Students preparing to take their marketing career to the next level, beyond undergraduate studies, may choose to pursue a Master of Business Administration (MBA) to round out and deepen their experiential strengths. A marketing MBA strengthens professionals’ ability to tap into more in-depth brand and product analysis, advertising campaign strategies, and consumer interest and buying patterns.
One huge consideration for marketing professionals pondering the benefits of investing in a marketing MBA is potential pay. MBAs earn roughly 50% percent more than professionals with only a bachelor degree do, per the Bureau of Labor Statistics, making it a wise investment if the conditions and timing are right.
Once aspiring marketing professionals decide to take the plunge and invest in a broader range of career opportunities by earning a marketing MBA, they must next face the task of choosing the right school to meet their academic needs and goals.
Choosing the Marketing MBA Program
Here are five of the top schools in the U.S. that offer a broad range of flexible marketing MBA programs to suit a variety of degree focuses, lifestyles, and financial circumstances.
Babson College
Location: Wellesley, MA
Marketing MBA candidates seeking alternative learning environments will find a blended learning program for busy MBAs at Babson College. Designed with work/life balance in mind, this flexible approach to learning combines online courses, on-campus class sessions, and virtual collaboration that reflect and complement many of today’s working professionals’ lifestyles and work environments.
Students may begin the program in either March or September. The average time it takes for program completion is 21 months, with about 20 hours per week spent on studies.
The curriculum includes the following courses:
- Financial Reporting
- Global Connections through Technology
- Marketing
Students are also required to complete a capstone requirement, which may include classroom seminars or integrative practical experiences.
Babson College is a private business school that focuses on the most current entrepreneurial educational philosophies and approaches. Considered highly selective, Babson College maintains a 24% acceptance rate for undergraduates. The tuition fees for a two-year marketing MBA program are $69,520 for the first year of the program, and $43,920 for the second year. The college offers a variety of scholarships and financial assistance opportunities to help defray the costs. On average, approximately 60% of students are eligible for scholarships and other types of financial assistance.
Hopeful marketing MBA candidates may apply online, according to the college’s set application deadlines.
The New England business school has consistently ranked highly in the nation for entrepreneurship education over the past three decades, thanks to the high value provided to graduates and to their subsequent earnings potential. Upon graduation, Babson alumni will join more than 41,000 fellow graduates in more than 119 countries and across all 50 states.
Carnegie Mellon University
Location: Pittsburgh, PA
Located in the Pittsburgh Metropolitan Area, which features the largest population in both the Ohio Valley and Appalachia, Carnegie Mellon University attracts students from around the world.
Carnegie Mellon’s Tepper Business School offers a part-time online hybrid MBA for marketing. The hybrid learning program features a balanced combination of in-person learning experiences and online coursework in subjects that include marketing management, communications, managing people and teams, global economics, and operations management.
Instructors provide live and interactive online sessions weekly. These same instructors also teach on-campus courses. Furthermore, access to weekend teaching sessions, which are held six times each year, allow for in-person time with classmates and instructors.
Intent on giving online students an optimal environment in which they can thrive, part-time online marketing MBA candidates—taking interactive live classes two evenings per week—are encouraged to compete assignments at their own pace. Additionally, online students enjoy access to all the same resources as traditional students. These resources include student clubs, leadership training, career services, and on-campus recruiting opportunities. Students may transfer to full-time, on-campus status at any point, if they feel it would be more productive and enriching.
Tuition fees for part-time online marketing MBA courses are $17,000 per semester, for a total of eight semesters, while full-time fees are $68,000 per year for a two-year program. Students may apply for scholarships and other financial assistance.
Students can easily apply to the Tepper Business School at Carnegie Mellon online to begin an exciting educational journey with a future-focused business school that features programs tailored to fit the complexity and global nature of today’s marketplaces.
North Carolina State University
Location: Raleigh, NC
North Carolina State University is an integral point of Research Triangle Park (RTP), along with the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Duke University.
North Carolina State University’s business school, the Poole College of Management, offers an AACSB-accredited online MBA program, which gives students access to courses on their own time and schedule. The business school’s online program features a six-credit hour depth requirement, which is similar to that of a full-time MBA student’s concentration.
