PhD in Marketing

Program Overview

In order to cope with these expanding horizons, each marketing program is designed to provide a broad exposure to the advanced literature in each field. The program includes a series of marketing PhD seminars, the development of expertise in a particular social science discipline (economics and/or psychology), and technical skill appropriate to the analysis of the problems to be studied. Students select an area for intensive study and develop a program that trains them to comprehend and perform cutting-edge research in that field.

Coursework Requirements

1st Semester Required Marketing Courses:

Recommended:

2nd Semester Required:

3rd Semester Required:

COURSE DESCRIPTIONS

MKT 801: Data Analysis Systems for Marketing Decisions: -

The purpose of this course is to provide students with a working knowledge of systems employing large databases to support marketing decisions. To the extent possible, this course will feature actual databases and illustrative examples of decisions based on their use. Major types of systems considered will be point-of-sale scanner data, geo-demographic databases, large scale databases on product and media use provided by Simmons and MRI, databases for direct marketing. Decisions to be considered will be category management and retail product strategies, targeting for advertising and direct mail, segmentation, retail location, pricing, and promotion.

MKT 801: Advanced Marketing Research: -

This course includes topics such as information systems, syndicated data services, secondary and primary data collection, and data analysis and interpretation. Student groups follow the process of developing, implementing, and managing a market research project. Particular emphasis is placed on projects involving primary data collection.

MKT 821: Advanced Marketing Management:-

This course is structured around the central business goal of maximizing enterprise value. As a discipline, marketing contributes to enterprise value by delivering customer value profitably. All topics addressed in the course demonstrate how firms deliver customer value in both consumer and business-to-business marketplaces. Emphasis is placed on the managerial activities of strategic planning, market and competitive analyses, customer behavior evaluation, value assessment, market segmentation, targeting, positioning, and marketing mix design. Instruction features case discussions, lectures, team exercises, a student project and presentation, and a computer simulation game.

MKT 824: Business-to-Business Marketing:-

This course encompasses management activities that enable a supplier firm to understand, create and deliver value to other businesses, governments and institutional customers in traditional and Internet markets. There are four guiding principles of business-to-business marketing: make value the cornerstone, focus on business processes, emphasize doing business across borders, and accentuate working relationships and business networks. As 80% of current Internet transactions are business-to-business (B2B), the course will pay particular attention to emerging models, strategies and examples from the "New Economy." Students will learn techniques of value assessment and methods for devising innovative value propositions. Classes are set in a seminar format, featuring the discussion of articles and analyses of management cases, a negotiation exercise, and a business market simulation game.

MKT 835: Database and Internet Marketing:-

This course covers two distinct, but related topics in the application of information technology for developing marketing strategy. The first emphasizes the use of appropriate tools and techniques for extracting relevant marketing information from databases and data warehouses. The second focuses on the use of Internet-based technologies for consumer market applications, including building customer relationships and brand equity.

MKT 847: Marketing Communications:-

PhD students whose career plans involve making marketing-mix decisions need to understand advertising management. In addition to advertising, this course addresses elements of a marketing communications program such as promotions, direct mail, publicity, packaging, and point of sale material. The objectives are: (1) to increase students' understanding of important issues in planning and executing marketing communications campaigns; (2) to introduce students to theories and models that will improve their abilities to make marketing communications decisions; and (3) to acquaint students with contemporary research in marketing communications.

MKT 833: Topics in Marketing:-

This course addresses contemporary topics in marketing that are more specialized and/or more advanced than those included elsewhere in the curriculum. The particular content of the course may vary each time the course is offered.

MKT 835: Advanced Marketing Strategy & Planning:-

This is a decision-oriented course concerned with solutions to problems of product, price, promotion, and distribution channels. Students are expected to locate their own marketing plan projects and to prepare a professional marketing plan. The course makes extensive use of case studies and instructional methods include slides, examples, and videotapes.

