Marketing (BS)

Chair: Greg Wood, PhD

Introduction

Marketing is a thrilling and dynamic discipline that helps organizations and individuals become successful by building relationships with customers and other stakeholders and creating products and services that customers value. Every year, excitement comes from new product launches, popular advertising campaigns, social media, and innovative approaches to doing business in traditional industries. Marketing is global, fast-paced, and rewarding. Marketing offers students the opportunity for an exciting career anywhere in the world.

Marketing is not limited to a single industry. It offers a variety of career paths in consumer, industrial, and institutional market areas, including non-business fields such as health care, government administration, and cultural development. The marketing program at Canisius University is designed for those who wish to pursue careers in international marketing, brand and product management, global retailing, online retailing and distribution, fashion merchandising, and digital marketing, opening the doors to a world of possibilities. This diversity in career options reflects the adaptability and flexibility of the marketing field, allowing students to explore their interests and find their niche.

Qualifications

Students must maintain a 2.0 GPA in their major and a 2.0 overall GPA to graduate with a degree in Marketing. All students must complete a minimum of 120 credit hours to graduate.

Advisement

All students should have an advisor in the major and should contact the department directly to have an advisor assigned if they do not already have one.  Meetings with academic advisors are required prior to students receiving their PIN for course registration each semester. All majors should work closely with their advisor in discussing career expectations, choosing their major electives, developing their entire academic program and planning their co-curricular or supplemental academic experiences.

Fashion Institute of Technology

Embark on a journey where style meets strategy at the Fashion Institute of Technology. Our unique program weaves the art of fashion together with the science of marketing, crafting a specialized education for those destined to shape the fashion world. After you complete the marketing curriculum during your first three years at Canisius, you'll embark on a transformative experience during your senior year, studying at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City, where hands-on coursework in fashion marketing and merchandising not only leads to an Associate's Degree but also paves the way for a flourishing career in fashion. While studying in NYC, you'll gain real fashion-world experience working at businesses in the fashion district near the FIT campus. This isn't just learning; it's preparing to lead in an industry that never sleeps.

We encourage you to connect with our program director, Dr. Gregory Wood, early in your college journey. Whether you're just starting or ready to redefine your path, Dr. Wood is your guide to navigating this exciting landscape.

For a future as bold as the latest runway trend, the Fashion Institute of Technology is not just a choice—it's your runway to success. Let's fashion your dreams into reality together.

Major Experiences

Marketing majors are strongly encouraged to take the digital marketing electives offered by the department (Social Media Marketing, Search Marketing, and Digital Marketing Analytics). These courses will prepare you for the one or two-semester senior-level Masterclass (MKT452/453).

The Masterclass is a unique experience where the course operates as a real-life integrated marketing communication  agency. The Masterclass allows accepted students to develop, launch, and manage marketing, digital marketing, and communication strategies and tactics for real clients. Working in teams, students assess client goals, develop campaign concepts based on those goals, launch the campaign, and then optimize it for success. In addition to gaining hands-on experience with industry-leading digital marketing and analytic tools, students learn critical career-ready skills such as client management, budget and deadline management, creative concept creation, and cross-functional teamwork--while also up-leveling their skills with paid advertising, social media marketing, search engine optimization (SEO), paid search, email marketing, landing page development, public relations, influencer tactics, branding, analytics, and more.

Career Preparation

Marketing majors should expect to begin planning for their business careers as early as their freshman year. This planning process typically begins by enrolling in Business Exploration (BUS-X), a three-year sequence of courses and experiences designed to prepare you to launch your career following graduation. In addition, we recommend taking advantage of the career services offered by the Griff Center for Student Success located in Old Main 016. These services include assessment tools for identifying attractive careers, resources for researching and exploring different careers, instruction in utilizing various online tools for conducting a job search, preparation of resumes.

Double Majors

Students who wish to expand their educational opportunities may decide to declare a double major. This decision may be based on career goals, planned graduate studies, and/or other student interests. Before a student declares a double major, it is important to meet with the appropriate academic departments for advisement.  In order to declare a double major, the student must complete the Major/Minor Declaration form. This form will be submitted electronically and reviewed and approved by each department chairperson as well as the appropriate associate dean. 

Per university policy, each additional major requires a minimum of 15 credits that do not apply to the student's first or subsequent major.  Some double major combinations can be completed within the minimum 120 credit hour degree requirement, but in other cases additional course work may be required. Please note that students will receive only one degree unless completing the dual degree requirement including at least 150 undergraduate credit hours, regardless of the number of majors they complete. Both (all) majors appear on a student’s transcript.

Minors in Other Disciplines

Minors provide students the opportunity to pursue additional interests but generally do not require as many courses as a major.  Minors generally range from five to eight required courses. To receive a minor, the student must complete at least 9 credit hours of coursework distinct from their other credentials (i.e., majors, other minors). The complete list of minors is available on the Canisius website and in the catalog and provides links to each minor. Some majors and minors can be completed within the minimum 120 credit hour degree requirement, but in some cases additional coursework may be required. Students must complete the appropriate minor request form.