The marketing management core focuses are value identification, value creation, and value delivery. It features the following courses:
- Methods in Marketing Research
- Consumer Behavior
The 40-credit hour online program also offers an accelerated path to allow students to complete the program and earn their degree in 21 months. It is recommended that students on this path complete practicum courses in either Consumer Innovation or Product Design and Development.
An exciting feature of North Carolina State University’s online marketing MBA program is the week-long optional international residency, in the spring or summer semester, with the goal of teaching global business and cultural awareness skills that are essential in today’s marketplace.
Full-time in-state tuition costs are $51,153 per each year of the two-year program, while out-of-state fees total $85,009. For online students, the cost is $44,955 for in-state students, and $74,555 for out-of-state students. While these are the base fees, they may vary somewhat, according to the number of courses taken per semester and other factors. Financial assistance and scholarships are available to students demonstrating excellent academic promise.
Students seeking a flexible learning experience with a focus on experiential education, innovative approaches and solutions, and the cultivation of strong professional relationships will find a bounty of resources at this college.
Touro University Worldwide
Location: Los Alamitos, CA
Tucked away in Orange County, Touros University Worldwide offers students an online MBA program that focuses on marketing and global management. Upon program completion, Touros students walk away with the necessary skills to pursue careers in a variety of fields, including marketing, advertising, pricing and product development, branding management, and public relations.
The curriculum focuses on problem-solving skills, as well as theoretical marketing and consumer behavior. The university wants the next generation of marketing experts to see, understand, and expertly navigate the rapidly changing world of marketing.
The school’s program is 100% online, offering a fully flexible and highly affordable option for busy students who want to gain the skills and program credentials largely on their own terms. Marketing MBA candidates at Touros can enjoy a fully self-paced learning experience.
Courses at Touros University Worldwide last eight weeks each. Students are required to complete a total of 120-credit hours at a cost of $400 per credit hour, which translates to a total of $48,000 for the program. Additionally, students may seek financial assistance through scholarships, student loans, and other tuition assistance. The business school offers six start dates throughout the year to allow for all types of student responsibilities and needs.
Students must hold a bachelor degree from an accredited college or university, at which they earned at least a 2.5 GPA. Students may transfer up to 90 semester credits from another university.
Marketing MBA candidates on a budget will not sacrifice the latest concepts and resources when attending Touros University Worldwide, and they will enjoy access to professors with real-world experience and a student-centered philosophy.
University of Florida
Location: Gainesville, FL
Students looking for a sunny setting where they can complete their marketing MBA need look no further than the Warrington College of Business. This business school was also one of the first ever to offer a fully accredited online MBA degree, which remains one of the top-ranked programs in the nation.
Students in the university’s MBA program complete the degree in two years, taking one five-week course at a time, for a total of 48 credits for completion. The coursework includes the following:
- Brand Management
- Managerial Accounting
- Economics of Business Decisions
Although each three-credit course has a predetermined order within the program, students may fully complete the work online or in the hybrid format. Students have access to recorded lectures and other course resources and content 24/7.
A core focus for marketing MBA students is learning key principles of business education from top faculty members who also have relevant, real-world professional experience in the business world. MBA candidates also work toward building professional networks via cohort participation that offers a small program experience.
The first year’s tuition fee is $14,859 for in-state students, and $35,151 for out-of-state students. The second year’s tuition costs are $10,614 for in-state students, and $25,108 for out-of-state students. All students may be eligible for a full-time tuition scholarship, as long as they have significant professional work experience, strong academic performance, and proven leadership skills and accomplishments.
Marketing professionals seeking their MBA at the University of Florida will gain insights at a top school, brimming with forward-thinking business leaders who are on standby and eager to help tomorrow’s marketing leaders shape the future.
Explore These Schools and Others for Exciting Marketing MBA Opportunities
The list of top-notch business schools with marketing MBAs goes on, but hopefully this list will give marketing professionals like you the tools needed to get started for careers in market research analysis, community marketing management, web marketing, and much more.
Sources
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Babson_College
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raleigh%2C_North_Carolina
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Los_Alamitos%2C_California
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gainesville%2C_Florida