YOUR CULTURE IS YOUR BRAND

The International Marketing Management program equips students with the knowledge, tools and mindset to deal with the challenges organizations are facing today. 

Rooted in Franklin’s liberal arts tradition, this major offers a curriculum that combines innovative and fundamental courses in marketing such as green marketing and Corporate Social Responsibility, digital marketing analytics, brand management with courses in management, politics, psychology and statistics with the aim of enabling students to understand consumers and their behaviors and to help companies design activities that create sustainable long-term value.

Majors

In addition to graduate school opportunities such as MBA, MSc, and MA programs, possible career paths for International Marketing Management graduates include a wide range of roles in companies (brand manager, digital marketing manager, research manager, advertising and communication manager) across all industries.

View requirements

International Marketing Management

The International Marketing Management major equips students with the knowledge, tools and mindset to deal with the challenges organizations are facing today. 

Rooted in Franklin’s liberal arts tradition, this major offers a curriculum that combines innovative and fundamental courses in marketing such as green marketing and Corporate Social Responsibility, digital marketing analytics, brand management with courses in management, politics, psychology and statistics with the aim of enabling students to understand consumers and their behaviors and to help companies design activities that create sustainable long-term value.

In addition to graduate school opportunities such as MBA, MSc, and MA programs, possible career paths for International Marketing Management graduates include a wide range of roles in companies (brand manager, digital marketing manager, research manager, advertising and communication manager) across all industries.

Major Requirements (57 Credits)

Foundation Courses (15 credits)
BUS 115 Financial Accounting

This course is designed to provide students with a basic knowledge of financial accounting concepts, procedures, analysis, and internal reports as an essential part of the decision-making process. The focus is on the three basic steps of the accounting process: recording, classifying, and summarizing financial transactions. Emphasis is placed on the general accounting activities leading up to the preparation of financial statements.

BUS 135 Introduction to Business Systems

The course introduces the global business system in the context of the economic, political, social and technological environments, relating business to society as a whole. Topics covered include the international scope, function, and organization of firms, and other fundamental concepts of multinational business. The course also addresses functional areas such as the value chain, production, marketing, human resources, and accounting.

BUS 136 Marketing in a Global Context

This course is an introduction to the tools and concepts used in the marketing process for consumer and industrial products as well as for services. The focus is on the basic marketing concepts (product, place, price, promotion) as they relate to the field of global marketing. Emphasis is placed on the increasingly important role of interdisciplinary tools to analyze economic, cultural and structural differences across international markets. Specific consideration is given to the development of integrated marketing programs for a complex, global environment.

MAT 201 Introduction to Statistics

This computer-based course presents the main concepts in Statistics: the concept of random variables, frequency, and probability distributions, variance and standard deviation, kurtosis and skewness, probability rules, Bayes theorem, and posterior probabilities. Important statistical methods like Contingency analysis, ANOVA, Correlation analysis and Regression Analysis are introduced and their algorithms are fully explained. The most important probability distributions are introduced: Binomial, Poisson, and Normal distribution, as well as the Chebyshev theorem for non-known distributions. Inferential statistics, sampling distributions, and confidence intervals are covered to introduce statistical model building and single linear regression. Active learning and algorithmic learning are stressed. Emphasis is put both on algorithms –methods and assumptions for their applications. Excel is used while calculators with STAT buttons are not allowed. Ultimately students are required to make a month-long research project, select the theoretical concept they want to test, perform a literature review, find real data from Internet databases or make their surveys, apply methods they studied in the class, and compare theoretical results with their findings. Research is done and presented in groups, papers are Individual. Selected SPSS or Excel Data Analysis examples are also provided.

POL 112 Markets, Policy and Administration

The analysis of contemporary challenges calls for a theoretically informed and multi-disciplinary approach. This course introduces students to the key concepts related to allocating tangible and intangible resources under conditions of scarcity, and producing public or commercial goods and services. In doing so, the course draws on political, managerial, game-theoretical and economic frameworks and encourages students to apply them to a broad range of cases. The objectives include enabling students to understand and analyze policy-making, the functioning of markets and their social and political implications, as well as the management of public and private institutions. Specific topics covered include (but are not limited to) modes of decision-making, rational behavior, supply and demand, competitive dynamics, welfare, externalities and public goods, consumer choice, and basic monetary and fiscal policy. While special emphasis will be placed on the analysis of political and managerial challenges, the course is relevant to students of other disciplines.

