Main Content
Syllabus
MKTG 301W Principles of Marketing
MKTG 301W Principles of Marketing (3) Focuses on customer behavior, product, channels of distribution, promotion, and pricing with emphasis on a culturally diverse environment. Not available to students who have taken BA 303
Overview | Course Objectives | Materials | Library | Tutor.com | Technical Requirements | Course Requirements | Grading | Course Schedule | Academic Integrity | Policies
Overview
The course is designed to introduce students to the basic framework, marketing techniques, terminology, and concepts as part of the core knowledge in business. Important marketing concepts and processes will be identified and discussed. Students will gain an understanding of how the marketing function interrelates with other business functions/disciplines. Students will explore the entire marketing field including in-depth introduction to the topics of (4Ps) product, promotion (including sales, advertising, public relations, social media, direct marketing, and sales promotion), place (channels of distribution including wholesaling and retailing), and pricing as well as be introduced to the marketing process, consumer behavior, segmentation, targeting and positioning.
Course Objectives
MKTG 301W, Principles of Marketing is a three credit course writing intensive course. The course covers terminology and important concepts related to marketing in the business environment. Domestic and international environments that impact marketing are included, with particular emphasis on the marketing environment, segmentation, positioning and targeting. MKTG 301W course objectives include providing an overview and introduction to marketing; demonstrating the relationship of marketing to other functions and processes in a business organization on an integrated basis; providing real world examples of challenges and issues related to marketing; and explaining and discussing important concepts and analytical tools in marketing. As a University writing intensive course, students will be practicing professional writing throughout the course.
Major themes embedded in the foundation of MKTG 301W include domestic and global economic factors influencing current marketing environments; how consumer, business and organizational customers are segmented and targeted; how marketing research and information systems are used to create and guide marketing strategies; how products are developed to serve customers, businesses and organizations; how service products are developed and managed to meet customer needs; how customers are reached through various conventional and technological channels and how these sales management processes are managed; how marketing communications programs, which include advertising, publicity, sales promotion, personal selling, direct marketing and social media are designed to reach customers; and how pricing strategies support corporate objectives in various economic climates.
The most basic objective of the course is to provide you with a broad introduction to marketing concepts, the role of marketing in society and in the firm, and the various factors that influence marketing decision making. When you successfully complete this course, you will be able to (explain, demonstrate, discuss)
- To provide you with a broad introduction to marketing concepts, the role of marketing in society and in the firm, and the various factors that influence marketing decision making.
- To simultaneously assist you in acquiring a firm foundation in marketing theory and marketing terminology, plus the ability to apply marketing concepts to business situations and your individual lives.
- To encourage you to extend your learning horizons beyond the classroom through the discussion of current events, handouts, use of the internet, drawing on your experiences to date, plus the expertise of your acquaintances.
- To help you prepare a marketing plan, something that you may have to do in your future job in terms of professional writing.
- To help you work in a group: define the scope and goals of your project, assign tasks and coordinate group work.
- To help you to be interested in marketing as a career in such areas as sales, retailing, advertising, marketing research, wholesaling, packaging, and physical distribution.
- To have fun learning together.
Course Materials
Required Materials
Most World Campus courses require that students purchase materials (e.g., textbooks, specific software, etc.). To learn about how to order materials, please see the Course Materials page. You should check LionPATH approximately 3–4 weeks before the course begins for a list of required materials.Library Resources - Academic Writing
Remember that this is a writing-intensive course, that also requires a fair bit of academic research. It is very important to consider the sources that you use for your assignments in this course. The first port of call for any information for your assignments will be Penn State's amazing library system. Some of the resources you will find there are:
- Academic Peer-reviewed work: These articles are the most desirable to use, as they are written and reviewed by experts in the field. Marketing is an interdisciplinary field, so you will find relevant papers in a variety of databases. However, the best database for marketing articles is Business Source Premier
- Industry reports: Mintel contains myriad analyses of industries and consumers throughout the world.
