Undergraduate

Program Info
· Structure
· Requirements
· Dual Major
· NEW Consumer Psychology Minor
· Planning Courses
· Program Advising

Course Info
· Descriptions
· Fall 2005 
· Spring 2006

Undergraduate Orientation Announcement - Spring 2005

· MUSE - Marketing Undergraduate Students Establishment

For more information or to request admission application forms, see:
· Wharton Undergraduate Programs
 

Page last updated:
 August 18, 2005

NEW! Consumer Psychology Minor

Undergraduate Program

Marketing is a challenging field of study which, to an undergraduate major, offers excellent career prospects. The marketing program at The Wharton School is one of the best in the nation. It is a controlled program with a number of requirements. This booklet explains the requirements and describes the courses.

Overall Structure of the Program

The marketing concentration focuses on the needs and wants of the organization's key stakeholders. In particular, understanding how customer perceptions and preferences evolve - and how the firm can influence them - are fundamental determinants of an organization's long-run success.

Students pursuing this concentration acquire a solid grounding in applying the basic disciplines (e.g., psychology, economics, statistics) essential for understanding consumer and organizational buying patterns and for developing successful marketing strategies. They also acquire practical experience in the application of these concepts and methods, via half-semester mini-courses (e.g., new product development, advertising, retailing) and a capstone course.

Many students with a concentration in marketing have gone on to work in brand management, advertising, sales, marketing research consulting, as well as pursuing their own entrepreneurial ventures.

Wharton students are required to take 4 CU in addition to MKTG 101, which is a 1 CU course required as part of the Wharton business core. Specific requirements and options for the marketing major within these requirements are presented below. Note: MKTG 101 is a requirement for all other marketing courses and may not be taken simultaneously with any other course.

Specific Requirements for the Concentration
Five course units must meet the following requirements:

1. MKTG 101 Introduction to Marketing 1 CU
2. MKTG 211 Consumer Behavior 1 CU
3. MKTG 212 Marketing Research 1 CU
4. 2 CU from the following list of electives that has not been used to fulfill the requirements above:

• MKTG 221 New Product Management 1/2 CU
• MKTG 222 Pricing Policy 1/2 CU
• MKTG 223 Channel Management 1/2 CU
• MKTG 224 Advertising Management 1/2 CU
• MKTG 225 Principles of Retailing 1/2 CU
• MKTG 226 Sales Force Management 1/2 CU
• MKTG 235 Principles of Advertising 1CU
• MKTG 236 Law of Marketing and Antitrust 1 CU
• MKTG 271 Models for Marketing Strategy 1 CU
• MKTG 276x Applied Probability Models in Marketing
• MKTG 277 Marketing Strategy 1 CU
• MKTG 281 Entrepreneurial Marketing 1/2 CU
• MKTG 282 Multinational Marketing 1/2 CU
• MKTG 286 Business-to-Business Marketing 1/2 CU
• MKTG 289 Marketing Methods and Applications for Business Consulting 1/2 CU
• MKTG 341 Senior Seminar 1 CU
• MKTG 394: Special Topic:  Entertainment and Sports Marketing 1 CU
• MKTG 396 Special Topics: Retail Merchandising
• MKTG 397 Special Topics: Retail Designscape
• MKTG 399 Independent Study*
• plus newly approved courses.

* subject to approval of department undergraduate advisor

Dual Concentration in Marketing and Communication

Concentration Advisors: Please contact Marcia Longworth (215-898-7741; 700 JMHH ); she will answer any immediate questions and issues. She will then direct remaining questions to Professor Patti Williams for further advice.

The connections between Marketing and Communication as fields of study are many. Whether in advertising, the development of web-based initiatives, or the conduct of market research, marketing professionals must understand the communication process and the most effective methods of conveying information. Students who take a second concentration in Communication will augment their understanding of the core concepts taught in their Marketing courses and will be better prepared for employment or graduate study. The dual concentration in Marketing and Communication allows Wharton students who are concentrating in Marketing to take four courses in the Annenberg School of Communication and to have this cluster of courses recognized on their transcript as a second concentration. Students who wish to pursue a second concentration in Communication must first declare a primary concentration in Marketing. The concentration in Communication may not be used as a primary or sole concentration for Wharton undergraduates. Students are strongly recommended to declare the dual concentration no later than the first semester of their junior year to ensure that they will be able to enroll in the necessary courses to complete the program. Students who have declared a concentration in Marketing and wish to take a second concentration in Communication must take the following courses: 

Consumer Psychology Minor

What is it? A minor between the Marketing Department in the Wharton School and the Psychology Department in the College of Arts and Sciences. This minor is not intended for Marketing Majors of Wharton or Psychology Majors in the College.

