Marketing (BS)

Why Study Marketing?

At its core, marketing is about reaching consumers — and today, we can do that in more ways than ever before. That’s why many of today’s most in-demand positions seek innovative thinkers with marketing know-how: storytellers and designers, project managers and event planners, researchers and brand ambassadors.

This incredibly diverse and dynamic field embraces the creative and the analytical, the digital and the analog, and the work that happens behind the scenes and on the front lines. Perhaps the greatest benefit of a marketing degree is its versatility: you’ll graduate with skills and knowledge relevant to nearly every industry. 

Bonus: A marketing background also pairs well with the rise of the gig economy and wider adoption of remote workforces: your skill gives you the flexibility to seek opportunities that fit your ideal lifestyle.

Why Saint Francis for Your Degree in Marketing?

A rapidly advancing, evolving industry makes for an exciting, expanding field of study: marketing degree programs today prepare students for careers that didn’t exist five years ago.

Saint Francis’ marketing degree program is comprehensive: You’ll graduate with the practical skills today’s employers expect, a strong foundation in business principles and deep knowledge of the entire marketing process, including:

• Research
• Branding
• Market segmentation
• Distribution
• Product design
• Promotion/advertising
• Digital marketing

Saint Francis’ marketing major is also flexible: a wide range of electives — including business, communication, and psychology courses — empowers you to personalize your academic plan to match your career goals. You can even add a related minor or second major.

Rooted in the Franciscan tradition of faith and reason, a Saint Francis education also strengthens your character and prepares you to become a grounded, ethical leader: an important and sought-after asset in today’s fast-paced and complex society.

Real-World Strategic Marketing Experience

The University of Saint Francis values hands-on learning experiences. Throughout your coursework, you’ll collaborate with classmates on case studies and team-based projects that help boost strategic marketing efforts for area businesses.

Our marketing majors are ambitious and continually seek learning experiences outside of the classroom, such as internships, community service and even campus employment.

Marketing Degree Internships

Thanks to the strong work ethic of our students, companies in our region and beyond continue to welcome Saint Francis marketing interns with open arms, including:

• Creative Dining Services
• Fastenal Company
• Franklin Electric
• Junior Achievement
• MedPro Group
• Parkview Health
• Petroleum Traders
• Reactiv Social
• Regal Beloit Corporation
• Steel Dynamics, Inc.

… and our most strategic marketing majors pursue multiple internships in order to explore a variety of approaches.

Take Margaret Cragon from the Class of 2020; as a three-time intern she curated and created content at a digital marketing firm, promoted student health services at Parkview Health and helped manage social media and internal communications for the employee benefits office of Steel Dynamics.

Service-Learning Experiences

Serving others is a way of life at Saint Francis, whether it’s embedded into a class assignment, inspires an independent research project, or motivates a campus club into action. As a marketing major, consider how you might use your knowledge to help nonprofits build awareness, promote events, reach fundraising goals, engage members, and recruit volunteers.

Networking Opportunities

In addition to formal experiential learning, you’ll also gain business and marketing insight from successful alumni and community leaders through special programs and events, such as the Busse Speaker Series.

Campus Involvement

There are so many ways to get involved at the University of Saint Francis, from student clubs to club sports. These are a few options that might interest our business-minded, marketing-savvy students:

• American Advertising Federation
• Communications and Public Relations Society
• Student Activities Council

What Can You Do With a Marketing Degree?

Saint Francis marketing majors and minors create ad campaigns, analyze data, manage brands, launch products and engage with customers; they find positions with in-house marketing teams at all kinds of companies and with marketing agencies and research firms. Common entry and mid-level positions you might see include:

• Account manager
• Brand manager
• Public relations specialist
• Promotions manager
• Marketing coordinator
• Market research analyst
• Marketing automation specialist
• Content strategist
• Search engine optimization (SEO) specialist
• Digital advertising manager

With time and experience, you can advance into senior strategic marketing and communication roles or even launch your own businesses.

Where You’ll Find Our Graduates

The variety of employers and job titles we see among our alumni network illustrates the breadth of what you can do and how your career can grow with a Saint Francis marketing degree. Here are just a few:

• Marketing Coordinator – Pop Digital Marketing
• Store Experience Merchandiser and Strategist – LifeWay Christian Resources
• Sales and Marketing Specialist – One Resource Group
• Senior Marketing Specialist – REV RV Group
• Senior Marketing Manager – DePuy Synthes (Johnson & Johnson)
• Sales Engineer – Ingersoll Rand
• Recruiter – Aerotek
• Account Supervisor – LABOV Marketing Communications and Training
• Sales Floor Manager – T-Mobile/Sprint
• Regional Sales Manager – Chrysler Capital
• District Manager – Fastenal Company
• Marketing Director – Mid-Indiana Marine
• Associate Director, Global Marketing – Zimmer Biomet
• VP, Business Development – YAH Agency