OFFICE: 234 Business Building
OFFICE HOURS: 9:00-10:00 and 2:00-3:00 TH
PHONE: (334) 844-4035

TEXT: Kerin & Peterson, Strategic Marketing Problems: Cases and Comments, 7th edition (Prentice Hall, Englewood Cliffs, NJ), 1995.

PREREQUSITES: MT630 (or equivalent), MN604, AC610 or consent of the MBA Director.

PERSONAL DATA INFORMATION: Each student is required to provide the instructor with selected personal data. This information briefly outlines your work experience, education and expectations for the course. This data is used by the instructor to customize the course content to address the needs of the class. All collected information is confidential. You may transmit this data electronically by linking to the STUDENT REGISTRY by clicking here or you may provide the requested information to the instructor in writing within one week of the beginning of the term.

COURSE OBJECTIVES: For students with the undergraduate "common body of knowledge" in business (a basic undergraduate Introduction to ... or Principles of ... Marketing course) MT631 is the only required marketing course for the MBA. As such the objectives of this course are primarily to demonstrate the practical usage of the fundamental concepts and methodologies that are commonplace in the practice of the marketing profession. The course emphasis is on the application of these principles in solving marketing problems.

Lectures will be used throughout the term to refresh and extend the class' understanding of the basic marketing principles. Much of this material will be redundant, but every effort will be made to integrate into class discussions some advanced material. During the first couple of weeks lectures will be used exclusively to cover decision theory and the general applications of problem solving techniques. After this introductory period, cases will be used in addition to lectures to demonstrate problem solving within a marketing context. Ideally case studies allow for the evolving development of multiple problem solutions through the use of student presentations and interactive debate. The structure of the current class limits this form of delivery, however. As a consequence, specific cases will not be assigned to specific student groups for formal presentation to the class. Instead everyone is to have studied and prepared every case prior to class time. Then during the lectures on related topic areas, a question and answer format will be used to achieve some focused "discovery" of the applications of marketing concepts and methodologies to case-simulated problems.

It is extremely important that both on-site and video students make an earnest effort to prepare each case before class. Problem solving is a practiced skill and textbook cases often present unique situations and choice delemmas. A substantive portion of your examination material will focus on solving case problems.

For a copy of the COURSE CALENDAR click here. This file gives the schedule of material covered for the entire term plus the dates for the three examinations.

GRADE DETERMINATION: Your grade for the course will be determined by two within-term exams and a final examination.. The following weights will be used in determining your grade for MT631:

1st Exam.............................30%
2nd Exam............................30%
Final Exam...........................40%

Click here for the CASE and EXAM ASSIGNMENTS This file gives the case assignments for the entire quarter. This schedule also identifies the cases that will be used in each of the three examinations (two within-term and one final). Mark these dates on your calendar and plan accordingly. No make-up exams will be given. If you miss an exam due to an excused absence then the lost weight will be distributed across the other two exams.