Curriculum

An Ignatian Foundation

All undergraduate students must complete either the Canisius Core Curriculum or the All-College Honors Curriculum. Many schools refer to their college-wide undergraduate requirements as "general education" requirements. We believe that the core curriculum and the honors curriculum are more than a series of required classes; they provide the basis for a Jesuit education both with content and with required knowledge and skills attributes that are central to our mission.

Free Electives

Students may graduate with a bachelor's degree with more but not less than 120 credit hours. Free electives are courses in addition to the Canisius Core Curriculum or All-College Honors Curriculum and major requirements sufficient to reach the minimum number of credits required for graduation. The number of credits required to complete a bachelor's degree may vary depending on the student's major(s) and minor(s).

Major Requirements

¹

To fulfill this requirement, students may take three additional marketing (MKT) courses or at least two MKT courses and one of the following courses: COM 211, COM 311, COM 312, COM 414, ECO 310, or ISB 340. Students that wish to apply more than one non-marketing course to fulfill their marketing elective requirement must receive prior approval from the department chairperson.

Additional Information about the Marketing Curriculum

Cases in Marketing Management (MKT 401) is the capstone course in marketing and requires senior standing. It is also presumed that students will have completed all other required marketing courses prior to taking MKT 401. This course is not a substitute for the Core Capstone course that is a requirement of the College Core Curriculum.

Marketing Major Electives

The curriculum for marketing majors is designed to give students a breadth of knowledge in a variety of business functions as well as a depth of understanding in traditional marketing areas. Marketing electives can be used by students to pursue specific topics based on their interests or career aspirations. Marketing majors are required to take three (3) elective courses (9 credit hours) in marketing or a related discipline.

Additional Course Considerations

Internships qualifying for three hours of academic credit are available to upper-division students majoring in marketing. These involve a work-and-study situation with faculty supervision. Many are paid. Students desiring internships for credit must meet certain departmental requirements. For further information, contact the department chair.

Roadmap

Recommended Semester Schedule for Marketing Major

¹

 Students are strongly encouraged to complete MKT 201 during their sophomore year since it is a prerequisite for required marketing courses taken in the junior and senior year.  Failure to complete MKT 201 during the sophomore year may delay your graduation date.

²

 Consumer Behavior (MKT 320) and Digital Marketing (MKT 350) are only offered during the fall semester.  Students are strongly encouraged to take these courses during the fall of their junior year to avoid a delay in their graduation date.

³

 Cases in Marketing Management (MKT 401) is the capstone course in the marketing program and is only offered during the fall semester.  Students are strongly encouraged to complete all other required marketing courses prior to their senior year.  In addition, students are strongly encouraged to take MKT 401 during the fall of their senior year to avoid delays in their graduation date.

Note: All students must complete a total of 60 hours of Arts and Science courses. We strongly recommend that students run a Griff Audit to check for this and any other additional requirements.

Courses

MKT/FIT CURRICULUM  

¹

To fulfill this requirement, students may take three additional marketing (MKT) courses or at least two MKT courses and one of the following courses: COM 211, COM 311, COM 312, COM 414, ECO 310, or ISB 340. Students that wish to apply more than one non-marketing course to fulfill their marketing elective requirement must receive prior approval from the department chairperson.

Additional Information about the Marketing Curriculum

Cases in Marketing Management (MKT 401) is the capstone course in marketing and requires senior standing. It is also presumed that students will have completed all other required marketing courses prior to taking MKT 401. This course is not a substitute for the Core Capstone course that is a requirement of the College Core Curriculum.

Marketing Major Electives

The curriculum for marketing majors is designed to give students a breadth of knowledge in a variety of business functions as well as a depth of understanding in traditional marketing areas. Marketing electives can be used by students to pursue specific topics based on their interests or career aspirations. Marketing majors are required to take three (3) elective courses (9 credit hours) in marketing or a related discipline.

Additional Course Considerations

Internships qualifying for three hours of academic credit are available to upper-division students majoring in marketing. These involve a work-and-study situation with faculty supervision. Many are paid. Students desiring internships for credit must meet certain departmental requirements. For further information, contact the department chair.

The FIT students are registered at Canisius for 30 credits in MKT 497/498 while they are completing their two semesters at FIT. They are zero-billable courses. They do not complete the following requirements that our non-FIT marketing students must complete:

• MKT 401
• 3 marketing electives at the 300 or 400 level
• They also are not required to take ECO 256 in the business core

MKT/FIT Roadmap  

Recommended Semester Schedule for Marketing Major

¹

 Students are strongly encouraged to complete MKT 201 during their sophomore year since it is a prerequisite for required marketing courses taken in the junior and senior year.  Failure to complete MKT 201 during the sophomore year may delay your graduation date.

²

 Consumer Behavior (MKT 320) and Digital Marketing (MKT 350) are only offered during the fall semester.  Students are strongly encouraged to take these courses during the fall of their junior year to avoid a delay in their graduation date.

³

 Cases in Marketing Management (MKT 401) is the capstone course in the marketing program and is only offered during the fall semester.  Students are strongly encouraged to complete all other required marketing courses prior to their senior year.  In addition, students are strongly encouraged to take MKT 401 during the fall of their senior year to avoid delays in their graduation date.

Note: All students must complete a total of 60 hours of Arts and Science courses. We strongly recommend that students run a Griff Audit to check for this and any other additional requirements.