Study Online Master’s in Marketing
Getting an advanced degree in marketing is a smart career move. On the one hand, you can learn new skills that enable you to perform your current job better. On the other hand, the skills you learn can qualify you for higher-paying jobs with more responsibilities.
And while a master’s degree is hard work, online learning has made it easier to get a masters in marketing than ever before. You can work on your degree from the comfort of your home with courses that are flexible to meet your needs. Better still, many colleges and universities have waived the GMAT requirement so you can get your education without worrying about taking difficult entrance exams.
The programs outlined in this guide are among the most popular online master’s programs in marketing currently available. Compare and contrast each one to see which degree aligns best with your educational and career goals!
NO GMAT Online Master’s in Marketing
Listed below are some of the popular schools offering online masters in marketing programs without the requirement of GMAT:
- University of Northern Colorado
- University of Wisconsin-Whitewater
- University of Cincinnati
- University of Texas at Dallas
- American Public University
- Purdue Global
- Southern New Hampshire University
University of Northern Colorado
Online MBA in Marketing
The University of Northern Colorado’s MBA in Marketing offers a blended curriculum focusing on business, marketing, leadership, and other critical aspects of business. You will explore everything from digital marketing to the psychology of marketing to marketing analytics as you prepare for careers such as:
- Market Research Analyst
- Sales Manager
- Marketing Specialist
- Marketing Manager
- Public Relations Specialist
This program, which is accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB), requires you to complete 36 credits to graduate. The majority of those credits (24) are MBA core courses. The remaining credits are electives and marketing specialization classes. Typically, it takes two years to complete the degree requirements.
The MBA core coursework begins with a Data Analytics and Visualization class that explores how to structure and manipulate databases of information. You will learn how to extract data using statistical and textual analyses. The purpose of doing so is to have viable information to use to make informed marketing decisions.
You will also take finance and economics-related classes. For example, the Managerial Accounting class focuses on the concepts and uses of accounting techniques, while the Economics of Managerial Decisions focuses on microeconomic applications of managerial decision-making.
Some of your MBA core courses explore leadership topics, too. Ethical Leadership and Organizational behavior, for example, takes a look at factors like team dynamics, conflict, motivation, and culture, and how they impact the functioning of an organization. Likewise, the Strategic Management class explores the tools and techniques you can employ to be a strategic, effective leader in any business setting.
Other required MBA core courses include the following:
- Advanced International Business
- Marketing Management
- Advanced Financial Management
You will supplement these core courses with an elective of your choice. The program gives you wide latitude here—you simply need to choose one approved class. The choices are many: Healthcare Systems, Project Management Fundamentals, and Fundamentals of Accounting Analytics are just three options. Other choices include Special Topics in Business, Managing Organizational Change, and Talent Management.
The remaining three classes needed to graduate are all marketing-specific. First, you will take Consumer Behavior, which examines why consumers make the decisions they do. You will use consumer behavior theories to predict future behavior in various settings. With this training in behavioral economics, marketing, and psychology, you will become a much more effective marketing professional.
The second marketing course you will take is Digital Marketing. Naturally, this course focuses on marketing strategies for the internet, social media sites, search engines, and web design. You will learn how to use analytics to determine the best digital marketing approaches. Likewise, you will explore how marketing strategies have evolved over the years and how to integrate a multi-pronged marketing approach using different digital means.
Lastly, the Services Marketing Strategy class discusses marketing principles as they pertain to the service industry. You will also analyze how marketing strategies can be used to enhance business in the manufacturing sector.
You must meet the following criteria to apply:
- Have a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution.
- Have a 3.0 cumulative undergraduate GPA or higher if you have no relevant work experience. With three or more years of work experience, you can apply with a 2.75 or higher GPA. With six or more years of work experience, you can apply with a 2.5 GPA or higher.
- Submit official transcripts from every college or university you’ve attended.
- No GMAT scores are required unless you have a 2.5 undergraduate GPA or lower. If your GPA is higher, you can submit GMAT scores if you like.
University of Wisconsin-Whitewater
Online Master of Science in Marketing
The Master of Science in Marketing from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater prepares you for an advanced career in marketing with its accelerated AACSB-accredited program. This 30-credit degree is offered entirely online and requires no campus visits or field-based learning. What’s more, you will benefit from asynchronous courses that don’t require you to attend online class meetings.
