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Earning a Marketing Degree Online
Online marketing degree programs teach students and creative types top skills and knowledge to market products to a target audience. After all, without marketing and advertising, customers wouldn’t know about all of the best products and services a brand offers. Therefore, companies are always looking for creative and innovative ways, methods, and designs to reach their customers.
Students pursuing an online marketing degree will be shown how to identify the needs and desires of customers, select new designs of products and packages, help determine pricing and distribution, and promote products to customers.
Did You Know?
Most watches displayed in advertisements are set to 10:10 because the hands of the watch frame the watch brand name and they make a smiling face.
Marketing vs. Advertising: What’s the Difference?
The difference between advertising and marketing is that advertising is one component of marketing. The other components of marketing include public relations, price, distribution, packaging, sales strategy, market research, and others. Therefore, marketing is any way that a company connects with a prospect or customer, and advertising is one way to do that.
We asked Amy Shropshire how she uses her education in marketing:
Being the Brand Awareness Manager, I use what I learned with my Marketing Degree on a daily basis. I combine aspects of consumer behavior with business principles to craft messages that get our services into the minds of the right people at the right time. I'm like a matchmaker - I make sure that people have the resources they need in order to do their jobs even better."
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--Amy Shropshire, Brand Awareness Manager at Postali
Different Online Marketing Degree Options
When you decide to pursue your marketing degree online, you may find that there are a number of different levels of degree that you may pursue. Typically, the five different degree levels are associates, bachelors, certificate, masters, and doctorate. Each has the goal of providing you an understanding on the principles of marketing and advertising, simply at different levels of education and understanding. Also, each different degree has different admissions and graduation requirements.
Online Associates Degree in Marketing and Advertising
Students pursuing an online associates degree in marketing and advertising will be taught a fundamental knowledge of marketing tools and tactics, as well as an overall understanding of business principles. This includes developing skills and knowledge in consumer behavior, market research, and international marketing.
Typically, to apply for an associates degree program in marketing, you need to have earned a high school diploma or an equivalent degree. One of the best parts of an associates degree is that most full-time students can earn the degree in two years. However, that may depend on the availability of specific courses and individual programs. To learn more about online associates degree programs in marketing and advertising, click on any of the sponsored listings on this page!
Online Bachelors Degree in Marketing
Most online bachelors degree in marketing and advertising programs require applicants have earned a high school diploma or an equivalent degree. Typically, it takes full-time students four years to earn their bachelors degree, though it may take longer for some students and certain programs. While pursuing your online bachelors degree in marketing or an online bachelors degree in advertising, courses may require you to analyze data to develop strategic marketing plans and apply legal and ethical principles to marketing activities.
Online Certificate Programs in Marketing and Advertising
Online certificate programs in marketing and online certificate programs in advertising typically require applicants to have a bachelors degree, and may be viewed as an in-between program, as it comes between a bachelors degree and a masters degree. Some programs also allow you to transfer credits earned in a certificate program to your masters degree credit requirements.
Most marketing certificate programs and advertising certificate programs require three to six courses. These courses are typically focused on strengthening critical abilities related to leadership and communication and on building skills and knowledge acquired while earning a bachelors degree.
Online Marketing Masters Programs
Typically, when applying to an online masters degree program in marketing or an online masters in advertising, programs require that you’ve earned a bachelors degree. Most masters degree programs are designed for part-time students who have full-time jobs, which may provide more flexibility while pursuing your degree. You may be able to earn your online masters degree in marketing and advertising in two years.
Masters degrees focus on providing an in-depth understanding of marketing and advertising, and may teach you how to apply theories and principles to specific real world problems. (8B) This may help you further develop your critical analysis skills and a more complete understanding of marketing principles and strategies.
Online Doctorate Degree Programs in Marketing
A doctorate degree in marketing and advertising is the terminal degree awarded, which means it is the highest degree you can earn. Typically, online marketing PhD programs require that you have earned your masters degree and some require that you’ve earned a minimum score on your GMATs. For some programs, this is above a 600. However, all programs are different and others don’t require you to take the GMATs at all. Most doctorate degrees are designed for part-time students who currently hold full-time jobs, and may be completed in three to five years.
