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Marketing Department
Why Marketing
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Why Marketing
Our Approach to Education
The Penn State Smeal Marketing Department is known for being on the cutting edge of marketing thought leadership, focusing on the marketing concepts and tools that connect theory and practice. The faculty are recognized for their excellence in research and they carry this knowledge into the classroom to train the next generation of practitioners and scholars. Offering a wide range of courses and plentiful opportunities for student engagement, the Marketing major is designed to challenge students to be strategic thinkers who are nimble in an ever-changing marketplace landscape. Students develop creative, interpersonal, and analytical skills as they pursue customer-focused careers.
Marketing Graduates
At the heart of the Smeal Marketing department are its students at the undergraduate and graduate levels. These talented individuals have gone on to pursue positions at top companies and faculty positions at leading research universities.
Recent graduates have landed positions at companies such as Amazon, Deloitte, Dick’s Sporting Goods, Google, Heinz, Home Advisor, IBM, Johnson & Johnson, JPMorgan Chase, Kohl’s, MiracleGro, PepsiCo, the Pittsburgh Pirates, Unilever, and many more. MBA graduates have gone on to work in a variety of fields including brand management at companies such as Apple, P&G, and Kimberly Clark, as well as consulting companies like Deloitte and EY. Our alumni include the pillars of the marketing world, including the Global Head of Marketing and Consumer Communication for Nestle, Chief Innovation Leader at LevLane Advertising, and many entrepreneurs such as the founder of Undertone, an advertising technology firm. Ph.D. students who have graduated from our program continue the Penn State tradition of excellence and are tenured professors at places such as Georgetown University, Notre Dame, University of Pennsylvania, and University of Texas-Austin. More recent graduates have landed jobs at universities like Texas Christian University, University of Delaware, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, and others. The Penn State spirit lives on.
Why Choose Marketing?
Sustainability
Marketers today recognize the need to think long term about the actions of consumers and businesses. Gerald I. Susman Professor in Sustainability, Karen Winterich, explains how her passion for sustainability evolved from her marketing research and has led to opportunities to share that passion in her teaching. As an undergrad, you will be able to learn more about sustainable behavior through Professor Winterich’s MKTG 442 class.
Consumer Behavior
Dave Winterich, Assistant Teaching Professor, talks about his passion for teaching Consumer Behavior (MKTG 330) and helping students apply psychological concepts to real marketing situations. He values creating an engaging classroom environment, building relationships with students, and making learning meaningful and interactive at Smeal.
Consumer Behavior
Consumer Behavior is one of the three main research areas in Marketing. Anchel Professor of Business Administration, Lisa Bolton, explains what she loves about teaching consumer behavior to undergrad and Ph.D. students. If you are interested in learning more about consumer behavior, be on the lookout for Professor Bolton’s classes where she will bring in recent alumni and apply current events, making each semester unique.
Creative and Analytical
Clinical Professor of Marketing, Jennifer Chang Coupland, shares how Marketing aided in creating bonds as a child and continues to keep her interest by challenging her creative and analytical skills.
Student Ambassadors
Maddie Langlois, Marketing major and student ambassador, explains how she has enjoyed studying consumer behavior and learning about brands in the marketplace. She highlights her involvement in Smeal student organizations, including Prime, where she worked on real-world marketing strategies while building professional skills and expanding her network.
Federica Roo, Marketing major and student ambassador, explains how Marketing is a great combination of creativity and analytics. The major prepares you for a wide range of careers from brand management to analytics strategy and beyond. She also discusses hands-on experiences through organizations like Prime and PSAMA, including working with real clients, traveling to conferences, and competing in case competitions.
Rachel Harris chose to study marketing because of its customer-facing focus. She better understands how marketing plays a role in everyday life and can apply this knowledge in being customer-oriented.
Marketing allows students to balance analytical and creative skills, one of the reasons that Hanna Bernett loves being a Smeal College of Business Marketing student.
Advice from Faculty
Keisha Nichols, Associate Clinical Professor, shares her enthusiasm for teaching Global Marketing and Marketing Strategy as they explore marketings most thrilling questions. She also leads embedded experiences such as Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL), study abroad courses, and serves as the PSAMA faculty advisor, helping students see that the world truly is their market.
Smeal is just the beginning of your career, which can be a long and ever-changing journey. Professor Karen Winterich reminds students that your time here is a small piece of a huge puzzle.
Leverage your existing capabilities in areas like content management. Professor Jennifer Coupland recommends enhancing these skills with resources like LinkedIn Learning.
Life will be full of challenges and tests, and that is why Professor Lisa Bolton reminds us how important it is to set your moral compass early in life.
Assistant Professor of Marketing, Sean Melessa, speaks on how to remain intentional in all that you do and the importance of finding your purpose.