A Master of Science in Marketing
degree program begins at UT’s John H. Sykes College of Business this
fall with promises of innovation and flexibility.
The idea was
spawned by MBA organizational meetings at Sykes about five years ago,
said program director Dr. Erika Matulich, associate professor of
marketing and a professional certified marketer. A major part of
launching the program was timing, Matulich said.
“The
marketplace is changing so rapidly,” she said. “We’ve had so many
things happening in the business environment that make it necessary for
firms to be more competitive, and they’re finding out that, to get a
competitive advantage, marketing is key. Firms are through trying to
cut costs, for example. Now they have to figure out how to market
better.”
The faculty is what sets UT’s program apart from
offerings at most other schools, Matulich said. In addition to every
member having a Ph.D., each also has significant professional marketing
experience.
“We have people with years of high-level experience
in sales and sales-force management, international marketing,
retailing, technology marketing, research and so on,” she said. “So,we’re
able to bring in the real-world side, as well as the theoretical side,
and blend them in our classes. You’re actually going to be learning a
toolbox of skills to take back to your job.”
The other big advantage of UT’s MS in marketing, Matulich said, is its flexibility.
“We
don’t want to cohort you, or lockstep you, or put you in a track,” she
said. “There are only about eight or nine required courses, and the
rest of your 30-hour degree is the classes that interest you the most
or fit best with your career. You get to pick and choose from a large
menu of what it is that you want to take.
“You can tailor your
program to whatever your career needs are, and you can also tailor your
program so that you can pass the professional certified marketer exam
that’s offered by the American Marketing Association. We’re one of the
few programs that have put together curriculum specifically so that you
can pass that particular program, and we’re one of the few in the
nation that offer marketing law, which is one of the components of the
PCM exam.”
For more information, please contact Matulich at ematulich@ut.edu.