Undergraduate Program Course Descriptions
Core Course
| Introduction to Marketing MKTG-UB 1 (4 units) Prerequisite: Sophomore standing |
| This course evaluates marketing as a system for the satisfaction of human wants and a catalyst of business activity. It presents a comprehensive framework that includes a) researching and analyzing customers, company, competition, and the marketing environment, b) identifying and targeting attractive segments with strategic positioning, and c) making product, pricing, communication, and distribution decisions. Cases and examples are utilized to develop problem-solving abilities. |
Fundamental Courses
| Consumer Behavior MKTG-UB 2 (3 units) Prerequisites: MKTG-UB 1 and sophomore standing |
| This course presents a conceptual and practical framework for understanding people as consumers – the basic subject matter of all marketing. The objective of the course is to understand how consumers think and decide, and to use this knowledge to predict how they will react to company initiatives. You will acquire insights from psychology and sociology that explain how consumers make decisions on their path to purchase and apply this knowledge to strategic marketing problems. |
| Research for Customer Insights MKTG-UB 9 (3 units) Prerequisites: MKTG-UB 1 and either STAT-UB 1 or STAT-UB 103, and sophomore standing. |
| At the heart of every business is the customer. Without a customer, there is no business. This course will help you gain insight into what consumers want, why they buy, and what influences their choices. Understanding differences among consumers helps managers segment their markets and position their products and services effectively. You will be introduced to classic and contemporary data collection techniques such as focus groups, surveys, and experiments. You will learn to analyze qualitative and quantitative data and draw conclusions from your analyses to help guide important strategic and tactical decisions such as market selection, product design, digital and traditional media selection, advertising messages, and pricing. |
Advanced Courses (require sophomore standing)
| Advertising MKTG-UB 3 (3 units) Prerequisite: MKTG-UB 1 |
| This course provides students with a comprehensive framework and tools to understand the advertising process and to appreciate managerial and theoretical perspectives in advertising. It tackles all stages of developing an advertising plan, from analyzing the situation and defining clear advertising objectives to execution. Students learn tools related to various skill areas in advertising, including account planning, media planning and buying, and copywriting/art direction, while developing a broader appreciation of how each skill area fits into the overall structure of the advertising process. Coursework involves a comprehensive group project that utilizes learning in all functional areas of advertising, while simulating the development of an advertising campaign. |
| Managing Creative Content Development MKTG-UB 4 (2 units) |
| This course provides students with an opportunity to learn about the individual and collaborative services provided by professional managers, both inside and outside entertainment and media companies. It develops a system by which to evaluate the quality and nature of the services provided and how these services are being implemented through collaboration with industry creatives and business executives. Through discussions with and lectures by entertainment and media lawyers, accountants, talent and literary agents, studio executives, producers, and specialists in publicity and advertising, students will understand the diversity of talents and skills required to complete a project successfully. The objectives of the course are a) to provide an understanding of the executive’s role in entertainment and media industries – to assemble a team of creative professionals and manage their activities so that successful content is the outcome, b) to examine the roles and responsibilities of each team member (producer, head of production, studio head, manager/agent, manager/lawyer, business coach, and management consultant), c) to provide an overview of the various disciplines and content genres needed for different industry sectors (e.g., movies, television, music, publishing, electronic games, and theater), d) to provide insight into legal and financial issues specific to the various entertainment and media industry sectors, including basic copyright, intellectual property and privacy, and e) to review and be capable of implementing business plans for funding entertainment projects offered through venture capital, limited partnerships, angels, and other specialists in financial deal making. |
| The Business of Publishing MKTG-UB 19 (2 units) |
| This course provides students with working knowledge of the publishing industry, comprising newspapers, magazines, and books. It explores traditional business models and how disruptive forces including digitalization, consumer-generated content, low barriers to entry, and changing media consumption patterns are reshaping the industry. By the end of the course, students understand the operations of media companies and can speak to the opportunities and challenges facing the publishing industry, engage in discussions on the economics, terms, and metrics, and explain emerging business models. |
| The Business of Film MKTG-UB 20 (2 units) |
| This course is designed to provide both business and film students with a systematic overview of the modern day filmed entertainment business. The course examines the traditional “Hollywood System” operating out of Los Angeles as well as the independent film model, while taking a critical look at the financing, production, marketing, and distribution of filmed entertainment. It focuses on the various revenue streams inherent in the exploitation of films, both in the domestic marketplace and in the international arena and provides students with a keen understanding of how things actually work in the film business. Students will gain the basic background and orientation necessary for an entry-level position in a film production or distribution company, an international sales organization, or related support organizations. |