Broadly speaking, this program explores key marketing topics, from consumer behavior to data analytics to digital marketing. You will learn how to think critically, solve complex marketing problems, and tailor marketing plans to different environments. These and other skills will be developed by taking required and elective marketing classes.
The required coursework begins with a course in Marketing Strategy. In this class, you will analyze the strategic efforts of marketing professionals, run marketing simulations, and devise detailed marketing plans for various products and services. The course also covers pricing, promotion, and distribution issues.
You’re required to take Consumer Insight and Customer Experience as well. This class studies consumer behavior. However, it goes far beyond that. You will dive deep into consumer research methods and learn how the behavioral sciences (like psychology) play an important role in learning more about why consumers behave the way they do and what you can do to more effectively market products and services to potential customers.
There is an international business component to this program, too. International Marketing explores the essential aspects of conducting business on an international scale. You will learn how to evaluate market opportunities at home and abroad while also learning how to be a more effective decision-maker when it comes to doing business in all corners of the globe.
Yet another required course is Entrepreneurial Marketing Strategy. This class analyzes how marketing and entrepreneurship work together to address topics like business start-ups and product launches. You will learn how entrepreneurial marketing helps advance small and medium-sized businesses while also mastering the art of strategic marketing plan development.
The remaining core courses are as follows:
- Brand Management
- Digital Marketing
- Artificial Intelligence in Marketing
- Quantitative Analysis for Business
- Data Analytics and Business Intelligence or Visual Analytics for Business
The program requires you to complete two elective classes as well. These classes allow you to tailor your studies to meet your specific needs or address marketing-related interests you might have.
For example, you can take Persuasion and Negotiation Strategies if you’re interested in the art of deal-making. Alternatively, you can take Fundamentals of Project Management if your interests are in the behind-the-scenes aspects of planning, budgeting, resource allocation, and so forth. The Strategic Technology and Innovation Management course is another option, and it is preferable if you are interested in the role of technology and innovation in marketing and business.
You can go in a different direction with your electives if you wish. The program offers two classes—Ethics in the Marketplace and Business Ethics and Social Responsibility—that shed light on professional, legal, and ethical issues as a business professional. You can choose one of these classes; the other elective must be one of those discussed above.
The admissions requirements are as follows:
- Have an undergraduate degree from an accredited institution.
- Have a 3.0 cumulative undergraduate GPA or higher (if you graduated from an AACSB or ABET-accredited bachelor’s program). You must have a 3.25 cumulative undergraduate GPA or higher if your undergraduate program is not AACSB or ABET-accredited.
- Submit official transcripts from every college or university you’ve attended.
- Have at least two or more years of professional work experience or an approved professional certification.
- GMAT scores are not required, but you can submit them to support your application if you choose.
University of Cincinnati
Online Master of Science in Marketing
The University of Cincinnati’s Master of Science in Marketing is a 32-39 credit program focusing on analytics, consumer psychology, and marketing design. The comprehensive curriculum prepares you for career advancement with opportunities to gain essential knowledge and skills in these areas alongside hands-on experience you can rely on as you build your career.
This AACSB-accredited program is offered in full-time and part-time formats. Studying full-time allows you to complete the graduation requirements in as little as one year. Part-time studies extend the time to graduate to about two years. In either case, you will benefit from a flexible online learning experience that adjusts to meet your needs.
The first portion of the curriculum is devoted to basic business knowledge courses. These classes, which include Foundations in Accounting, Data Analytics, Foundations in Economics, and Marketing Foundations, are only required if you do not have an undergraduate degree in business.
Regarding required classes, you will take 14 credits in areas like the following:
- Marketing Research for Managers
- Buyer Behavior
- Marketing Ethics
- Marketing Strategy
Each of the classes listed above dives deep into key marketing concepts. For example, the Marketing Research for Managers class discusses marketing management principles that help you understand how to design and deploy market research projects. As another example, the Buyer Behavior class studies consumer behavior, including human responses to services and products. You can use this information to improve the products and services offered to consumers as well as improve the marketing strategies used to encourage buying behavior.
Meanwhile, the Marketing Ethics course examines essential ethical issues in marketing. You will study fields like cognitive psychology and moral philosophy while enhancing your managerial decision-making skills. Your skills will be refined further in the Marketing Strategy for Managers class, which will help you develop a framework for strategic planning to improve the effectiveness of marketing plans.
