Landing on a graduate program that is right for you is no easy task. With so many options to choose from and program characteristics to consider, you will want to weigh your options during the research process.
A graduate degree in business is an excellent choice to further your career and open future employment opportunities; to say nothing of the career stability which higher education typically affords business professionals.
A graduate degree in business can come at a steep cost. Besides tuition, fees, and resources required of a program, there is a great cost of time associated with a degree like the Master’s of Business Administration.
It is the hallmark of business leadership education and continues to bolster resumes across the nation. One of the other costs a student pursuing a degree like the MBA is the time it takes to complete.
Factors to consider within an MBA include the time spent traveling to and from campus, the hours needed each week to attend classes, and all the extra time needed for group projects, studying, and working on written assignments. The world of business shows no signs of slowing, and it has never been a better time than now to consider an online MBA in Marketing.
Companies continue to spend millions of dollars each year to get their name out there and become part of the world’s social conscience. Marketing managers will always be in high demand for this reason. An online Master’s of Business Administration is designed to train students for fruitful careers in marketing.
The curriculum delivered at most business schools offering an online MBA in Marketing will often mirror the same content classroom students are exposed to. Many online MBA students also enjoy the same tuition rates as in-state students.
With factors like these (and more) in mind, we have put together the very best online Marketing MBA degrees.
Methodology
To rank the Online Marketing MBA programs, MBA Central examined almost 550 MBA programs offered in a distance format. First, program where pared down based on their marketing-specific curriculum, and then ranked on Support Services (33%), Affordability (33%), and Quality (33%).
Every online Marketing MBA in this list has been given an Affordability Score categorizing their cost based upon the other online MBA programs in the country. This data is based upon the total base tuition price for each degree and ranges from Very Affordable to Very Expensive. Ranges are:
Very Affordable: under $15,000
Affordable: between $15,000 and $20,000
Average: between $20,000 and $30,000
Above Average: between $30,000 and $50,000
Expensive: between $50,000 and $100,000
Very Expensive: above $100,000
#1 University of Nebraska-Lincoln College of Business – Lincoln, Nebraska
At the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, students can pursue the nation’s best online MBA in Marketing. Quacquarelli Symonds finds this excellent 48-credit hour program to be one of the best on the planet for business management. |
An online Marketing MBA is offered at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln through their outstanding College of Business. Finance, Business Analytics, Supply Chain Management, and International Business are also listed as emphases alongside this incredible online MBA. The recognitions for this program are extensive. The Princeton Review, Quacquarelli Symonds, Financial Times, and U.S. News & World Report all claim it as one of the top online MBA degrees available. The program’s excellent support services have not gone unnoticed by U.S. News & World Report, which reports it as the 21st best in the nation for distance learners. Nebraska’s business school is accredited by the AACSB-International while the university itself is regionally accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. The forty-eight hours of this degree consist of thirty core credits and eighteen elective credits. The business school reports that students wanting to move quickly through the online MBA may graduate in just 18 months while most students will satisfy all requirements for the degree in about three years. HR Management, Financial Accounting, Managerial Finance, Managerial Economics, Business Analytics, Managerial Marketing, and Supply Chain Management are among the core courses students can expect in this degree plan.
The Marketing-intensive courses offered in this program are Marketing and Globalization, Services Marketing, Strategic Issues in Marketing Communications, Strategic Database Marketing, and Advanced Marketing Analytics. Based in the town of Lincoln, the University also offers degrees for two-year associate students, undergrads, master’s, and doctoral students. The university’s current enrollment sits at 26,079 Cornhuskers. The university dates all the way back to 1869 and today is the largest public university in the state.
Accreditation: AACSB, HLC
Affordability Score: Above Average
#2 Fayetteville State University College of Business and Economics – Fayetteville, North Carolina
The Fayetteville College of Business and Economics offers an online MBA in Marketing. The award-winning components of this program include excellent support services and recognition by U.S. News & World Report as one of America’s best online degrees. |
An online MBA with a Marketing specialization is provided at the College of Business and Economics at Fayetteville State University. In addition to this stellar concentration, distance learners can add credits to their degree and pursue a certificate in Business, Cybersecurity Management, Project Management, or Healthcare Management. Students may be interested in a different concentration like Business, Project Management, Entrepreneurship, Finance, Management, Healthcare Management, and International Business. Like many modern students in higher education, online MBA students are looking for programs which offer the most bang for the buck. The reason why this excellent degree featured at Fayetteville State scores so highly in this ranking is its attention to detail and high-quality curriculum. For under $14,000 in tuition, a distance learner wanting to accrue a solid MBA in Marketing can complete all 36-credit hours of this program that is backed by a business school accredited by the illustrious AACSB.
The business school at Fayetteville State University is bested by only one other school in the entire country when considering the area of support services for online students. The College of Business and Economics receives incredible marks by U.S. News & World Report for providing distance learners and non-traditional students with an excellent balance of accessibility, flexibility, and support measures readily available to students. Fayetteville State is home of the Broncos and sits nestled in North Carolina in the city of Fayetteville. The school got its start all the way back in 1867 when it was established as the Howard School, named after American historic figure Oliver O. Howard. Today the university oversees a student body of 6,226 and provides degree plans at the undergraduate through doctoral levels.
