Students in this major are presented with opportunities to more fully develop and explore their specific marketing and career interests while progressing through their course work. The Marketing degree at UW-La Crosse requires a total of 24 hours of course work, beyond the Principles of Marketing level. Of the eight courses required, seven provide both breadth and depth of student understanding of the marketing function within world economies. The eighth course, the Senior Seminar, allows for students to more fully develop a personal research agenda in an area of marketing selected by the individual student. Marketing is a broad field with a variety of tasks involving the analysis, planning, implementation, and control of programs.
Positions are available in all types and sizes of institutions.
Entry and higher-level marketing opportunities and steps to follow in selecting a career path are outlined in the following section. Positions in marketing are excellent training for the highest levels in an organization because of the knowledge of products and consumers gained in these jobs. A recent profile of the Fortune 500 chief executives showed more CEOs with a background in marketing and distribution than any other career emphasis. Starting salaries for marketing usually rank slightly below those for engineering and chemistry but are equal to or higher than those for economics, finance, accounting, general business, and the liberal arts. Marketing salaries usually increase faster than salaries for technically trained persons.