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Syllabus for MAR-301-OL

 

COURSE DESCRIPTION

Introduction to Marketing explores key marketing concepts and shows you how they apply to today's business practices. The course covers the essential knowledge and techniques managers need to compete successfully, whether in large companies or small businesses, profit-oriented firms or not-for-profit organizations. Topics include customer-oriented marketing strategies, buyers and markets, target market selection, and the marketing variables of products (and services), price, promotion, and distribution.

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COURSE OBJECTIVES

By successfully completing the learning activities of the course, you should be able to:

  • Explain contemporary customer-oriented marketing strategies.

  • Identify key aspects of effective consumer and business-to-business marketing.

  • Outline ways to research, establish, and develop target markets.

  • Discuss the essential decisions marketers make regarding products and services.

  • Explain the processes used in marketing channels and supply-chain management.

  • Describe various means for promoting products and services.

  • Identify common pricing concepts and strategies.

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REQUIRED TEXTBOOK

The following textbook is required to do the work of the course. This text is available from the textbook supplier, MBS Direct.

Boone & Kurtz's Contemporary Marketing 2011, 14th ed., by David L. Kurtz (Mason, Ohio: South-Western Cengage Learning, 2011; ISBN-13: 978-0-538-74689-2).

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COURSE STRUCTURE

Introduction to Marketing is a three-credit course consisting of seven modules:

Module Module Title

1

Customer-Oriented Marketing Strategies

2

Buyers and Markets

3

Target Market Selection

4

Product Decisions

5

Distribution Decisions

6

Promotional Decisions

7

Pricing Decisions

The course requires you to complete eight written assignments (including a final project) and to take a proctored midterm examination. You are also required to participate in five graded online discussion forums and an ungraded "Introductions" forum in module 1 of the course.

For the course's assignment modules and learning activities (study assignments, discussion forums, and written assignments), go to the Assignment Modules area of the course Web site. (See also the course Calendar.)

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ONLINE DISCUSSIONS

In addition to an ungraded "Introductions" forum in module 1, Introduction to Marketing requires you to participate in five graded discussion forums.

Communication with the mentor and among fellow students is a critical component of online learning. Participation in online discussions involves two distinct activities: an initial response to a posted question (discussion thread) and subsequent comments on classmates' responses.

You will be evaluated both on the quality of your responses (i.e., your understanding of readings, concepts, and practices as demonstrated by well-articulated, critical thinking) and quantity of your participation (i.e., the number of times you participate meaningfully in the assigned forums). Responses and comments should be properly proofread and edited, professional, and respectful.

Meaningful participation in online discussions is relevant to the content, adds value, and advances the discussion. Comments such as "I agree" and "ditto" are not considered value-adding participation. Therefore, when you agree or disagree with a classmate, the reading, or your mentor, state and support your agreement or disagreement.

For additional information on online discussions, see Online Discussions in the Online Student Handbook.

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WRITTEN ASSIGNMENTS

Introduction to Marketing has eight (8) written assignments. The eighth assignment is also the final project for the course (see the section Final Project: Marketing Plan for further details).

Written assignments 1–7 consist mainly of essay questions based on associated chapters in the Contemporary Marketing textbook. In addition to these essay questions, most assignments contain a question associated with the marketing plan you are required to produce for your final project. You are to answer all questions for each assignment.

Familiarize yourself with the written assignment questions before you begin each module's study assignment. Conversely, be sure to complete all relevant readings before answering the questions.

When you have completed all of the assigned reading for a written assignment, prepare your answers to the written assignment questions. These questions require critical thinking. Take the time to determine what you need to include to present a thoughtful, complete response that conveys your understanding of the course materials.

Formulate responses in your own words (do not merely copy answers from your reading materials); however, support the points you make with information from your course materials and from outside sources. Cite and document all sources of information with an appropriate reference. Your answer to each question should be between 250 and 500 words (or approximately 1–2 pages per question, typed double-spaced). Due dates for each assignment are listed in the course Calendar.


Preparing and Submitting Assignments
Prepare your written assignments using whatever word processing program you have on your computer. Include your name at the top of the paper, as well as the course name and code and the semester and year in which you are enrolled.

Before submitting your first assignment, check with your mentor to determine whether your word processing software is compatible with your mentor's software. If so, you can submit your work as you prepared it. If not, save your assignment as a rich-text (.rtf) file, using the Save As command of your software program. Rich text retains basic formatting and can be read by any other word processing program.