| Movie Marketing MKTG-UB 22 (2 units) |
| Movie marketing is a fast paced, highly interactive course designed to give students an overview and basic understanding of all aspects of a movie marketing campaign. The focus is on business decisions with the goal of developing a competitive advantage for a film’s theatrical life and beyond. The course will examine a range of movies, from low-budget independent to tent pole film franchises, and explore concepts, processes and different strategic approaches used by today’s distributors. |
| The Impact of Technology on Entertainment and Media MKTG-UB 23 (2 units) |
| Throughout the entertainment and media industry value chain, from content creation to distribution and consumption, technology has changed the way content is funded, produced, distributed, and consumed. This course explores the entertainment and media landscape with a brief introduction to such industries as newspaper, music, radio, gaming and television, and dives deeper into key strategic and financial threats and opportunities that these industries face as technology evolves. Several class sessions will feature guest speakers from relevant sectors. |
| Arts Marketing MKTG-UB 24 (2 units) |
| The arts category is rife with change. This presents enormous challenges for artists, producers, venue managers and marketers. In addition, the practice of marketing is changing just as quickly if not more so. Strategy and tactics are at more of a premium than ever. Marketers in arts related businesses must find a way to flourish in this new world, by working smarter, faster, and with great ingenuity. The course's objective is to garner an understanding of the concepts that drive arts marketing, to explore the competitive landscape and uncover what leads to a successful arts business, too practically apply coursework towards a project of students interest and focus, and to refine written and oral presentation skills. |
| Business of Broadway MKTG-UB 25 (2 units) |
| This course provides a framework for understanding the dynamics of Broadway and live entertainment. The focus is on understanding the development and application of the economics, the structure, implementation and staging of performances, as well as marketing strategies and tactics for gaining audience awareness and attendance. The course examines the steps necessary to stage a successful performance: rights acquisition, funding, marketing, branding, product positioning. It covers elements of the history, key venues, business and creative structures, supplementary revenue streams, and the necessary support systems in the industry. |
| Entertainment and Media Industries MKTG-UB 40 (2 units) |
| This course provides students with a framework for understanding the economics and key strategic issues facing organizations in the entertainment industry. It establishes a basis for the formulation of marketing tactics and strategies for firms competing for consumers' discretionary spending. Recent developments in major sectors of the entertainment industry are addressed, including movies, television (broadcast and cable), music, theater, and sports. Issues that cut across all types of entertainment industries are examined, including licensing, promotion, and new technologies. |
| Deal Making in the Entertainment Industry MKTG-UB 43 (2 units) |
| This course is designed to provide students with an understanding of the deal-making and business affairs process in the entertainment space, using film and television content as the primary example for what goes into cutting a deal. The course will explore the deal process from the perspective of the different players in entertainment and media, focusing on how each player looks to maximize value. Students will learn the process of striking a deal, from its inception, to the term sheet phase, to the negotiation process and contractual agreements, through to deal implementation. The process will be evaluated in the context of the factors that play into reaching an agreement, such as exclusivity, windowing, multi-platform rights and timing. Students will learn about negotiations strategies for maximizing value in content deals, identifying common issues in the deal process and effective paths to reaching resolution and striking a deal. |
| Television Management MKTG-UB 44 (2 units) |
| This course examines the television industry, focusing on broadcast, pay TV, over-the-top (OTT), and online streaming. It is a primer on the evolution and current state of the television business, from the birth of the medium through the current atmosphere of disruption and on-demand culture. It is a highly interactive course where students and professor explore organization, programming, and revenue strategies, as well as marketing innovations and competition in the newly configured ecosystem. The recent volume of mergers and new players in television are studied for their impact on the world’s most popular and influential form of entertainment. |
| Social Media Strategy MKTG-UB 45 (2 units) |
| This course addresses marketing, advertising, and communications strategies in the new media landscape where traditional media (e.g., television, print) and online social media (e.g., online social networks, user-generated content, blogs, forums) co-exist. Students are expected to have knowledge of the fundamentals of traditional advertising methods and strategies. With this background knowledge, the primary focus of the course is on understanding social media, developing social media marketing strategies, and tracking their effectiveness. Students are expected to participate in social media sites as part of the course, and must be capable of working publicly with such websites as Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, etc. |
