Marketing and Operations

Chairperson: Dr. Concetta A DePaolo
Department Office: Federal Hall, room 115

Website: indianastate.edu/academics/colleges/business/marketing-operations

Marketing and Operations Department oversees the administration of three business programs: Marketing & Sales, Supply Chain Management, and Business Analytics (minor only)

ACADEMIC PROGRAMS

Degrees Offered

MARKETING & SALES PROGRAM

Marketing is the development of ideas, goods, and services and the processes of pricing, promotion, and distribution in a planned, organized manner to satisfy individual and organizational objectives. Marketers are qualified for a diverse range of careers from research, promotion, and advertising, to the sales, distribution, and management of their company’s product. Indiana State University’s Marketing & Sales Program offers students the knowledge needed to obtain professional positions in the field of marketing. Students study the aspects of marketing and sales management through the investigation of buyer behavior, professinoal selling, digital marketing, promotional strategy, and marketing analytics. Combining a solid core of traditional business study with a rich mixture of theoretical study and practical projects, the Marketing & Sales Program prepares students for careers in consumer and marketing research/analytics, sales, digital marketing and promotions management.

The Marketing & Sales Program also offers three minors; marketing management, sales and negotiations, and financial services selling. In addition, the program offers an Insurance Sales certificate program.

Program Opportunities

Completion of an internship is encouraged. Marketing students have completed internships at Oracle, Indianapolis Airport Authority, Sherwin Williams, First Mid Bank & Trust, Enterprise Mobility and many others. Students in the Scott College of Business who have an interest in a sales career have the opportunity to connect with companies at various events and participate in national sales competitions through the nationally accredited Sales & Negotiations Center. Students can also join 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 & Sales 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.

SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT PROGRAM

In this age of globalization, supply chain management professionals actively operate at the hub of an organization, interacting regularly with all other business segments in the firm, including sales and marketing, finance and human resources, suppliers, manufacturers, and customers located around the world. This ensures that the desired product/service is available to the customer in the right condition and quantity and at the right time, place, and cost. Efficient performance of this function needs the coordination of sourcing, logistics, production operations, inventory management, and information technology in a cost- effective manner. By integrating critical value-added components like manufacturing operations, purchasing, logistics, and physical distribution to enhance global competitiveness, students receive a solid foundation for in-demand careers in the management of today’s data-driven global supply chain operations.

Degrees Offered

Students interested in careers in supply chain management, operations management, business analytics, or the analysis of business processes may choose from either a supply chain management major or minor. A business analytics minor can also be paired with the supply chain management major.

Program Opportunities

Through internship positions and class consulting projects for industry partners, supply chain management students receive opportunities to put into practice the skills and knowledge they learn in the classroom. Companies that students have interned with or completed projects for include: Toyota Material Handling, thyssenkrupp Presta, Masterbrand Cabinets, Rolls-Royce, Cummins, Toyota Industrial Equipment Manufacturing, Crown Equipment, Great Dane Trailers, North American Lighting and many local organizations. Through coursework in their major, students may also earn their Six-Sigma Green Belt certification.

Membership in the Indiana State University student chapter of ASCM—The Association for Supply Chain Management, sponsored by the Central Indiana professional chapter, allows students to meet other students and interact with professionals in the field. Beta Gamma Sigma, open to all business majors, is the premier international business honor society. Students wanting to become members of this honorary organization must meet specific standards and be invited to join. Supply chain management students may also join the two business fraternities, Delta Sigma Pi and Alpha Kappa Psi, which are open to all business majors. Students have the opportunity to work with faculty in international professional organizations such as Institute for Supply Management (ISM), the Production and Operations Management Society (POMS), and the Institute for Operations Research and Management Science (INFORMS).

Through internship positions, operations and supply chain management students receive opportunities to put into practice the skills and knowledge they learn in the classroom. Companies in which students have completed internships include Sony, Masterbrand Cabinets, Rolls-Royce, Cummins, Toyota Industrial Equipment Manufacturing, Crown Equipment, Great Dane Trailers, North American Lighting and many local organizations.