide students access to a network of professionals.

Internships and Student Organizations

St. Louis’ urban 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 exist 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.  Having 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

All applications are thoroughly and carefully reviewed. Solid academic performance in college preparatory course work is a primary criterion in reviewing a freshman applicant’s file. College admission test scores (ACT or SAT) are used as an additional indicator of the student’s ability to meet the University’s academic requirements and to qualify the student for certain University scholarship programs. To be considered for admission to any Saint Louis University undergraduate program, the applicant must be approaching graduation from an accredited high school or have an acceptable score on the General Education Development (GED) test.

Transfer

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

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

• Demonstrate English Language Proficiency
• Proof of financial support must include:
  • A letter of financial support from the person(s) or sponsoring agency funding the 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 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: awarded based on academic achievement, service, leadership and financial need.
• Financial Aid: provided in the form of grants and loans, some of which require repayment.

For priority consideration for merit-based scholarships, applicants should 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 http://finaid.slu.edu.

Accreditation

The Richard A. Chaifetz School of Business is accredited by AACSB, the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business, 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.  Less than 10% of business schools worldwide have achieved AACSB accreditation. 

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

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

Students whose cumulative grade point average falls below 2.00 are required to apply for probationary status, which allows for no more than two consecutive semesters to improve scholastically and to demonstrate the ability to make progress toward a degree.

During the probationary period, advisors help students achieve academic success by closely monitoring their academic performance. Students on probation may not register for more than 15 credits of coursework as defined by the terms of the probation.

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 total grade point deficit of more than 15 points.

For more information, see section under University Academic Policies and Procedures.

Business Common Body of Knowledge (CBK) 

Arts and Sciences Core Requirements 

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.*

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.