Accreditation: AACSB, SACSCC
Affordability Score: Very Affordable
#3 West Texas A&M University Paul and Virginia Engler College of Business – Canyon, Texas
An online Marketing MBA can be pursued at West Texas A&M University in the Paul and Virginia Engler College of Business. This excellent degree combines a top-notch curriculum with very affordable tuition. |
West Texas A&M University delivers an online MBA with a specialization in Marketing at the Paul and Virginia Engler College of Business. A student looking for a general MBA or emphases in such areas as Healthcare Management or Computer Information Systems will also want to consider what the business school offers. The Paul and Virginia Engler College of Business delivers this complete Marketing-focused MBA program exclusively via the Internet. Interested students with access to the campus in Canyon, Texas may also choose to accentuate their graduate student experience by attending classes on campus. This hybrid type of format is a great way for local students to meet all degree requirements. While the school’s campus is readily available to all enrolled, distance learners can satisfy all program requirements for this 37-credit hour degree without ever having to travel to the West Texas A&M University campus. The online coursework is identical to what on-campus students are exposed to during their weekly classes which meet on campus, but the online curriculum features the convenience of learning from anywhere in the world at any time of day. A hybrid model may also be used by students choosing to complete courses on the Canyon, Texas campus in addition to distance learning. Most students satisfy all degree requirements within two years, although some students have completed the program sooner due to individual needs and situations.
Qualified graduate students may be able to waive up to eighteen foundational coursework credits, which saves time and money when pursuing this online MBA in Marketing. Perhaps one of the most attractive features connected to this degree is its very affordable tuition which is currently offered at under $10,000. The low tuition rate comes at no expense to quality, however, as the business school is backed by the AACSB-International and the degree has been recognized by some of the nation’s most-respected ranking entities as one of the best currently available to distance learners.
Accreditation: AACSB, SACSCC
Affordability Score: Very Affordable
#4 Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University Worldwide College of Business – Daytona Beach, Florida
EAU Worldwide provides an online MBA in Marketing through their College of Business. For years this trusted online degree has been preparing successful leaders in business. |
The College of Business at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University Worldwide offers an online MBA with a Marketing specialization. Other high-quality emphases the business school offers include Accounting, Public Administration, Leadership, International Business, Information Technology, and Finance. The business school keeps a high priority of the relevance to this program’s curriculum and has made a commitment to consistently update content based on the changing demands of the industry. Much of the coursework within this online MBA in Marketing contains a vibrant research component that equips distance learners with crucial experience and an insider’s perspective of global business practices. U.S. News and World Report claims there to be no business school in the country that offers better features in support services than the College of Business at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University Worldwide. The trusted ranking entity measures a business school’s support measures, accessibility, and flexibility to accurately compare and predict a distance learner’s experience within a business school. Students will want to take note of U.S. News’ findings and understand all the benefits to be had I this unique online MBA.
The business school’s online MBA in Marketing is delivered for less than $22,000 ranking it as average in affordability. Matching this program’s support services to its business accreditation through the ACBSP reveals an excellent potential for return on the investment of education. The business school carries with it a solid reputation for delivering high-quality programs. The online MBA includes such courses as Strategic Marketing Management in Aviation, International Business Administration, Managerial Accounting for Decision Making, Advanced Aviation Economics, Managerial Finance, and Business Research Methods within this high-powered degree.
Accreditation: ACBSP, SACSCC
Affordability Score: Average
#5 University of Massachusetts Amherst Isenberg School of Management – Amherst, Massachusetts
The University of Massachusetts Amherst offers an online MBA with a Marketing specialization through the world-renown Isenberg School of Management. This top-five program packs 45-credit hours of business-specialized curriculum. |
The UMass Amherst’s Isenberg School of Management provides an online MBA with a focus in Marketing. Distance learners interested in emphases like Business Analytics, Sport Management, Entrepreneurship, Healthcare Administration, and Finance will be impressed by what the business school has to offer. The Isenberg Master’s of Business Administration with a Marketing specialization gives distance learners a balanced combination of marketing elective courses general business classes to meet the needs and educational goals today’s students possess. This 45-credit hour MBA delivers the managerial skills and business knowledge that are critical to successfully process the changing global economy, analyze consumer needs, translate that data into products and services, and create marketing campaigns to bring those products and services to the market for profit. Nine of the forty-five credits included in this degree deal with the Marketing focus and include such courses as Web Analytics for Digital Marketing, Services Marketing Management, Consumer Sale Strategies, Data Management for Business Leaders, Six Sigma for Management Practice Series, Rethinking Ecommerce, Ecommerce Logistics, and Negotiations Theory and Practice.