- Other reputable periodicals through university databases
- Have physical materials delivered to your home via Interlibrary Loan
- Exceptional support by librarians via the Ask a Librarian service
Consult the Online Students' Library Guide for more information. You must have an active Penn State Access Account to take full advantage of the Libraries' resources and services. Once you have a Penn State account, you will automatically be registered with the library within 24–48 hours. If you would like to determine whether your registration has been completed, visit the Libraries home page, click on Library Accounts, and then click on My Library Account.
Resist the urge to use Google as your first search method for resources. The order of the results you receive are based upon search engine optimization, which is based upon search traffic and relevance, but not necessarily quality, or accuracy. Avoid using blogs or even company blogs for information, unless you know for a fact that the blog author possesses expertise, and therefore widespread credibility. Once you become proficient with Penn State’s library site, the time saved by a simple Google search will be minimal, but the risk of using poor, biased, or even false information will be much greater.
Also beware of sites ending in .edu. Students generally assume these are great sources, however those that appear from a standard Google search could be ungraded (and therefore unverified) undergraduate student homework, which is not a credible source. However, masters’ theses and doctoral dissertations are quality sources, and can be found through the library.
Some notes on writing for this course
At this level, critical writing is crucial. Eliminate direct quotes, and paraphrase and cite instead. Context is important, and you must be able to discuss what the findings mean in the context of your research! Too many direct quotes add nothing to the assignment and does little to convince your instructor you have mastered the relevant concepts. Here are two sources from our friends in the United Kingdom who provide more advice about critical writing.
- The University of Leeds Critical Thinking Critical Writing
- The University of Hull Critical Writing
Proper citation is also very important. At World Campus we use APA format. More details and support can be found at the Purdue Online Writing Lab (OWL)
Many of the University Libraries resources can be utilized from a distance. Through the Libraries website, you can
- access magazine, journal, and newspaper articles online using library databases;
- borrow materials and have them delivered to your doorstep—or even your desktop;
- get research help via email, chat, or phone using the Ask a Librarian service; and
- much more.
You must have an active Penn State Access Account to take full advantage of the Libraries' resources and service. The Off-Campus Users page has additional information about these free services.
Tutor.com
Tutor.com is a 24/7 tutoring service that provides students with assistance in coursework, test preparation, research, writing, and more for various subjects. The tutors are subject-matter experts, and each student will have personalized one-on-one sessions with them. Students can schedule their own tutoring appointments to engage in interactive sessions that include a whiteboard and chat feature. The service can be utilized on any device that has Internet access. Students are encouraged to use the service throughout the semester.
You can access this service by selecting Tutor.com from your course navigation menu. Here you fill out a questionnaire and begin your tutoring session.
Technical Requirements
| Operating System | Canvas, Penn State's Learning Management System (LMS), supports most recent versions of Microsoft Windows and Apple Mac operating systems. To determine if your operating system is supported, please review Canvas' computer specifications. |
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| Browser | Canvas supports the last two versions of every major browser release. It is highly recommended that you update to the newest version of whatever browser you are using. Note: Cookies must be enabled, and pop-up blockers should be configured to permit new windows from Penn State websites. |
| Additional Canvas Requirements | For a list of software, hardware, and computer settings specifically required by the Canvas LMS, please review Canvas' computer specifications. |
| Additional Software | All Penn State students have access to Microsoft Office 365, including Microsoft Office applications such as Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. |
| Hardware | Monitor: Monitor capable of at least 1024 x 768 resolution |
| Mobile Device (optional) | The Canvas mobile app is available for versions of iOS and Android. To determine if your device is capable of using the Canvas Mobile App, please review the Canvas Mobile App Requirements. |
Student Education Experience Questionnaire (SEEQ)
During the semester you will receive information for completing the Student Education Experience Questionnaire (SEEQ). Your participation is an opportunity to provide anonymous feedback on your learning experience. Your feedback is important because it allows us to understand your experience in this course and make changes to improve the learning experiences of future students. Please monitor email and course communications for links and availability dates.
If you need technical assistance at any point during the course, please contact the Service Desk.
For registration, advising, disability services, help with materials, exams, general problem solving, visit World Campus Student Services!