MKT 843: International Marketing:-

International Marketing examines the various issues involved in entering foreign markets and conducting marketing operations on a global scale in consumer, industrial, and service sectors. Students learn to identify and evaluate opportunities in overseas markets, develop and adapt marketing strategies to specific national market needs and constraints, and coordinate strategies in world markets. The thrust is strategic and integrative. In addition, the class will study global marketing strategies adopted by companies in Japan and Europe, as well as newly developed countries.

MKT 857: Advanced Sales Management :-

The goal of the course is to provide PH.D Students with knowledge, skills and understanding of the key components of a successful sales organization. The course will focus on the following topics: Basic Sales Skills, Hiring Sales People, Sales Coverage Models, Compensation and Sales Management Process.

MKT 855: Marketing Practicum:-

This course allows students the opportunity to apply the key concepts, tools, and techniques learned in marketing to a corporate setting. Working as a team, students perform a extensive analysis of the company’s product line; conduct qualitative and quantitative research; and prepare and present a comprehensive management consulting report.

SCM 812: Supply Chain Management:-

This course addresses supply chain management and its implications, with a focus on what firms can do to maintain competitiveness in the quickly changing business landscape. Topics may include, but are not limited to, value chain analyses, marketing business-to-business, supply chain analytics, procurement, production, logistics, and inventory management within supply chains.

SCM 813: Domestic Transportation:-

Domestic Transportation is the study of North American transportation modes, their management and operating characteristics. This graduate course is part of the Mid-West Transportation Consortium where UMSL, along with 5 other Universities, provides guest lecturers that comment on aspects of transportation. UMSL students concentrate on the business aspects of transportation.

MKT 872: Seminar in International Marketing:-

An advanced seminar on topics in international or global marketing. Possible topics include the globalization of trade, export marketing, international market opportunity analysis, and negotiation for international marketers. Students who take one version of this course (e.g. globalization of trade) can take a second version of the course (e.g. negotiation for international marketers) with prior permission.

MKT 876: Internship in Marketing:-

Students work in the field of Marketing where they apply the knowledge and skills learned in the classroom. Professional development and obtaining specialized work experience are the primary goals. The student’s program will be monitored by a Marketing faculty member with the student providing a formal report at the end of the project.

MKT873 Seminar in Marketing II:-

This course addresses advanced problems in contemporary marketing. Topics may include, but are not limited to, marketing strategy, marketing communications and advertising, product management, consumer behavior, channels of distribution, international marketing, and marketing research.

MKTG 5799 Individual Research in Marketing:-

Special individual research topics in Marketing under the guidance of a specific professor.

MKT 861: Social Media In Business:-

This course will explore the phenomenal growth of Social Media and its impact on today’s workforce and the organizations for which they work. Whether a private or not-for-profit organization, ignoring these ‘new’ marketing tools is not an option. Students will learn about how some of the most progressive companies and institutions employ social media in an effort to build and maintain business. The course will also focus on the current leaders in social and professional networking websites -- Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and YouTube – and provide the students hands-on experience with each. Laptop preferred for live learning. Students will be expected to complete a short group project utilizing one or more of the social media sites discussed in class.

MKT 850: Advanced Advertising And Promotion:-

The purpose of this course is to acquaint students with the best available approaches to managerial decision making in developing an integrated communication strategy involving advertising, promotions, and publicity. Recent analytical approaches will be stressed and the course will show inter relatedness between these decision areas.

MKT 801: Data Analysis Systems for Marketing Decisions:-

MKT 811: Independent Study I:-

Students must conduct a study on the topic that leads to the dissertation according to the plan agreed upon by the thesis advisory committee and closely supervised by an adviser who is recognized as an expert in the field. The report is no less than 80 pages and must be presented at a seminar organized by the executive committee of the Ph.D. Program.

MKT 912: Independent Study II:-

Students must conduct a study on the topic that leads to the dissertation according to the plan agreed upon by the thesis advisory committee and closely supervised by an adviser who is recognized as an expert in the field. The subject matter must differ from that of the Independent Study I but be related to the dissertation. The report is no less than 80 pages and must be presented at a seminar organized by the executive committee of the Ph.D. Program.

MKT 899: Thesis