Bachelor of Science (BS) Degree in Marketing

Strategic marketing requires you to understand the interplay between marketing and all other business functions, such as finance, supply chain, and management. At GMercyU, we prepare you for that challenge.

GMercyU’s bachelor's degree (BS) in marketing emphasizes the concepts and methods that drive sales and brand loyalty across all types of non-profit and for-profit businesses. Because we live in an increasingly digital world, our program focuses on both traditional and digital marketing channels, including strategies for both website and mobile applications.

As a marketing major, you will choose courses that span the following:

• Online Management and Marketing
• Advertising
• Market Research and Analytics
• Digital Marketing Strategies, including website and mobile marketing, online retailing, and social media marketing
• Consumer Behavior
• Sports Management
• Analytics and Visualization
• Social Media Marketing
• Special Topics (example: Hospitality Marketing and Management)

Real-World, Hands-On Experience

You'll gain hands-on experience in the classroom using technology such as electronic storyboards and other digital marketing tools.

And, you'll have the opportunity to take a course that examines marketing practices from the inside out by completing an in-depth study of a corporation. This will help you better understand the challenges, opportunities, and essential need for integration of marketing with corporate management, human resource management, leadership, global operations, and other areas of business that contribute to a company’s success.

Then, you'll apply what you've learned in the classroom at an internship — a requirement of all GMercyU marketing majors.

More Marketing Program Highlights

• Earn certifications, like Google Analytics, Google Ad Display, and Social Media Marketing that will help your resume stand apart and boost your earning potential. Our Marketing majors have a 100% pass rate in these certifications!
• Participate in GMercyU’s Griffin Student Leadership Institute, designed to develop effective leaders who are also empathetic and ethical.
• Learn from experienced faculty (no teaching assistants!) who understand business from the boardroom, not just the classroom. Our low student to faculty ratio of 10:1 means individualized attention, support, and mentorship from your professors.
• Sharpen key skills that employers look for – critical thinking, communications, and problem solving – skills that have never been more relevant.
• Study abroad for a global perspective.
• The Griffin Edge will help you connect the dots between your GMercyU experiences and your future aspirations, so you can ace future job interviews and launch a successful career. Learn more about the Griffin Edge below.

And, all marketing majors are required to become members of the American Marketing Association, a professional association for marketing specialists. Qualifying students can also be invited to be a member of Sigma Beta Delta, a lifetime academic honor society for business students.

4+1 MBA Degree Option
Apply for this option during your junior year
Gwynedd Mercy University makes it easy for our business graduates to earn an advanced degree. With GMercyU's 4+1 MBA program option, students with a GPA of 3.0 or higher can earn both a bachelor of science (BS) degree in marketing and a master’s degree in business administration (MBA) in just five years.

Skip the grad school entrance exams by taking graduate credits during your senior year – as part of your undergraduate tuition – and then seamlessly completing your MBA the following year. 


Digital Communications Concentration
Boost your own marketability with more resume-building skills. This concentration’s courses span digital analytics, mobile content creation, and strategies for digital and social media. You’ll learn how to develop multimedia content for the web and social media, and you’ll have the opportunity to become certified in Google Analytics.

With this concentration, you’ll not only be prepared for a career in marketing, but also for jobs that include enhancing a company’s internal and external communications. You’ll be equipped to help manage and grow a company’s presence on social media and other digital outlets.

While these skills are invaluable for nearly any business, those with a background in marketing with digital communications typically work in website development, advertising, public relations, or marketing, as well as video production and computer animation.

In addition to general education courses, business marketing degree students complete the following:

Prerequisites - 15 Credits

Management Core - 30 credits

Marketing Core - 21 credits

Digital Communications - 12 credits

Credit Requirements
A minimum of 125 credits is required for the bachelor’s degree in marketing. If choosing the Digital Concentration option, curriculum above will look slightly different.

Undergraduate Minors
Increase the value of your marketing degree by adding an undergraduate minor that best suits your personal and professional goals.

Here’s a closer look at just a few of classes you can take as a marketing major.

BUS 438 Social Media Marketing
An in-depth study of the theories, processes, and application of social media marketing within an organization. The course will explore strategies to build social communities and better understand its opportunities and organizational impact. The concept of a social business will be studied through the analysis of the approaches to implement social technologies. The course will also explore the planning and implementation processes of social business initiatives.

BUS 410 Online Management and Marketing
This course presents theories and applications necessary to develop and manage online digital strategies. Topics include an introduction to e-marketing strategies, e-mail marketing, online advertising, affiliate Marketing, search engine marketing, search engine optimization, social media strategies, crowd sourcing, viral marketing, online reputation management, web public relations, web site design and development theories, web analytics and conversion optimization, mobile marketing strategies and customer experience management.

BUS 421 Corporate Studies
This course provides students the opportunity to complete an in-depth study of a service corporation, or several service corporations, to better understand the integration that is required in management practices within a corporate business structure. The course will focus on the challenges, opportunities, and integration of corporate management, administration, marketing, human resource management, leadership and, as applicable, global operations and management. Corporations that have been studied include Walmart, Toyota, Starbucks, and Disney.

For all marketing program course descriptions, please refer to the undergraduate catalog.

