A female instructor standing in front of a whiteboard, smiling at three grinning students

Marketing facilitates exchanges between organizations and customers and is a critical, dynamic, and multi-faceted area of business. The marketing function is found throughout organizations and businesses from global enterprises to start-ups; for services such as healthcare and banking; for nonprofits and municipalities. Students may pursue a variety of careers in marketing including: Advertising/PR/Communication, Digital Marketing, General Marketing, Marketing Research/Analyst, Merchandising/Buyer/Planner, Product/Brand Management, Business-to-Business (B2B), Sales/Business Development, Sports Marketing & Communication and Supply Chain Management.

In the marketing major, students learn the foundations of marketing—product, place, price, promotion—and how these concepts impact business strategy and execution in different industries and contexts, as well as the importance of relationships with customers and channel partners. Marketing professionals possess and develop a variety of skills including qualitative and quantitative analysis, critical thinking, creativity, communications, and problem solving. The marketing major provides a robust foundation in the marketing discipline, coupled with the flexibility to pursue several areas of interest in the discipline.

Recognition

The Marketing Department at the School of Business was ranked 8th in the United States by U.S. News & World Report for 2022-2023. 

Related Student Organizations

Mu Kappa Tau (MKT)
American Marketing Association (AMA)

Students wishing to pursue this major on campus must be admitted to the School of Business. Once admitted, students are able to pursue any business major they choose. To find out more about the school's admissions process for undergraduate students, please see Entering the School.

University General Education Requirements

All undergraduate students at the University of Wisconsin–Madison are required to fulfill a minimum set of common university general education requirements to ensure that every graduate acquires the essential core of an undergraduate education. This core establishes a foundation for living a productive life, being a citizen of the world, appreciating aesthetic values, and engaging in lifelong learning in a continually changing world. Various schools and colleges will have requirements in addition to the requirements listed below. Consult your advisor for assistance, as needed. For additional information, see the university Undergraduate General Education Requirements section of the Guide.

General Education
  • Breadth—Humanities/Literature/Arts: 6 credits
  • Breadth—Natural Science: 4 to 6 credits, consisting of one 4- or 5-credit course with a laboratory component; or two courses providing a total of 6 credits
  • Breadth—Social Studies: 3 credits
  • Communication Part A & Part B *
  • Ethnic Studies *
  • Quantitative Reasoning Part A & Part B *

* The mortarboard symbol appears before the title of any course that fulfills one of the Communication Part A or Part B, Ethnic Studies, or Quantitative Reasoning Part A or Part B requirements.

School of Business Requirements

The Wisconsin Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) degree program is based on a broad educational foundation combined with courses in business and economics. This curriculum is designed for those students who wish to prepare for careers in business. Students completing any School of Business major are required to satisfy a common set of Pre-Business Requirements, Liberal Studies Requirements, Business Preparatory Requirement, Business Core Requirement, Business Breadth Requirement, and Credits for BBA Degree.

School of Business BBA Requirements
Complete requirements:
Pre-Business
Liberal Studies
Business Prep
Business Core
Business Breadth

Marketing Major Requirements

All marketing majors must take MARKETNG 300 Marketing Management, which is a business core course and a prerequisite for most of the undergraduate marketing courses. In addition to MARKETNG 300, the major consists of three required marketing courses and a minimum of nine additional MARKETNG credits. These required and elective courses can be taken in any order, with the exception of MARKETNG 460 Marketing Strategy. MARKETNG 460 should be taken after completing MARKETNG 305 Consumer Behavior and MARKETNG 310 Marketing Research and preferably in the final year of the major. 

MARKETNG 305 Consumer Behavior3
MARKETNG 310 Marketing Research3
MARKETNG 460 Marketing Strategy3
Elective Coursework 1
Select a minimum of 9 additional MARKETNG credits.9
Total Credits18
1

Elective coursework may follow a specific "career path" if students choose.

Potential Marketing Career Guidance and Career Paths

For further information on recommended electives and career paths, see the Department of Marketing website linked within the Contact Information box.

