B.S. Marketing Communications/M.B.A.

The dual Bachelor of Science Marketing Communications/Masters in Business Admissions degree offers the opportunity earn both degrees in five years as opposed to the six years it would take to pursue the degrees separately. The five year program is a combined 150 credits centered on marketing and business classes. The Marketing Communications undergraduate program combines business knowledge with communication skills to prepares students for careers in marketing, public relations, advertising, social media, and sales through theory and practice. It offers students a project-based curriculum that focuses on communicating an organization’s brand, online persona, image, and reputation to generate sales and revenue. Students generate creative solutions and compelling stories that address clients' marketing challenges while appealing to their consumers. This concentration provides opportunities for students to build their knowledge and skills with graphic design, photography, video, and web design while taking core communications and marketing courses. As students progress in this concentration they will have the opportunity to work with clients as part of a student-run agency and complete internships to apply what they have learned while developing a professional portfolio of work. The additional Master of Business Administration’s curriculum is designed to develop and strengthen skills in analysis, decision-making, and implementation. The program balances strengths in the traditional areas of accounting, finance, management, and marketing with careful attention to the development of skills in communication, interpersonal relations, and leadership which are essential to effective performance in organizations.

Upon completing the BS Marketing Communications/MBA dual-degree program students will be able to:

1. Apply strategic communication in all forms including written, verbal, visual, digital, interpersonal, and interprofessional as appropriate for the profession.

2. Apply industry-wide legal and ethical standards.

3. Conduct primary research utilizing industry standard techniques and in-depth analysis to identify consumer markets and behavior along with pertinent social, economic, cultural, and political influences.

4. Evaluate the use of theory, concepts, and terminology as appropriate for the task and profession.

5. Evaluate current tools and technology to create marketing communications plans and produce commercially viable products that meet client needs.

6. Understand the history and career opportunities within the industry

Additionally, upon completing the MBA coursework students will able to to:

• Apply best practices to solve managerial issues
• Integrate theories and practice to perform strategic analysis
• Demonstrate effective written forms of communication and oral business presentations
• Implement leadership skills to work effectively within diverse teams
• Identify and analyze ethical responsibilities of businesses
• Apply decision-making techniques, using both quantitative and qualitative analysis, to management issues

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May not be required for degree completion.