WHAT IS AN ONLINE MARKETING DEGREE?
An Online Marketing Degree can help you gain creative, analytic and technical skills. You will use these crucial skills to generate business. How will you apply these skills? Well, you will learn how you can create content in order to win campaigns. In some programs, you will build core business knowledge. And, you will dive into marketing as a focus point. You may study topics such as marketing research, sales, and branding. Or, you could study management. Other programs, you will find, are more immersive. These will allow you to pick a focus, such as digital marketing or sports marketing. You can guess that because of social media and reliance on smartphones and the internet, now is a perfect time to enter the field. As a marketing professional today, you need to be tech savvy to help businesses stay competitive.
Interested in learning a more digital approach? Check out digital marketing programs.
TYPES OF ONLINE MARKETING DEGREE PROGRAMS
B.A. in Marketing
In this B.A. program, you will cover basic knowledge and skills for developing, promoting, distributing, and selling.
Course Examples:
- Intro to Marketing
- Digital Marketing
- Consumer Behavior
M.B.A. in Marketing
Learn advanced business concepts. You will focus on marketing management and marketing research.
Course Examples:
- Product Life Cycle
- Domestic and International Marketing
- Leadership
Ph.D. in Marketing
Here, you will gain mastery of strategic communication. You will cover complex marketing research methods, and ethical marketing management.
Course Examples:
- Strategic Communication
- Marketing Research
- Marketing Management
ONLINE MARKETING DEGREE PROGRAMS
Are you wondering what you will cover in an online marketing degree program? Well, in online marketing degree programs, you will discuss the business of promoting and selling. In many course plans, you will cover topics such as consumer behavior and marketing research. You could also delve into strategic marketing. These courses, you will find, lay out the basics of how to interact with consumers. You are learning to communicate brand value.
Consumer Behavior
As you can gather, getting a product or service into the market requires you to have a finger on the pulse of consumer personas. A course in buyer behavior may teach you how to define your target markets. You could also learn how to assess market segments. And you can learn to make demand forecasts.
As such, your coursework could familiarize you with all the factors that affect consumer activity. Some topics you could cover include sales data (online shopping habits), customer reviews, and economic trends. Covering such topics will ready you to ideate, plan, and design. Then, you can put brand strategies into place.
Market Research and Analytics
You will find the marketing profession also relies on market research tools and data analysis. You can use market research tools to help you. These, you will find, often include conducting focus groups and surveys. As such, you will learn to parlay this data into strategic and savvy sales pitches.
Many marketing courses will ask you to collaborate with your classmates. Here, you might learn to create mock advertising campaigns that mirror real world projects. What do you get out of this work? Well, these exercises will solidify your skills with sales databases. And, they will introduce you to web based media and other industry tools.
Marketing Strategy and Brand Promotions
Your marketing curriculum will also present you with current theories and trending practices used in campaigns. You will find some of these will be relevant for classic mediums like TV, radio and print. In other practices, you will discuss the finer points of digital platforms. You will tackle how you can drive traffic to a website.
Internships, Practicums and Projects
As an online marketing student, firstly, you will complete all of your coursework. Then, you may need to take part in an internship or complete a final project. As an online student, you can usually coordinate internships at sites near your current residence.
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Southern New Hampshire University
- Take advantage of some of the nation’s most affordable tuition rates, while earning a degree from a private, nonprofit, NEASC accredited university
- Qualified students with 2.5 GPA and up may receive up to $20K in grants & scholarships
- Multiple term start dates throughout the year. 24/7 online classroom access.
Popular Programs
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University of Arizona Global Campus
- 99% of University of Arizona Global Campus students study online
- University of Arizona Global Campus offers affordable tuition, so college is accessible to many students.
- he University of Arizona Global Campus (formerly Ashford University) is accredited by WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC)
Available Programs
Accounting and Finance, Information Technology, Political Science…
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Western Governors University
- Award-winning programs created to help you succeed.
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WHAT DO MARKETING DEGREE COURSES LOOK LIKE?
Are you wondering what kind of courses you will take on this track? You can review a sample course plan for a general marketing degree program below. You will find that there are a few areas of emphasis where you may explore a specific industry niche.
Some common courses include:
Intro to Marketing: Marketing deals with selling a product or idea to customers. You may learn the best ways to reach customers, find out what they need and sell to them.
Strategic Marketing: This course aims to teach a marketing plan for selling to people over and over. You may learn to make customers want your product and support your brand.
Sports Marketing: Sports marketing degree programs examine promotions of sports events, teams, products and players. Courses in sports marketing often explore fan culture and sports audiences. These topics prepare students to detect promising opportunities based on based market research.
Marketing Analytics: Students who pursue an online marketing analytics degree focus on statistical methods. They often learn how to use statistical analyses to solve managerial problems. Other topics explore things like differentiation, positioning, segmentation, and brand loyalty.
Consumer Behavior: What makes someone decide to buy something? In this course, you may study the many reasons for people’s decisions to buy or not buy.
Product and Brand Management: There are ways to convince someone to buy a product or like a certain brand. You may learn how marketing gets people excited enough to buy.