Course Requirements and Grading
Method of Instruction
If this is the first online course you are taking, you will find it is very different than the traditional face to face classroom environment. The anxiety that you may feel at the beginning is normal. It will become less stressful once you are comfortable with the technology and the rhythm of the course.
The key to successful completion of this online course is organization. This syllabus and schedule outlines my expectations of students, including grading policies, assignments, and projects, and a schedule of due dates.
This is not a self-paced course. Deadlines exist because of the short amount of time in which you must complete each and every task. You may work ahead on the reading and assignments but not in the discussion assignments.
Students are expected to engage in participation and citizenship behaviors similar to that which is expected in the professional community. While participation, and citizenship will not play a direct role in the accumulation of points used in the determination of grades, these behaviors will play an indirect, but by no means insignificant role, through any rounding-up or close-call grading decisions.
See the Course Schedule located for a summary of the lessons, reading assignments, discussion assignments, activities and assessments.
Course Breakdown
There are 710 possible total points to be earned in this course. The following provides a breakdown of the projects and areas on which grades will be based:
Projects and Rubrics
What is a rubric?
A rubric is a scoring tool that lists criteria on which grades will be based. Rubrics are provided so you are aware of how you will be evaluated. The next section describes in more detail the projects and rubrics that will be used in this course.
"Critical Thinking" and "Pause to Reflect"
Throughout the online lessons, you will encounter both Critical Thinking and Pause to Reflect activities. Neither of these are graded, but in the case of Critical Thinking activities, you are not able to proceed with the lesson's content until you complete them.
Even though these activities are not graded, I cannot stress enough that it is in your best interest to read and reflect upon the question being asked. If after reading the question, you don't know the answer, I would strongly encourage you to research it in the textbook, within the online lecture, or find the answer on the web. It is my job to prepare you to be critical thinkers. This is your education and I encourage you to make the most of it (especially if you have an interest in pursuing a career in marketing, advertising, public relations, or sales).
Individual Writing/Reflection Assignments
These assignments are designed to give you an opportunity to practice what you have learned in the lesson and develop specific skills prior to using them in the group project. Some also ask you to reflect upon the material using your own personal experiences with marketing. These papers should typically be a minimum of 500 words, written in APA format while taking careful note of the citations in terms of quality and how they are cited.
Unless otherwise noted, individual writing assignments will be due Sunday, 11:59 PM (ET) of the week assigned.
Lesson Quizzes
At the end of each lesson, there will be a timed (15-minute) quiz. The quiz will consist of ten (10) multiple choice questions. Quiz questions are drawn from a question pool. To assist with academic integrity, questions will be randomly assigned to each student from the question pool. The quiz will automatically be submitted at the end of 15 minutes. Any unanswered questions will not receive any points.
You may retake this quiz up to three times, and your highest score will be recorded in the grade book. Use these assessments as an opportunity to evaluate and demonstrate your mastery of the lesson content. Remember, each attempt will contain a new set of questions, so it is in your best interest to study the lesson content and readings carefully before attempting the quiz.
Flip Discussions
In this course, we are introducing the use of Flip (formerly Flipgrid) for discussions, which introduces audio and video. We’ve done this to present you, the student, with a more engaging, and personable way to interact with your classmates. Despite being a virtual classroom, it is important to get to know your classmates. You never know who might become a valuable ally in your professional network, or even a good friend. Although the format has changed, the standard for good classroom discussions has not! Remember that quality discussions do the following:
- Thoughtfully apply the lesson material
- Contribute to the course discussion in a positive and engaging manner
- Provide your own personal perspective, informed by your own thoughts and experiences when relevant
- Positively contribute to the culture of the course section
- Provide stimulating academic debate. Feel free to challenge and disagree with your peers, just be sure to do so respectfully. No personal attacks.
Unless otherwise noted, the initial response to the discussion question should be posted by Thursday, 11:59 p.m. (ET) to get the maximum points in this area (see rubric). Then you have until Sunday, 11:59 p.m. (ET) to respond to two other students' posts, unless otherwise noted. If you forget to participate you will receive a zero.
