Marketing is concerned with the identification of wants and needs by buyers and the development of products, distribution channels, price and communication methods to best satisfy those wants and needs. The buyers may be individuals or organizations, and their buying may include products or services. Since the economic system is dependent on the ability of organizations to match resources with marketplace needs, marketing is gaining in prominence every year.

A marketing graduate will likely be involved in performance and management of many traditional areas of decision-making - sales, advertising, logistics and marketing research. In addition, one frequently assists in product planning, developing marketing information systems, and general management. Since these tasks are necessary for all types of organizations, employers of marketing graduates include manufacturers, banks, hospitals, retailers and not-for-profit organizations.

The effective marketing manager must possess a perspective and capabilities that reflect a three-dimensional program of study:

• A liberal education in the sciences, humanities, behavioral and social sciences, mathematics and communications
• An adequate knowledge of the major functional areas of business
• A high-level competency in marketing.

One's liberal education is emphasized during the freshman and sophomore years. The study of the functional areas of business begins in the sophomore year and continues into the junior year. During the junior and senior years, the focus is on marketing. In addition to the introductory course that provides an overview of the field of marketing, the student takes courses in areas such as consumer behavior, promotion, sales management, services marketing, electronic commerce, marketing research, channels and international marketing.

While studying marketing, one typically selects courses in other fields, such as international business, management, information systems, finance, advertising and public relations, and other fields to support a particular career choice within the marketing field.