- Develop increased recruiting interest in UT marketing students, from both existing and new companies
- Diversify the types of organizations that recruit marketers from UT
- Demonstrate dedication to developing elite marketing talent, helping prospective student recruiting efforts
- Leverage the program’s accomplishments to elevate the overall industry and academic strength of McCombs
- Exercise new marketing knowledge immediately through sponsored projects
- Expand their experience and leadership skills to ensure future success in their chosen career path
- Develop advanced hard and soft skills that are transferable to any future marketing occupation
- Work with other committed marketing students in a collaborative environment, enabling more advanced final deliverables
- Provide students with a well-rounded internship and full-time employment options through the relationships that are developed through Marketing Fellows, benefiting the entire marketing student body
Program Structure & Application
Fellows who are selected to participate register for the weekly, two- to three-hour “Marketing Fellows” course during their 2nd and 3rd semesters of their MBA program.
There are two core elements to the program:
1. Curriculum
2. Practicum
In addition, there are multiple opportunities to further develop leadership skills and marketing acumen.
Application Components
It is strongly recommended to prepare all essays before opening the application. Once submitted, the application cannot be changed.
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Resume
Format: One page, PDF.
Highlight relevant education, professional experience, leadership roles, and key accomplishments.
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One-Page Cover Letter
Format: Times New Roman, 12-point font, double-spaced, 1-inch margins, PDF.
Prompt:
Why do you want to be a Marketing Fellow, and what will you bring to the program? Use this letter to go beyond your résumé and highlight your motivation, strengths, and the unique value you would add to the Fellows community.
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One-Page “Magazine Ad” — Sell Yourself as a Brand
Format: One standard 8.5” x 11” page, PDF format.
Prompt:
You’re now the brand ambassador for one of your favorite brands — and your biggest marketing challenge is convincing the Marketing Fellows program to team up with you. Create a one-page magazine ad that promotes both you and your chosen brand as the perfect partners for Marketing Fellows. Be bold, creative, and memorable. Use visuals, headlines, and taglines to show off your personality, style, and what you bring to the table.
Guidelines:
Must fit on one page and be submitted as a PDF.
Use your favorite brand as a creative backdrop — but make yourself the star of the ad.
Clever copy and strong visuals encouraged.
Focus on personality, originality, and what makes you a great fit for the Fellows community.
Any tools or methods — including AI — may be used, as long as the final concept is your own.
Design Tip: Think of your application as a multi-channel marketing campaign:
Cover Letter: Your narrative
Resume: Your proof points
Magazine Ad: Your attention-grabber and lasting impression
The Marketing Fellows program is designed around real-time company projects. To enhance the quality of these projects and student access to information, many of our partners require Non-Disclosure Agreements (NDAs) so they can provide students a complex and authentic marketing challenge facing the company. Partners may also ask students to relinquish rights to intellectual property developed in the classroom based on intellectual property of our partner company and related derivative works.
Curriculum
Leadership training (~40%)
- Effective communication and presentation skills on how to gain support and mutual prioritization
- Effective career management determining desired/right career path and how to achieve one’s goals
- Effective management skills developing and supporting others to succeed
Strategic Thinking (~40%)
- Strategic, big idea thinking on how to identify the next big thing, how to manage through options, and how to determine the optimal way to achieve success in the market place
- Innovations in marketing on how to identify new opportunities within the market place based on consumer insights
Tactical Execution (~20%)
- Effective agency management – getting the most from one’s agency
- Launching and assessing marketing program performance
Practicums
Fellows participate in marketing projects for sponsoring companies in conjunction with their classroom experience. Special projects will give fellows the opportunity to apply their learning in real time for sponsoring companies.
- Fellows are required to participate in at least one major project
- Marketing Fellows are surveyed so projects that fit their personal interests can be identified
- These projects are strategic in nature and not limited to research oriented projects
- Smaller and local companies are invited to participate so students can get involved in broader projects and possibly attend meetings, allowing for face‐to‐face interaction
- Projects can turn into summer internships or ongoing “consulting” projects
Opportunities
Fellows will have opportunities throughout the school year to develop leadership skills and strengthen their marketing acumen outside of the curriculum and practicums. Here are a few of those opportunities:
- CCIMS MBA Brands Program
- Marketing Conference
- Marketing Brand Camp
- Attendance at various marketing conferences
- Marketing Fellows officer positions
Frequently Asked Questions
What additional courses are required as a part of Marketing Fellows?
Marketing Fellows students are automatically registered for two additional courses – one in the Spring semester of Year 1 and the second in the Fall semester of Year 2.
- The Spring Speaker Series is a customer strategy course featuring top leadership from a variety of companies and real-time marketing engagements with participating companies.
- The Fall Consulting Practicum class allows Fellows to participate in group consulting projects for marketing divisions of top companies, with guidance from faculty.
How Does the Marketing Fellows Program Differ from Graduate Marketing Network (GMN)?
GMN is a student-run MBA organization that provides members with the tools and resources to connect them to their marketing interests and help them discover new ones. Membership to GMN is paid and open to all MBA students.
Marketing Fellows is a selective MBA fellowship program that handpicks students who are committed to pursuing leadership in marketing and seek an opportunity to develop their marketing acumen. Marketing Fellows have direct access to professional development, recruiting assistance and alumni mentorship through the CCIMS program.
Marketing Fellows and GMN collaborate to organize the McCombs Marketing Conference every year.
What Are Some of the Events that Marketing Fellows Participate In?
Marketing Fellows oversee Brand Camp for incoming first-year students. Marketing Fellows assist with the annual McCombs Marketing Conference and Challenge. This event helps to recognize, examine, and stimulate innovation in the field of marketing. The Fellows program also periodically organizes social and networking events, including happy hours, community service and even an exclusive visit to the Circuit of Americas F1 race track.