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 at Saint Louis University provides students with the practical skills and training necessary to succeed in professional marketing positions worldwide. Graduates are creative in their approach to problem-solving with an understanding of human behavior in its qualitative and quantitative dimensions.

Students in the program 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, sports and 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

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

Curriculum Overview

Marketers develop and test product concepts, design merchandising and promotional campaigns, create and manage the relationship with the customer, collect and analyze information about the marketplace and create and carry 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. Many marketing classes introduce students to engaging guest speakers representing various businesses and non-profit organizations. Annually, the Marketing Department hosts a Meet and Greet Event, which provides networking opportunities for students in the Marketing Club and members of the department's two Advisory Boards. The department also typically conducts a "live case-study" in which a business professional presents an actual marketing problem they have faced (or are currently facing) and challenges the undergraduate marketing students to debate, discuss and help solve practical marketing problems. The department emphasizes data analytics in decision-making, focusing on marketing strategy and best practices in digital and social media contexts.

Students with multi-disciplinary interests desiring to keep a range of career options open may also find marketing a good fit. Students interested in health care management, sports business, international business and entrepreneurship often do focused studies in the marketing area.

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 and network with marketing professionals. The Marketing Club is certified by the American Marketing Association and regularly engages in activities designed to give students hands-on experiences with real-world projects and networking opportunities.

Careers

A wide range of opportunities exists for marketing graduates in advertising, market research, product management, public relations and sales. In recent years, Marketing students have received internships with prestigious organizations such as Anheuser-Busch, Boeing, FedEx and TD Ameritrade. Internships are often paid, and many can be completed for academic credit.

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 executive

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 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. 18 major-specific credit hours are required as 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. Outside of the Business Common Body of Knowledge (CBK), however, 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)

‡

General electives may be selected from any area of study within the University, giving the student the opportunity to diversify their experiences.  Students should consider University Undergraduate CORE attribute requirements when selecting electives.

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.

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. Students must earn a minimum 2.00 cumulative GPA in all major courses that fulfill the major requirements; accounting students must earn grades of “C” or higher in all courses that fulfill the major requirements.
• Complete the University Undergraduate Core.
• 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 complete in first 36 credit hours at SLU.

²

Must complete in first 60 credit hours at SLU.

³

Must take second semester sophomore year unless studying abroad.

⁴

ENGL 4000-Professional Writing highly recommended.

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)