Group Marketing Plan Project and Presentation
With your team, you will create a marketing plan for a branded product representing any Strategic Business Unit (SBU) of the company assignment the semester you take the course.
The plan will be developed one stage at a time, giving your group and opportunity to apply what you have learned in a real-world context. The length for each iteration will vary with the required content. However, your group should consider the following when writing group assignments:
- Marketing planning is a research-based activity. It is essential that your group use as many high-quality sources as possible to justify your decisions. Imagine that you are consultants, and the company assigned is your client. Your client will want to see extensive, credible evidence for your findings, and then justification for your recommendations.
- Be as specific as possible. These assignments are designed to demonstrate learning, so provide specific information in the research phase, and reasonable yet actionable recommendations at the end that demonstrate that you have mastered the course material.
- There are times where bullet points and tables are appropriate, but always remember to write critically and professionally throughout the document.
Don't worry! The course has been designed to introduce you to each component of marketing. Once introduced, you will have a number of hands-on activities to apply what you have learned. Each activity serves as a building block towards marketing your SBU. It is important to continually think about your group project during the semester because the final project is a culmination of all you have learned and requires intense group work. It would be best to start building the elements of the project several modules prior to the end of the semester.
Peer Evaluation
The biggest complaint about team projects involves team members riding upon the coattails of those doing the work. As such, peer evaluations serves as a way to provide team members a unique grade to various group assignments.
At the end of lessons incorporating group work, you are required to complete a peer evaluation providing your instructor insight into the performance of each team member. Please be professional with your evaluation. Judge your fellow team members honestly, but fairly. Remember - based upon the evaluation your receive from your team, your instructor has the right at his or her discretion to deduct points from your individual group assignment grade. Be sure to be an active participant with group assignments, which collectively makes up 35% of your grade.
Please refer to the following resources to help you and your team successfully work together:
- 10 Tips for Working in Student Teams
- Effective Teamwork in Student Groups
- Tips to Work Effectively in Group Projects
- The Importance of Teamwork Skills in Work & School
Grading Scale
| Numerical value | Letter grade |
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| 93 and above | A |
| 90–92.99 | A- |
| 87–89.99 | B+ |
| 83–86.99 | B |
| 80–82.99 | B- |
| 77–79.99 | C+ |
| 70–76.99 | C |
| 60–69.99 | D |
| below 60 | F |
Please refer to the University Grading Policy for Undergraduate Courses for additional information about University grading policies.
If, for reasons beyond the student's control, a student is prevented from completing a course within the prescribed time, the grade in that course may be deferred with the concurrence of the instructor. The symbol DF appears on the student's transcript until the course has been completed. Non-emergency permission for filing a deferred grade must be requested by the student before the beginning of the final examination period. In an emergency situation, an instructor can approve a deferred grade after the final exam period has started. Under emergency conditions during which the instructor is unavailable, authorization is required from one of the following: the dean of the college in which the candidate is enrolled; the executive director of the Division of Undergraduate Studies if the student is enrolled in that division or is a provisional student; or the campus chancellor of the student's associated Penn State campus.
For additional information please refer to the Deferring a Grade page.Note: If you are planning to graduate this semester, please communicate your intent to graduate to your instructor. This will alert your instructor to the need to submit your final grade in time to meet the published graduation deadlines. For more information about graduation policies and deadlines, please refer to Graduation at the Chaiken Center for Student Success.
Course Schedule
Note: All due dates reflect North American eastern time (ET).
The schedule below outlines the topics we will be covering in this course, along with the associated time frames and assignments.
Note that all dates reflect North American eastern time (ET). This ensures that all students have the same deadlines regardless of where they live. All lesson assignments must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on the last day of the timeframe indicated below for the lesson unless otherwise stated. Discussion forum first posts are due Thursday of the lesson week assigned.
