University of Southern California

Marshall School of Business

Courses of Instruction

The terms indicated are expected but are not guaranteed. For the courses offered during any given term, consult the Schedule of Classes.

Major Restrictions

Enrollment in most 500-level business courses by non-business graduate students requires special permission. For information about the registration application process for non-business students, visit the Schedule of Classes.

Marketing (MKT)

MKT 385x Marketing of Creative Disruption and Innovation (4, Fa) Learn to use fundamental principles of marketing, branding, and consumer behavior to successfully market disruptively innovative products including goods, services, and ideas. Not available for degree or major credit for business and accounting majors. (Duplicates credit in BUAD 307.)

MKT 402 Research Skills for Marketing Insights (4, FaSp) Creating and interpreting qualitative and quantitative research to gain insight into marketplace challenges, such as testing advertising, identifying new product opportunities, and understanding customer decisions. Prerequisite: BUAD 307 or JOUR 340. Recommended preparation: BUAD 310 or COMM 301L or PSYC 274 or MATH 116. Duplicates credit in the former MKT 470.

MKT 405 Advertising and Promotion Management (4, FaSpSm) Role of advertising in the marketing mix: determining objectives, strategies, and plans from situation analysis through research and creative processes, media selection, and sales promotion. Prerequisite: BUAD 307 or COMM 200 or COMM 302 or JOUR 340 or MKT 385x.

MKT 406 Practicum in Advertising and Promotion Design (4, Sp) Provides real-life marketing experience as a member of a student managed marketing/advertising/promotions agency. Work with a client organization on the design of an advertising/promotions campaign. Requires market research, creative design, implementation planning, and client presentation. Prerequisite: MKT 405 or JOUR 340.

MKT 410 Professional Selling (4, FaSp) Learn the principles of business to business selling and its function in marketing strategy and the marketing mix; explore professional selling as a career option. Prerequisite: BUAD 307 or MKT 385x. Open only to sophomores, juniors and seniors.

MKT 415 Sales Force Management (4, FaSp) Studies the role of managing the selling function as part of the marketing mix; planning, implementing, and controlling sales force operations; critical issues in selecting, training, compensating and supervising salespeople.

MKT 425 Marketing on the Internet (4, FaSp) Consumer online behavior, Internet marketing strategies, Internet business models, marketing use of data analytics, search advertising, display advertising, mobile marketing, social media. Open only to sophomore, junior, and senior students.

MKT 430 Retail Management (4, Fa) Introduction to the functions of retail management including location, buying, merchandise management, layout, pricing, and promotion; application of concepts to various retail institutions.

MKT 440 Marketing Analysis and Strategy (4, FaSp) Synthesis of concepts and applications relating to the analysis of market opportunities and the development of product, promotion, distribution, pricing strategies. Recommended during student’s final semesters. Prerequisite: BUAD 307 or MKT 385x.

MKT 445 New Product Development and Branding (4, FaSp) This class examines how new product ideas are developed, test marketed, and, ultimately, brought to the marketplace. Issues about why new products fail and how brand images are managed in the marketplace are discussed. Legal aspects of brand management such as trademark protection and infringement are also addressed. Prerequisite: BUAD 307 or MKT 385x.

MKT 446L Practicum in New Product Development (4, Sp) Provides experience in a student managed product team. Work with R&D organization to design a new product or technology. Involves market research and implementation planning. Open only to juniors and seniors. Prerequisite: MKT 445.

MKT 450 Consumer Behavior and Marketing (4, FaSp) Examines the relationship of consumer behavior to acquisition, usage, and disposition of products and the psychological, social and cultural influences that affect these decisions.

MKT 463 Pricing Strategies (4) Examination of role of pricing decisions; innovative pricing theories; Internet and technology impact on pricing, price negotiations, customized pricing, price image and reference prices. Prerequisite: BUAD 307 or MKT 385x.

MKT 465 Global Marketing Management (4, FaSp) Product and service mix in multinational business; promotional alternatives; channel of distribution systems; pricing policies and legal barriers; multinational marketing opportunities; problems and information sources. Prerequisite: BUAD 307 or MKT 385x.

MKT 499 Special Topics (2-8, max 8, FaSpSm) Current developments in the field of Marketing; topics to be selected each semester. Prerequisite: BUAD 307 or MKT 385x.