Management Requirements (15 Credits)
BUS 226 Managerial Finance

This course examines the principles and practices of fund management in organizations. Attention is given to managerial financial decisions in a global market setting concerning such questions as how to obtain an adequate supply of capital and credit, and how to evaluate alternative sources of funds and their costs. Topics include the management of assets and liabilities, working capital management, capital budgeting, equity versus debt financing, capital structure, and financial forecasting. (This course was previously BUS 326. Students may not earn credit for both BUS 226 and BUS 326.)

BUS 306 Quantitative Methods and Dynamic Forecasting

In the first part of this course students learn concepts in inferential statistics, its main principles and algorithms. They learn how to apply sampling distributions in the case of business random variables, how to state and test business hypotheses about population mean or proportion differences, how to calculate ANOVA table components, and how to deploy estimation methods to provide information needed to solve real business problems. In the second part of the course, students learn advanced model building methods, algorithms needed to make and test dynamic multiple regression models and time series (ARMA) models. In addition to teaching and learning methods based on the textbook, problem-based learning (PBL) and interactive engagement (IE) are used. Many internet data bases, EXCEL add-ins and EViews are used to enhance IE based learning. Selected SPSS or STATA examples are also provided.

BUS 353 Strategic Management Theory

Strategic management is the study of firms and the political, economic, social and technological environments that affect their organization and strategic decisions. This course considers the external market environment in which firms operate, and provides theoretical foundations, focusing on economic and strategic theories of the firm and introducing key concepts of organizational theory. Practically, the course looks at the creation of competitive advantage of a firm in the global arena. The readings and class discussions include both theoretical concepts and practical case studies. (Junior status recommended)

BUS 357 Global Information Systems

This course addresses the impact of modern information technology and data management concepts at the functional levels of international business, especially in the areas of finance, marketing, accounting and resource management. The computer-based section of the course provides methodology and software tools, advanced Excel modeling, Microsoft Access, and DBMS, necessary to develop and evaluate Decision Support Systems, Management Information Systems, and Transaction Processing Systems. Case-based learning is utilized to stress how international firms can gain a competitive advantage by leveraging information technology. (Recommended BUS 326)

BUS 410 Organizational Behavior and Leadership

This course studies the internal environment of firms and organizations, namely how to organize and manage people in order to implement strategic plans effectively. Topics include: organizational structures and change, human resources, leadership, group dynamics and teamwork, motivation, and multicultural management. Special attention will be given to the study of leadership, which plays a critical role in increasingly complex and multicultural organizations. The readings and class discussions include both theoretical concepts, case studies and practical exercises.(This writing-intensive course counts towards the Academic Writing requirement.) (Junior status recommended)

Marketing Requirements (18 Credits)
BUS 256 Marketing Research Methods

This course introduces students to the most common qualitative and quantitative techniques for conducting marketing research with an emphasis on their application. The definition of marketing research problems, the set-up of research plans, and the subsequent data collection and analysis are illustrated and applied by means of real world projects. Students are required to implement, in groups, the skills covered in class, and to prepare a final research report to discuss and present in class.

BUS 274 Brand Management

The course focuses on how to build and manage a brand, based on the concept of Customer-Based Brand Equity (CBBE). The goal of the course is to expose students to the challenges that today brands face both from competitors' but also from consumers' points of view and to make students aware and to experience the potential tools companies can use to manage brands today.

BUS 285 Integrated Marketing Communications

This course exposes students to an integrated, global approach of two-way communication with consumers, customers and suppliers, and other stakeholders of companies and organizations. Students explore the communications process that is essential in contemporary global business cultures. Media options are explored for a range of target audiences. Discussions on the use of advertising, public relations, sales promotions, internet promotion, direct marketing and other techniques will be included. It takes a contemporary approach to the field of integrated marketing communications, highlighting how recent changes and rapid changes in the family, business environment, technology and the world in general are forcing communications specialists and advertisers to make major changes in the way they reach their markets. The course will draw on knowledge in fields such as psychology, sociology and anthropology, as well as media studies and communications.

