What Can You Do With a Marketing Degree?

A marketing degree can lead to exciting careers in consumer retail, business consultation, public outreach, and brand management.

In the fast-paced world of marketing, professionals can find employment as market research analysts, marketing specialists, and marketing managers. This versatile major also leads to advertising, sales, and public relations opportunities. Marketing professionals research consumer demand for products and services, investigate pricing strategies, and build interest in new product releases through social media and advertisements.

This guide explores different types of marketing degrees, plus available career paths and resources for graduates.

Students can earn marketing degrees at the associate, bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral levels. Many colleges also offer marketing certificates that provide specialized training. Each degree prepares graduates for different marketing degree jobs. For example, marketing specialists typically need bachelor’s degrees, while many marketing managers hold master’s degrees.

An associate degree in marketing introduces learners to foundational business concepts. Students take courses in business, accounting, and finance, as well as strategic marketing and integrated marketing communications.

Earning an online associate degree in marketing takes two years for full-time students. After completing the degree, graduates can transfer to bachelor’s programs to advance their education. They can also pursue careers in direct marketing, sales, and administrative support roles.

Marketing majors study pricing strategies, consumer behavior, and competitor research. They also gain business skills through business administration, management, finance, and accounting courses. Some programs incorporate real-world projects and internships to help strengthen marketing skills.

A bachelor’s degree in marketing prepares graduates for many entry-level roles, like marketing specialist and market research analyst. With experience, bachelor’s-holders can move into management roles. Earning a bachelor’s degree generally takes four years for full-time students.

Learn more about how to find the right bachelor’s degree in marketing for you with the following resources:

A master’s program in marketing offers advanced training in marketing research, strategic marketing, and marketing management. During a graduate program in marketing, students strengthen their analytical and research skills. Depending on the program, they may also complete internships to develop practical experience. Graduates can pursue careers as marketing managers, social media managers, and internet marketing managers.

Earning a master’s in marketing typically takes two years, though some programs offer an accelerated option that enables students to earn the degree in less time. In addition to online master’s in marketing programs, graduate students should consider master’s in internet marketing and dual master’s degree programs.

A master’s degree in marketing and a master of business administration (MBA) with a concentration in marketing prepares graduates for supervisory positions in marketing departments and agencies. However, a master’s in marketing emphasizes marketing research and management, while an MBA focuses more on general business and leadership skills.

Students considering an MBA can research online MBA programs with no GMAT requirement.

A doctorate in marketing prepares graduates for the most advanced roles in the field. For example, marketing professors typically need doctorates before pursuing tenure-track professor roles. Senior marketing executives and market researchers can also benefit from earning doctorates in marketing.

During an online doctoral program in marketing, graduate students specialize in areas like consumer psychology, pricing strategy, or business marketing research. After meeting coursework requirements, learners must pass comprehensive exams and complete original research projects or dissertations. Doctoral candidates must successfully defend their dissertations to graduate. Earning a doctorate can take 4-7 years.

A certificate in marketing typically focuses on a marketing specialty. For example, students can earn certificates in digital marketing or strategic marketing. Many professionals pursue certificates to add specializations to their training or help them transition into new fields. Some certificates require prior professional marketing experience or a bachelor’s degree in marketing.

Earning an online marketing certificate can take several months or over a year, depending on the program. After completing a certificate, marketing professionals can move into specialized roles, like digital marketing specialist or social media specialist.

Prospective marketing majors should research accreditation before applying to marketing programs. Institutionally accredited schools/ meet high standards for educational excellence. Many employers only hire graduates with accredited marketing degrees; professional certifications may also require an accredited degree.

Some marketing programs also hold programmatic accreditation, usually through the business school. The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business grants accreditation to business programs, including marketing programs.

A marketing degree prepares graduates for various marketing, advertising, public relations, and sales roles. Marketing majors can go on to work for marketing firms, advertising agencies, and public relations agencies. They can also work as marketing managers within different industries.

Marketing salaries vary by title, professional experience, and degree level. The following chart includes the median annual salary and projected job growth for several top marketing careers.

Following the chart, you’ll find in-depth job descriptions, offering you detailed insights into career paths you can choose from. In addition to these marketing careers, graduates can pursue opportunities in event planning, project management, and more.

Marketing managers develop and implement promotional strategies for their organizations. They identify trends in consumer demand, suggest new product development, and create pricing strategies to maximize profits. They also identify new markets for their organizations.

Public relations specialists are in charge of brand image for their employers. They develop a public relations strategy, manage social media programs, and write media releases to build a positive public perception of their organization. They are also responsible for strategizing responses when a brand experiences a crisis.

Market research analysts collect and analyze data to determine consumer demand for products, potential sales for a new service, and pricing strategies. They measure interest in new products and help companies increase their market shares.

Technical writers create documents to help users operate technical equipment or understand technical information. They may create instruction manuals and guides for consumers or write technical documents for internal use.

Brand managers supervise everything related to corporate branding strategy. As members of the marketing team, they may undertake market research, develop key messages, position their brand in the market, and evaluate the performance of branding campaigns. Brand managers are marketing team leaders informed by data and focused on customers.

Sales managers oversee a team of sales professionals. They develop policies for the sales team, set goals, and analyze data to find opportunities for improvement. Sales managers also create training and reward programs for their sales teams.

A media planner identifies the most effective media channels to reach each audience. They may develop the media budget, review data on media initiatives, and establish a strategy to maximize audience response. A media planner typically works across various forms of media, including digital media, social media, television, and radio.

A social media manager creates, publishes, and evaluates an organization’s social media content. Their goal is to drive audience growth, engagement, and conversion. A social media manager needs writing, editing, design, analysis, and teamwork skills to draft and publish eye-catching content that gets measurable results.

A product manager develops features or products that serve a company’s customers or clients. These professionals monitor market needs, conduct competitive analysis, define a product vision, and help determine a product’s features and capabilities. They may also supervise product developers and other professionals in business development, user experience, and engineering.

An SEO manager evaluates and advances an organization’s online presence. They may plan social media content, monitor online engagement metrics, research keywords, negotiate backlinks, or create and manage an online community. An SEO manager may also analyze site audience data, optimize the on-page experience, or work with backend technology to improve site performance.