Bachelor of Science (BS) Degree in Marketing

At GMercyU, we redefine strategic marketing education by emphasizing a holistic understanding of its interconnectedness with other vital business functions such as finance, management, and leadership. Our Bachelor of Science (BS) in Marketing recognizes the continual digital transformation and the importance of traditional marketing realms. We explore website, social, and mobile strategies along with traditional channels that prepare you for a comprehensive marketing skill set.

• Our small class sizes allow for personalized attention and greater opportunity to engage with your professors and peers.
  
  
• A curriculum taught by professors with extensive industry experience enriches the learning experience and allows students to benefit from insights from some of the world’s most iconic brands. (There are no teaching assistants at GMercyU!)
  
  
• A mandatory internship ensures you gain experience before graduating, enhancing your employability.
  
  
• Our value-based education, rooted in the Sisters of Mercy, prioritizes values such as compassion, social justice, and service to others that are integrated throughout our marketing curriculum to emphasize fair business practices, sustainability, and social responsibility.
  
  
• 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.

• Opportunity to earn industry endorsements such as Salesforce Badges, Foundational Google Ads, and Google Marketing Platform certifications, along with industry social media, inbound, and AI certifications to enhance and differentiate your knowledge
  
  
• Assignments that provide hands-on experience using industry-standard tools, empowering you to amplify your learning and career readiness
  
  
• Honing essential skills employers value, such as critical thinking, communication, and adaptability in a rapidly changing landscape
  
  
• Participate in a marketing capstone project for presentation at a university-wide research conference

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 - 3 credits

Business Requirement - 6 credits

Marketing Core - 27 credits

Credit Requirements
A minimum of 120 credits is required for the bachelor’s degree in marketing.

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.

MKT-305 CRM Technology & Strategy (3 credits)
Customer Managed Relationship (CMR) marketing puts the customer and their preferences at the forefront of how corporations conduct business. Operational, analytic, and collaborative systems allow departments to communicate effectively with consumers and build relationships. Throughout this course, students will utilize Salesforce, an industry-leading CRM software platform, to source, manage, and employ relevant information to engage a target audience.

MKT-333 Advertising and Digital Promotion Design (3 credits)
An overview of the various offline and online media available to advertisers, the factors influencing the choice of media and the role played by advertising agencies are studied. Topics include the role of advertising in society, effective consumer communication strategies, consumer analytics, segmentation, targeting and positioning consumers, creating digital and non-digital strategies, planning and buying media, executing an advertising plan, developing a message and return on investment strategies and management.

MKT-410 Marketing & Digital Media (3 credits)
Digital technology has changed how consumers search for information, buy products and services, and interact with companies daily. These technologies also provide firms with abundant data, allowing them to connect with their consumers in myriad ways through multiple platforms. Through a case analysis approach, this course will cover outbound marketing, inbound marketing, mobile technology, privacy, and metrics to assess the effectiveness of digital campaigns. Students will obtain professional certification and create a digital marketing plan.

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
• Economics
• Operations Management
• Business Law and Ethics
• Organizational Theory and Behavior

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, EdD
Position: Assistant Professor and Program Coordinator, Marketing and Digital Communications programs
Did You Know? Dr. 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, EdD
Position: Instructor and Program Coordinator, Sport 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 Dean of Operations in Academic Affairs, Associate Professor
Did You Know? Dr. 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 $157,620.*
*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 $74,680.
*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 $135,160.
*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.

Evan Yannuzzi '24
"GMercyU professors make coming to class fun, rather than just sitting in a lecture. It’s more project-based with in-class participation more than anything else. Classes like these have made me more confident in my public speaking abilities." After graduating from GMercyU in December 2024, Evan plans to work at MassMutual in Charleston, SC.

Meet Evan

Emma Spangler '23
Current Position: Transfer Admissions Counselor, GMercyU

"After my internship [at Partner Centric} was over, I was offered the position to stay as an internal support specialist in the affiliate marketing field. The work I did was essentially what my digital analytics class was all about."

Meet Emma

Read more Griffin Success Stories.