Bio-based
Products Marketing & Management
The
Bio-based Products Marketing and Management specialization combines
coursework in liberal arts, basic sciences, communications, and
business. Students learn about the physical and social aspects
of renewable bio-based products and resources, and the combination
of marketing and sales courses with technical bio-based products
engineering coursework prepares them for the growing bio-based
products industries.
Our graduates use their business and marketing skills to bring
renewable products closer to consumers.
As a student, you’ll take a combination of business and
marketing courses in the Carlson
School of Management and technical
bio-based products courses in the College
of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences. In addition,
you’ll gain a
strong, diverse background encompassing liberal arts, basic sciences,
and
communications.
Students can
also customize their program by focusing on either marketing or
management. Many students also obtain a minor in Management from
the Carlson School of Management.
Courses
Scholarship and Employment Opportunities
Students enrolled in the Bio-based Products Marketing and Management
program in the Department of Bio-based Products are eligible for
scholarships. Currently, students with a 3.0 GPA or higher can
receive up to $9,000 in scholarships. The funds for scholarships
are made available primarily through corporate contributions.
Students also find paid summer internship and co-op employment
opportunities in variety of bio-based products industries including
building materials, pulp, paper, wood products, chemicals, and
plastics.
Outstanding career opportunities
The largest players in the bio-based products industries manufacture
a wide variety of products found in building materials, paper,
and other industrial markets. Currently, the largest industry sector
is the forest products industry, which employs approximately 1.6
million Americans. This industry ranks among the nation's top 10
manufacturing sectors in 46 of the 50 states and contributes more
than $270 billion to the nation's Gross Domestic Product. The University
of Minnesota's Bio-based Products Marketing and Management program
emphasizes technical sales, product distribution, market development,
and manufacturing technologies to prepare students to succeed within
this strong industry, while introducing students to new bio-based
industries.
There are outstanding career opportunities for Bio-based Products
Marketing & Management graduates in companies that purchase
and sell these products at the manufacturing, wholesale, and retail
levels. Graduates are employed in almost all regions of the country
in all types of firms from small regional companies to large, multinational
corporations. As of 2004, starting salaries for our recent graduates
ranged between $30,000–$40,000, with sales commission and
advancement opportunities likely within the first year of employment.
Recent job placement rates for graduates in this program exceed
95 percent.
Job titles of recent graduates include:
- Account Executive
- Marketing Analyst
- Quality Control Manager
- Production Manager
- Sales and Marketing Manager
- Technical Sales Consultant
- Territory Manager
- ...and many more
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