Oregon State Launches New Marketing MBA Program

Oregon State University College of Business has launched a brand-new MBA in Marketing for prospective students. The program will start in September 2019, with start dates also available in January, April and June.

Full-time students can expect to complete the program in nine to 12 months, or 21 to 30 months if studying part-time.

Colleen Bee, Associate Professor of Marketing and Program Lead for Marketing Program, spoke with TopMBA.com about what students can expect from the program.

Bee’s research examines consumer behavior in the contexts of marketing communication and experiential consumption, making her perfect for the role.

What factors led to the development of this program at the school?

Marketing is a critical function for all enterprises, whether for-profit or not, and there weren’t any graduate-level marketing options at public universities in Oregon.

What type of students do you hope to see apply in the first year?

Good marketers are excellent communicators, critical thinkers, and strategic problem solvers. Because our program also offers strong general business skills, our students can be anywhere in their careers, whether looking to break into the industry through to those entering senior-level management positions.

Our graduates are qualified for marketing and marketing-management positions, including in digital marketing, marketing and consumer research, search engine marketing/optimization management, social media manager, and customer relationship manager.

What are some of the extra-curricular opportunities available to students?

The Marketing Program features the Close-to-the-Customer (C2C) Marketing Lab, which offers professional market research and consulting services to provide insight into markets, businesses, and today’s consumers.

Teams are led by marketing faculty who mentor students in the field and in the classroom. The C2C Marketing Lab therefore brings faculty expertise and research experience into the business community and provides students with experiential learning opportunities preparing them for marketing careers.

What can students expect from the program on a day-to-day basis?

This program allows students to complete their degree fully face-to-face, online, or a combination of both.

How can students take advantage of wider opportunities within the school and institution?

Students have access to all graduate business coursework and programs, the Career and Student Success Centers, and study abroad and internship programs. As well as a network of more than 30,000 OSU College of Business alumni.

What most excites you about this program launch?

Employers need to understand consumers and how they integrate digital media into their lives. We developed this program in conjunction with industry experts to provide students with the necessary content to excel in the rapidly evolving world of marketing.

Also, the availability of the program to all residents of Oregon, and nationally and internationally through the online program. When you combine OSU’s highly ranked E-campus program with our excellent marketing faculty, you have a top-notch educational opportunity.

What will be the career opportunities for graduates of the program?

Graduates will be prepared for a career in digital marketing and global marketing at consulting agencies, Fortune 500 companies, startups, government agencies, and firms with in-house

marketing departments. The MBA prepares our students to assume leadership roles and to be promoted into senior management and executive positions.

For more information about the program, visit the Oregon State website.