Marketing Research: You may learn ways to use research to find out what customers buy. This course could include how to collect information and write reports about how to sell.
Digital Marketing: Those who work towards a digital marketing degree online study the internet marketplace. Most courses are action-oriented. This means you may get hands-on practice with things like email marketing, social media, mobile marketing, video marketing, and display advertising. Other topics likely cover web analytics and search engine optimization (SEO).
HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE YOU TO EARN AN ONLINE DEGREE IN MARKETING?
The amount of time it takes you to earn a degree in marketing online varies. You will find it depends on the level of your program. Also, it depends on whether you choose a full time or part time format. The rule of thumb is:
- B.A. degree in Marketing: 4 years full time
- M.A. degree in Marketing: 2 years full time
- Ph.D. degree in Marketing: 3 to 6 years full time
You will find some programs may be offered in accelerated formats. If you are a seasoned marketing professional with relevant experience, then this could be a track for you.
MARKETING DEGREE PROGRAM EXAMPLES
| School | # of Credits Required | Start Dates | Minimum Months to Complete |
| Claremont Graduate University | 32 | Multiple | 4 semesters |
| North Central University | 30 | Multiple | 16 |
| Purdue Global University | 33 | Multiple | 12 |
THE AVERAGE COST OF AN ONLINE MARKETING DEGREE PROGRAM
Are you wondering about cost? Well, know that what you will pay for an online marketing degree depends on several factors. Apart from tuition, as an online student, you may incur a technology fee. Your tuition prices might also factor in where you live. Many will ask you about your state residency. According to recent reports, you can see the median in state public tuition for marketing degrees is $7,474. The median out of state private tuition is $33,250.
You will find that many online schools charge by the credit. Below, you can compare the cost per credit for these schools that offer master’s programs in marketing.
| School | # of Credits Required | Cost Per Credit | Total Tuition Cost |
| Purdue University Global | 33 | $329.05 | $42,174 |
| Claremont Graduate University | 32 | $1,940 | $62,080 |
| University of Louisville | 48 | $585 | $28,080 |
TOP SCHOOLS FOR EARNING A MARKETING DEGREE
As per DataUSA, you will find 52,439 people earned degrees in marketing. The table below shows you the schools that issued the most marketing degrees. Next to that, you will see the out of state tuition.
| School | 2021 Degrees awarded | 2023/24 Tuition (out of state unless *) |
| Florida State University | 520 | $18,786 |
| The University of Alabama | 746 | $33,200 |
| Florida International University | 718 | $18,963 |
| University of Phoenix Arizona | 434 | $9,552* |
| University of South Carolina Columbia | 335 | $34,934 |
| University of Cincinnati Main Campus | 511 | $30,582 |
| Ohio State University Main Campus | 427 | $38,365 |
Estimated for full time, beginning undergrad students
BECOMING A CERTIFIED MARKETING PROFESSIONAL
How important is certification for you? Well, once you’ve earned a marketing degree online, you may want to work towards a certification. While you don’t have to, a certification shows that you are professionally competent. It may help you stand out to employers. Also, you will gain an edge in your career.
If you are a member of a marketing organization, it might also offer you perks. You could gain access to webinars, for example. Or, you could be invited to networking and other industry events. This could be a perfect way for you to show your peers and your clients that you are in the know. It is important for you to keep staying informed. And, it is essential in this field that you be open to new growth and ideas. Naturally, you will want to seek a certification that supports your goals.
If you are a Market Research Analyst, the Marketing Research Association offers the Professional Researcher Certification (PRC). To earn the PRC, you will need to log 12 industry related education hours in order to qualify for the exam. Once you have passed the PRC exam, then you have your credential. You will need to remain certified. This entails you earning 20 credit hours of continuing education. You would do so every two years. You can track your CEUs on their PRC tracking system.
Where else can you be certified?
The American Marketing Association is another agency where you can obtain certification. Here, you could pursue a Professional Certified Marketer (PCM) credential in diverse tracks. What does that mean for you? It means you could pursue digital marketing, marketing management and sales management, for example. Each track, you will find, requires you to prepare for and pass a certification exam. Then, once you’ve earned a PCM certificate, you will also need to maintain it. This requires you to earn 30 CEUs over 3 years.
If you want to distinguish yourself as a leader, the International Institute of Marketing Professionals (IIMP) offers you several certifications. You will find the Certified Marketing Management Professional (CMMP) consists of four levels: Associate, Manager, Executive and Chartered CMMP. Eligibility and entry criteria differ, you will find. However, a roadmap of coursework is provided for you, depending on your level of experience and education.
WHAT JOBS CAN YOU GET WITH A MARKETING DEGREE?
If you are interested in being a marketing research analyst and marketing manager, you will often need at least a B.A. degree in marketing to enter the workforce. Below, you can find a list of some popular career paths you can take if you take this route. You can see salary comparisons and job outlooks. You should know that marketing is evolving! With the help of technology, you could have the ability to blaze your own trail. Or, you could pursue one of the careers below.