BUS 342 Green Marketing and CSR

Green Economy'' and Sustainability'' are consolidated and solid managerial approaches that companies today need to embrace when managing their businesses. The course therefore illustrates the main sustainability models and contributions that green marketing can give to managers and outlines the main fundamental marketing decisions in order to enable students to define and implement a green marketing strategy.

BUS 383 Digital Marketing and Web Analytics

This course focuses on how Internet technology and its pervasiveness shapes the most common business and marketing practices today. This course outlines the impact of the digital revolution and how it has transformed decision-making processes in marketing including the development of relationships with clients, delivering the customer experience, the implementation of a communication campaign, and the evaluation of channel performances. Through discussion of cases and lectures, the course will provide students with the tools to interpret and forecast the ever-shifting digital environment for companies.

BUS 385 Consumer Behavior in International Marketing

This course focuses on the understanding of the consumer as fundamental to marketing efforts. The course includes observational research in the community where students develop a greater understanding of consumers' consumption and decision-making behavior. Areas of focus include the consumer decision making process, research techniques, learning and motivation, segmentation and targeting, the impact of lifestyle and values, the role of society and culture in consumption, and ethical issues in consumer relationships.

Capstone Requirement (3 credits)
BUS 455 Global Strategic Management

This course, intended as a capstone to the International Management major, should come after students have studied all basic aspects of management. The course focuses on the development and implementation of multinational corporate strategies. Using the case study method and a computer-based simulation, students are required to apply the concepts of accounting, finance, marketing, management science and organizational behavior to the development of a strategic plan. Emphasis includes the integration of strategy, organizational structure and corporate culture.(As a capstone, this writing-intensive course counts towards the Academic Writing requirements.) (This writing-intensive course counts towards the Academic Writing requirement).

Departmental Electives (3 credits)

One of the following:

BUS 236T Marketing for Movies

This course will expose students to the challenges of creating a market for artistic products, in particular for movies. Marketing movies requires a deep understanding of the needs consumers are trying to satisfy when deciding to consume an experience. At the same time, dealing with artists and managers of artistic institutions requires a solid understanding of their mindset and the intrinsic motivations for creating artistic pieces. There is thus a constant trade off between market orientation and product orientation. This course will focus in particular on understanding the specifics of creative production and aligning it with the right audience. Students will learn how to create a marketing plan for such an endeavor. The travel component will explore two cities in Italy, Rome and Bologna, so as to take advantage of the Rome Film Festival and the Cineteca (in Bologna).

BUS 243 Personal Finance

This course introduces students to the basic concepts and tools needed to make wise and informed personal financial decisions. The content of this course is presented from a practical point of view and with an emphasis on the consumer as the financial decision-maker. The primary objective of this course is to help students apply finance practices to their own lives. For example, students will learn how to plan and manage personal finances, how to obtain credit to purchase a home or a car, and how to invest personal financial resources in stocks, bonds, and real estate. Students will also learn how to interpret financial and economic news that have an impact on personal finances.

BUS 3XX Any 300-level Business course
BUS 4XX Any 400-level Business course
Electives (3 credits)

One of the following:

COM 105 Introduction to Communication and Media Studies

This course introduces students to the fundamental concepts and theories of communication and media studies as they apply to the ever-increasing intercultural interactions of a contemporary world. In particular, students will learn the basics of intercultural/international communication processes, gaining a foundation for developing intercultural communication competence.

COM 202 Fundamentals of Interpersonal Communication

This course introduces students to theories, concepts, and research in the study of interpersonal communication. From a scholarly perspective, students will gain a fundamental knowledge of how interpersonal communication processes work. In addition, students will develop skill in analyzing the interpersonal communication that surrounds them in their everyday life. (COM 105 recommended)

PSY 203 Theories of Personality

The course addresses itself to a comprehensive in-depth study of the following question: What is personality? The major theories of personality which are prominent and important today in the field of psychology are considered individually in detail, chronologically and comparatively. These include the classical psycho-analytical theory of Freud, Jungian theory, existential/phenomenological theories, cognitive theories and behavior psychology.

