Affiliated Courses and Programs

Students can be successful in marketing, advertising and communications-related careers regardless of major. The following courses and programs may be helpful for students who are exploring opportunities in the industry.

BUS 211 Marketing Management

This is the Williams School's primary marketing course and provides a good overview of marketing issues, concepts, skills and considerations for success. In the course, students analyze a firm's current strengths and weaknesses and develop a strategic marketing plan to capitalize on key opportunities. Topics include environmental analysis, market segmentation, targeting and positioning, and management of the marketing mix. Throughout the course, significant attention is devoted to international issues, the interrelationships between marketing and other disciplines, and the role of ethically and socially responsible marketing.

BUS 306 Application Design and Development

This seminar in management information systems is perfect of students who have dreamed about creating their own apps but feel they lack the necessary skills to do so. In this project-oriented seminar, students acquire the skills to design, create, and administer a fully functional iPhone app, regardless of initial skill level, using industry-leading mobile commerce software. Students learn how to leverage features of mobile platforms to attract consumers, increase conversion rates, and maximize the return on their mobile investment. No prior programming experience is required.

BUS 370 Integrated Marketing Communications

Affectionately referred to as "Ad Class," this course introduces students to the elements of marketing communications by developing and executing a fully integrated marketing campaign for the current sponsor, or "client," of the American Advertising Federation's National Student Advertising Competition (NSAC). Students apply to participate in the class, which operates as W&L's collegiate AAF chapter, and are "hired" for certain job positions, so that the structure of the class mimics that of an advertising agency. Over the course of winter term, Ad Class creates a complete campaign, plans book, and presentation for the NSAC's regional competition. Students should visit the course website to learn more.

BUS 371 Creative Strategic Planning

This intensive spring term course, which is taught every other year, introduces students to strategic planning (also called account or brand planning). Account planning relies on consumer research to develop effective marketing strategy. The types of qualitative research techniques more commonly associated with the social sciences (e.g., anthropology, sociology and psychology) can be of tremendous use to account planners who are in search of consumer insights that can propel their brand strategy forward. Students in the course must think creatively, independently, and interdependently as they conduct research, develop recommendations, and present and defend both the research and recommendations to a real client.

"How to Get a Job in Advertising" Lecture Series

Throughout the year, the Williams School partners with Career Development to host a series of lectures by faculty as well as alumni in the industry. The goal is to give students the practical information they'll need to land an entry-level job at an agency.