Top 10 SMU Marketing Major Modules You Should Absolutely Take

‘Which marketing mods are you bidding for?’

This is a question I often find myself getting asked before the course bidding season every semester. And the stakes are high. 

Since we’re only credited with e$100 per sem to bid for four or five modules, every credit is very precious and you don't want to waste a single cent! Popular modules can go up to more than e$50. 😢 

BOSS can be dizzying to navigate and frankly, opens way too many tabs at one shot. You’re simultaneously searching for reviews on module and professor review platform Afterclass, while asking for help in the ask.SMU mass Telegram chat group. All these make selecting your marketing classes a feat. 

After consulting friends, checking Afterclass reviews, and reflecting on the marketing modules I’ve taken myself, I listed 10 of the best marketing courses I feel you should take.

Why become an SMU marketing major?

SMU’s marketing major offers a variety of courses that train you in different specific areas of marketing. 

The modules you will take as a marketing major will equip you with essential skills and knowledge that can be applied in other fields. For example, the analytical skills gained from Marketing Research or Marketing Analytics would help you in drawing insights from data.

We all know that internships nowadays can be pretty competitive, and applying for a marketing internship with no experience can be challenging. 

The knowledge that you gain from the modules can be useful in helping you stand out from other candidates, especially if you can show that you took your learning seriously and can apply the knowledge you learned.

SMU also offers many SMU-X marketing modules, experiential learning courses that involve collaboration with actual clients to solve real-life marketing problems and come up with recommendations and marketing strategies for them. 

This is an invaluable experience that really deepens your learning and helps you apply your creative and problem-solving skills. The fact that you can talk about it during interviews for your internships or first job doesn’t hurt too. 😉

What can you do with a marketing degree in Singapore?

Marketing is a lot broader than you’d expect - and goes beyond the interactions you have with advertising and promotion. 

There are a variety of different fields in marketing - trade marketing, product marketing, digital marketing, and so many more. 

Whether you choose to work in an in-house marketing department in a company, or at a marketing/advertising agency, the opportunities in Marketing are almost endless.

Within the marketing degree, the different business modules and marketing electives that you can take allow you to explore the different types of marketing, and deepen your knowledge in a marketing area of your choice. Ultimately, you might choose to specialize in a certain area of marketing, such as marketing analytics.

Now let’s really get into it - here are the best modules to maximize your time as a Marketing major at SMU!

The best SMU marketing modules you should bid for!

1) Digital Marketing [SMU-X] | MKTG 220

Digital Marketing is a useful module that covers major concepts in digital marketing, such as website marketing, social media marketing, and digital advertising. 

Each concept includes all the topics you would expect, such as the different social media platforms, search engine optimization (SEO), and the different kinds of digital advertising. 

As with most things, the best possible way to learn digital marketing is through real-life experience. Hence, taking Digital Marketing as an SMU-X module really enhances your learning by giving you a real client to work on.

The project involves assessing their current digital presence and coming up with suggestions on how to improve their digital marketing strategy. 

In my project, our team was tasked to develop a website design and content strategy to create awareness, engage its target customers and lead to conversion.  For most of us, it was our first time working on a digital marketing project, and we had no experience. 

However, our team was guided by an adjunct teaching mentor (ATM), who we consulted weekly on our project and ideas. The advice that the ATM gave us was really useful in developing our approach to the project.

Although it can be tough and slightly pressuring to work with a real client, the experience is really invaluable and it’s relevant when applying for internships. 

As internet penetration worldwide continues to increase, the number of internet users is projected to reach 5.63 billion in 2025, with the global market for digital advertising and marketing is projected to be worth US$786.2 billion by 2026. 

In addition, COVID-19 has necessitated the development of digital presences for businesses. To accommodate the shift of consumers from physical to digital, companies have undergone digital transformation. Digital marketing is an aggressively growing field that you can look to specialize in.

Digital marketing has become even more important as a result. Digital marketing skills are really important in becoming a successful future-ready marketer. 

2) Customer Relationship Management (CRM) | MKTG 225

Customer Relationship Management is about creating value for customers. 

The module teaches you many frameworks that help you develop a CRM strategy for customer satisfaction and loyalty. You also learn about the different types of CRM and how to apply them. 

Through the different examples and illustrations given, you are taught how to create value for customers - through analyzing their service experience, segmenting customers through different segmentation methods, identifying what’s important to these customers, and ultimately crafting a holistic offer that is valuable for them.

To date, CRM has been one of the most applicable modules I’ve taken, and our group project involved applying EVERYTHING that we learned to a company of our choice. This was certainly not easy, but it really helped us deepen our understanding of the concepts taught

For my group, we worked on Astons Specialties, which you might know from eating their affordable Western food. 

We developed recommendations to improve their customer retention rate and percentage of people who would recommend Astons to others (known as promoters). Our recommendations were based on surveys with consumers and interviews with their staff, and the application of CRM concepts. 