MKT 512 Marketing and Consumer Research (3, Sp) Marketing research concepts and techniques; developing managers’ ability to critically evaluate and utilize research information in the decision-making process. Prerequisite: GSBA 509a or GSBA 528.

MKT 525 Consumer Behavior (3, FaSm) Theories and applications of consumer behavior in marketing; psychological, social, cultural and ethnic factors influencing consumer behavior. Prerequisite: GSBA 509a or GSBA 528.

MKT 526 Advertising and Promotion Strategy (3, FaSp) Explains use of argument, emotion, endorsements for persuasive ads; tools for analyzing ad effectiveness, budgeting, media planning and scheduling; principles of pricing for creative promotion. Prerequisite: GSBA 509a or GSBA 528.

MKT 528 Sales Management: The Art and Science of Sales (3, FaSp) Emphasis on creating a sales strategy, planning and delivery of sales presentations, and techniques to persuade people to change their opinions in face-to-face meetings. Open only to master’s students. Prerequisite: GSBA 509a or GSBA 528.

MKT 529 Customer Relationship Management (3, Fa) Development, analysis, evaluation and implementation of effective customer relationship management (CRM) programs. Prerequisite: GSBA 509a or GSBA 528.

MKT 530 New Product Development (3, FaSpSm) Systematic approach to product development and management; processes, techniques, and concepts firms use to develop, test, and introduce products and to manage products over their lifecycle. Open only to graduate students in business. Prerequisite: GSBA 509a or GSBA 528.

MKT 531 Services Marketing Strategy (3, Irregular) Analysis and development of sound marketing strategies and an integrated service management plan for service organizations. Examination of best practices among leading service providers. Prerequisite: GSBA 509a or GSBA 528.

MKT 533 Branding Strategy (3, Sp) Comprehensive treatment of the behavioral foundations of brands and brand development. Exploration of alternative branding strategies and marketing tools for brand development. Prerequisite: GSBA 509a or GSBA 528.

MKT 534 Retail Strategy (3, FaSp) Frameworks for analysis of retail strategy and functions of a retail firm, including buying, merchandise management, pricing, promotion, and visual merchandising; application of concepts through case studies and student projects. Open only to master’s students. Prerequisite: GSBA 509a or GSBA 528.

MKT 535 Business Marketing Management (3, Irregular) Business-to-business and government market opportunities and marketing strategies; product development and adaptation, pricing, promotion and distribution to organizations as opposed to individual consumers. Recommended preparation: GSBA 509b or GSBA 528.

MKT 536 Pricing Strategies (3, Fa) The complexity of pricing is increasing due to globalization and the Internet. This course will develop a framework for developing strategic pricing decisions. Prerequisite: GSBA 509a or GSBA 528.

MKT 540 Marketing Models (3, Irregular) Analysis, use, and evaluation of quantitative and theoretical models of marketing management, consumer response, marketing resource use and control, and competitive interaction. Recommended preparation: GSBA 509b or GSBA 528.

MKT 543 Market Demand and Sales Forecasting (3, FaSp) New product concept testing and life cycle forecasting, pricing and advertising response forecasting, consumer purchase intentions, judgmental marketing decision models, time series and regression analysis, computer methods. Prerequisite: GSBA 509a or GSBA 528.

MKT 555 Marketing Channels (1.5, 3, Sp) Examination of strategic decision making in marketing channels. Intensity of distribution, vertical integration, how roles are formulated, types of intermediaries, and multiple channels of distribution.Prerequisite: GSBA 509, GSBA 509a or GSBA 528.

MKT 556 Internet Marketing (3, FaSp) All aspects of Internet marketing. Internet as a tool for marketing communication, sales and distribution, customer management. Role of paid advertising, search engines, Website design. Prerequisite: GSBA 509a or GSBA 528.

MKT 560 Marketing Strategy and Policy (3, FaSpSm) Design and implementation of marketing strategies applied to domestic and global business challenges that span multiple industries complimented by a multi-period competitive market environment simulation. Prerequisite: GSBA 509a or GSBA 528. Open only to graduate students.