| Globalization of the Entertainment Industry MKTG-UB 46 (2 units) |
| This course provides a framework for understanding the global expansion of media and entertainment companies. We will examine the economic impact of the significant growth in exports of U.S. leisure products and services, and analyze the strategies of several leading entertainment and media multinationals and the development of their entertainment businesses within the major world economic zones. |
| Sports Marketing MKTG-UB 47 (2 units) |
| This course provides an overview of sports marketing as a component of a fully integrated marketing communication strategy. Students study the history and contemporary application of sports marketing as a method to achieve goals. The curriculum addresses corporate as well as sporting property use of sports marketing strategies to achieve business objectives. The course examines strategies that address critical business constituencies, consumers, trade factors, employees, and the financial community. Also covered are sports marketing strategies within the context of special sporting event sponsorships, professional sports teams as well as governing organizations, sports media (broadcast, print, and Internet), licensing, and hospitality. |
| The Business of Producing MKTG-UB 49 (2 units) |
| This course is designed to provide students with a framework for understanding the dynamics of producing as a business, from the basics of pitching a creative idea to making it work. The course covers producing for a broadcast network, cable, pay television, and film studios, including content development, creative decisions, talent selection, contract negotiation, regulations, technology, storytelling skills, and other relevant core competencies that are necessary for success as a producer. |
| Craft and Commerce of Cinema: Tribeca Film Festival MKTG-UB 51 (2 units) By application only |
| This is a specialized EMT course, designed in coordination with the Tribeca Film Festival board, that provides students with a framework for understanding the dynamics of the independent film industry and how producers and directors are able to utilize the infrastructure of the Festival to bring their work to market. Students are selected for this course on the basis of essays, internships, industry work experience, and career focus. In the classroom, students meet with key business and creative executives from the Festival for discussions. The talks and assignments prepare students for film screenings and participation in panels during the two-week period of the Tribeca Film Festival. |
| Pricing MKTG-UB 53 (3 units) Prerequisites: MKTG-UB 1 |
| This course provides students with frameworks, techniques, and the latest thinking on assessing and formulating pricing strategies. The emphasis is on a) gaining a solid understanding of pricing practices across different industries, b) learning state-of-the-art frameworks for analyzing pricing issues, and c) mastering tools and techniques for making strategic and profitable pricing decisions. |
| Data Driven Decision Making MKTG-UB 54 (3 units) Prerequisites: Statistics for Business Control & Regression/Forcasting Models (STAT-UB 103) OR Statistics for Business Control (STAT-UB 1) and Regression/Forecasting Models (STAT-UB 3) |
| With recent technological advances and developments in customer databases, firms have access to vast amounts of high-quality data which allows them to understand customer behavior and customize business tactics to target increasingly fine segments. Much of the promise of such data-driven policies, however, has failed to materialize because managers find it difficult to translate customer data into actionable policies. This course fills this gap by providing students with the tools and techniques used in making business decisions. The emphasis of the class is on applications and interpretation of the results for use in making real-life business decisions. |
| Brand Strategy & Planning MKTG-UB 55 (3 units) Prerequisites: MKTG-UB 1 and two advanced marketing courses |
| This marketing elective focuses on creating and planning the execution of brand strategy. Broadly, the course has five themes: 1) Understanding Consumers, Competitors, and the Brand 2) Crafting the Brand 3) Measuring the Brand 4) Managing the Brand 5) Programming the Brand Strategy and Implementation of the Branding Programs The course takes a customer-centric approach to branding. Questions such as how brands can create differentiated brand experiences and engage and/or inspire their customers will be explored. The course is centered around the three activities central to the brand management & planning process: (1) analysis of market information, (2) development of brand strategy, (3) programming of the strategy and implementation of the brand programs. |
| Digital Business Strategy MKTG-UB 56 (2 units) |
| This course examines digital and online businesses (e.g., consumer electronics, software, video games, media platforms, etc.) from a strategic and marketing perspective. The objectives are to understand how these industries function, the unique challenges they face, and how businesses can leverage their strengths to achieve success in the marketplace. A particular focus is on understanding the interactions among competition, technology, and firm capabilities. |
| Digital Marketing MKTG-UB 57 (3 units) Prerequisites: MKTG-UB 1 |
| This course focuses on enabling students to analyze and develop sophisticated interactive marketing programs. The primary objectives of this course are a) to introduce students to digital advertising and marketing theories and best practices in digital marketing and b) to give students the opportunity to apply this knowledge to building or improving the marketer’s use of digital media. The course is designed to be a mix of strategic and tactical practice. |
| The Business of Video Games MKTG-UB 58 (2 units) |
