Master’s in Marketing: Dr. Alan Malter is shaping the future of marketing education and research

Dr. Alan Malter, University of Illinois Chicago (UIC) Associate Professor and Director of Graduate Studies in the College of Business, brings a wealth of experience and passion to the online Master of Science in Marketing program. Dr. Malter’s academic journey began with a double degree in political science and economics. His professional path then led him to international endeavors as an agricultural economist in Israel, where he first delved into market research and consumer psychology.

Driven by his fascination with marketing’s ability to shape consumer behavior and foster business success, Dr. Malter pursued a Ph.D. in marketing, which marked the beginning of an academic career spanning several universities. As a program director at UIC, he is enthusiastic about expanding access to quality graduate education. The online MS in Marketing program‘s flexibility enables students from across the Chicago area and around the world to engage with cutting-edge marketing concepts and prepares them for success in today’s competitive market.

With a focus on empowering students to become lifelong learners, Dr. Malter emphasizes the significance of independent and continuous learning in marketing careers. Learn more about Dr. Malter’s background and his commitment to excellence in marketing education and research.

Tell us a little about yourself.

Coincidentally, I was born and raised in Chicago, and I have a long family history with the University of Illinois. My father started his undergrad at the University of Illinois Chicago when it was still at Navy Pier. I went to the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign where I earned a double bachelor’s degree in political science and economics and a master’s degree in agricultural economics.

I then worked as an agricultural economist in Israel, contributing to international development projects. Work assignments took me to Europe, Africa, Australia, Southeast Asia, and across the U.S. (as a visitor, which was strange). Following nearly a decade overseas, I returned to the United States to earn my PhD in Marketing from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. My career then led me to faculty positions at the University of Maryland and University of Arizona, before a fortunate return to my hometown at the University of Illinois Chicago. Chicago’s mosaic of cultures and vibrant business community make it an ideal place to teach marketing.

How did you become interested in marketing? What keeps you excited about the field?

I didn’t know marketing existed at first. I only encountered it as a consumer. In my agricultural economist role, I conducted market research on fresh flowers and plants for export. This experience highlighted the need for understanding consumer preferences and sparked my interest in marketing and psychology. While working in a field dominated by logistics and physical distribution (no one wants wilted flowers), I realized the importance of considering individual consumers and their preferences.

This period marked a transformative phase in my career, shaping my belief in the centrality of marketing within business administration. In my biased view, marketing is the centerpiece of what firms and organizations do. While other functions within a business are undeniably crucial, such as accounting, finance, human resource management and operations, they wouldn’t exist without a product, service, and customer.

As program director, what aspects are you most enthusiastic about, and do you have any specific goals in mind for the online MS in Marketing program?

What excites us most about this online offering is its enhanced accessibility. The online MS in Marketing program is a great solution for students hindered by geographic, professional, or family circumstances. Our aim is to replicate the benefits of the on-campus experience in the online environment, offering the best of both worlds. Drawing from our extensive experience with the on-campus program, which has been running successfully for 6-7 years, we’re now extending and fine-tuning the curriculum for the online format.

Why would you recommend the online MS in Marketing program at UIC?

One of the aspects I love about marketing is its interdisciplinary nature. In our online MS in Marketing program, we welcome students from diverse academic backgrounds, from engineering to humanities. The versatility of marketing allows students from every background to leverage their unique skills and experiences, supported by our courses that focus on essential tools like marketing research and digital marketing. Our program ensures that students acquire the skills needed for the current and future job market, including proficiency in marketing analytics and social media marketing. With these skills, graduates are well-positioned to meet the demands of employers or start their own firms.

What is the most important thing you have learned about having a successful marketing career that you would like to pass on to prospective students?

It’s essential to recognize that the shelf life of education isn’t necessarily limited. Our online MS in Marketing program is aimed to instill the confidence in students to adapt to evolving tools and information. We want students to cultivate the ability to self-teach, so they can grasp and adapt to new tools introduced years from now. We don’t know exactly what the future will hold, but we know it will be different from today. It’s crucial to learn timeless concepts in marketing, such as understanding customers and successfully competing in the market, but independent learning is essential for staying relevant in a dynamic field like marketing.

What is the most exciting project you are working on right now?

I’ve been working on a research initiative driven by my experiences in the Middle East, particularly in food products and agriculture. This project delves into the role of marketing in fostering peaceful coexistence within the marketplace and its ability to build mutual trust between people that are otherwise fighting with each other. My specific project involved a team of Israeli, Palestinian and Jordanian scientists working together to develop olive oil from a shared resource, ancient trees, and potential joint branding for export. We have many examples of how firms and managers can be proactive to promote peaceful coexistence in a constructive way. Other researchers in the field have worked on similar peace-through-marketing initiatives around the world, and we’ve joined together to organize and co-edit a special issue of the peer-reviewed journal, Journal of Public Policy and Marketing. It’s a novel project that has a lot of potential.