University Degree Requirements

Total Degree To receive a bachelor's degree from UW–Madison, students must earn a minimum of 120 degree credits. The requirements for some programs may exceed 120 degree credits. Students should consult with their college or department advisor for information on specific credit requirements.
Residency Degree candidates are required to earn a minimum of 30 credits in residence at UW–Madison. "In residence" means on the UW–Madison campus with an undergraduate degree classification. “In residence” credit also includes UW–Madison courses offered in distance or online formats and credits earned in UW–Madison Study Abroad/Study Away programs.
Quality of Work Undergraduate students must maintain the minimum grade point average specified by the school, college, or academic program to remain in good academic standing. Students whose academic performance drops below these minimum thresholds will be placed on academic probation.
  1. Demonstrate the ability to formulate and implement marketing strategies related to product, place/distribution, price, promotion.
  2. Demonstrate the ability to evaluate and analyze appropriate market segments and generate effective marketing plans.
  3. Locate, evaluate, and leverage relevant sources to determine and support their marketing actions.
  4. Apply analytical rigor to marketing decisions.

This is a sample four-year plan for students directly admitted into the School of Business from high school. We encourage all students to consult with their academic advisor to develop an individualized plan that meets their specific needs. 

Freshman
FallCreditsSpringCreditsSummerCredits
ECON 1014ECON 1024OTM 300, FINANCE 300, or M H R 3003
PSYCH 2023MATH 2115 
Science3Communications A3 
Humanities, Social Science, or Literature3Ethnic Studies3 
GEN BUS 1101  
 14 15 3
Sophomore
FallCreditsSpringCreditsSummerCredits
GEN BUS 3063GEN BUS 3073OTM 300, M H R 300, or FINANCE 3003
ACCT I S 1003ACCT I S 2113 
MARKETNG 3003MARKETNG 3053 
Humanities, Social Science, or Literature3GEN BUS 3603 
Communications B3-4OTM 300, M H R 300, or FINANCE 3003 
 15-16 15 3
Junior
FallCreditsSpringCredits 
MARKETNG 3103Marketing Elective 23 
Marketing Elective 13Business Breadth3 
Ethics14Elective3 
Humanities, Social Science, or Literature3Elective3 
 13 12 
Senior
FallCreditsSpringCredits 
MARKETNG 4603Business Breadth3 
GEN BUS 3013Elective3 
Marketing Elective 33Elective3 
ElectiveElective3 
 9 12 
Total Credits 111-112
1

 Students must choose one of the following courses: PHILOS 241 Introductory Ethics, PHILOS 243 Ethics in BusinessPHILOS 341 Contemporary Moral IssuesPHILOS/​ENVIR ST  441 Environmental Ethics

Advising

Advising is an integral part of any student’s educational journey in the School of Business Undergraduate Program. Starting at Student Orientation, Advising, and Registration (SOAR), we encourage all students to connect with academic advisors. Business academic advisors have a wealth of knowledge about courses on campus, as well as policies and procedures.

Business career coaches help students with career exploration, internships, resumes, job search, interviewing and more. We encourage students to connect with their career coach once they arrive on campus.

Business academic advisors and career coaches are passionate about student success. Students experiencing academic difficulty or personal struggles are encouraged to talk to their advisor about how their individual situation may affect their academic performance.

Assigned Academic and Career Coaches

Admitted business students will have one assigned academic advisor.  Career coaches are assigned by academic major to be able to provide industry-specific career guidance.  If a student has more than one major, they may have more than one assigned career coach.  Students can find their assigned advisor and coach by logging into the Starfish portal through MyUW.

For students not yet admitted to the School of Business, there is a team of pre-business advisors available.

Accessing Advising

Drop-in advising and scheduled appointments are available for admitted business students. Pre-business students may also schedule an appointment with a pre-business academic advisor or utilize drop-in academic advising. 

For more information on accessing academic advising, please see our academic advising page.

For more information on accessing career coaching, please see our career coaching page.

Careers

The marketing function is found throughout all organizations and businesses from global enterprises to start-ups; for services such as healthcare and banking; for non-profits and municipalities.  Students may pursue a variety of careers in: Advertising/PR/Communication, Digital Marketing, General Marketing, Marketing Research/Analyst, Merchandising/Buyer/Planner, Product/Brand Management, Business-to-Business (B2B), Sales/Business Development, Sports Marketing & Communication and Supply Chain Management.

More information on Career Pathways.

Faculty and Staff in Marketing

For more information about the faculty and their research interests, please visit the directory.

Accreditation

AACSB International—The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business

Accreditation status: Accredited. Next accreditation review: 2026–2027.