Course Description

This course serves as the capstone for the Masters of Science in Marketing. Students integrate the concepts, techniques, and knowledge of the marketing core concepts. Students will analyze and develop comprehensive marketing strategies. This course may not be substituted for or transferred from another institution. Students must enroll in this course during their last term in the program.

For information regarding prerequisites for this course, please refer to the Academic Course Catalog.

Rationale

The pinnacle of a marketing career is to serve as the Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) responsible for all strategic marketing decisions of an organization. To prepare the M.S. Marketing student for the potential of one day serving in the CMO position, this capstone course combines the knowledge and skills learned in the previous courses of the M.S. Marketing curriculum and applies them to the market-based challenges that marketing managers face today in an ever-changing competitive environment. This course is intended to provide the student with the CMO perspective in a hands-on application using a current marketing dilemma of a real-world company.

Course Assignment

Textbook readings and lecture presentations

Course Requirements Checklist

After reading the Course Syllabus and Student Expectations, the student should study the Liberty University syllabus before completing the checklist given in the Course Overview.

Discussions (2)

The student will complete 2 Discussions in this course.

• The student will post one thread of at least 500 words by 11:59 p.m. (ET) on Thursday of the assigned Module: Week.
• The student must then post 2 replies of at least 250 words by 11:59 p.m. (ET) on Sunday of the assigned Module: Week.
• For each original thread, students must support their assertions with at least 2 scholarly citations in APA format.
• Each reply must incorporate at least 1 scholarly citation in APA format.
• Any sources cited must have been published within the last five years.
• Acceptable sources include scholarly, peer-reviewed articles or books.
• You must create your original thread before you will be allowed to view and comment on other students’ threads.

PLC Research Reports (4)

The student is required to research companies that have responded to each of the four (4) Product Life Cycle stages (Introduction, Growth, Maturity, and Decline). The student will write a report describing an example of a successful company and a failed company in applying marketing strategies to the assigned PLC stage. The report will include an analysis of the success factors and cause of failure respectively. Each report must be a minimum of 750 words, demonstrate course-related knowledge, and include at least 2 scholarly sources in APA current edition format.

SBU Portfolio Valuation and Strategy Report

The student will calculate the net financial value of various proposed marketing projects of a simulation company provided in a case study. In a written report, the student will provide the results of the financial calculations and write a report on how an assigned amount of resources will be allocated to the various marketing projects. The report must be a minimum of 750 words and demonstrate course-related knowledge.

Integration of Faith and Learning

The student will complete an Integration of Faith and Learning (IFL) essay assignment. The student is to contemplate Scripture verses that relate to specific, competitive marketing strategy situations. The essay must be a minimum of 500 words, cite at least 2 verses from the Holy Bible with promises of outcomes for those who adhere to the precepts of the verses, and demonstrate a clear relationship between the selected Scripture verses and the proposed ethical behavior for the CMO.