University of Chicago puts spotlight on marketing

Posted by: Alison Damast on June 12, 2008

The marketing program at the University of Chicago’s Graduate School of Business has stood for years in the shadow of the school’s more well-known finance program. Administrators at the school are trying to change that by hosting the school’s first-ever recruiting event focused on marketing this June. George Andrews, a former marketing executive and the school’s new associate dean of the evening MBA and weekend MBA programs, said he wants the school to position its marketing program as one of the school’s assets.

Marketing is the second largest concentration at the school, following finance, Andrews said. Still, some MBA applicants aren't aware of the school's extensive marketing offerings, he said.

"I'm not sure in the general marketplace, if you asked a potential application about the University of Chicago, that marketing would come to mind," Andrews said in a phone interview today. "Our hope is to be recognized for our expertise in marketing as much as we are recognized in other fields."

The first event will be held at the school's Gleacher Center in downtown Chicago on June 17 at 6:00 p.m. More events like this may be on the way, Andrews said.

"I can definitely see us doing this in more cities," he said. "We do a 29-city road tour to talk about our MBA and I'd love, once this gets up and going, to go out on the road talking about this as well."