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An online master鈥檚 in marketing is designed for working professionals currently in the marketing field or those looking to explore a new career path. This master鈥檚 degree is typically offered in two ways: a Master of Science or an MBA. An MS in Marketing focuses on the quantitative aspects of marketing, such as metrics and analytics, while coursework within an MBA in Marketing prepares students to assume leadership roles across the marketing field. 

The American Marketing Association (AMA) defines marketing as 鈥渢he activity, set of institutions, and processes for creating, communicating, delivering, and exchanging offerings that have value for customers, clients, partners, and society at large.鈥�

In simpler terms, marketing is the creative and strategic process by which a brand, individual or entity attempts to capture a consumer鈥檚 attention, create engagement, and ultimately influence them to take a specific action.

While the global origins of marketing date back to ancient Egypt around 3000 BCE, U.S. origins are far more recent. In fact, it wasn鈥檛 until the country鈥檚 first print newspaper in 1704, The Boston News-Letter, that an ad appeared in print. Fast forward some 300+ years to the present day, and we live in a society dominated by advertising and marketing, some of which we鈥檙e consciously aware of and some of which we aren鈥檛. It鈥檚 anywhere and everywhere and there鈥檚 simply no stopping the machine that鈥檚 become marketing as we know it in the 21st century.

In terms of the employment outlook, the (BLS) projects that through the end of the decade, advertising, promotions and marketing manager positions will grow by 6%.

In pursuing an online master鈥檚 in marketing, you鈥檒l play a lead role in helping to shape the future of marketing in today鈥檚ever-evolving digital business landscape. To earn a marketing graduate degree, you must complete a curriculum specifically designed to help you prepare for a career in marketing.

However, marketing is a field with seemingly endless, constantly evolving niche areas.

Whereas the curricula in most bachelor鈥檚 marketing degree programs are designed to provide students with a more all-encompassing education in business and marketing (in addition to a core curriculum), the courses in a master鈥檚 degree program are more specific. For example, where your undergraduate curriculum likely included introductory courses, like Marketing Research, graduate courses around the topic might include such specificity as Environmental Marketing Research or Social Media Marketing, for example.

Master's coursework is more targeted and niche in order to help expand your general knowledge base and provide you with opportunities to focus on your desired area of interest within the program.

Online programs have become an increasingly popular alternative to traditional, on-campus programs and are well-respected among marketing professionals.

While no two programs are the same, there are generally two main tracks:

1. One is geared toward working professionals who want to earn a master鈥檚 degree in marketing but don鈥檛 have time outside of work to take a full-time course load. Most programs aimed at working professionals last anywhere from 18-24 months, depending on the number of credit hours taken each term.

2. Most institutions offer a second program track for traditional students looking to enroll full time and complete the program in a shorter period. Full-time students can usually complete coursework within 10-15 months, depending on the exact number of credits required.

In considering different colleges and universities for your graduate degree, you鈥檒l want to be sure and find out whether or not an institution requires separate admissions applications for each program track offered or if one application covers them all.

Understanding admissions requirements often varies from institution to institution. There are a few standard admissions requirements you can expect to see on one or more applications you complete.

Below are the common admissions requirements:

• Undergraduate transcripts from an accredited college or university 鈥� ideally from a bachelor's of business, communications, marketing, or a related field
• Online admissions application, which may include an application fee
• Minimal GPA of around 3.0
• One of two admissions examinations (if applicable) 鈥� Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) or Graduate Record Exam (GRE)
• Resume or CV
• Letters of recommendation
• Personal statement or admissions essay
• Professional work experience

However, it鈥檚 important to note that many institutions have started moving to a more holistic admissions process in which test scores, among other things, are optional.

The courses and curriculum of a master鈥檚 degree in marketing program are intended to provide students with a greater depth and breadth of foundational marketing knowledge and opportunities to focus on different niche areas.

While core coursework may vary slightly from one program to the next, especially between the two most common types of master鈥檚 degree programs in marketing 鈥� the Master of Science (MS) in Marketing and the Master of Business Administration (MBA) with a concentration in marketing 鈥� there are standard courses across programs.

Below are some examples of core classes in marketing at the master's level:

• Consumer Behavior: This course involves a journey into the minds of consumers in order to learn how marketing impacts each stage of consumers' decision-making process. Understanding consumer behavior will help you think like a consumer and a marketer.
• Digital Marketing: Like everything else in life, marketing has gone digital. Consumers spend a great deal of time online, and digital marketers are well aware. In a digital marketing course, you鈥檒l learn how modern marketing has become remote and how it can help businesses.
• Integrated Marketing Communication: An integrated marketing course will teach you how to effectively apply strategic messaging in today鈥檚 digital environment. You鈥檒l learn integrated marketing communications theories and see how they鈥檝e been used in different fields.
• Marketing Research and Analytics: One of the greatest keys to creating a robust and impactful marketing campaign is to conduct meaningful research and carefully analyze the results. A marketing research and data analytics course will teach you about the different types of research you can conduct and how to use analytics to ensure your campaign's success.
• Social Media Marketing: Once considered an industry niche, social media marketing has now become more of an industry standard. Between the multitude of social media platforms, the growing number of users and the marketing analytics capabilities, a strong social media marketing strategy has become necessary for marketers.

