Marketing and Operations

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Chairperson: Dr. Paul Schikora
Department Office: Scott College of Business, room 621

ISU’s Marketing and Operations department oversees the administration of two business programs: marketing and operations management and analysis.

ACADEMIC PROGRAMS 

Degrees Offered

MARKETING PROGRAM

Marketing is the development of ideas, goods, and services and the process of pricing, promoting, and distributing in a planned, organized manner to satisfy individual and organizational objectives. Marketing specialists and generalists are qualified for a diverse range of careers from research, promotion, and advertising, to the sales, distribution, and management of their company’s product. ISU’s Marketing Program offers students the knowledge needed to obtain professional positions in the field of marketing. Students study the aspects of marketing management through the investigation of buyer behavior, channel management, product and pricing, promotional strategy, and marketing research. Combining a solid core of traditional business study with a rich mixture of theoretical study and practical projects, the Marketing Program prepares students for careers in consumer and marketing research, sales, advertising, and diverse careers in the retail and commercial fields.

The Marketing Program offers students a marketing major with two tracks: marketing management and sales management. The Marketing program offers two marketing minors, marketing management and sales management. The program offers two certificate programs, insurance sales and medical sales.

Program Opportunities

Completion of an internship is encouraged. Marketing students have completed internships at Cadillac Products Packaging Company, March of Dimes, Industrial Supply, Indy Racing League, and Regions Bank. The American Marketing Association at ISU offers opportunities to explore common interests with students, faculty, and professionals in the marketing field. As students in the Scott College of Business, marketing majors may be invited to join the business honorary Beta Gamma Sigma, or the professional business fraternities Delta Sigma Pi and Alpha Kappa Psi. These organizations provide both professional learning and networking opportunities, and social opportunities to meet other marketing and business students and faculty.

OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT AND ANALYSIS PROGRAM

All organizations (including both manufacturing and service organizations) have an operations function that finds the most efficient ways to produce a product or to deliver a service. The complexity of the global supply chain demands that businesses deliver better quality products and services—with the best customer service, in the fastest time, and with a high degree of customization. These expectations make the operations function not only important, but critical to an organization’s success. ISU’s Operations Management and Analysis Program prepares professionals who can make a substantial difference in a company’s profitability. Students learn the analytical, problem solving, and behavioral management skills necessary not only to diagnose problems and improve current operating systems, but also to communicate and gather support for the required changes. Operations management and analysis major courses include advanced study in operations management, statistics, decision modeling, computer applications, and supply chain management. Elective choices include forecasting, decision analysis, simulation, quality, an internship, and other related courses. Graduates enter positions such as production planner, supply chain manager, procurement/forecasting manager, project manager, lean coordinator, director of inventory control, retail services manager, distribution center manager, quality manager, and materials manager, just to name a few.

Degrees Offered

Students interested in careers in operations management, supply chain management, or the analysis of business processes may choose from either a major or minor in operations management and analysis.

Program Opportunities

Two organizations specifically for students in the field of operations management and analysis are offered to ISU students. Membership in the ISU student chapter of APICS—The Association for Operations Management, sponsored by the Central Indiana professional chapter, allows students to meet other students and interact with professionals in the field. Alpha Iota Delta is the national honorary for students in the decision sciences. Beta Gamma Sigma, open to all business majors, is the premier international business honor society. Students wanting to become members of these two honorary organizations must meet specific standards and be invited to join. Operations management and analysis students may also join the two business fraternities, Delta Sigma Pi and Alpha Kappa Psi, which are open to all business majors. Operations management and analysis students have the opportunity to work with faculty in international professional organizations such as APICS—The Association for Operations Management; ASQ—the American Society for Quality; POMS—the Production and Operations Management Society; and INFORMS—the Institute for Operations Research and Management Science.

Through internship positions, operations management and analysis students receive opportunities to put into practice the skills and knowledge they learn in the classroom. Organizations in which students have completed internships include Remy International, Crown Equipment, Toyota Motor Manufacturing, Great Dane Trailers, and Columbia House.

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