糖心vlog官网观看

Master's in Marketing: A Guide

Written by 糖心vlog官网观看 Staff 鈥 Updated on

By earning your master鈥檚 in marketing, you can deepen your subject knowledge, elevate your educational credentials, and prepare to take on management roles.

[Featured Image] A marketing professional works on a laptop, applying strategies learned from their master鈥檚 in marketing.

Whether you鈥檝e been working in marketing for several years and are interested in higher-level advancement, or you鈥檝e been working in a related field and are interested in pivoting to marketing, there may come a point in your career when it makes sense to explore a master鈥檚 degree in marketing.听

Many marketing roles do not require a graduate degree, but it can be an advantageous step to build on your undergraduate education. By earning your master鈥檚 in marketing, you can deepen your subject knowledge, elevate your educational credentials, and prepare to take on management roles. Let鈥檚 go over what it takes to earn a master鈥檚 degree in marketing and whether it鈥檚 the best choice for you.

Master鈥檚 degree in marketing: The basics聽

A master鈥檚 marketing degree is a graduate-level degree typically designed to deepen your knowledge of marketing鈥攐r the strategy a company deploys to promote its products or services. While a bachelor鈥檚 degree in marketing often introduces students to several fundamental topics about market research, social media strategy, and effective messaging, a master鈥檚 degree typically focuses on more niche topics. These might include applying data analytics to market research, digital messaging strategies, and consumer behavior.听

MS in marketing vs. MBA with concentration

When you鈥檙e interested in advancing your marketing knowledge, there are two degrees to explore: the Master of Science (MS) in Marketing or the Master of Business Administration (MBA) with a concentration in marketing, such as marketing management, brand marketing, or product marketing.听

While there鈥檚 no strict rule about which program you can attend, the difference between the two largely comes down to experience. The MS in Marketing is geared toward recent graduates who have some鈥攂ut not much鈥攚ork experience, while the MBA is generally intended for professionals who have spent at least four or five years in the workforce. Let鈥檚 break that down a little further:聽

  • An MS in Marketing is usually for graduates with one or two years of professional experience. It鈥檚 likely better for students who didn鈥檛 earn their bachelor鈥檚 degree in marketing and are interested in鈥攐r have already started鈥攁 marketing career but desire advanced education.

  • An MBAis usually for graduates with a minimum of four or five years of professional experience. It鈥檚 likely best for students who earned their bachelor鈥檚 degree in business or marketing and want to expand upon that education.听

As you think about the best degree program for you, take time to review the outcomes and coursework you鈥檒l be expected to complete and the job placement support or professional development each one offers. Consider how those factors align with your larger reasons for earning a master鈥檚 degree.听

Interested in earning your MBA but want the flexibility of an online program? Explore the iMBA from the University of Illinois on 糖心vlog官网观看. The program features multiple concentrations, including digital marketing, and you can try out a course first to see if it鈥檚 a good fit before applying.听

Coursework and thesis

Master鈥檚 courses tend to be more advanced than bachelor鈥檚 degree courses because you learn about specialized topics. In your marketing master鈥檚 program, you may take classes on aspects of business, finance, sales, advertising, and communications, as well as targeted marketing classes such as:聽

  • Market research

  • Market strategy

  • Consumer behavior聽

  • Visual marketing

  • Digital marketing analytics

  • Strategic brand management聽

  • Advertising management

Your master鈥檚 marketing program may also require that you complete a thesis or capstone project before graduating. Often, this is an opportunity to conduct original research and apply what you鈥檝e learned to an area of marketing that most interests you.听

How many years is a master鈥檚 degree in marketing?

No matter whether you choose to pursue your MS or MBA, you can expect to spend about two years in your graduate marketing program when you鈥檙e able to attend full-time. Many schools offer part-time options to accommodate professional students that can add to the amount of time you鈥檒l spend earning your degree. Some options, such as accelerated MBA programs or dual degree programs, may speed up your timeline.听

Depending on whether you attend a public or private nonprofit institution, a master鈥檚 degree in the United States typically costs between $51,740 and $62,550 []. MBAs tend to be more expensive on average, with an average cost of $60,410 [].

Is a master鈥檚 in marketing useful?

Marketing can be a lucrative鈥攁nd long-lasting鈥攃areer thanks to the number of products and services companies seek to sell. Marketing jobs will likely grow by 8 percent in the next decade []. A master鈥檚 in marketing is an educational opportunity to deepen your interest in some facet of marketing while refining your transferable skills.听

Marketing isn鈥檛 limited to one type of work or one set path; there are numerous marketing areas you can explore, including research, strategy, events, and content. You may start in one aspect of marketing before eventually moving into another. For example, you may start as a social media marketer before becoming a marketing manager and applying your skill set to a wider array of marketing needs.听

While it鈥檚 possible to grow as a marketer with an undergraduate degree and experience, a master鈥檚 in marketing can be an attractive credential on your resume. Companies may prefer a master鈥檚 for certain roles, and the degree can show companies the extra time you dedicated to the subject.

How much can you make with a master鈥檚 in marketing?

The median weekly earnings for a master鈥檚 degree holder is $1,737, compared to $1,493 for bachelor鈥檚 degree holders, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) []. With a master鈥檚 in marketing, you can explore a number of management roles, including higher positions such as creative director and chief marketing officer.

Job titleUS salary
Event manager$65,021 []
Brand manager$111,173 []
Communications manager$81,335 []
Sales manager$86,117 []
Marketing manager$81,217 []
Creative director$142,476 []
Chief marketing officer$181,423 []

Is a master鈥檚 degree in marketing right for you?

Whether a master鈥檚 in marketing is right for you largely depends on your experience and career goals. Those two factors can help you determine whether an MS or an MBA makes more sense.听

It can also be worthwhile to think about why you鈥檙e interested in earning a master鈥檚 degree in the first place since there are educational alternatives. If you want to increase your knowledge in some area of marketing, a professional certificate or an individual course may be a strong option. You can list the certificates from either track on your resume, signaling to a potential employer the work you鈥檝e invested to stay up to date. You can also highlight what you learned in your cover letter and job interviews.

  • Professional certificates are shorter programs (typically less than a year) designed to help you develop or improve your career-ready skills.听

  • Individual courses boost your subject knowledge with focused education.听

Earn a Professional Certificate from industry leaders like Meta and Google in social media marketing, digital marketing, or marketing analytics on 糖心vlog官网观看.听

Explore marketing master鈥檚 programs on 糖心vlog官网观看

Earn your Online MBA (iMBA) from the University of Illinois on 糖心vlog官网观看, and enjoy the flexibility of taking classes remotely and at your own pace. Or if you鈥檙e looking for a shorter, comparably career-focused program, explore Professional Certificates from Meta in high-demand marketing areas such as social media marketing or marketing analytics.听

You are Currently on slide 1

Article sources

1.听

National Data Initiative. 鈥 https://educationdata.org/average-cost-of-a-masters-degree.鈥 Accessed February 21, 2025.

Keep reading

Updated on
Written by:

Editorial Team

糖心vlog官网观看鈥檚 editorial team is comprised of highly experienced professional editors, writers, and fact...

This content has been made available for informational purposes only. Learners are advised to conduct additional research to ensure that courses and other credentials pursued meet their personal, professional, and financial goals.