Declaring the Major | Progressing in the Major
Description of the Major
As part of the nationally recognized JMU College of Business, the marketing major prepares you to assume professional and leadership roles in the rapidly changing, technically-oriented and competitive world of marketing by helping you develop specialized skills in the management of customer relationships through the creation, communication and delivery of value to customers. The curriculum provides a solid foundation of the knowledge and skills needed to develop effective marketing efforts.
You gain knowledge and experience through General Education courses, the College of Business core curriculum and the marketing major with various combinations of required and elective marketing courses. Marketing faculty and staff work with you in small classes and individually to help you build leadership and team skills. Strong connections are made between in-class study and the business world through experiential course projects, case studies, simulations, independent studies, and internships.
Degrees Offered
B.B.A.
Concentrations
Business to Business Marketing
Business to Consumer Marketing
Minors
European Marketing
Declaring the Major
New Freshmen and Transfer Students
Declare the marketing major when you register for orientation.
Currently Enrolled Major Changers
If you wish to change your major to marketing you must be in good academic standing, meaning you must have a cumulative grade point average of 2.500 or higher on the date you submit a "Change or Declaration of Major” form, which is available in the Academic Services Center located in Showker Hall, room 205.
Deadlines for declaring a business major are:
- October 15 for fall semester
- February 15 for spring semester
- August 15 for summer session
All declared majors must meet the following standards:
1. Completion of a minimum of 56 credit hours with at least a 2.800 (rounding is not used) cumulative GPA in all courses taken at JMU;
2. Completion of all ten 100 and 200-level BBA core courses with at least a 2.800 (rounding is not used) GPA in all ten 100 and 200-level BBA core courses.
Meeting the minimum admission requirements does not guarantee admission to either the College of Business or the marketing major. Final admission decisions are based upon resources.
See the JMU Undergraduate Catalog for information about any additional admission requirements to the major.
Progressing in the Major
Freshmen
Declared business majors must complete the ten 100 and 200-level Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) core courses by the end of their sophomore year (including summer session) with a cumulative GPA of at least 2.800 in order to be considered for admission to the COB and COB 300. Below is the required sequence of courses.
Freshmen must complete five of the following six courses by the end of their freshman year and achieve at least a cumulative GPA of 2.500 by the end of the spring semester of the freshman year in order to continue as a business major for their sophomore year:
- COB 191 or MATH 220
- COB 204
- COB 218
- ECON 201
- GECON 200
- MATH 205 or MATH 235
Any student with a cumulative GPA between 2.400 and 2.499 will be given the summer to achieve the required 2.500 cumulative GPA.
Rising Sophomores
Rising sophomores who have met the required cumulative GPA of 2.500 will be permitted to register for the remaining core courses shown below, and whichever one of the previous six BBA core was not taken during the freshman year:
- COB 202
- COB 241
- COB 242
- COB 291
Admission to the College of Business and COB 300
In order to be admitted to the College of Business, and COB 300, you must meet the following requirements:
1. Complete a signed application form and attach a copy of your transcript when you have earned a minimum of 45 credit hours, including transferred credits (i.e. AP and dual enrollment credits).
Application deadlines are October 1 for the following spring semester and February 1 for the following summer session or fall semester. You will be allowed to apply, at most, two times, and must reapply if you are not accepted the first time.
2. Have a cumulative JMU GPA of at least 2.800 to be considered for admission.
Admission to the COB and enrollment in COB 300 will be limited to 440 students in the fall semester, 200 students in the spring semester, and 75 students in the summer session.
3. Have no more than two course grades that are "D, F, WF" or any combination of D’s, F’s, and WF’s in the ten BBA core 100 and 200-level courses. Repeating a BBA core 100 or 200-level course on a “repeat-forgive” basis will not remove a D, F, or WF grade for counting purposes, even if you earned a grade other than D, F, or WF when the course was repeated.
4. Have earned at least 56, but no more than 70, credit hours at the time of enrollment in COB 300.