In addition to courses that dive deeply into all major facets of marketing, GMercyU’s Marketing program also helps you learn the connection between marketing and other areas of successful business by offering you a foundation in the following:

• Finance
• Human Resource Management
• Economics
• Operations Management
• Business Law
• Business Ethics

Melissa Dennis, DBA
Position: Assistant Professor, Marketing
Did You Know? Dr. Dennis spent 15 years working for Disney Parks, Experiences and Products in customer relationship and customer engagement, supporting Walt Disney World, Disneyland, Disney Vacation Club, and the Disney Cruise line businesses.
Read bio

Margaret Rakus
Position: Assistant Professor, Program Coordinator of Marketing, Digital Communications, and Sports Management Programs
Did You Know? Professor Rakus has held industry positions in marketing and public relations. She holds certifications in Tableau, Hootsuite, Google Analytics, Google AdWords, and more.
Read bio
 

Maddie Herman, MsEd
Position: Instructor, Sports Management
Did You Know? Herman has worked for the Philadelphia 76er's and Wells Fargo Center, and ran GMercyU's Intramurals and Recreation program.
Read bio

Alan Harper, MBA, PhD
Position: Associate Professor and Program Coordinator, Finance and Management Programs
Did You Know? Professor Harper has 20 years of management experience and has published more than 15 peer-reviewed articles.
Read bio

Luigi Corrado, Jr., CPA, MT
Position: Professor of Practice and Program Coordinator, Accounting
Did You Know? Professor Corrado spent nearly 20 years in the accounting industry as a financial statement auditor, corporate controller, and senior consultant with a variety of firms.  
Read bio

The Griffin Edge is comprised of five touchpoints -- Excellence, Engagement, Experience, Empathy, and Encouragement -- that become the cornerstones of your Distinctive Mercy Experience as a full-time undergraduate student.

The Griffin Edge includes an e-portfolio for documenting your GMercyU educational and extracurricular experiences (no matter your major), reflecting on those experiences, and receiving feedback from faculty. It's designed to help you take ownership of your educational journey and chart the right career path for you. It will also help you learn how to talk about your college experiences in meaningful ways — and that can make all the difference in a job interview. 

For example, a student might say in a job interview: "I conducted research at the undergraduate level." 

A Griffin Edge student might say: "The opportunity to conduct my own research alongside expert faculty taught me the importance of being exact in my data collection and analysis. I was even able to present my findings at our annual research conference! I know this is the career for me."

Learn more about the Griffin Edge here.

To make your transition from the classroom to the workplace as smooth as possible, GMercyU requires marketing majors to complete a relevant internship during their junior or senior year. Not only will you gain valuable networking connections and relevant work experience for your resume, your internship might land you a full-time position after you graduate.

GMercyU marketing students have recently completed internships at these organizations and more:

• American Pool Service
• Art of Living Print Media
• Back on My Feet
• Educere
• MMIT (Managed Markets Insight & Technology)
• Radius Health
• Source One
• The Disney Company

Part of our marketing degree's appeal is its versatility. You'll be qualified for an entry-level position in an array of careers. And with employment growth rate faster than the national average (per the Bureau of Labor Statistics), you’ll enter a field with opportunity. Here’s a look at a few specific career paths.

Top Jobs for Marketing Majors

Marketing Manager
Description: These professionals play a critical role in business, inspiring interest in services or products, identifying potential new customers, developing pricing strategies, monitoring market trends, and more.
Degree Requirements: A bachelor’s degree
Average Salary: The median annual wage in the U.S. is $133,380.*
*Source

Marketing Research Analyst
Description: Studying the market, marking research analysts collect and analyze data to help companies understand what consumers want and what they’re willing to pay for those products or services.
Degree Requirements: A bachelor’s degree
Average Salary: The median annual wage in the U.S. is $63,920.
*Source

Sales Manager
Description: A sales manager oversees a company’s sales team, from hiring and managing staff to designating sales goals, and they are responsible for their team’s success. These positions often require travel.
Degree Requirements: A bachelor’s degree
Average Salary: The median annual wage in the U.S. is $127,49.
*Source

More Possible Careers for Marketing Majors

• Advertising and promotions manager
• Brand manager
• Chief marketing officers (CMO)
• Communications assistant
• Creative director
• Digital marketing specialist
• Email marketer
• International marketing specialist
• Marketing analyst
• Marketing assistant
• Marketing coordinator
• Marketing director
• Marketing planner
• Marketing specialist
• Meeting, convention, and event planner
• Mobile marketing specialist
• Product manager
• Public relations manager
• Search Engine Optimization (SEO) manager
• Sales representative
• Social media marketing specialist
• Vice president of marketing

*Some of these careers may require additional education or certifications. This is only a partial list and not meant to limit you.

At GMercyU, we’ve designed our marketing degree with the goals of giving marketing majors the best student experience possible for future career success.


Emma Spangler '23
As a marketing major, Emma loves the support she receives from GMercyU's business faculty, and that her classes teach real-world skills. The skills she learned in her Digital Analytics course helped her land an internship with a marketing company called Partner Centric.

"After my internship was over, I was offered the position to stay with them as an internal support specialist in the affiliate marketing field. The work I do is essentially what my class in digital analytics was all about," said Emma, who is currently working for Partner Centric while she finishes her degree. 

Learn more about Emma's experience.

Read more Griffin Success Stories.

Have you already earned college-level credits at other institutions or accounting colleges? GMercyU makes it easy for you to transfer your credits. Learn how on our Transfer Credits page.

In addition, GMercyU offers dual admissions agreements with Bucks County Community College and Montgomery County Community College — as well as the following articulation agreements.

Bucks County Community College
AA business administration to BS in marketing

Delaware County Community College
AS business administration to BS in marketing

Harcum College
AS business administration to BS in marketing

Manor College
AS business administration to BS in marketing

Have questions about GMercyU's admissions requirements? Our Admissions Staff is ready to walk you through the process of applying or transferring to GMercyU’s Marketing program.

Email: admissions@gmercyu.edu
Phone: 215-641-5510

Apply now

At GMercyU, we strive to make a quality education accessible to all through financial aid, scholarships, and grants. As a military-friendly university, we welcome service members and participate in all VA educational benefits programs. 

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Get the education you need for an exciting career in marketing. 

Apply now