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Academic Integrity
According to Penn State policy G-9: Academic Integrity , an academic integrity violation is “an intentional, unintentional, or attempted violation of course or assessment policies to gain an academic advantage or to advantage or disadvantage another student academically.” Unless your instructor tells you otherwise, you must complete all course work entirely on your own, using only sources that have been permitted by your instructor, and you may not assist other students with papers, quizzes, exams, or other assessments. If your instructor allows you to use ideas, images, or word phrases created by another person (e.g., from Course Hero or Chegg) or by generative technology, such as ChatGPT, you must identify their source. You may not submit false or fabricated information, use the same academic work for credit in multiple courses, or share instructional content. Students with questions about academic integrity should ask their instructor before submitting work.
Students facing allegations of academic misconduct may not drop/withdraw from the affected course unless they are cleared of wrongdoing (see G-9: Academic Integrity ). Attempted drops will be prevented or reversed, and students will be expected to complete course work and meet course deadlines. Students who are found responsible for academic integrity violations face academic outcomes, which can be severe, and put themselves at jeopardy for other outcomes which may include ineligibility for Dean’s List, pass/fail elections, and grade forgiveness. Students may also face consequences from their home/major program and/or The Schreyer Honors College.
How Academic Integrity Violations Are Handled
World Campus students are expected to act with civility and
personal integrity; respect other students' dignity, rights, and
property; and help create and maintain an environment in which all
can succeed through the fruits of their own efforts. An environment
of academic integrity is requisite to respect for oneself and
others, as well as a civil community.
In cases where academic integrity is questioned, the Policy on Academic Integrity indicates that procedure requires an instructor to inform the student of the allegation. Procedures allow a student to accept or contest a charge. If a student chooses to contest a charge, the case will then be managed by the respective college or campus Academic Integrity Committee. If that committee recommends an administrative sanction (Formal Warning, Conduct Probation, Suspension, Expulsion), the claim will be referred to the Office of Student Accountability and Conflict Response.
All Penn State colleges abide by this Penn State policy, but review procedures may vary by college when academic dishonesty is suspected. Information about Penn State's academic integrity policy and college review procedures is included in the information that students receive upon enrolling in a course. To obtain that information in advance of enrolling in a course, please contact us by going to the Contacts & Help page .
Additional Academic Integrity Violations
Please note: Various tutoring websites claim to offer you the opportunity to download answers to everything from accounting problems to quiz questions for little to no cost. Full papers can also be downloaded to submit in place of your own work. Use of these materials, or “ghosting,” is considered cheating and an academic integrity violation. Similarly, uploading exams, course materials, or your work to one of these sites is considered an academic integrity violation.
Using online services that complete assignments for you is considered an academic integrity violation.
Giving your Penn State Access ID and password to someone else to do your work is against University policy AD95/AD96 and an academic integrity violation; sanctions will be given for these violations.
Student Responsibilities and Conduct
- Students are responsible for online course content, taking notes, obtaining other materials provided by the instructor, taking tests (if applicable), and completing assignments as scheduled by the instructor. As a general rule, students should plan on logging into the course at least three times per week and spending at least three hours per course credit per week on the course, e.g., if the course is three credits, the student should plan on spending at least 9-12 hours per week on the course, just as they would in a residence course.
- Students are responsible for keeping track of changes in the course syllabus made by the instructor throughout the semester.
- Students are responsible for monitoring their grades.
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Students must contact their instructor (and teammates when working on any collaborative learning assignments) as soon as possible if they anticipate missing long periods of online time due to events such as chronic illnesses, death in the family, business travel, or other appropriate events. The instructor will determine the minimal log on time and participation required in order to meet course responsibilities. In the event of other unforeseen conflicts, the instructor and student will arrive at a solution together.
- Requests for taking exams or submitting assignments after the due dates require documentation of events such as illness, family emergency, or a business-sanctioned activity.
- Conflicts with dates on which examinations or assignments are scheduled must be discussed with the instructor or TA prior to the date of the examination or assignment.
- Students are responsible for following appropriate netiquette (network etiquette) when communicating with their instructor and classmates. For reference, see the Academic Success Kit.
- Behaviors that disrupt other students’ learning are not acceptable and will be addressed by the instructor.