For example, one of our recommendations was to implement a QR code for customers to order while waiting for a seat, reducing queue times. This was based on complaints of long queue time, and the importance of queue time in choosing a dining location. 

Overall, I think this module was really useful - it teaches you how to build a relationship with your customer that they value, and how each small element affects customer satisfaction and loyalty. 

Ultimately, you learn how to keep customers loyal to your company/brand, which is an essential part of marketing.

3) Marketing Research (MR) | MKTG 103

Marketing Research is a module built around the use of IBM Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS), a software that aids data management and analysis. 

Through the module, you learn how to conduct market research with surveys, plan experiments, and analyze data collected to understand consumers. 

The module includes two projects: the first is on experimental design, and the second is analyzing data and coming up with recommendations related to the issue assigned. 

As a research and statistics-related module, there were many different kinds of tests, equations, and models to understand. Although it might look a little daunting, paying attention in class and doing all the practices will take you far and help you do well.

When I bid for Marketing Research (MR), I was apprehensive because stats and numbers were never my strong suit *cue FNCE101 and STATS101 flashbacks* 😅 I knew I couldn't do this alone - so I bid for it with my friend, to share notes and work together for the group project. 

Surprisingly, I found that the module was interesting and I found it super cool that we could use some basic data to build a persona of customers likely to churn (stop using the product/service). 

This was also thanks to my wonderful professor who was amazing at breaking down the equations and explaining why each element was there. 

The analytical and critical thinking skills that you’ll use (a lot) in the module are transferable skills that can be brought to most jobs, especially if you decide to go down the marketing research route.

To anyone who’s afraid of taking MR, I’d say fear not - practicing on your own (do the homework!) and during the project will give you enough understanding for the final boss.

 4) Consumer Behavior (CB) | MKTG 102

Consumer Behavior is a module that centers around the consumer black box, which is the buyer’s mind - everything that happens in between the consumer’s exposure to the marketing mix, and their response (whether to purchase or not). 

CB covered a lot of psychological models within the wider themes of motivation, attention, memory, and other elements within the consumer black box. 

You’ll also learn about the decision-making process and the influencers of consumer decision-making. Consumer Behavior also gave an introduction to marketing research methods, and how to design a survey, which is good if you haven’t done Marketing Research yet.

Our project was a good exercise in applying the concepts we learned - we conducted primary research using different research methods to understand the brand’s perception and what consumers value in our product (sliced bread). 

From the insights we gained from the research, we came up with suggestions to improve the overall perception of the brand.

Many consider this to be a ‘fluff’ module. 

However, I think it’s a good foundation that teaches you how consumers think and applies psychology to marketing. 

My main takeaway from this was realizing that there are so many unconscious factors that go into decision-making, and consumer behavior made me more aware of them, even in my everyday life.

If you’re considering becoming a marketing research analyst, this course provides a pretty good foundation for that.

A tip - take this early, because it’s a prerequisite for some modules like Digital Marketing. 

5) Services Marketing | MKTG 204

Services Marketing focuses on teaching students marketing concepts specific to marketing service businesses. 

This includes topics on customer satisfaction, positioning strategy, designing a servicescape, and managing service providers. The group projects involve working with a client and solving a service marketing issue.

Services Marketing uses a lot of frameworks that give you a structure to use when developing a service marketing strategy.

By using these frameworks in analyzing the marketing of a service, the solution that is ultimately developed is more holistic. Similar to CRM, you will look closely at every contact point that consumers have with the service and optimize it to create value for the customer.

The client-based project was really beneficial in allowing us to apply what we learned, as we could ask the client questions about the challenges they were facing and gain more information on the issue. 

After conducting our own primary research and analyzing the issue with the frameworks, our team came up with recommendations to improve the service process we were tasked with.

Overall, I think Services Marketing was particularly interesting because there are so many variables that go into designing a service process and marketing it to consumers. 

If you’re looking to go into any of the service industries - banking, healthcare, consulting, and more - this module is definitely for you!

6) Marketing Analytics (MA) | MKTG 228

Marketing Analytics teaches you to leverage analytics in developing a marketing strategy. The module involves the use of Microsoft Excel, SPSS, PERMAP (a perceptual mapping software), and WarpPLS (a structural equation modeling software). 

Different data analysis techniques are taught for different parts of the marketing strategy, such as customer segmentation, choice modeling, pricing, and marketing outcomes. You also learn to interpret the data analysis to gain consumer insights and develop marketing strategies.

Marketing Analytics is a step up from Marketing Research as it requires the use of SPSS, so previous experience with the software is recommended. 

It also taps on concepts taught in CRM. Hence, I’d suggest taking both MR and CRM before taking on MA or taking CRM concurrently with MA. 

There’s only one professor for MA (Raymond Teo), and he teaches CRM too! 

