Program Feature: Marketing Degree Program

By Sarah Kreber, College Relations intern

Interested in Wayne State College’s marketing degree program? Check out what our students love about it. Three students, Jackson Richling, Michaela Derickson, and Bethany Bockelman, share what first attracted them to the marketing degree program at WSC.

“The professors have a noticeable passion for not only just their subject, but also the students in their classrooms,” said Richling, a sophomore from Grand Island, Neb., working on his marketing degree. “Which means the passions that they have for the subject empowers me and inspires me to continue to learn and challenge myself.”

Derickson, a junior from Hartington, Neb., shared Richling’s opinion that the professors are the main reason that she decided to pursue a marketing degree.

“In my first marketing class, Principles of Marketing, during my sophomore year, Dr. Pat Lutt had an exciting attitude, which makes classes fun and enjoyable,” Derickson said.

Bockelman, a junior from Norfolk, Neb., recalled one of her first impressions of the faculty and how they have impacted her time her at WSC. It was why she said she decided to pursue a marketing degree.

“The thing that attracted me the most was the business faculty,” Bockelman said. “I thought my advisor was a tad on the eccentric side when I first met her, but she has been instrumental in my journey here at WSC and I couldn’t do it without her.”

Once students are a part of the marketing degree program, they are able to learn valuable skills specific to their program. Derickson said she is learning a combination of different skills ranging from analyzing a company’s target audience, to completing a SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats) analysis. Some other skills learned in the marketing degree program include advertising and communication strategies, planning and implementation of sales and marketing programs, and business management and leadership. Bockelman said she will be able to walk away with her marketing degree from WSC having tangible skills.

“I have learned how to become a confident and successful businesswoman,” she said. “Times are constantly evolving and with marketing you have to be willing to change with it. Now social media is the main form of advertisement that gets the greatest reach, but who knows where we’ll be in 10 years. No matter what, what doesn’t change is the people. People will always be the main focus of business; without them, business wouldn’t be possible.”

After students spend time in the classroom, they are able to acquire internships or jobs that give them real-world experience in the marketing degree program. Richling said he has been able to work on campus for the college while also attending his marketing degree program classes. He has taken the concepts from class and applied them to his job running one of the college’s social media accounts.

“I am a coordinator for Life at WSC, which is an offshoot of Admissions,” Richling said. “It is used to show the best parts of being a college student at Wayne State College.”

Bockelman has also taken advantage of hands-on learning opportunities. During the summer of 2018, she was a promotions sales intern for US92/News Channel Nebraska in Norfolk.

“I traveled to a variety of public events such as parades, concerts, county fairs, and community events,” Bockelman said. “My job was to interact with people and encourage them to take part in our booth activities and drawings. I had to serve as a corporate image while working as a team and organizing and preparing for events beforehand.”

Whether students dive into the marketing degree program right away or find their passion for it after they begin their educational journey, they are able to gain knowledge that will carry with them far beyond their years at WSC.