When satisfied that your assignment represents your best work, submit it to your mentor by means of the appropriate assignment link provided in the Submit Assignments area of the course Web site. Use the Browse button within this link to locate and attach your assignment file.


A Word on Plagiarism
The college's policy on plagiarism is included in the College Catalog and in the Online Student Handbook. See Academic Integrity for a detailed explanation of this policy. Please read the policy and ask questions if you need clarification or guidance regarding possible plagiarism.

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EXAMINATION

You are required to take a midterm examination. Consult the course Calendar for the scheduling of the exam.

The midterm is a closed-book, proctored exam. It is two hours long and covers all reading and assignments from modules 1, 2, and 3 of the course. The exam consists of objective questions (multiple-choice and matching), short-answer questions, and a choice of essay questions.

You may take the examination only during the designated exam week, at an approved location, and with an approved proctor. In this regard, you need to schedule your exam and submit your "Proctor Request Form" with the necessary documentation no later than the end of the first week of the semester (see Administrative Forms in the General Information area of the course Web site).

If you are on a course extension and have not yet taken the midterm exam, you must let your examination proctor know when you plan to take the exam and contact the Office of Test Administration (609-984-1181) two weeks in advance to request that your exam be sent to the proctor.

For more information on scheduling a proctored examination, see the section Examinations and Proctors in the Online Student Handbook.

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FINAL PROJECT: MARKETING PLAN

You are required at the end of the semester to submit a final project in the form of a marketing plan for Blue Mountain Spring Water, Inc. You will complete your work on the plan incrementally throughout the semester as part of written assignments 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7 and submit your final project as written assignment 8.

When working on your marketing plan, use the Three Year Marketing Plan—Blue Mountain Spring Water, Inc. document as a source of information and a guide to what you should do and how you should organize it. You can access this document in the Final Project area of the course Web site.

At the end of the semester, you will assemble the different assignments you have completed for your final project and submit a marketing plan using the Three Year Marketing Plan—Blue Mountain Spring Water, Inc. document as a template. You should download this document, insert the work you have done for your final project according to the instructions provided, edit your marketing plan for unity, and then submit it to your mentor for grading.

See the Final Project area of the course Web site for further details, and consult the course Calendar for the project's due date.

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GRADING AND EVALUATION

Your grade in the course will be determined as follows:

Online Discussions (5) 15 percent
Written Assignments 1–7 35 percent
Written Assignment 8 (final project) 20 percent
Midterm Examination 30 percent


To receive credit for the course, you must earn a letter grade of D or higher on the weighted average of all assigned course work (e.g., exams, assignments, discussion postings, etc.). You will receive a score of 0 for any work not submitted.

Letter grades for online participation, written assignments, and the examination are based on the following numerical grades:

A = 93–100 C+ = 78–79
A– = 90–92 C = 73–77
B+ = 88–89 C– = 70–72
B = 83–87 D = 60–69
B– = 80–82 F = Below 60

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STRATEGIES FOR SUCCESS

First Steps to Success
To succeed in this course, take the following first steps:

  1. Read carefully the entire Syllabus, making sure that all aspects of the course are clear to you and that you have all the materials required for the course.

  2. Take the time to read the entire Online Student Handbook. The Handbook answers many questions about how to proceed through the course, how to schedule exams and arrange for proctors, and how to get the most from your educational experience at Thomas Edison State College.

  3. Arrange to take your midterm examination by following the instructions in the Online Student Handbook. Then complete the "Proctor Request Form" and submit it to the Office of Test Administration (OTA). You must make arrangements to take your examination and send in your "Proctor Request Form" to OTA before the end of the first week of the current semester. (See Administrative Forms in the General Information area of the course Web site.)

  4. Familiarize yourself with the Blackboard environment—how to navigate it and what the various course areas contain. If you know what to expect as you navigate the course, you can better pace yourself and complete the work on time.

  5. If you are not familiar with Web-based learning, or specifically with the Blackboard platform, be sure to review the processes for posting responses online and submitting assignments before class begins.

Study Tips
Consider the following study tips for success:

  1. To stay on track throughout the course, begin each week by consulting the course Calendar. The calendar provides an overview of the course and indicates due dates for submitting assignments, posting discussions, and scheduling and taking examinations. For details on each assignment module and a complete listing of learning activities, go to the Assignment Modules area of the course Web site.

  2. Check the Announcements page and class Discussion Board regularly for new course information.

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Syllabus Index

This document contains the following main sections:

Course Description

Course Objectives

Required Textbook

Course Structure

Online Discussions

Written Assignments

Examinations

Final Project

Grading and Evaluation

Strategies for Success


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