Marketing Programs Open The Doors to a Number of Possibilities

Did you know that a third of all North Americans are employed in the same field? It’s true. One third of all North Americans work in marketing-related positions. But why the high number? Well, marketing plays a large part in our lives, whether we realize it or not. Marketing generates the strategy that underlines sales techniques, business communication and business developments in a company. It is also an integral part of how companies build stronger customer relationships and create value for their customers and for themselves. In other words, marketing is used to identify the customer, satisfy the customer and keep the customer. In order to enter this interesting field, one must attend one of Canada’s marketing programs.

In Toronto, Ont. students can obtain an Ontario College Diploma through the Marketing program, which takes two years to complete. The undertaking focuses on the mastery of a marketer’s key competencies — creative, practical decision-making and clear, persuasive communications. This is facilitated through a number of business and marketing courses involving an interactive teaching approach that incorporates learning through case studies, guest lectures, presentations, projects and computer simulations and technologies.

Students begin by taking basic business courses before going on to participate in more specialized marketing courses. These business courses include: Strategies for Business Success, Fundamentals of Business, College Communications, Microcomputer Applications Software, Mathematics of Finance, Financial Accounting Business Operations and more. After receiving a solid business base, students move onto more challenging marketing program courses such as: Practical Applications in Marketing (uses the case study method to help students acquire skills in analyzing and solving marketing problems), Marketing Communications (differentiates between the agency side and the client side of advertising), Principles of Marketing (provides an overview of contemporary marketing, emphasizing the management of the product/service, price, promotion and distribution areas of an organization within a changing environment), and more.

Please note that all four semesters of this marketing program are identical to the first four semesters of Centennial College’s three-year, six-semester program. This permits graduates of this program to benefit from a seamless transition into the three-year Marketing program, should they wish to continue with a more in-depth study of the field.

A final benefit of the marketing degree program is that Centennial College is a proud sponsor of selected Marketing students in national and province-wide academic competitions, including the Ontario Colleges Marketing Competition.

In order to apply, students must present at minimum an Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD) or equivalent or be 19 years of age or older. Compulsory English 12C or U and Math11C, M, or U or 12C or U credit or skills assessment, or equivalent are also required. However, possession of minimum admission requirements does not guarantee admission to the program.

Employment is found in virtually all areas of business including: the high-tech sector, government, not-for-profit organizations, financial services, food and beverage, electronics and more. Marketing is conducted at several levels, which is why there are varying positions, including: market research (which starts the marketing process), brand management, advertising, promotions, public relations, customer service and product support reps, merchandising assistance, and even sales.