Our Marketing program was ranked 12th among public universities for salary outcomes in the Wall Street Journal's (WSJ) 2023 “Best College for Your Dream Career in Marketing” ranking list.
Marketing is a dynamic and fast-growing field with a wide variety of careers. Located in the global business hub of San Francisco, the Department of Marketing in the Lam Family College of Business strives to be a leading academic force in training future marketers in the digital age. With a focus on innovation, diversity, and community engagement, our program is committed to providing a state-of-the-art curriculum that equips students with future-proof skills and capabilities.
We have a strong team of faculty members devoted to teaching excellence and engaged pedagogy that emphasizes experiential learning, critical thinking, and ethical decision-making.
Our vibrant student organizations facilitate professional networking and create a sense of community. Graduates of our programs enjoy successful careers in diverse domains, such as social media, advertising, marketing, consulting, retailing, personal selling, and more.
The innovative curriculum and the exciting job opportunities in the San Francisco Bay Area make marketing one of the most popular concentrations at San Francisco State University.
Degree Programs and Certificates
Undergraduate Program
Graduate Program
Student Spotlight
Qiwen Cai
From SFSU to the University of Washington's M.S. in Business Analytics (MSBA) program: Qiwen Cai (MSBA candidate, '25) is turning dreams into reality. As she prepares to graduate with a double major in Marketing and Information Systems, she reflects on how SFSU helped her launch her e-commerce brand and secure admission to the competitive MSBA program at UW.
Qiwen’s entrepreneurial journey began in her Social Media Marketing class, where she ran a full campaign. “Seeing real engagement from my posts was exciting,” she shares. “It made me realize how powerful digital marketing can be.” Inspired by her love for animals, she co-founded PawRise, a pet supplement brand, in May 2024. “Studying Marketing and Information Systems gave me a unique perspective,” she explains. “I learned not just how to promote a product but also how to analyze customer data.” This experience strengthened her MSBA application, where she will deepen her expertise in business analytics.
As she looks ahead, Qiwen is eager to apply her analytical skills in tech as a data analyst while growing her business. Her advice? “For grad school, focus on what makes you unique—your GPA, projects, or experience. For business, expect challenges. Things rarely go as planned, but persistence is key.”
Faculty Spotlights
Minu Kumar
Minu Kumar is a Professor of Marketing at San Francisco State University (SFSU) and is the Founder-Director of the Responsible Innovation and Entrepreneurship (RI&E) Research Initiatives. He also serves as the Co-Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Product Innovation Management (ABS 4, A* ABDC Journal with two year impact factor of 10.5).
Professor Kumar has published in journals such as the Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, Journal of Consumer Psychology, International Journal of Research in Marketing, Journal of Product Innovation Management among others. He has won several awards such as the Best Overall Conference Paper award at the Summer AMA conference (2011) and the University President’s Award for Research. His work has directly helped the university raise several millions of dollars for I&E programs https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/article/SFSU-says-25M-crypto-gift-i… ).
Google Scholar Profile | ORCID ID: 0000-0003-2913-2325
Yiwen Chen
Yiwen Chen, Assistant Professor of Marketing at San Francisco State University, is a digital marketing scholar specializing in platform-based strategies and social media influencers. With academic training spanning China, the United Kingdom, and the United States, she brings a global perspective to her research on the evolving dynamics of online consumer behavior. Her work has appeared in leading journals such as European Journal of Marketing, Journal of Marketing Management, and International Journal of Electronic Commerce. At SFSU, she developed two new courses—Social Media Marketing and Content Marketing—and was honored with the 2024 CEETL Exemplary Teaching Award. She also serves as the Principal Investigator for the AI Fast Challenge Grant, Customizable AI Integration in Higher Education: Marketing Example, funded by the California Education Learning Lab ($200,000, 2025), which explores scalable applications of generative AI in marketing education.
Alumni Spotlight
John Gumas
John Gumas is the founder and CEO of Gumas, an advertising and branding agency based here in San Francisco. Having graduated from SF State with a Bachelor of Science in Business, with concentrations in Marketing and Advertising, in 1984, John went on to run his company for 39 years and counting. By equipping brands with marketing strategies to challenge industry giants, John has changed the way people think about marketing. He currently serves on many boards, including the San Francisco Giants Community Fund, the San Francisco Chamber of Commerce and the Elios Society. If you’re interested in learning more about John, his company, and what advice he has for students, click “Learn More” to watch his on-campus interview.