Prerequisites / Requirements:

Bachelor's degree or the equivalent.
(This program is not recommended for those with prior marketing experience.)

Advanced English

COURSES:

Note: class weeks are provided to give you an estimate of your program schedule. Your program may follow a different schedule from that listed here.

You begin your program with Essentials of Marketing (weeks 1-6), exploring the principles of global marketing, including definitions, concepts, policies, and development. As part of your experience, you develop and present a marketing plan for a product or service, allowing you and your classmates to implement the tools acquired throughout the course. By completing Essentials of Marketing, you will

	develop an understanding of the basic elements of marketing
	acquire critical, logical, and analytical thinking skills
	communicate effectively in a business marketing context, both orally and in writing

Marketing Research (weeks 1-6) helps you establish a firm understanding of what market research can and cannot accomplish, and how to use research tools in decision making. This survey course assumes the perspective of a marketing manager who needs to oversee and understand the research process and the criteria for evaluating research findings. By the end of the course, you will

	understand the role of qualitative methods in research
	understand the focus group process
	be familiar with the criteria for evaluating secondary data and be able to recognize the strengths and weaknesses of sampling

The Marketing Math seminar (weeks 2-5) covers the principles and concepts of business accounting, finance, and economics you need to effectively contribute to your company's success as a marketer, future senior manager, or business owner. It is the foundation upon which you will build an understanding of business performance and how your marketing efforts are judged through financial analysis. In this course, you will gain an understanding of

	basic accounting and financial statements, and how to interpret them
	how to use financial figures to make and evaluate financial marketing decisions
	the interrelationships of price sensitivity, budgeting, forecasting, and the costs of distribution, inventory, and promotion

E-Business Marketing (weeks 7-9) is an introduction to Internet marketing and its impact on your overall marketing strategy. You learn what it takes to market and promote a successful e-commerce solution, including the entrepreneurial process and the evaluation, development, and creation of a viable marketing plan. Presentations, guest speakers, lectures, and assigned readings contribute to your understanding of how e-commerce fits into the marketing mix, allow you to analyze market trends, and provide you with a basis for discussing strategies for acquiring and retaining target customers online. By the end of this course, you will be able to

	integrate e-commerce with traditional marketing techniques
	develop unique content that reinforces your company's branding strategy
	implement online promotional strategies to increase acquisition of customers

Brand Marketing (weeks 8-11) focuses on brand, brand equity, and strategic brand management. Brand management is the platform that drives all other functions in the marketing of a company's products and services. Its purpose is to build brand image and value, as well as relationships and loyalty between brands and clients. After successfully completing this course, you will be able to

	build brand equity and manage brand identity
	formulate effective brand strategies to compete in the marketplace
	develop a brand audit of a company

International Marketing (weeks 10-15) takes an in-depth look at global competition and its effect on organizational structure and cultural adaptation. Your lectures are coupled with PowerPoint presentations and video clips that tie the subject matter to real-life, current situations. Through interaction with guest speakers from the business community, you explore means of conceiving and implementing overall marketing strategies for competing globally, even as a small business owner. By the end of the course, you will be able to

	understand the basic differences and opportunities in major markets around the world
	critically evaluate and summarize differences and opportunities in specific international marketing settings
	communicate effectively in a business marketing context, both orally and in writing

Integrated Marketing (weeks 11-15) introduces you to ways in which you can successfully design and implement promotional and communication components in your marketing strategy. You gain an understanding of the relationships between advertising, public relations, sales promotions, channel marketing and the supply chain, direct marketing, and electronic marketing, and you learn how to integrate these into an effective communications plan. By the end of this course, you will

	understand the principles, relationships, and strategies of integrated marketing components and technologies
	deepen your critical and creative research and strategic thinking skills
	develop an integrated marketing communications plan for a current organization

The purpose of Strategic Marketing (weeks 12-15) is to build on the knowledge you gained in Essentials of Marketing, to provide you with essential strategic marketing tools, and to help you in formulating a marketing strategy. The class emphasizes discovering new market opportunities, developing recommendations, and integrating marketing with the overall business strategy. By the end of the course, you will

	acquire the ability to develop a marketing strategy
	understand the analytical tools used in developing a marketing strategy
	be able to identify opportunities for developing a competitive advantage

Global Business and Marketing Strategy (weeks 7-15) is the capstone course for your program. Through lectures, team teaching, case analysis, group discussions, readings, and a computerized simulation experience, you apply the principles learned in your other courses in a real-life setting. As part of a multidisciplinary team including students from the Business Administration and International Business Diploma Programs, you

	run a simulated business as part of a senior management team
	learn to think as a general manager rather than as a marketer, accountant, or finance person
	learn to think strategically by taking into account each element of your company to achieve your goals

Additional workshops and seminars on topics such as corporate social responsibility and finance, as well as a visit to a Bay Area corporation or organization, round out your studies. Whether you plan to be a marketing professional or manage a marketing department, the Marketing Diploma Program will provide you with the essentials to be successful in any industry.