Marketing is a major in the Bachelor of Commerce (BCom), a three-year programme. It can also be studied as a minor.

100-level

The first year of study covers general principles of marketing, including the marketing management process, the four “P's”, consumer behaviour and the research processes used to generate information to make marketing decisions.

200-level

The second year applies marketing principles in more detail. Students will develop a more specialised understanding of topics such as market analysis, consumer behaviour, integrated marketing, product and brand management and specialisations such as sports marketing.

300-level

The final year provides an opportunity to gain deeper insights into more specialised topics such as digital marketing, persuasive storytelling and practical skills for producing creative marketing content, as well as international marketing, strategy, innovative marketing, and ethics and societal issues in marketing.

Teaching style

As well as lectures and smaller group tutorials, marketing courses are practical, incorporating case studies, presentations, group work and regular guest speakers. At the 300- and 400-level, you also get the opportunity to work with businesses on real marketing problems.

Marketing at Otago helps you develop transferable skills that are directly relevant to many other careers. For example, case studies call for strong analytical skills and group projects for organisational, negotiation and managerial skills. Many businesses say they value Otago marketing graduates because they have a practical approach and can “hit the ground running”.

Double major/degree options

You can combine marketing with a wide range of other subjects by incorporating a second major into your BCom, completing a double degree, or adding a minor into your degree structure. A few examples are outlined below:

• Corporate marketers may find finance, accounting, management and economics useful.
• International marketers might consider a foreign language while behavioural marketers may require a psychology background.
• Food marketers often include food science and nutrition papers.
• Adding art papers opens up possibilities in advertising.
• Linking mathematics and statistics is useful for a career in research or marketing analysis.
• Choosing a major in marketing provides the flexibility to study several subjects.

Minor Subject Requirements

• MART112 Marketing
• MART201 Integrated Marketing Communications
• MART207 Sports Marketing
• MART210 Consumer Behaviour
• MART211 Products to Market
• MART212 Understanding Markets
• MART301 Strategic Marketing
• MART304 Sales and Sales Management
• MART306 Market-Led Innovation
• MART308 Integrated Digital Marketing
• MART310 Current Issues in International Branding
• MART326 International and Export Marketing
• MART328 Business-to-Business Marketing
• MART333 Creative Marketing Communication
• MART355 Business Project
• MART448 Advanced Business Analytics
• MART449 Creative Marketing for Behaviour Change, Sustainability and Social Good
• MART460 Research Methods
• MART461 Marketing Theory
• MART462 Advanced Marketing Analysis
• MART463 Food Marketing
• MART464 Consumer Behaviour
• MART466 Digital Marketing
• MART468 Branding
• MART469 Advertising Planning and Concept Development
• MART501 Applied Project
• MART580 Research Project

Marketing is people-orientated. It offers careers that are exciting, challenging and rewarding. Because Otago's courses are comprehensive, require independent and collaborative learning, and celebrate creative approaches to problem-solving, our graduates leave well-equipped to work in a variety of roles.

A career in marketing could include sales management, public relations, brand management, designing new products, planning advertising and behaviour change campaigns, export and international marketing, or analysing market trends.

Some of our graduates join training programmes with well-known companies. Others work for smaller businesses, not-for-profits, and sports and cultural organisations, offering equally stimulating career opportunities ranging from sales to advertising, market research to market analysis.

While studying marketing you will also gain transferable skills such as communication, negotiation, analysis, critical engagement, problem-solving, management, and team skills, all of which make you more employable and rounded as a citizen.

We invite several industry guest speakers into lectures and provide opportunities for students to work directly with industry members on consultancy projects and class assignments.

We keep students informed about frequent on-campus presentations by companies looking to recruit talented students, and are in regular contact with organisations throughout New Zealand, many of them keen to employ Otago graduates.