In his teaching of MA, he references concepts covered in his CRM module. Hence, for maximum impact, it’s advisable to take him for both CRM and MA. Do note that Intro to Statistics is a prerequisite for this module.

With analytics and data skills being in high demand, taking Marketing Analytics will definitely give you an edge and help you bring value to future employers since they’re also highly transferable skills. 

7) Pricing | MKTG 313

Pricing teaches the rationale behind different price decisions.

This is done through understanding how pricing impacts profits, consumers’ perceptions of the brand/product, and consumer decision-making. The module includes learning about different pricing strategies, the price sensitivity of consumers, and price promotion and its impacts. 

Be warned: This is definitely a quantitative module, and it involves learning different pricing models and pricing related calculations. 

There’s only one professor for this module, and he cold calls during class, so be prepared and fully engaged in the class to do well.

Overall, Pricing helps you to understand pricing strategies and their place and impacts on other areas of the business, especially on profits. As one of the 4Ps of marketing (Price, Product, Place, Promotion), the Pricing module is a good way to learn about this critical aspect of marketing. 

8) Strategic Brand Management (SBM) | MKTG 217

Strategic Brand Management is about understanding how consumers perceive brands, building brand equity, and managing a brand. 

The module covers many kinds of brand strategies used to target different segments, and across different contexts. You’ll also learn how to measure brand equity, through conducting brand audits.

There’s an SMU-X version of the module, and working with a real client to learn about brand management would be more beneficial to your learning experience.

This module is definitely useful if you want to work in the branding sphere of marketing. It helps you understand brand equity, which is the effect of consumers’ knowledge of the brand on their response to the brand’s marketing efforts. 

The course equips you with all the foundational knowledge, which is useful if you seek a career in branding. 

9) Advertising | MKTG 205

Advertising is an SMU-X course that teaches you how to develop an advertising strategy that engages, influences, and persuades your audience.

This is done through the use of case studies and a client-based project. 

The module allows you to exercise your creative juices in developing an advertising strategy for the client according to the brief. 

As mentioned above, taking the SMU-X versions of marketing modules really brings your learning to life. If you’re looking to work in the creative side of marketing, such as at a marketing agency, this module on Advertising could be good for you!

10) Sustainable Marketing | MKTG 234

Sustainable Marketing is a relatively new module that started in January 2020. 

The module focuses on understanding how current consumption levels harm other stakeholders, such as the environment and community. 

Through the module, you learn about responsible consumption and influencing consumers to make responsible consumption choices, by understanding psychological factors that influence consumer behavior.

This module is interesting because it takes a perspective that goes beyond the traditional view of focusing on the business and consumer. 

There are two projects for this module. The first project is useful in gaining knowledge on the sustainability issues in different industries and understanding the factors that influence how marketing is done in that industry.

The second project gives you the chance to apply what you’ve learned, by developing a solution that helps a company address a relevant sustainability issue.

With more consumers being more conscious of ethical consumption and the rising trends of ESG investing, knowing how to target sustainability issues from a marketing perspective is good and relevant knowledge to have. 

Declaring a Track

At SMU, there’s the option of declaring a track under the major - you can choose between the Marketing Analytics Track or the Retail and Services Management Track. 

Declaring a Marketing major with either of these tracks changes your graduation requirements - you’ll have to fulfill the modules listed under the track. 

For example, the Marketing Analytics track requires you to take Introduction to Business Analytics, Computational Thinking, Business Data Management, Marketing Analytics, and two other Marketing Analytics Track electives.

As seen from the module requirements, these modules are curated to prepare you for a career in a particular field. You can check out the official SMU Marketing Curriculum page to find out more about the different tracks!

So, which SMU marketing course is best for students? 

SMU offers many good choices, yet we only have four slots for marketing electives. As cliche as it sounds, there’s really no ‘best‘ course - only the best course for you. 

My advice is to look at all the elective courses you can take, and consult your friends or seniors to decide what’s best for you. 

If you’re not sure what you’re interested in and just want to explore, take a look at the course outlines of the modules you’re considering, their assessment methods, and check reviews on AfterClass or by asking in the big ask.SMU Telegram chat. 

If there’s a particular field that you’re interested in, take courses relevant to it. 

For example, if you’re interested in the advertising field, you might want to take Digital Marketing, Advertising, and Promotions Management. 

Of course, the earlier still applies - seek reviews from friends or friendly strangers about the best professor, or tips they might have in learning the subject.

Hopefully, this article gave you an idea of the different marketing modules you can take and how they’re relevant in your development as a marketer! 

Do your pre-reads! Read more about the different fields of marketing in our free online marketing magazine!

Special thanks to Chloe Choo, Felicia Peh, Madelaine Lim, Nicoe Wee, Ng Jian Wei, and Tan Rui Yang for their contributions to this article.