MKT 565 Global Marketing (3, FaSp) Variations in markets and trade patterns around the globe; product development and adaptation, pricing, promotion, and distribution issues across national cultures and international markets. Prerequisite: GSBA 509a or GSBA 528.

MKT 580 Strategies for Fostering Creativity in Business (3, Fa) An experiential course focused on understanding and developing the creative process. Creative exercises and techniques are developed and applied within a business context. Open only to graduate business and accounting students.

MKT 585 Marketing Radical Innovation (3, Fa) Study and application of new technology to create new business models, products, and services in world economies. Group projects focused on practical applications of concepts. (Duplicates credit in former GSBA 585.) Prerequisite: GSBA 509a or GSBA 528.

MKT 590 Directed Research (1-12, FaSpSm) Research leading to the master’s degree. Maximum units which may be applied to the degree to be determined by the department. Graded CR/NC.

MKT 592 Field Research in Marketing (.5-4, max 12, FaSpSm) Individual or team projects studying the marketing practices of an industry, company, government agency, country, geographic region, etc. Proposal, data collection, analyses, and written report. Open only to master’s and doctoral students. Graded CR/NC. Recommended preparation: completion of required MBA, M.Acc., or MBT course work.

MKT 593 Independent Research in Marketing (.5-4, max 12, FaSpSm) Independent research beyond normal course offerings. Proposal, research and written report/paper required. Open only to master’s students. Graded CR/NC.

MKT 595 Internship in Marketing (.5-2, max 9, FaSpSm) Supervised on-the-job business experience in the field of marketing. (Curricular Practical Training.) Open only to graduate business and accounting majors. Graded CR/NC. Recommended preparation: completion of required MBA, M.Acc., or MBT course work.

MKT 596 Research Practicum in Marketing (.5-2, max 8, FaSpSm) Hands-on practical experience working with a Marshall faculty member in the Marketing Department on an ongoing research project. Open only to master’s and doctoral students. Graded CR/NC.

MKT 597 Consulting Project in Marketing (.5-5, max 12, FaSp) Individual or team project solving real business problems for an existing business entity, domestic and/or international. Proposal, field research, analyses and oral and written presentations. Open only to master’s and doctoral students. Graded CR/NC.

MKT 599 Special Topics (1, 1.5, 2, or 3, max 9, FaSpSm) Examination of current literature and emerging and timely topics in marketing, social marketing, consumerism, macromarketing, marketing of individuals, organizations, and ideas. Prerequisite: GSBA 509a or GSBA 528.

MKT 613 Marketing Models in Consumer and Business-to-Business Markets (3, Fa) Modeling research on marketing with a focus on channel structure, franchising and sales force compensation, innovation and diffusion, inter-store composition, sales promotions, and market segmentation. (Duplicates credit in former MKT 605 and former MKT 613a.) Open to doctoral program in business administration students only.

MKT 614 Advanced Research Methods in Marketing (3, Sp) Applications of advanced research techniques and designs to marketing problems; review and critique of current literature; development and defense of student’s own research proposal. (Duplicates credit in former MKT 661.)

MKT 615 Strategic and Marketing Mix Models (3, Sp) Modeling research on marketing with a focus on discrete choice models, consideration set models, purchase timing models, accounting for consumer heterogeneity, Bayesian models, dynamic models of consumer choice, market entry effects, product quality, advertising and carry over effects, price, and promotion. (Duplicates credit in former MKT 605 and former MKT 613b.) Open to doctoral program in business administration students only.

MKT 616 Understanding Consumer and Organizational Buying Behavior (3, Fa) Behavioral research and theory on marketing with a focus on goals, emotions, categorization and knowledge, inferences, attitudes, consumption, marketing and technology, organizational learning, new product development. (Duplicates credit in former MKT 602 and former MKT 612a.) Open to doctoral program in business administration students only.

MKT 618 Consumer Behavior and Decision Making (3) A foundation in judgment, decision-making, and choice aspects of consumer behavior and business. Topics include heuristics and biases, information acquisition, time perception, and intertemporal choice.

MKT 620 Advanced Quantitative Models in Marketing (3, FaSp) Techniques for building and analyzing advanced quantitative analytical models. Develop and estimate various state-of-the-art models of consumer choice and firm decisions. Open only to doctoral students.