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Marketing Major

Whether for developing a brand’s story or studying audience characteristics, Marketing majors pursue a career path that’s rooted in connection.

Zimpleman College of Business | On-Campus

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What You'll Learn

Drake University’s top-ranked program introduces the strategies and methods for forging these relationships and further situates them within the wider business context.

Preparing you for thoughtful and informed marketing leadership, you’ll build knowledge of accounting, finance, business strategy, and other key areas while polishing your professional and analytical skills. Marketing-specific courses begin as early as your first year, and here, you’ll take a deep dive into market research, consumer behavior, and the latest digital marketing tools and strategies.

Electives in areas ranging from sales management to global marketing let you customize your studies to match your career goals. Throughout, courses, competitions, and hands-on opportunities emphasize real-world applications of what you’re learning, so you’re ready to put your knowledge into practice from the first day on the job.

About the Marketing Major

  • Learn to craft and execute strategies that connect companies with customers.
  • Build the essential skills to excel in today’s marketing landscape, from branding, analytics, and market research to digital tactics.
  • Explore the relationship between data, decision-making, and problem-solving.
  • Begin with a broad view of the marketing profession before tailoring your studies to your desired career path—from product management or promotions to consumer analysis or research.
  • Access paid internship opportunities during the school year and summer—many Marketing majors complete at least two internships before they graduate.

Program Facts

  • On campus
  • Attend full-time or part-time
  • 120 total credits; 73-73.5 credits for the major and business core
  • Marketing minor: 22 credits

Program Options

Focus on the foundational aspects of marketing and where it intersects with other business disciplines. Or, complement your major with analysis and research skills to enhance your résumé.

B.S.B.A. in Marketing

Through a robust business core paired with in-depth marketing training, you’ll learn to craft and execute effective branding and growth strategies built on consumer research and guided by sophisticated analytical tools.

Marketing Minor

Strategically complementing business and non-business majors, this minor open to all Drake students includes a broad marketing core and a choice of electives in key areas like sales and marketing management.

Meet the Faculty

Award-winning teachers and mentors, Drake’s faculty are ready to equip you with practical insights gleaned from decades of marketing and consulting experience with organizations ranging from local businesses to global enterprises.

Natalie Ross Adkins, PhD

Natalie Ross Adkins, PhD

Associate Professor, Marketing

Mary Edrington, MBA

Mary Edrington, MBA

Thomas F. Sheehan Distinguished Associate Professor of Practice in Marketing; Faculty Internship Coordinator

Heidi Mannetter, MBA, PMP

Heidi Mannetter, MBA, PMP

Associate Professor of Practice, Marketing

All Faculty Members

Outside the Classroom

You can’t just theorize strategy—you have to test it out and determine what resonates with your audience. At Drake, Marketing majors first solve problems in classroom projects before participating in competitions and internships.

A Drake Marketing major in glasses and a blazer presents their capstone to an audience

Capstone

Synthesize your knowledge and skills in a senior capstone project. You’ll work with a local client to develop and present a marketing plan that addresses a real-world business challenge.

A hand shake between a hand with a bracelet and another in a light blue shirt cuff

Internships

Get hands-on marketing experience for a competitive edge. Students find paid internship opportunities in Des Moines, a dynamic business hub, and across the country for major employers like Amazon and ESPN.

Four Drake Marketing majors hold the Murphy Cup after winning the competition

Murphy Cup

Team up Creighton University students to impress executives with your marketing savvy. Working in mixed teams, you’ll formulate and present a solution to a challenge provided by a major company.

Drake Marketing majors stand by a table with a Coca-Cola tablecloth and Bodyarmor bottles as part of the AMA Integrated Marketing Communications Strategy program

AMA Integrated Marketing Communications Strategy Project

This project, offered in partnership with Coca-Cola, encourages students to apply the elements of modern marketing as they gauge consumer interest and brainstorm campaign concepts.

An assortment of fliers for student clubs that might appeal to Drake Marketing majors

Student Organizations

In Drake’s vibrant American Marketing Association (AMA) chapter, you can forge friendships, gain professional contacts at the annual Speed Networking event, and help craft marketing strategies for real businesses.

Two Drake Marketing majors in graduation gowns throw their caps in the air while standing in front of a building with mirrored uneven tiling

Scholarships

100% of full-time Drake undergraduate students receive scholarship support. You may be eligible for both merit- and need-based aid and can compete for national awards offered through the AMA.

Careers & Skills

With a bachelor’s degree in marketing, you’ll head into the job market with an impressive and diverse set of tools, from market analysis to strategic planning. Because marketing directly powers brand visibility and company growth, you’ll find abundant job opportunities and room for career advancement in every industry.

Bulldogs find themselves as assistant brand managers, marketing assistants, social media coordinators, product marketing assistants, market research analysts, and sales representatives or in other entry-level roles that blend creativity and strategy.

Employers

  • Amazon
  • Apple
  • Disney
  • Google
  • Procter & Gamble
  • YETI

Skills

  • Business strategy
  • Data analysis
  • Digital marketing tools
  • Market research
  • Marketing management
  • Marketing strategy
A Drake Marketing major in a black blazer pulls their hand close while their hair blows in the wind outdoors

Salary & Growth Outlook

$

The average market research analyst salary as of 2024. (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics)

“Marketing Speed Networking is a great event to connect with marketing professionals in the Des Moines area. I attended the event for four years, and it was one of the best opportunities to get connected with such knowledgeable people in the community.”
Katie Allen BN’16

Related Programs

Not sure if marketing is the right fit? Explore these additional majors that pair an interest in business with a flair for strategic thinking.

Data Analytics, BSBA

Study topics such as marketing, finance, corporate law, and organizational behavior, applying statistics and computer science to drive informed decision-making.

Finance, BSBA

Prepare to help businesses and individuals manage their money and reach their financial goals in a career-focused program that places real-world experience at the center.

Management and Organizational Leadership, BSBA

In Drake University’s Management and Organizational Leadership (MOL) major, you’ll acquire the skills to attract talent, inspire others to meet and exceed business goals, and lead within a global context.

Take the Next Step

Uncover your spark in Drake’s hands-on Marketing program, and grow your career from interest to illustrious success.

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Four Drake Marketing majors walk outdoors along a path while exiting a classroom building