A first-of-its-kind marketing research course is now being offered through the Georgia Center for Continuing Education. Designed specifically for marketing research professionals to teach the core body of marketing research knowledge, the course Principles of Marketing Research was created in response to educational needs expressed by the marketing research industry.
"It was designed with very practical implications," said Helen H. Mills, director of the Center's Department of Community Learning Resources, which administers the course and helped design and produce it. "There are several distinct areas of learning, such as ethics and management, and, of course, statistics," Mills said. The course, developed and sponsored with the Marketing Research Association Institute (MRAI) and the Marketing Research Association, Inc., both of Connecticut, is for individuals with some relevant practical experience in marketing research who want to obtain well-rounded knowledge about the entire research process. It can be used by those in new positions within the research industry or as a starting point for those who want to enter the marketing research profession. There are currently 148 enrolled, from the U.S. and abroad.
There are no prerequisites for enrollment, but it is recommended that participants have some academic or practical training in business and statistics. Graduates will receive continuing education units from The University of Georgia and will be awarded a certificate of completion from MRAI and the University. An underlying goal of the program is to help improve the overall quality and competence of the marketing research profession through cost-effective means. One way to improve is to establish a common basis to communicate the expectations between the purchaser and the provider.
A benefit to participants is the opportunity to receive recognition by industry associations, employers, and other professionals. This is due to the increased understanding of the concepts and practices that form the basis of marketing research. The increase in recognition and credibility of the field of marketing in turn enhances the total image of the marketing research profession and its practitioners.
Respected academicians and research industry practitioners worked together to develop the curriculum for Principles of Marketing Research. This approach was taken to ensure the high quality of the educational content as well as the practical application of the material.
The "Marketing Research Core Body of Knowledge," which forms the basis of the program, was researched under the guidance of William Neal, senior executive officer, SDR, Inc., and Malcolm McNiven, former director of the Marketing Research Center at UGA. Module authors include: Melvin Crask, UGA; Maureen Dillon, Matrixx Marketing, Inc.; Richard Fox, UGA; Warren French, UGA; Terry Grapentine, Grapentine Co., Inc.; Frances Grubb, J. Reckner Associates, Inc.; Naresh Malhotra, Georgia Institute of Technology; and Margery Steinberg, University of Hartford. The curriculum was reviewed by a variety of industry experts.
The Marketing Research Association Institute was formed in 1995 by the Marketing Research Association, Inc., as a non-profit educational organization to oversee the creation of this program. The central goal of MRAI is to identify, develop, and deliver educational tools and training programs in marketing research to the professionals in this field.
For more information about the course or enrollment: Principles of Marketing Research 27087, Community Learning Resources Suite 164, Georgia Center for Continuing Education, The University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia 30602-3603; Phone: 1-706-542-1110; Fax: 706-542-7537; moorej@gactr.uga.edu; http://www.gactr.uga.edu/is/mr/index.html.
For more information about the Marketing Research Association Institute or the Marketing Research Association, Inc.: 2189 Silas Deane Highway Suite 5, P.O. Box 230, Rocky Hill, Connecticut 06067-0230; Phone: 1-860-257-4008; Fax: 1-860-257-3990; http://www.mra-net.org/.
...Also From the Department of Community Learning ResourcesThe Georgia Center's Department of Community Learning Resources provides individualized and community-based instructional opportunities for adult learners through a variety of programming areas--Community Education Programs, Computer Training Services, Non-Credit Independent Study (of which Principles of Marketing Research, above, is part), the Georgia Center Library, and "Learning in Retirement" (LIR). Community Education Programs offers personal and professional development short courses in an informal setting, free from the requirements of academic credit. Computer Training Services (CTS) offers a full range of personal computer instruction, through tailored short courses and workshops. CTS staff coordinates, develops, and implements educational programs, helping organizations identify their own training needs and objectives. CTS also incorporates computer sessions into other conference activities. The independent study (non-credit) distance education courses allow adults to update occupational skills or obtain professional certification. In addition to Principles of Marketing Research, courses include the Comprehensive Child Caregiver Program, a 90-hour program of 30 modules, and the Dietary Managers Certificate Program, which began in 1989 (see "Family, Consumer, and Other Life Sciences," p. 5). Another course, Principles of Turfgrass Management, has enrolled some 1,500 registrants from 17 countries since it began in 1994. For more information about the Department of Community Learning Resources: Helen H. Mills, Community Learning Resources Suite 164, Georgia Center for Continuing Education, The University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia 30602-3603; Phone: 1-706-542-6663; Fax: 706-542-7537; e-mail: millsh@gactr.uga.edu. |
Web administrator: webmaster@gactr.uga.edu All contents copyright © 1997 University of Georgia Center for Continuing Education. All rights reserved. Last revised: Wed, Dec 3, 1997, 9:53:31 AM URL: http://www.gactr.uga.edu/GCQ/gcqspr97/mr.html