Marketing is one of the fastest growing fields in business.  Businesses of various sizes employ marketing specialists to handle advertising and public relations. Advertising, public relations, sales, marketing research, retailing, and product development are all areas of marketing. Marketing managers work with business executives, sales directors, art directors, and financial managers to promote interest in a business and its products.

SAU’s Sales track gives students a broad knowledge of marketing while allowing them to take courses in areas like insurance or real estate.

Topics Covered

In the first two years, students take a broad range of classes both in the Rankin College of Business and across campus. Upper-level courses focus on developing expertise in the marketing field.

• Students in the Marketing Sales track take Selling and Sales Management as well as the Consumer Behavior, Marketing Research, and Marketing Management courses required of all marketing majors.
• Elective options include Free Enterprise Studies and Projects, Insurance Principles and Planning, Fundamentals of Real Estate, and Social Media for Business as well as other upper-level Management and Marketing Courses.
• Students are encouraged to obtain internships related to their career plans.
• Students are assigned to advisors who are members of the RCB marketing faculty to help with class scheduling, professional mentoring, and career placement.

Marketing Careers

The Rankin College of Business has a strong record of job placement for graduates in all fields. Marketing majors from any of the marketing tracks can choose from a number of careers, including sales, marketing management, marketing research, and advertising. The sales track also gives students the options of developing foundational knowledge in areas like real estate and insurance. SAU marketing alumni currently work in upper-level positions at prestigious firms such as Discover, Wal-Mart and Advantage Marketing Group.

Alumni Profiles

• Madison Peppers (BBA 2017) Sales Representative, Arkansas Beverage Sales
• Vincent Oliver (BBA 2013, MBA 2014) IT & Communications, Fountain Park Healthcare
• Kristina Treadway (BBA 2008) Strategic Consultant, CRM Business Enablement Strategy
• Jeff White (BBA 1997) Executive Vice President at Bodcaw Bank
• Beth Weldon (BBA 1983) Vice President of Marketing, First Financial Bank, Eldorado

Student Engagement

• Client-Based Classroom Projects: In Integrated Marketing Communication and Marketing Research courses, students work with actual businesses to develop advertising and communication campaigns, perform marketing research, and develop marketing plans.
• Student organizations like Phi Beta Lambda, ENACTUS, Emerging Entrepreneurs, the Finance and Economics Society, and the Business Student Investment Advisory Council provide opportunities for fun, leadership, and networking
• Guest lectures and workshops conducted by business professionals and recognized speakers
• Student travel both within and outside the region and the US: Recent trips included tours of financial institutions in New York and Chicago, advertising agencies in Dallas and Chicago, and Arkansas businesses like Walmart, Tyson, and J.B. Hunt and international destinations such as Costa Rica.
• The Arkansas Small Business Development and Technology Center is located on the first floor of the business building. The center offers seminars and other resources that are free to students and houses the Entrepreneurship Center.

Faculty Expertise

The Rankin College of Business is AACSB certified. All upper-level professors are required to hold doctorates from AACSB certified universities or to have significant professional experience in the areas in which they teach.

• SAU’s marketing instructors bring professional experience as well as academic training to the classroom.
• Instructors have work experience in retail, sales, advertising, and promotion.

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