As the terminal degree, coursework focuses on providing you with a comprehensive understanding of marketing and advertising, as well as proficiency in research, writing, and critical thinking. Upon completing all of your coursework, most online doctorate programs in marketing and advertising require that you write, present, and defend a dissertation. It’s important to remember that all programs are different. Click on the PhD or DBA in marketing and advertising sponsored listings to learn more about individual programs.
Common Courses While Earning Your Online Marketing Degree
In addition to your marketing and advertising courses, while pursuing your degree most programs require you take a number of general business courses such as:
- Accounting
- Finance
- Economics
Some of the courses you’ll take in marketing and advertising may include:
- Consumer Behavior
- Market Research
- Social Media and Marketing Communications
- Advertising Copy and Design
- Law and Ethics for Advertising and Public Relations
- Advertising Media Planning
- Introduction to Creative Advertising
- Development and Evaluation of Marketing Theory
- Quantitative Research Techniques
- Consumer Marketing in a Global Environment
While some courses may have similar names at different degree levels, the more advanced the degree, the deeper the scope will be for each course. For instance, a marketing research doctorates course will go more in depth and require more critical analysis than a bachelors level marketing research course.
Online Advertising Degree Programs
Online advertising degree programs may differ from marketing programs because they sometimes focus more on the specific design and creating impactful messages of how brands reach customers. This generally also includes selecting optimal communication channels and evaluating results. Click on any of the advertising programs in the sponsored listings section to learn more about the differences between programs.
We asked Ashley Agnew:What are some challenging aspects of earning your Marketing & Advertising degree?
"It was most challenging applying the strategies learned from the case studies of multi-million dollar operations to the everyday job position. For example, it was interesting to learn about the marketing strategies of Fortune 500 companies in the classroom, but how do you apply these strategies in an entry level position? Working with local businesses and strategizing creatively with classmates was helpful in learning how to translate big ideas into applicable campaigns."
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- Ashley Agnew, Associate Director of Relationship Development at Center Point Advisors
Possible Careers in Marketing and Advertising
There are a number of different careers you may pursue after earning your online marketing degree. This may depend on a number of different criteria, including the level of degree that you’ve earned and whether you prefer to go into the marketing side or the advertising and public relations side.
Some of the entry-level positions, such as an advertising sales agent, only require a high school diploma, though some companies require a bachelors degree.i Other positions, including public relations specialistii, market research analystiii and marketing manageriv require a bachelors degree. Finally, higher-level positions may only require a bachelors degree, but most companies may look for candidates with a masters degree. These may include an operations analystv and a public relations manager.vi
Some common careers for those who have earned their marketing and advertising degree, and the 2015 annual median wages, may include:
- Advertising Sales Agent: $48,490vii
- Public Relations Specialist: $56,770viii
- Market Research Analyst: $62,150ix
- Advertising, Promotions, and Marketing Manager: $124,850x
- Operations Research Analysts: $78,630xi
- Public Relations and Fundraising Manager: $104,140xii
Online Marketing Degree: Take the Next Step!
If you want to enter the exciting field of marketing and advertising so that you can use your creativity to reach a target audience and increase sales, pursuing an online marketing and advertising degree may be a perfect fit for you. Click on any of the sponsored listings on this page to learn more about individual programs. From there, you can even contact the schools directly to request more information.
[i] bls.gov/ooh/sales/advertising-sales-agents.htm#tab-4 [ii] bls.gov/ooh/media-and-communication/public-relations-specialists.htm [iii] bls.gov/ooh/business-and-financial/market-research-analysts.htm#tab-4 [iv] bls.gov/ooh/management/advertising-promotions-and-marketing-managers.htm#tab-4 [v] bls.gov/ooh/math/operations-research-analysts.htm#tab-4 [vi] bls.gov/ooh/management/public-relations-managers.htm#tab-4 [vii] bls.gov/ooh/sales/advertising-sales-agents.htm#tab-5 [viii] bls.gov/ooh/media-and-communication/public-relations-specialists.htm#tab-5 [ix] bls.gov/ooh/business-and-financial/market-research-analysts.htm#tab-5 [x] bls.gov/ooh/management/advertising-promotions-and-marketing-managers.htm#tab-5 [xi] bls.gov/ooh/math/operations-research-analysts.htm#tab-5 [xii] bls.gov/ooh/management/public-relations-managers.htm#tab-5