Marketing Communications . . .
is a diverse and interdisciplinary
profession in the public and
private sectors which seeks to integrate
the activities of advertising, marketing
public relations, sales promotion,
event planning and various sales
support areas into a single professional
field of expertise.
Marketing Communications activities
would include: copy writing for communications
materials including
advertising, sales support, direct mail
packages, articles for publications,
video and audio scripts, convention
promotion and support and other
items; creative production of graphics
materials; trade show planning; production
of newsletters, brochures and
pamphlets; and working with news
media.
Department of Marketing Communications
310 North Hall
(715) 425-3899
Undergraduate Catalog
Program Description
Marketing Communications is a unique, interdisciplinary, intercollege
major which includes coursework from seven departments in three colleges. The departments
are, in the College of Arts and Sciences: art, English, journalism, and communication studies
and theater arts; the College of Business and Economics, marketing; and in the College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences: agricultural
economics and agricultural education. A major consists of 42 semester hours. Core courses totaling from 25 to 28 semester
hours include such areas as mass media principles and reporting, advertising design, consumer
behavior, marketing principles and persuasion. Specific coursework in Marketing
Communications principles, theory and methods is required. Students participate in a work
experience or internship for academic credit that provides essential professional experience.
Additional electives in writing, visual communication, marketing and promotion complete the
major. A student may select a minor field of study from any area within the college.
Faculty
The Marketing Communications faculty are drawn from the six academic programs
which constitute this interdisciplinary major: art, English, journalism, speech
communication and theater arts, agricultural economics, and agricultural education. All faculty
advise students and have outstanding professional and academic qualifications. A full-time
professor of marketing communications teaches core courses in the major, advises students and
develops internship opportunities.
Career Opportunities
As the world of business continues to change, recent job trend
surveys by several publications indicate the demand should grow for qualified graduates in
marketing communications. With adequate undergraduate preparation, the student will find
potential employment in a wide range of corporate, industrial and non-profit organizations.
These may include government, higher education, environmental, home products, high technology,
travel and tourism, health care, consumer products, business-to-business, beauty and
fashion, professional and collegiate sports, entertainment, and financial services. Within those
agencies, duties may include media relations, internal communications, publications, trade
show marketing, special events planning and promotion, public affairs/issues management,
product publicity, media presentations training, environmental communications, graphic
design, crisis communication, investor relations, corporate communications, media tours and
strategic communications planning.
