Marketing Requirements

Main Content

Marketing involves a system of interrelated activities used to develop, price, promote and distribute goods and services to customers, creating exchanges that satisfy individual and organizational goals. It is the marketing function that links the production of goods and services with their use. Effective marketing is essential to organizations in their efforts to achieve a competitive advantage that can be sustained. Without this, growth and survival of the organization are threatened.

The bachelor’s degree program in marketing encompasses the entire key marketing functions, including those in e-commerce. Graduates may take advantage of challenging and dynamic career opportunities in large and small businesses, in government, and in non-profit organizations. Careers in the field of marketing cut across many industries and involve a variety of organizations. Some of the career options open to the marketing major include industrial selling and sales management, retailing, advertising, marketing research, distribution, international marketing and marketing management.

A major in Marketing requires students to earn a minimum grade of C (a grade of C- is not sufficient) in each of the courses taken to satisfy the requirements for the Marketing major* (as described below), and students must earn a minimum 2.0 grade point average for those major courses.

Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in Marketing Degree Requirements

Degree RequirementsCredit Hours
University Core Curriculum Requirements 39
Professional Business Core 47
Requirements for Major in Marketing* (Minimum grade of C required for all classes in major area.) 24
Marketing Core MKTG 305, MKTG 329, MKTG 363, MKTG 480, MKTG 493 15
Marketing Electives. Choose three from: MKTG 336, MKTG 364, MKTG 380, MKTG 391, MKTG 401, MKTG 405, MKTG 435, MKTG 438, MKTG 450, MKTG 463, MKTG 489, MKTG 491, MKTG 494, MKTG 495 MKTG 496, MKTG 499A 9
Electives 1 10
Total 120

1 120 semester hours are required for graduation. Any additional hours of college level credit can be used to equal minimum 120 semester hours required for degree.

Marketing Minor

A minor in Marketing consists of a minimum of 15 semester hours, including MKTG 304, MKTG 305 and nine credit hours in Marketing at the 300-level or above. All prerequisites for these classes must also be satisfied. MKTG 480, MKTG 493 and MKTG 499A may not be taken as part of the minor in Marketing. An advisor within the College of Business and Analytics must be consulted before selecting this field as a minor. At least nine of the 15 semester hours must be taken at Southern Illinois University Carbondale.

A minor from the College of Business and Analytics requires students to earn a minimum grade of C (a grade of C- is not sufficient) in each of the courses taken to satisfy the requirements for their minor, and students must earn a minimum 2.0 grade point average for those minor courses.

The Capstone Option for Transfer Students

The Capstone Option is available to students who have earned an Associate in Applied Science (A.A.S.) degree or have the equivalent certification and who have a cumulative 2.0/4.0 GPA on all accredited coursework prior to the completion of the A.A.S. or certification, as calculated by the transfer institution's grading policies. The Capstone Option reduces the University Core Curriculum requirements from 39 to 30 hours, therefore reducing the time to degree completion. See the Capstone Option section for more information on this option. Students who apply for the Capstone Option will work with the College of Business and Analytics Advisement Office for approval of the Capstone Option and will complete a personal contract for a degree completion plan.

Differential Tuition

The College of Business and Analytics assesses differential tuition for College of Business and Analytics majors. The College of Business and Analytics has a “minor program fee” for majors outside of the College of Business and Analytics that want to declare a minor through the College of Business and Analytics. The minor program fee is equal to 15% of 15 credit hours of applicable tuition for declared College of Business and Analytics minors.