Hunan University (HNU) is one of the earliest institutions offering marketing courses and a key hub for early scholars disseminating marketing knowledge. The history of the HNU Department of Marketing can be traced back to 1926 when the business science was established. In 1931, the Business Department was founded. In 1946, the Business College established. In the 1930s, Professor Ding Xinbo and Professor Hou Houji, two of the earliest marketing experts in China, both taught at HNU, and in the 1970s and 1980s, Professor Guo Junyuan, who was the first one in China to organize marketing training and compile textbooks on the subject, also coached at HNU. In January, 1984, HNU hosted the "Inaugural Conference and Seminar on the Association of Marketing Teaching and Research of the National Finance and Economics Colleges and Comprehensive Universities" in Changsha, which marked the birth of China's first national marketing academic organization. Since the commencement of undergraduate recruitment in 1980, the Marketing program at HNU has developed into a distinctive feature of the university.

The Marketing program was granted an A+ rating during the Best Chinese Major Rankings for 2021 and 2022 by the Shanghai Ranking. The program ranked 10th in the 2022 ranking. The Department of Marketing serves as a pilot unit in building a national “marketing virtual teaching and research platform.” The marketing teaching and research office won a provincial tile for its excellence. The Party branch of the Department of Marketing was honored as an outstanding Party organization at the primary level. Courses include Marketing have been rated as provincial quality course brands. The department is equipped with a provincial outstanding practice base.

In 2017, the Business Administration was granted with an A rating during the fourth round of discipline ranking by the Ministry of Education. The Marketing program was a part of the Business Administration Discipline.

In 2019, the Marketing program ranked first in the A rating during an overall evaluation of undergraduate marketing program in Hunan.

In 2020, the Marketing program was included in the national Double Ten Thousand Plan as a first-class one.

In 2021, the Marketing program was granted with an A+ rating during the Best Chinese Major Rankings by the Shanghai Ranking.

In 2022, the “marketing virtual teaching and research platform” was approved as a national pilot unit by the Ministry of Education.