Marketing & Management Track

This course, designed to introduce students to the fields of brand strategy, brand management, and integrated marketing communications (IMC), highlights the importance of market and consumer research for developing consumer insights, sound brand strategies, and successful IMC campaigns. The first half of the course focuses on the theories, strategies, and models used to assess the equity of an existing brand or to create a new one. The second half of the course covers the tactics used to carry out brand strategies, such as package design, distribution, and pricing strategy, but focuses most heavily on the topic of integrated marketing communications. Using a brand audit as the catalyst for learning, students will conduct primary and secondary research to better understand an assigned brand, its industry, competitors, and current and potential consumers. Based on this audit, students will develop strategic recommendation for the brand and the tactical efforts they recommend in support of the strategy. The course stresses problem-solving and the decision-making processes involved in setting strategic objectives and planning the marketing mix, message, and communication strategies for carrying out brand strategies. 

The primary objective of Project Management is to provide a blend of theoretical knowledge and practical skills necessary for the effective management of projects. To this end, the course is closely tied to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK, as espoused by the Project Management Institute) and consists of seminars on such topics as planning, stakeholder management, human resource management, global/virtual teams, and risk management. Prerequisites: Restricted to M.S. in Commerce students

This course examines ways to design, develop, and execute effective integrated, web, and social marketing programs. The course uses a business planning model that allows students to justify, build, and execute social and digital marketing programs with bottom-line ROI. Students learn to identify and measure high-value market segments, use web and social research to evaluate competitors, and convince management of the value of digital and social marketing.

Students are expected to: (a) learn the key concepts and theories that underlie consumer behavior and consumer responses to pricing; (b) develop an understanding of how these theories fit into the formulation of viable marketing strategies; and (c) cultivate a skill set that is essential to effective performance in professional and managerial positions: working as a team, thinking analytically, formulating a point of view, and concisely presenting recommendations. Learning in this course is best achieved by getting a firm grasp of the underlying principles that can be applied in a reasoned and systematic fashion across a broad spectrum of business contexts.

Developing innovative products is the lifeblood of the firm, yet many product introductions fail due to improper design, unrealistic expectations, or a failure to understand the consumer. This course will dissect the new product development process, including creative ideation, concept testing, prototyping, and entry strategies. Concepts such as open source innovation, disruptive technologies, and the diffusion of innovations are also considered.

Financial Management covers basic corporate finance, including cost of capital, capital budgeting, valuation of stock and bonds, working capital management, and international finance. Prerequisite: Restricted to M.S. in Commerce students.