Undergraduate
What is Marketing?
Marketing is a dynamic, ever-changing field of business that focuses on its most important asset: customers. Marketing professionals are responsible for identifying who customers are, what they need, and how best to meet those needs.
Through the strategic use of digital media and technologies, marketers are at the center of attracting and retaining customers. They strive to build exceptional brands, launch new products, foster profitable business relationships – all while communicating value to their clients.
Marketing
Career Opportunities
At the Haslam College of Business, the bachelor’s degree in marketing offers customized training for all career paths. Marketing majors come away with competencies in consumer behavior, marketing insights and marketing strategy, and hands-on experience in their chosen area of specialization. Students develop a wealth of relevant skills – such as pitching ideas, launching products, brand management, developing content, closing B2B sales, or experimenting with new marketing technologies – that increase their value in the workplace.
Career opportunities abound for students after graduation, with many unique pathways available to explore within the three tracks available in the marketing major. While students in the Digital and Visual Marketing track focus on engaging customers through various media, students in the Customer and Brand Strategy track look at consumer behavior and product development. Meanwhile, students in the Professional Sales track gain knowledge of product sales and distribution, as well as management.
92%
Graduates employed or
pursuing higher education
$53,545
Average marketing graduate salary*
Haslam Undergraduate Outcomes Report, 2022–2023.
*Average salary may not include commission.
Job Examples
Content Manager
Content managers create and manage a company’s content strategy. By producing high-quality and engaging content, managers can reach identified target audiences across a variety of channels, including websites, blogs, social media platforms, and email newsletters. Utilizing data-driven expertise in SEO and MarTech tools, coupled with creativity and team management, successful content managers ensure high rankings while simultaneously driving organic customer interest.
Median Salary: $85,000
Market Research Analyst
Market research analysts gather and analyze data to aid in a company or organization’s understanding of its customers and competitors. Analysts regularly conduct both qualitiative and quantitative research. The resultant data often guides organizational strategy.
Median Salary: $74,680
Marketing Manager
Marketing managers plan, execute, and evaluate complex marketing strategies to promote a company’s products and/or services. They typically lead teams of specialists, implement and manage product and deliverable timelines, collaborate regularly with organizational stakeholders, and provide insights based on data-driven results.
Median Salary: $157,620
Business Development Specialist
Business development specialists are customer-facing professionals who sell products and/or services to other businesses. Individuals in this role are responsible for building relationships between organizations, generating revenue, managing multiple accounts, and providing the highest level of customer service.
Median Salary: $99,710* (technology & science)
Median Salary: $65,630* (wholesale & manufacturing)
U.S. Bureau of Labor statistics, 2023
*Salaries include commission.
Marketing
High School Preparation
High school students should follow a college preparatory curriculum and take their high school’s recommended courses in Math, English, and Foreign Language. Appropriate electives include any business courses, as well as courses in computer software applications and written and oral communication. The Haslam College of Business further encourages all high school students to 1) explore international business issues and opportunities, 2) participate in student organizations and clubs, and 3) volunteer in their community.
How do I Major in Marketing?
A bachelor’s degree in marketing from UT includes extensive exposure to career options, and specialized courses that fast-track students’ job readiness.
Marketing majors explore key interests in the field and build the skills needed to enter the workforce. Course offerings within the marketing curriculum’s three distinct tracks give students the flexibility to personalize their experience and prepare for a wide variety of careers.
Students get additional support through one-to-one career advising sessions, innovative corporate partner programming, and on-campus internship courses where theory is applied in a real-world setting.
Required Courses – All Majors
- Consumer Behavior (MARK350)
- Marketing Insights (MARK360)
- Marketing Strategy (MARK460)
Major Requirements
- Marketing Major, BS in Business Administration – Business Analytics Concentration
- Marketing Major, BS in Business Administration – Collateral Option – Customer and Brand Strategy Track
- Marketing Major, BS in Business Administration – Collateral Option – Digital and Visual Marketing Track
- Marketing Major, BS in Business Administration – Collateral Option – Professional Sales Track
- Marketing Major, BS in Business Administration – Heath Integrated Business and Engineering Program
- Marketing Major, BS in Business Administration – Information Management Concentration
- Marketing Major, BS in Business Administration – International Business Concentration
- Marketing Major, BS in Business Administration – Supply Chain Management Concentration
Marketing Undergraduate
Tracks
Digital & Visual Marketing Track
Course Offerings
- Strategic Digital Marketing (MARK 465)
- Visual Marketing (MARK 475)
- Digital Consumer Insights (MARK 485)
- Social Media Marketing (MARK 495)
- On-Campus Internship (MARK 445)
Customer & Brand Strategy Track
Course Offerings
- Advanced Consumer Behavior (MARK 450)
- Innovation and New Product Development (MARK 462)
- Brand Management (MARK 464)
- Strategic Digital Marketing (MARK 465)
- Integrated Marketing Communications (MARK 466)
- Sales Force Management (MARK471)
- On-Campus Internship (MARK 445)
Professional Sales Track
Course Offerings
- Professional Selling (MARK469)
- Sales Force Management (MARK471)
- Advanced Selling (MARK 470)
- On-Campus Internship (MARK 445)
Marketing Student Spotlight
Erin George
Erin George (HCB, ’23, MSM, ’24) is a marketing professional whose role illustrates the changing world of marketing. While George’s job at Pilot Flying J involves traditional marketing tasks like creating campaigns, it also requires a deeper knowledge of statistical analysis than previous generations of marketers needed to know. “This field is more data-driven than ever, and I see that trend continuing,” says George. “Not all marketers will be responsible for performing the analytics that drive business decisions, but every marketer is expected to understand results and derive insights.”
Scholarship Opportunities
The Haslam College of Business awards more than $5 million annually in scholarships to students. Awards include college and departmental scholarships. Each year, students should apply to be considered for college and departmental scholarships through the university’s
Continuing Undergraduate Student Scholarship application.