Marketing (B.S.B.A)
Marketing majors study the process by which organizations satisfy consumer wants and needs in a contemporary society. Major marketing activities such as product planning, distribution, pricing and promotion are analyzed based on market research and consumer behavior.
The program is a key element of BU's College of Business, a recipient of the coveted accreditation by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business, ranking Bloomsburg among the best business colleges in the world.
The marketing curriculum prepares you for numerous career options, including a variety of positions in product management, sales retailing, distribution, sales management, market research and promotion. Marketing management is one of the fastest growing career opportunities in the United States and global economies.
You'll gain written and verbal communication skills through class discussion, presentations, case analysis and research projects that develop critical thinking skills. Internships are offered year-round in a variety of business settings; practical experience opportunities are highly recommended. A dedicated core of faculty support students through their applied, on-going research efforts that provides up-to-date course coverage.
BU also offers a fully-accredited MBA program, consisting of a minimum of 12 graduate-level courses in management, marketing, accounting, finance, and information systems. The program provides the theoretical, analytical and operational expertise managers need to meet the challenges of managing human and material resources in dynamic, competitive environments.
The College of Business offers two student computer labs and an independent server large enough to run a medium-sized corporation that is also accessible from residence halls. Software is typical of what might be found in most business environments and students are expected to gain proficiency in using database management, spreadsheets and word processing.
Students majoring in a B.S.B.A. degree program in the College of Business must take at least 50 percent of the business credit hours required for the business degree at Bloomsburg University.
BU's eight-semester program is about half general education requirements and non-business electives. The other half is devoted to the core classes that all business majors take, specialized management requirements and electives. Students work closely with faculty advisers to organize electives helpful to career goals or concentrations or minors from any BU program. Popular with business majors are:
- Accounting
- Business
- Computer Information Science
- Economics
- Entrepreneurship
- Human Resources Management
- Information Assurance
- Information and Technology Management
- International Business
- Legal Studies
- Management
- Political Science
- Statistics
General education courses you'll take include English composition, public speaking, principles of economics, business and economics statistics, and a business-oriented course in mathematics. The College of Business core includes courses in information technology, financial accounting, managerial accounting, principles of management, marketing principles and practices, corporate finance, law and legal environment and business policies.
All marketing majors then take courses in consumer motivation and behavior, advertising management, sales management, international marketing, marketing research and marketing management. Working closely with your faculty adviser, you'll then choose from elective courses that help tailor your education to your career goals. These include marketing for nonprofits, e-marketing, principles of selling, retail management concepts, internships, business-to-business marketing and contemporary issues and problems in business.
Active student organizations are involved in a variety of scholarly and service activities and often bring speakers from business and industry to campus to discuss career opportunities and business outlook. These include
- Management Association
- American Marketing Association
- Society for Human Resource Management
- Association of Information Technology Professionals
- Accounting Association
- Legal Studies Association
- Rotaract Club
- Students in Free Enterprises
- Student Financial Association
- Beta Gamma Sigma honor society
- Phi Beta Lambda honor society
- Pi Omega Pi honor society