The business school’s online MBA in Management can be pursued for just over $40,000 in tuition, and the school’s reputation and strong backing by the AACSB brings with it a high potential for return on the investment. Quacquarelli Symonds and Financial Times sing this degree’s praises by ranking it among the very best online MBAs in the world. U.S News and World Report lists them as one of the top locations for support services for nontraditional and online students. Besides this stellar online NBA, UMass Amherst also features associate programs, bachelor’s degrees, other graduate programs, and doctorates. Over 30,000 students are currently enrolled at the university.
Accreditation: AACSB, New England Commission of Higher Education
Affordability Score: Above Average
Why is marketing so important?
Together with finance, statistics, and accounting, marketing is one of the core pillars of today’s business world. Businessmen and women need to have the skills to find their target market, identify needs, craft their unique pitch, and meet the customer in order to generate revenue. This is marketing, and it is the backbone of every business.
Without marketing, no matter how good a company’s product or service is, it is likely that they will not reach their customer base. And without a customer base, there is no profit. And without a profit, there is no business. A solid marketing plan is the key as it is able to clearly and effectively communicate what an organization has to offer, confirm to the consumer that they need it, and how they can easily buy it. This type of plan takes analytical research and planning that is full of creativity and drives the overall long-term business vision.
A good business marketing plan includes cohesively building an overall company brand as well as smaller product brands. The average attention span for humans right now is eight seconds. And with social media and other technologies, this attention span length is expected to keep decreasing. This ever-decreasing window to catch the eye of the consumer means that most marketing is lost in the noise of the internet. Never ingested by the public. This demand for a quick, captivating, and clear message means that the demand for knowledgeable marketing managers is higher than ever before. The demand might seem overwhelming for some, for today’s marketing managers, it is an exciting opportunity to make a difference in the life of a company.
Some might confuse the aspects of public relations (PR) and marketing. Generally, PR is about creating a general public awareness to generate trust, whereas marketing is a focused plan to create demand and generate profit. While they are both important and should promote a cohesive organizational story, they perform two different functions. PR can have more widespread accessibility and general attraction to a large group of people, but marketing needs to be specific and intentional at all times. Marketers must understand business strategy, market trends, and public communication.
What does a marketing manager do?
A Marketing Manager is a professional that helps create, implement, and lead a marketing plan, whether it be for a specific product or service, or a greater organizational brand. Marketing cannot be parsed down as the business sector for the artists. While marketers can build upon artistic qualities within themselves and teams, they must have a strong business vision and planning background and work with the leaders of organizations. These professionals must be able to drive strategies and increase sales. Today, marketing managers must have high competencies in email marketing, social media marketing, and marketing strategy. The average marketing manager has a take-home salary of over $63,000, with an average increase of 23% throughout their career.
Every company, of every size and in every sector, needs marketing professionals. Some marketing professional might solely create the marketing plan and every aspect therein. In fact, with the increased e-commerce ability of social media sites, integrated analytics, and free online design tools, every professional can drive their marketing. But there is also room to for marketers to grow into management roles that oversee larger marketing groups or marketing firms. Marketing managers must have the ability to oversee web design employees, print designers, social media professionals, software engineers, and more. Marketing leaders might also venture out on their own and develop their own marketing business.
What will an Online Marketing MBA entail?
Online MBA programs are becoming more and more popular with each passing semester, and the stigma of online degrees is long past. In our global marketplace, graduate students are able to leverage the unique nature of an online Master’s of Business Administration more than ever before. An online MBA lets employers immediately reap the benefits of a highly educated workforce without the cost of turnover. These flexible online programs help students develop the skills to work virtually with others. Whether it is working with a coworker or on a work project or interacting with customers, virtual communication skills are in demand. Many programs are offered in a 100% online format, giving students the highest level of flexibility. Other MBA programs are offered with on-campus residencies, or in a hybrid format, that lets students reap the benefits of face-to-face learning and networking, as well as flexible online coursework.
The curriculum of an online MBA is one that stands on par with the highest level of business education from around the world. Students are now able to pursue degrees with business accreditations from IACBE, ACBSP, and even AACSB. These top-notch business schools impart the highest level of business education and they offer a network of high caliber classmates and extensive alumni networks. Most online MBA courses are taught with the same basic curriculum and by the same high-caliber professors that teach on-campus programs.
The curriculum of an online MBA is one that every professional can get excited about. Every online MBA student will typically have at least one marketing-centered course. That is how important this topic is. Students will then round out their foundational business management courses with business law, accounting, finance, and quantitative analysis. These core courses not only give marketing managers a good grasp on overall business function, but it gives marketing entrepreneurs invaluable information on how to start their own venture.
Those online MBA students that pursue marketing specializations, concentrations, or certificates will then get to pursue a myriad of marketing topics. Courses in these programs could include topics in New Product Development, Services Marketing, Brand Management, Marketing Communications, Consumer Behavior, Marketing Analytics, Marketing in the Age of Social Networks, and Marketing and Globalization. Business professionals looking to gain more tools and a greater depth of knowledge in the field of marketing should seriously consider an online Marketing MBA.