Online Master’s Degree in Marketing

Marketing is the essential lifeblood of a company. It encompasses all activities involved with presenting a product or service to the marketplace. An online Master’s Degree in Marketing can provide candidates with the knowledge necessary to lead this effort in any size corporation or non-profit organization. The masters in marketing online programs are the best way for current marketing or business professionals to achieve higher salaries and upper level corporate positions.

Online Master’s Degrees in Marketing Requirements

Typical online master’s programs in marketing will request any combination of GMAT scores, a personal essay, and a minimum GPA. A bachelor’s degree, preferably in a related subject is also usually required.

Additionally, master degree students embarking on an online master’s in marketing program should have strong skills in organization and communication.

Online Marketing Master’s Degree Education

Top online colleges offer several types of degree programs for masters in marketing. The most common degrees offered are:

• Master of Science in Management Marketing (MS in Management Marketing)
• Master of Business Administration in Marketing (MBA in Marketing)

Information on Marketing Courses

Good online masters in marketing programs introduce learners to concepts such as sales strategies, recent marketing methods, and the use of technology to achieve marketing goals. The core curriculum includes such course as the following:

• Market Research
  This course teaches students the various techniques of gathering and analyzing data for market research.
• Consumer Behavior
  Students in this course discover what factors actually influence buyer behavior and how to use these factors in marketing.
• New Product Design and Development
  Students learn the essentials of designing, developing, and implementing new products to introduce to the market
• International Marketing
  Online masters in marketing degree seekers will examine cultural differences, communication challenges, and other factors that affect the international marketplace.
• Sales and Customer Relationship Management
  This course teaches the basic concepts of solution or consultative selling as well as the importance of maintaining customer relationships.

Specializations and Concentrations

The typical curriculum of an online master’s degree in marketing is broad, allowing students to acquire a comprehensive education. For those students who wish to select a particular focus, there are many areas of specialization for marketing experts in the field. Some of these include:

• Market Research
• Product Marketing
• Brand Management
• Sales

Careers in Marketing

Marketing encompasses several different industries in a variety of different arenas. An online masters degree in marketing can equip job seekers with the skills for many occupations such as the following:

• Product or Brand Manager
  A brand or product manager oversees all promotion of a specific brand or product including the media, advertising, and marketing to make sure that it is fresh in the mind of the target consumer. The average wage of a brand manager is $90,000 annually. There will be continuous job growth due to global competition in the market.
• Vice President of Marketing
  The vice president of marketing’s primary responsibility is to generate leads in a variety of ways including social media and internet strategies as well as traditional advertising methods. Salaries range nationally from $102,000 to $170,000 on a yearly basis, but compensation packages also typically include bonuses and/or commission. According to the Department of Labor, employment outlook for marketing professionals should increase by about 12 percent by 2018.
• Public Relations Director
  Public relations directors handle all media relations and sometimes customer relations in order to maintain a positive public image for a corporation. PR directors earn an average of $104,000 annually. Average employment growth of 13% is the expected outlook in the field of public relations.
• Market Research Analyst
  Market research analysts study competition, market needs and market conditions. Average base salary for this position is $77,000, but the top 10% bring in an average of $112,000 per year. The future of this profession is good with an expected 20% growth in job opportunities.
• Sales Manager
  Sales managers are responsible for setting corporate sales targets, quotas for sales reps and assigning territories. They may also manage distributor and reseller relationships. The average salary for a sales manager is around $100,000 per year, but most opportunities also include lucrative incentive plans. Career outlook for sales managers may be as high as a 15 percent increase in the next several years.

All organizations that sell products or services to consumers must perform marketing activities on an ongoing basis to be successful. Generating and converting trends into sales as well as maintaining a positive public image are all functions of marketing. Business professionals who are interested in learning the most effective and up to date marketing strategies but cannot attend traditional classes should pursue an online masters degree in marketing.