You’re also required to complete a Master of Science in Marketing Capstone. This experience requires you to complete a five-month placement in which you address real-world marketing problems for a business or organization. During the capstone, you might be responsible for any of the following:
- Branding
- Customer Relationship Management
- Marketing Planning
- Healthcare Marketing
- New Product Development
The purpose of the capstone is to help you apply what you’ve learned in class in a real-world setting. Upon completion of the capstone, you will have the necessary experience to confidently provide marketing insights to businesses of all kinds.
This program allows you to customize your learning experience with 18 elective credits. These courses are your opportunity to hone the skills you need and explore topics that interest you as you prepare for your future career. Fortunately, you have many choices regarding the electives you take. For example, the university offers classes like Consumer Insights, Product Management, and Systematic Innovation Tools. You can also take Professional Sales, New Product Development, and Design Thinking for Business. Still other options include the following:
- Digital Marketing Tools
- Influence Strategies
- Sales Management Strategy
- Consumer Decision Science
- Retailing Strategy
There are more than two dozen electives you can choose from, so you can truly tailor your learning experience to your specific interests.
You can apply to the University of Cincinnati at any time. Ensure you meet the following admissions requirements before starting your application:
- Have an undergraduate degree from an accredited college or university.
- Submit unofficial transcripts from every college or university you’ve attended.
- Submit a current resume or curriculum vitae.
- Provide contact details for two references.
- Submit a goal statement in which you explain how this program will help you achieve your career goals.
- GMAT scores are optional.
University of Texas at Dallas
Online Master of Science in Marketing
Yet another popular online graduate program in marketing is the Master of Science in Marketing from the University of Texas at Dallas. This flexible degree requires you to complete 36 credits of coursework, which you can do at your own pace. This allows you to finish the degree in as little as 18 months or extend the time needed to graduate to two years or more, depending on your needs.
The core of the program is a sequence of five foundational courses. Each of these courses challenges you to acquire new knowledge and skills that will help you advance your career. For example, in the Marketing Management class, you will learn how to use analytics to improve the effectiveness of marketing campaigns. More specifically, you will learn how to use positioning, segmentation, and targeting tools to enhance marketing.
You will also take a Marketing Data Analysis and Research class that seeks to gain insights into consumer behavior. Moreover, this course equips you with information that allows you to develop and deploy more effective marketing campaigns based on surveys, experiments, and samples of consumer behavior.
Your study of consumer behavior doesn’t stop there, though. The Consumer Behavior Science and Practice course offers a comprehensive look at the marketing implications of consumer decision-making. You will analyze decision-making models, discuss the tactical impact of consumer behavior, and explore environmental influences on consumer behavior as well.
Yet another core course is Statistics and Data Analysis. This class introduces you to methods and theories that promote the use of data in marketing. You will learn how to perform regression analyses, test hypotheses, and present and summarize data as well. Furthermore, you will learn how to use probability theory, ANOVAs, and confidence intervals to test data.
The final core component is a Marketing Decision-Making Capstone. This hands-on experience involves using analytical tools to run a complete marketing simulation. You will work for a fictional business and create marketing plans that improve the business’s market share and profits. This is a group experience, and you will compete against other groups for a share of the fictional marketplace.
The remaining coursework comes in the form of non-marketing and marketing electives. The available non-marketing electives include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Big Data Analytics
- Business Economics
- Database Foundations
- Organizational Behavior
- Prescriptive Analytics
You can also choose from electives ranging from Retail Operations to Negotiation and Dispute Resolution to Data Visualization.
The marketing-focused electives allow you to explore areas that specifically interest you. For example, you might take Brand Management if you see yourself as a brand manager who’s in charge of building brand equity and awareness for clients in the future. Alternatively, you might take Predictive Analytics for Data Science if you are interested in harnessing data-driven techniques to improve marketing decision-making.
Furthermore, you can choose to take Technology and New Product Development if you see yourself working on strategic and organizational issues in marketing new products. This class explores topics like gaining a competitive advantage by using technology, forecasting technology trends, and implementing new technologies to improve marketing in business settings. Other marketing electives you might take include the following:
- Interactive Digital Marketing
- Advertising and Promotional Strategy
- Marketing Web Analytics and Insights
- Market Entry Strategies
The application requirements are as follows:
- Have a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university.
- Submit official transcripts from every college or university you’ve attended.
- Submit a personal objectives statement outlining your academic interests.
- Provide a current resume.
- Provide three letters of recommendation. You only need to submit one letter of recommendation if you have two or more years of post-baccalaureate work experience in business, marketing, or a related field.
- You may submit GMAT scores to support your application, but this is not a requirement.