Academic Plan—Multidisciplinary Studies
- Theme: Artistic Marketing/Business
- Subjects of focus: Entrepreneurship, Marketing, and Communications
Throughout my college experience, I have learned that I am more successful in the classroom and life without strict limitations. In this way, I am the archetypal student for a baccalaureate degree in Multidisciplinary Studies, a degree program that allows its students the opportunity to mold their majors around their interests and goals.
The Theme I have chosen is “Artistic Marketing/Business,” by which I mean using Marketing and Advertising to artistically portray subject matter. I am an artistic person with years of artistic experience, and I believe with the combination of my art skills and business mind I can be successful in the business world. One of my subjects of focus is Entrepreneurship. I may not want to open my own business, but I want to preserve the option to utilize my innovative mind in that way by developing the appropriate skills. I have also focused on Marketing, the fast- track to successful advertising, to prepare me to connect businesses with others. Finally, I have focused on Communications to develop expertise in expanding social media fields. My goal is to combine these three subjects of focus and make myself a successful businessman.
I plan to utilize the following courses to follow my dream of being a successful businessman in the fields of marketing and advertisement. In general, the Entrepreneurship classes I have taken have taught me the importance of understanding how a business starts and what is necessary to continue to build a successful venture. The Marketing classes I have taken have taught me the fundamental principles of successful marketing in the business world. The Communication classes I have taken taught me how mass media and advertising work together to become successful.
The following course descriptions provide the details to my Academic Plan:
Supporting Courses: Core
Theory and Application (3 credits)
MKTG 301—Marketing 301 opened my eyes to the creativity of business. In Marketing 301, I learned about customer behavior, product channels of distribution, promotion, and pricing. This class was my introduction to Marketing and I was interested immediately. Marketing 301 set the ground work for me to realize that I enjoyed business and selling products. I will utilize these skills that I learned in this class for years to come.
Communication Skills (3 credits)
ART AP—This challenging art class gave me the opportunity to expand my artistic knowledge into different medias. Prior to taking this class, I only had experience with oil paints and drawings, however after the class I was able to successfully use watercolors, sculpture and graphic designs. This is crucial to me being successful in advertising because I am able to utilize my creative knowledge and create a marketing campaign that is artistic and successful.
Research Methods and Projects (3 credits)
SCM 301—Supply Chain Management is a crucial course detailing important information that is necessary to run a business. It provides an overview of key logistics and supply chain management processes, concepts, and methodologies. This managerial mindset and strategic problem solving information will help me become a better businessman and entrepreneur.
Critical Analysis (3 credits)
ACCTG 211—I believe an extremely important part of business is understanding the financials. Accounting 211 provided an introduction into the role of accounting numbers in the process of managing a business. The knowledge I have gained in this class will allow me to make financial intelligent and correct decisions in the future. Even if I do not own a business one day, I am still able to manage my own personal finances intelligently.
Additional Courses
400- Level: Three Subject Areas (12 credits)
- ENTR 430—If I choose to open a business, I also have the option to purchase a franchise. Entrepreneurship 440 is an overview of franchising and focuses on licensing and distributorship, trademarks, strategy, and growing the enterprise. This class gives me important knowledge and skill to write a franchising agreement. In the future I will be able to utilize this information and possibly pursue a franchise.
- ENTR 497C—Entrepreneurship 497C is the Sheetz Fellows Program. Throughout the program I have been given the opportunity to be involved in projects, such as President of Paddle for a Cure, creative research, guest speakers, case studies, a Kansas City CEO Conference, and a study abroad trip. This class has prepared me for the professional business world and has taught me many important lessons that will stay with me as I continue on into the business world.
- COMM 431—Communications 431 is topics in television culture and communication. This course studies television technologies, techniques, audiences, genres and trends in relation to a specific decade or cultural period. By utilizing television and studying trends I am able to strengthen my communications and advertising background. What better way to learn how to influence and advertise to people than to study television culture. I am looking forward to studying television to utilize this knowledge for my future.
- MKTG 480—Marketing 480 is intermediate Social Media Marketing. A large part of marketing and advertising is currently utilizing the growing field of social media. In Marketing 480, social media sites like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and YouTube are used to teach how these tools can be effective to build relationships and strengthen brands and loyalty. Due to my interests in marketing and advertisement this class is perfect to give me the knowledge I need to succeed.
400- Level: Senior Capstone (3 credits)
COMM 421W—Communication 421W is the perfect course to use as my capstone. My goal for the future is to be involved in marketing and advertising. In Comm 421W, I learned to plan, design, and write advertisements. I was introduced to graphics and production techniques and how layout and copywriting practices work. I was able to use my artistically creative mind and create effective advertisements. This class is exactly what I want to do in the future, and benefitted me greatly.
Additional Selections (9 credits)
- ENTR 300—Entrepreneurship 300 is Principles of Entrepreneurship. In Entr 300, I was taught the overall fundamental principles and processes of entrepreneurship. I was taught how to create a SWOT Analysis and why this is an important tool for any business. I was shown real life examples of successful and non- successful companies and was able to learn what ways are better than others to succeed. This class was my first glimpse into Entrepreneurship and I thoroughly enjoyed the knowledge I learned. Entr 300 has made me confident that if I were to open my own business I possess the skills to be successful.
- ENTR 320—Entrepreneurship 320 is Entrepreneurship and New Venture Creation. In this class I was taught the process for starting and growing a new venture and also learned how to develop a business plan. Due to my interest in owning my own business, these are very important skills I now possess. These business skills will not only give me the opportunity to start my own business, but also be a strong asset for a company by utilizing my knowledge.
- MGMT 301—An important part of any business is management. A goal of mine is to be the head of a marketing or advertising department of a business, and I would not be able to do so successfully without the lessons I learned in Management 301. The fundamental principles and concepts of management truly connected to me, and I plan to utilize this knowledge in the future. Even if I am unable to reach my goal of being a manager, these skills are still important for any businessman.
Career and Academic Goals
I plan to further my education and attain a Master’s Degree in Marketing/ Advertisement. I hope to utilize my communication skills and my artistic expertise along with the knowledge I have gained through marketing and entrepreneurship to work for a business in public relations or a similar field. By also having a strong knowledge of entrepreneurship there are many possibilities to own a business or be a crucial key part to a business’s success.