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Undergraduate Curriculum

All Foster undergraduates receive a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration (BABA). The Department of Marketing and International Business covers three curriculum areas for Foster School undergraduates: marketing, international business and business communications.

Students can also augment their degree with the Foster Professional Sales Certificate and Certificate of International Studies in Business. For more on career pathways and opportunities following the completion of your degree, contact Undergraduate Career Services.

Below is more information about the core business courses and Marketing Major courses.

Business Core Courses

The Department of Marketing & International Business offers the business core courses listed below. All Foster students must complete MKTG 301, Marketing Concepts and I BUS 300, Global Business Perspectives, as well as the other business core courses. It is also highly recommended that students take B CMU 301, Strategic Business Communications.

MKTG 301 Marketing Concepts (4)
This course is required for both the Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration degree and the Marketing major. This course exposes students to a comprehensive and practical principles governing how a company transfers its products from the producer or seller to the consumer or buyer. This transfer usually involves advertising, distribution, pricing and selling of the goods. There is a wide range of career options in the marketing field. Prerequisite: ECON 200. View the MKTG 301 Course Syllabus.

I BUS 300 Global Business Perspectives (4)
This course is required from the Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration degree. International Business studies the global economy and world markets in today’s dynamic, fast-paced world. Because the rest of the world is more accustomed to interacting on a global basis, students who study the effects of doing business in a diverse international arena are prepared with a stronger background and understanding in today’s work force. Prerequisite: ECON 200. View the I BUS 300 Course Syllabus.

Marketing Major

Undergraduate students can choose a “formal major” in marketing to incorporate into their business degree. Students are eligible to apply for the Marketing Major upon acceptance into the Foster School. Learn more about the required and elective courses for the Marketing Major below. You can also find out more about the Marketing Major from the Undergraduate Program Office.

Required Marketing Courses

A Marketing Major student must take at least two of the following courses: MKTG 450, MKTG 460, MKTG 462 or MKTG 466. In addition, Marketing Majors must take at least three additional upper-division MKTG electives (excluding MKTG 490, MKTG 495, and MKTG 499). It is recommended that students take two courses from MKTG 450, MKTG 460, MKTG 462, or MTKG 466, before they take the other MKTG electives. View course descriptions in the UW Course Catalog.

Electives

To complete the major, students need to complete three additional Marketing electives from the list below. MKTG 301 Marketing Concepts is a prerequisite for all marketing electives. MKTG 490, 495 and 499 do not count toward major requirements. View course descriptions in the UW Course Catalog.

MKTG 335 Principles of Selling (4)
MKTG 370 Retailing (4)
MKTG 411 Business to Business Marketing (4)
MKTG 430 Sales Force Management (4)
MKTG 445 Multicultural Marketing and Business Development (4)
MKTG 452 Consumer Marketing and Brand Strategy (4)
MKTG 454 Strategic Product Management (4)
MKTG 455 Entrepreneurial Marketing (4)
MKTG 456 Advertising (4)
MKTG 462 Customer Analytics (4)
MKTG 464 Analytics for Marketing Decisions (4)
MKTG 466 Digital Marketing (4)
MKTG 468 Pricing Strategy and Analytics (4)
MKTG 470 International Marketing (4)
MKTG 485 Strategic Market Management (4)
MKTG 490 Special Topics and Issues in Marketing (1-6, max. 12)

Marketing Specializations

The Foster School Marketing department has two specializations available to complete: Marketing Analytics and Product Marketing. These can be completed within the Marketing major. Each specialization requires the completion of three courses listed below,

Marketing Analytics:

MKTG 462 Customer Analytics
MKTG 464 Analytics for Marketing Decisions
MKTG 466 Digital Marketing
MKTG 468 Pricing Strategy and Analytics

Product Marketing:

MKTG 450 Consumer Behavior
MKTG 454 Strategic Product Management
MKTG 456 Advertising
MKTG 460 Consumer Insights

The courses can be taken in any order as they are not strict prerequisites for each other. Students can also complete just one or two of the courses within a specialization if that topic is of interest.
While these specializations will not be shown on your transcript, Foster will be promoting them internally and externally so you can easily inform recruiters and potential employers about your expertise in these areas.

THE FOLLOWING COURSES MAY NOT BE USED TO COMPLETE THE MAJOR

MKTG 495 Marketing Internship (1-4, max. 8)
Strongly recommended. An internship with a company, not for profit organization, or government agency in a marketing capacity. Prerequisite: MKTG 301.

MKTG 499 Undergraduate Research (1-6, max. 9)
Optional. Undergraduate Research. Prerequisite: MKTG 301.

Complementary Electives

The Marketing Department offers an additional distinct course of study that may complement the formal major:

The Foster Professional Sales Certificate is designed to augment strong classroom theory with experience gained through mentoring and a practicum to build a foundation for a challenging and lucrative career in sales. This program provides a certificate upon completion of the requirements.

The Certificate of International Studies in Business is a rigorous, integrative academic supplement to the Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration. Through study abroad, foreign language immersion and area studies coursework, CISB students are equipped to meet the challenges facing business leaders in today’s global economy.