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For severe and chronic problems with student disruptive behavior, the following will be applied for resolution:
- Senate Committee on Student Life policy on managing classroom disruptions: Office of Student Accountability and Conflict Response.
- Penn State Values.
Policies
Late Policy
Late Assignments will not be accepted. It is your responsibility to contact the instructor prior to the due date of an assignment if you are aware of extenuating circumstances that will impact your ability to meet a deadline. The instructor will determine if alternative arrangements may be made.
Blank or Erroneous Assignment Submissions
It is your responsibility to ensure that you have uploaded the correct document to each assignment prior to the assignment due date. Please check your assignment submission immediately after uploading a file in Canvas to ensure that it contains content and is the correct file. If you notice an error, such as a blank or incorrect file, you must resubmit the assignment before the assignment due date. Similarly, you are responsible for ensuring that discussion forum initial posts are not blank and that any website URL submissions (such as links to documents, video recordings, etc.) have the correct sharing settings enabled so that they can be viewed by recipients. Any blank or erroneous submissions that you have not resubmitted by the assignment due date will receive a zero for the assignment.
Accommodating Disabilities
Penn State welcomes students with disabilities into the University’s educational programs. Every Penn State campus has an office for students with disabilities, including World Campus. The Disabilities and Accommodations section of the Chaiken Center for Student Success website provides World Campus students with information regarding how to request accommodations, documentation guidelines and eligibility, and appeals and complaints. For additional information, please visit the University's Student Disability Resources website.
In order to receive consideration for reasonable accommodations, you must contact the appropriate disability services office at the campus where you are officially enrolled, participate in an intake interview, and provide documentation. If the documentation supports your request for reasonable accommodations, your campus's disability services office will provide you with an accommodation letter. Please share this letter with your instructors and discuss the accommodations with them as early in your courses as possible. You must follow this process for every semester that you request accommodations.
Veterans and Military Personnel
Veterans and currently serving military personnel and/or dependents with unique circumstances (e.g., upcoming deployments, drill/duty requirements, VA appointments, etc.) are welcome and encouraged to communicate these, in advance if possible, to the instructor in the case that special arrangements need to be made.
Privacy Notice
In order to protect your privacy, course access is limited to those individuals who have direct responsibility for the quality of your educational experience. In addition to the instructor, a teaching assistant or college administrator may be provided access in order to ensure optimal faculty availability and access. World Campus technical staff may also be given access in order to resolve technical support issues.One Year Course Access
Formal instruction will end on the last day of class. Provided that you have an active Penn State Access Account user ID and password, you will continue to be able to access the course materials for one year, starting from the end date of the academic semester in which the course was offered (with the exception of library reserves and other external resources that may have a shorter archival period). After one year, you might be able to access the course based on the policies of the program or department offering the course material, up to a maximum of three years from the end date of the academic semester in which the course was offered. For more information, please review the University Course Archival Policy.
Additional Policies
For information about additional policies regarding Penn State Access Accounts; credit by examination; course tuition, fees, and refund schedules; and drops and withdrawals, please see the World Campus Student Center website.
If you have a crisis or safety concern, mental health services are available to you as a Penn State student. Crisis and emergency contacts are available, no matter where you are located:
- Anywhere in the United States: Call the Penn State Crisis Line at 1-877-229-6400 or text LIONS to 741741. You can also contact your local crisis services or hospital for emergencies.
- Outside the United States: Please contact emergency services in your current location. You can also use the International Crisis and Emergency Services listings.
- At University Park: Assistance is available at Counseling & Psychological Services (CAPS) locations on campus.
- At a Penn State branch campus: You can search for counseling information at your campus.
Penn State takes great pride to foster a diverse and inclusive environment for students, faculty, and staff. Acts of intolerance, discrimination, or harassment due to age, ancestry, color, disability, gender, gender identity, national origin, race, religious belief, sexual orientation, or veteran status are not tolerated and can be reported through Educational Equity via the Report Bias webpage.
Disclaimer: Please note that the specifics of this Course Syllabus are subject to change, and you will be responsible for abiding by any such changes. Your instructor will notify you of any changes.