| Video games are now a mainstream form of entertainment. In economic terms, this industry has experienced tremendous growth, despite a grueling recession, to an estimated $74 billion worldwide. A key development that has changed the playing field for both the producers and consumers of interactive entertainment is a shift away from physical retail to digital and online game distribution. The audience for games has also shifted. No longer the exclusive practice of hardcore gamers, video games have gained mass appeal in the form of social and casual gaming on the internet, on consoles, and on smartphones. At the same time, the development and publishing of games has become far more accessible. The game behind the game, in a manner of speaking, has changed. In this class, we explore the basic components of the current video game industry. Every week, we review major current events, hear from people currently working in the industry, examine case studies, and discuss the overall business landscape. Central to each class is the notion that practical business considerations and the design-driven creative process do not have to be in opposition. |
| Designing & Developing New Products MKTG-UB 60 (3 units) Prerequisites: MKTG-UB 1 |
| For both startups and established companies, new product development is a critical capability, driving customer satisfaction and competitive advantage. While most companies acknowledge the importance of innovation, many companies struggle to do this effectively. This course provides rich exposure to the tools and techniques we can use to identify the right new opportunities and create new products, services or experiences to address them. Through a combination of class discussion, real-world case analysis and project applications, we’ll explore a holistic approach to new product development, incorporating both quantitative and qualitative perspectives. This exploration will address identifying strategic opportunities, defining target customers, understanding and analyzing customer needs, generating and evaluating concepts, forecasting demand, designing products and services, developing market entry strategies, as well as additional topics. As we explore these topics, we’ll consider multiple approaches and their strengths and weaknesses to help students build a thoughtful toolkit. |
| Launching & Managing New Products MKTG-UB 61 (3 units) Prerequisites: MKTG-UB 1 |
| The challenge of managing the introduction of new solutions to customer needs is fundamental in customer-centric markets. We deal with managing and valuing new products in various industries, with special attention given to information, communication, and the entertainment industry. We examine the notion of disruptive innovations such as the USB PD, and ask the question: To whom exactly are they disruptive? We demonstrate the power of social interactions in social networks, and why these interactions cause the growth of new products to be slow, even for successful products such as portable navigation systems. We ask whether Microsoft paid too much for Skype (a memorable $8.5 billion), or whether Spotify will ever be profitable; we compute the value of SiriusXM satellite radio's customers, and demonstrate the fact that technological substitution is not getting faster, despite our perceptions of the generational shift between the adopters of portable CD players in the 1980s and the subsequent generation of MP3 adopters. |
| Global Marketing Management MKTG-UB 64 (3 units) Prerequisites: MKTG-UB 1 |
| This course examines challenges specific to entering international markets and conducting marketing operations on an international scale. Topics include identifying and evaluating opportunities worldwide, developing and adapting market strategies to specific national market needs and constraints, and devising and coordinating global marketing strategies. Emphasis is placed on strategic issues relating to international operations rather than on technical aspects of exporting and importing. |
| Decision Making Strategy MKTG-UB 65 (3 units) Prerequisite: MKTG-UB 1 |
| This course is intended for future marketing managers, industry analysts, and management consultants interested in developing and evaluating marketing and business strategies based on what science tells us about judgment and decision making. The purpose of this course is to help future managers and consultants understand the decision rules people use and their associated biases, so they can incorporate this insight into their business and marketing strategies. The course has two facets. First, it gives students a broad overview of important results from various behavioral sciences (e.g., social and cognitive psychology, behavioral decision research, consumer research) that clarify how people really make decisions. Second, it investigates how these results can be leveraged to design original and more effective marketing and business strategies. |
| Leisure Marketing MKTG-UB 80 (2 units) |
| This course is designed to provide students with a framework for understanding the dynamics of marketing in several leading sectors within the leisure industry, including casinos, cruise ships, theme parks, eco-tourism, themed restaurants, resorts, leisure hotels, and timeshares. The focus is on understanding the development and application of marketing strategies and tactics for leisure companies. Key marketing concepts such as segmentation, branding, life-time value, and CRM are examined in the context of leisure industries. The course explores revenue generation techniques that apply across the leisure companies, including licensing, sponsorships, and line extensions. |
| Luxury Marketing MKTG-UB 84 (3 units) Prerequisite: MKTG-UB 1 |
