Marketing Graduate Student Puts Theory into Practice

When Malik Abdoulmoumine ’23 M.S. chose Syracuse University for his master’s studies in marketing, he didn’t anticipate how complete that education would prove to be. His coursework at the Whitman School prepared him well in critical marketing concepts such as data analysis skills, brand strategy, research and consumer behavior, skills applicable to a variety of industries, including higher education.

Abdoulmoumine spent two semesters interning at Syracuse University’s Division of Marketing, analyzing market and institutional data to inform marketing strategy for the University’s 2024 admissions recruitment campaign. “The people were really talented, smart and super supportive of me trying to connect the theoretical aspects of what I'm learning to real-world practical marketing problems,” he says.

That resulted in several self-driven projects, including developing a focus group to get primary data from prospective students; a strategic benchmarking report that compared the messaging, marketing communication and positioning of peer institutions; and a granular analysis of previous campaigns to determine what type of copy and ad size resonates best with the target audience.

He was invited back for a second semester, working within the department’s operations unit to identify gaps and overlaps in admissions communications to inform the new campaign, an experience that concluded with his graduation in December 2023.

A native of Niger, Abdoulmoumine lived in the U.S. during part of elementary and middle school, then continued his education in Liberia and Ghana, earning a bachelor’s degree in business studies from Lancaster University Ghana, an international branch campus of Lancaster University in the United Kingdom.

He remained in Ghana to begin his career, combining his interests in business and social justice. His most recent role was as marketing manager for Global Mamas, a nonprofit that provides sustainable livelihoods to women in rural communities.

“I realized there were areas in my understanding of marketing that were lacking,” he says. “I thought a specific master’s degree in marketing would better equip me to make a difference.”

With three brothers and a sister living in the U.S., Abdoulmoumine decided to pursue graduate school here. His mother suggested Syracuse, where she had studied as a Fulbright Scholar from Niger, earning a master’s in public administration from the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs.

He says he made the right choice. “The program equips students with a general understanding of marketing as well as how to think strategically and how to analyze problems from different aspects. The program is very much oriented toward training people to be business leaders who don’t just look at a problem from a surface value, but also understand the economic impact of certain decisions,” he says.

As an international student, Abdoulmoumine is entitled to a year of optional post training (OPT) in the United States. He plans to job search once he receives his OPT work authorization, in the meantime serving as a tutor at the Syracuse University athletic center and working on his own creative projects, including graphic design, photography, pointillism and watercolor painting.

“I am immensely grateful for the network I have developed and the support and encouragement I’ve received,” says Abdoulmoumine of his master’s journey. “I eagerly anticipate the opportunities and challenges to come.”

—Renée Gearhart Levy