Why? Its goal is to promote the link between experimental psychology and marketing. Only with knowledge of consumer psychology can you properly connect a corporate strategy with consumers.

How? 9 credits in total:

4 Mktg c.u.,
4 Psyc c.u. &
1 Stat c.u.

(1) STAT requirement (any approved by the Psychology Department)
(2) PSYC 001 Introduction to Psychology
(3) PSYC 170 Social Psychology
(4) PSYC 151 Cognitive Psychology
OR 153 Thinking and Decisions
(5) PSYC Elective (200-300 level) to be chosen in consultation with the minor advisor
(6) MKTG 101 Introduction to Marketing
(7) MKTG 211 Consumer Behavior
(8) MKTG 212 Marketing Research
(9) MKTG elective: (1 c.u. total) to be chosen in consultation with the minor advisor

For information contact:

For Psychology:
Professor Robert Kurzban
Department of Psychology
3720 Walnut St. (C3)
kurzban@psych.upenn.edu
215-898-4977

For Marketing:
Professor Patti Williams
762 Jon M. Huntsman Hall (Marketing Suite)
pattiw@wharton.upenn.edu
215-898-0670

Additional Notes on Planning Coursework

1. MKTG 101 is a prerequisite for all other marketing courses and must, therefore, be taken first.

2. MKTG 221, 222, 223, 224, 225, and 226 may be taken in any sequence and at any time after MKTG 101: you need two mini-courses to make up 1 CU but both need not be taken in the same year. However, it is a good idea to decide early in your program which mini-courses you are most interested in and to take them at the first opportunity. Mini-courses are generally offered only once a year, so there can be no guarantee that a particular mini-course will be available for you to schedule in any given semester or half-semester.

3. MKTG 235 Principles of Advertising is a one semester, 1 CU course that can be taken as an elective or as a substitute for the 1/2 CU MKTG 224 mini-course (Advertising Management). Students may not receive credit for both MKTG 224 and MKTG 235.

4. MKTG 341 is open only to seniors and is intended to be the capstone course in the major. As this is a project course, seniors are encouraged to take it in the fall to ensure timely graduation in the event of unforeseen delays. Places in the spring section cannot be guaranteed.

5. MKTG 399, Independent Study, is offered on a limited basis to advanced students who have a 3.4 overall GPA and wish to conduct academic research under the supervision of a Marketing Department faculty member. MKTG 399 is not an internship. No credit will be given for "on-the-job experience." It may not be taken pass/fail.

6. MKTG 399 registration must be approved by the Marketing Department Undergraduate Advisor and a Marketing Department faculty member who is willing to supervise and evaluate the research. Interested students should prepare a 1 to 2 page proposal describing the research topic, procedure, time-frame, and the potential contribution of the research to the marketing field. Once your proposal is approved at the department level, it must be submitted to the Undergraduate Petitions Committee for final approval. The form is available in the Undergraduate or Marketing offices.

7. MKTG 399 approval must be obtained no later than the start of the semester in which the research will be conducted. The evaluation of the student's performance is typically based on a written research report submitted to the faculty supervisor.

Program Advising and Course Selection

Program planning and advising with a faculty advisor is strongly recommended. Marketing faculty advisors can help you to create a sequence to your courses so that they build on one another more productively. The advisors can also help you to select a set of courses within the program's options to best suit an interest in consulting, product management/ retail, and high-tech marketing management. It is important to have looked at the requirements for the major and at the suggested course tracks in order to approach your advisor with concrete questions about specific courses that might fit your needs.

• Wharton Undergraduate Advising Directory

• Students who seek consultation should first  contact Marcia Longworth in the Marketing Department (e-mail; 711 JMHH, 898-7741) with your question(s). If you need further advice, she will refer you to Professor Patti Williams.

• Note: Before taking any non-Wharton course, it's a good idea to check to see if course credit will be substitutable.

  • Independent Studies Mktg 399

  • Transfer credit for Mktg 101

  • Approval for course credit abroad

See the course descriptions page for a list of all undergraduate courses.

NOTE: Course syllabi, which provide more detail on course topics, readings, and assignments, are available to Wharton users only through SPIKE.

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