| This course is designed to provide students with an understanding of the fundamentals of luxury. When was the concept of luxury first articulated and what does it mean today? How did products, consumer tastes, material exchanges, and producer strategies evolve through history? How has the luxury industry evolved through time and what is at its core? What are the differences between luxury products, brands, markets, and luxury business models? According to a common dictum, a luxury brand is a bridge between the past and the future. By the end of this course students will have developed a) an understanding of the luxury segments of a variety of industries (decorative objects, accessories, jewelry, beauty products, hospitality, automotive, fashion), b) observation skills that will allow them to distinguish what constitutes luxury in a product (regardless of industry), c) the vocabulary necessary to articulate the nuances that differentiate these products and the ability to do so with clarity and precision in terms of technique, design, and materials, and d) the critical skills to identify potential new luxury products and how they relate to a variety of markets, including emerging markets. |
| Advanced Luxury Marketing MKTG-UB 86 (2 units) Prerequisite: MKTG-UB 1 |
| Building on concepts and business principles discussed in Luxury Marketing, this course is designed to provide students with an understanding of branding, design thinking, and how these are combined to define luxury business strategies. It also completes the discussion on luxury products and brands by demonstrating that branding within the luxury segment of the market is an integral part of business strategy. By the end of this course students will have developed a) an understanding of design thinking and strategy and their fundamental role in reinforcing the emotional impact of luxury brands on consumers, b) a deeper understanding of the luxury segment of the hotel, fashion, beauty, and automotive industries without excluding other product/service groups, c) analytical skills through hands-on experience and business case analysis, discussion, and presentation, and d) the critical skills to distinguish/discover faults in business strategies that are not compatible with or that contradict the essence of a particular luxury brand. |
| Retail Strategy MKTG-UB 88 (2 units) Prerequisite: MKTG-UB 1 |
| This course is designed to provide students with an understanding of the forces that shape the retail industry. What are the demographic, economic, competitive and technological developments that are transforming the marketplace? How do these parameters impact consumer behavior? Consequently, how to they impact the effectiveness of retailers’ business models? Retailing is totally reconfigured by new entrants and the use of technology. What defines success for these new entrants and what are their long-term prospects? What defined failure for retailers that once dominated the marketplace? By the end of this course students will have developed: a. An understanding of frameworks used to analyze retailers’ positioning b. Tools to evaluate retail concepts and their performance c. An understanding of retail operations and strategy d. An introduction to tools used by equity analysts when valuing/investing in different companies. |
| Retail Management & Merchandising MKTG-UB 89 (2 units) Prerequisite: MKTG-UB 1 |
| In retail today there are new opportunities and failures at every turn. One cornerstone to retail and B2C e-comm. success is having a strong Merchandising team. This team of Buyers and Merchandise Planners must be able to identify changes in marketplace trends and their customers’ tastes. They must know the magic price for a given product or services, which locations and web sites will sell it best, understand when to make it available to the consumer and buy the right quantity. This course is directed primarily to those students whose career goals are in the direction of brick and mortar retail and/or e-tail. It is focused on acquainting students with tools used by Buyers and Planners to address the issues mentioned above. Students will develop an understanding of their role, responsibilities and interactions in a retail organization and gain a familiarity with the concepts and skills needed to succeed in entry level buying/planning positions and those a level or two higher. Particular focus is placed on fashion merchandising, its supply chain and on interpreting retail reports to identify opportunities and issues and determine actions. Students will work in groups on a multi-week (textbook based) buying simulation exercise. As part of the simulation students will develop demographic and psychographic customer attribute groups for a few locations in the chain; write and defend Merchandise and Assortment plans (a buyers’ purchase plan); determine what brands to buy; and write purchase orders. Also time will be spent reviewing typical weekly buyer activities, basic retail math, the importance of store attributes and/or Gross Margin and Open to Buy management. |
| Independent Study in Marketing MKTG-UB 94-99 (1-3 units) Prerequisites: MKTG-UB 1, MKTG-UB 2, MKTG-UB 9, six additional units of marketing electives and permission of the department chair or co-chair. |
| Independent study provides an opportunity for a select group of upperclassmen each year to work one-on-one with a faculty member on a topic selected by the student and approved by the supervising faculty member. Each student is expected to spend as much time on the independent study as would be spent on a regular course, and the topic selected may not replicate an existing course. An information sheet with important guidelines about Independent Study is available at stern.nyu.edu/cons/groups/content/documents/webasset/con_039995.pdf. |
Additional Courses that can be taken as Advanced Marketing Electives
| Competitive Analysis ECON-UB 15 (3 units) |
| Full course description can be found in the Course Index. |
| Decision Models and Analytics MULT-UB 7 (3 units) Prerequisite: OPMG-UB 1 and junior standing. |
| Full course description can be found in the Course Index. |
| Decision Making Under Uncertainty MULT-UB 16 (3 units) Prerequisites: STAT-UB 103 or STAT-UB 1 and MULT-UB 7 |
| Full course description can be found in the Course Index. |
| Search and the New Economy MULT-UB 36 (3 units) |
| Full course description can be found in the Course Index. |