Minus a few exceptions like doing surgery, practicing law, being a pilot, etc., there鈥檚 not much you can鈥檛 do with a master鈥檚 degree in marketing.

Effective marketing has become synonymous with business success in the 21st century.

One of the more recent marketing roles created to meet the needs of the digital business world is a digital marketing specialist. Professionals in this role provide their expertise in growing a company鈥檚 digital marketing efforts. In addition, digital marketing specialists closely follow the performance of digital marketing campaigns, explore new opportunities in the digital space and play a role in social media marketing initiatives. Achieving an online marketing master's degree may give you a leg up in this burgeoning field of remote work, as it demonstrates your digital prowess.

We've also listed some other career paths for professionals with a master鈥檚 in marketing:

oversee a business or organization鈥檚 marketing efforts, including the messaging and imaging portrayed to current and prospective consumers, the alignment of marketing and corporate strategy, the effectiveness of different marketing campaigns, and leading marketing teams. A master's degree is not required to enter this role, but often, experience in the field is what counts. 

Research and analysis play a vital role in marketing. have specific skill sets which allow them to conduct marketing research and analysis at every stage of a marketing campaign. They help their marketing teams craft data-driven and strategic marketing decisions based on research findings, case studies, performance analysis, predictive analysis and a host of other marketing research tools. It's important to keep in mind that it's possible to begin this career with a bachelor's, but some research positions require a master鈥檚 degree.

To aid your job search, become certified, participate in trainings, and expand your network of peers, you should thinking about joining some communities in the marketing world:

• American Marketing Association ()
• American Advertising Federation ()
• e-Marketing Association ()
• Internet Marketing Association ()
• Mobile Marketing Association ()

It can be stressful trying to figure out whether it鈥檚 worth it to pursue a master鈥檚 program in marketing online. Beyond the notion that a earning a master鈥檚 degree will lead to an increase in salary over time, there are a number of other factors to consider:

• If you鈥檙e working full-time, with or without a partner and children, will you actually have the time to commit?
• When will you have time each day and week to set aside for lectures, readings, assignments, projects, etc.?
• Considering the marketing vertical in which you currently work or aspire to work, is there a tangible benefit to earning a master鈥檚 degree in marketing?
• Would you be better served by simply putting yourself out there, individually, to gain new professional, resume-building experiences?

These are a few examples of the types of questions you鈥檒l want to ask yourself as you continue the decision-making process.

Also, consider the following pros and cons:

Potential Advantages

• More job opportunities: Receiving a formal education in an up-to-date master鈥檚 program in marketing could lead to new professional career paths. Additionally, holding a master鈥檚 degree in marketing, as opposed to simply an undergraduate degree, could make you a more attractive job candidate than those who don鈥檛 have a higher degree.
• Networking: In today鈥檚 business environment, having a strong professional network can help open doors that might remain closed otherwise. By pursuing a master鈥檚 degree in marketing, you can grow your network of colleagues to include fellow students, respected faculty members, and industry professionals.
• Teaching at the collegiate level: Earning a master鈥檚 degree would keep you on the path to potentially teach at the university level, especially if you went on to pursue a doctoral degree in marketing or a related field.

Potential Disadvantages

• Expense: If you鈥檙e not in a position to pay tuition and fees out of pocket, the burden of thousands of dollars in student loan debt might not be worth the trade off. Further, scholarship availability likely varies from one program to the next.
• Constant change: The marketing landscape, particularly in regard to digital marketing, seemingly evolves each day. You must be willing to be a lifelong learner in this field, as it requires constant change.
• Master's not required: A master鈥檚 degree in marketing is not a requirement for the majority of industry jobs. Obtaining a professional industry certification from an accredited agency may hold as much weight to a current or potential employer as an actual master鈥檚 degree.
• Time commitment: Thinking about your current situation in life, considering things like your current job, relationship, dependents and other commitments, adding another time-consuming element to your life may create more stress than benefits.

The decision concerning whether or not to pursue a master鈥檚 in marketing is a highly individual one, as you must consider whether current personal and professional commitments in your life would allow the time and energy required to earn an online master鈥檚 degree in marketing.