PSY 210 Cognitive Psychology

This course provides an in-depth exploration of human cognition, focusing on both classic and current issues. In this class, students will discuss how cognitive psychologists build theories (or models) of mental processes, and how these models are used to understand and predict behavior. Topics to be covered include (but may not be limited to): history of cognitive psychology, research methods in cognitive psychology, attention, perception, memory, language, and reasoning. In addition to these subjects, we will examine the research on social cognition, motivation, and emotions.

PSY 201 Social Psychology

Introduction to major theories and research findings of social psychology in order to provide an understanding of the roles of cognitive and motivational processes in social behavior. The focus of this course is on how people's behavior, feelings and thoughts are influenced through social environment.

SOC 100 Introduction to Sociology

What is ''society''? What does its structure look like and how does it work? How does it change? Why does it change? How do are individuals and society intertwined? This course provides students with the tools to answer these questions. Modern societies have experienced dramatic social changes with the emergence of individualism, new class structures, the development of urban life or changing relationships between individuals and their natural environments. Sociology provides an understanding of these changes by studying human interactions and forms of social organization. In this course, students will be introduced to major sociological thinkers, concepts and approaches.

3-YEARS BACHELOR OPTION

This major is also offered as a 3-year accelerated bachelor’s degree, designed for students with specific high school academic credentials who are admitted to Franklin with advanced standing credit, equivalent to 30 US credits. This option grants students a jump start on their introductory level University courses. Learn more about the 3-year bachelor’s degree at Franklin or contact the Office of Admission.

YEAR ONE - SAMPLE CURRICULUM

Fall Semester Spring Semester
First Year Seminar in BUS BUS 136T
Marketing in a Global Context (Academic Travel class)
POL 112
Markets, Policy and Administration
MAT 201
Introduction to Statistics
BUS 115
Financial Accounting
BUS 135
Introduction to Business Systems
MAT 103
College Algebra
WTG 150
Academic Writing: Crossing Borders 
TVL
(Choose a BUS academic travel class)
Intercultural Competencies core
(Choose a class)

YEAR TWO - SAMPLE CURRICULUM

Fall Semester Spring Semester
BUS 226
Managerial Finance
BUS 353
Strategic Management Theory
BUS 256
Marketing Research Methods
BUS 306
Quantitative Methods and Dynamic Forecasting
TVL
(Choose a BUS academic travel class)
BUS 285
Integrated Marketing Communications
BUS 274
Brand Management

BUS 342W
Green Marketing and CSR, writing intensive

Modern Language 100 Modern Language 200

YEAR THREE - SAMPLE CURRICULUM

Fall Semester Spring Semester
BUS 410W
Organizational Behavior and Leadership, writing intensive
BUS 455W
Global Strategic Management, writing intensive
BUS 385
Consumer Behavior in International Marketing
BUS 383
Digital Marketing and Web Analytics
BUS ELEC
(Choose a BUS elective)
BUS 397
Data Mining (Business Intelligence)
Intercultural Competencies elective  
Social Responsibility elective  

LEARN MORE

Faculty

CHAIR OF THE ACADEMIC DIVISION OF BUSINESS AND ECONOMICS
ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR OF MARKETING

Ph.D. in Business Administration and Management, Bocconi University, Milan, Italy,
Master Degree in Economics for Arts, Culture and Communication, Bocconi University, Milan, Italy

Office: Kaletsch Campus, Office 1
Phone: +41 91 985 22 78
Email: gminiero@fus.edu

Giulia Miniero

Assistant Professor of Finance

Ph.D. in Finance, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, USA
M.S. in Finance, Baton Rouge, USA
B.S. in International Economics and Management, Bocconi University, Milan, Italy

Office: Kaletsch Campus, Office 2
Phone: +41 91 986 53 24
Email: dsuleiman@fus.edu

David Suleiman

Professor, Economics and Finance

Ph.D. in Economics, Rutgers University, NJ, USA
M.A. in Economics, Rutgers University, NJ, USA
Laurea magistrale with Honors in Political Economy, Bocconi University, Italy

Office: Lowerre Academic Center, North Campus, Office 2
Phone: +41 91 986 36 32
Email: aterzi@fus.edu

Andrea Terzi

THIS PROGRAMIS ORGANIZED BY