What Is a Marketing Degree?

A marketing degree teaches you to support, promote and grow a business or organisation and is a popular multi-faceted path if you’re looking to start a career in marketing. A marketing degree is the entry requirement for most marketing jobs, with some employers preferring a master’s degree. 

As companies and organisations continue prioritising their marketing efforts in this digital world, skilled marketing professionals are increasingly in demand. By choosing a degree in marketing and pursuing a career in this field, you can engage your creativity and strategic thinking, learn marketing foundations and principles, and explore new technologies and platforms whilst taking on the ever-evolving business world in 2025 and beyond. 

Discover what a marketing degree is, the different types of marketing degrees, requirements, and the marketing careers you can work towards. 

What is a marketing degree? 

A marketing degree is an academic course of study on how to promote products and services to a target audience. Marketing majors learn how to find out what people want, understand the needs of different customer segments, communicate how a product or service fills those needs, and guide potential customers to take action. 

Marketing degree coursework combines theory and practice so that graduates can enter careers equipped to help companies increase their profitability and brand recognition. Marketing degrees share some similarities with business administration, advertising, and public relations. However, you’ll find some key differences you’ll need to know as you consider your options:

• Business administration is broader in scope than marketing and covers topics such as management, accounting, and economics, as well as marketing. 

• Advertising is part of marketing, but more narrow in scope. Advertising focuses on promoting a brand and its products through paid channels. 

• Whilst marketing focuses on generating leads and promoting products to a target audience, public relations focuses on maintaining a positive reputation for a company.

Types of marketing degrees

You can get a marketing degree at different levels of education, each with its own requirements and areas of emphasis. Understanding these different types can help you make the best decision for your education and career as a whole. 

Bachelor’s degree in marketing

Course duration: Three years

A bachelor’s degree, also called an undergraduate degree, is a three-year degree that prepares marketing learners for entry-level positions, as well as those with more responsibilities and advancement opportunities. A bachelor’s degree in marketing may be the best path for you if you want to obtain the level of education that many employers require of marketing job applicants. 

You’ll generally find two types of bachelor’s degrees in marketing: a Bachelor of Commerce (BCom) in marketing and a Bachelor of Administration (BAA) in marketing. You'll typically learn the foundations of market research and strategies in both. The main focus of these two programmes include:

• BCom in marketing: This bachelor’s degree course focuses on supporting students to understand commercial growth through marketing, looking at the marketing process as a whole including planning, pricing goods, and reaching a target audience. 

• BBA in marketing: This course focuses on the foundations of marketing, including market research, advertising, developing products, and public relations, grounded in business. You’ll cover consumer behaviour and explore digital marketing principles and practices. 

Master’s degree in marketing 

Course duration: 2 years full time 

A master’s degree in marketing is a postgraduate course of study. This might be a good path for you if you have a bachelor’s degree in marketing or a related field and want to pursue more advanced or managerial job opportunities. 

You’ll typically find two types of master’s degrees in marketing: a Master of Marketing (Typically an MA) and a Master of Business Administration (MBA) with a marketing concentration. Both courses are two years if you choose to study full-time and can support your career development through practical and hands-on teaching. 

The main features of these two programmes include: 

• MA marketing: This course may be in marketing in general or something more specialised, such as digital marketing or marketing and advertising. This degree path would be a good option for you if you want to study a specific marketing area, such as analytics, advertising, or digital media, and focus your career on marketing. 

• MBA in marketing management: This programme offers a broader business education. It might include such topics as leadership, economics, and finance whilst also offering coursework in marketing. An MBA is a good option if you want to pursue marketing positions as well as other leadership positions, whilst applying your advanced skills to a variety of areas in the business world. The MBA is hands-on, combining theoretical and practical aspects of marketing. 

If you’re ready to begin a graduate programme in business, consider an online programme, like the Master of Business Administration from the University of Illinois. You can gain leadership skills in innovation, globalisation, or digitalisation, and earn a degree in two to three years.

Doctoral degree in marketing

Course duration: 1 to 3 years

A doctorate in marketing is the highest degree you can get in this field and represents the highest level of academic achievement. You’ll find two types of doctorate degrees in marketing: a PhD and a Doctor of Business Administration (DBA). Both programmes build on concepts, theories, and strategies you’d learn in a bachelor’s or master’s degree programme. The main features of each include:

• PhD: This course of study can help you develop the skills to conduct original research on topics in marketing. As an academic degree, the coursework intersects with psychology, economics, sociology, and anthropology research methods. This degree path might be a good fit if you want to teach at a college or university and publish scholarly research.

• Doctorate in Business Administration (DBA): Like an MBA, this degree focuses more on real-world business applications than on theory. Often, applicants are professionals in leadership positions with ample business experience. The DBA in marketing could lead to a marketing leadership role within a company. Some DBA graduates go on to become marketing executives or even CEOs. 

What jobs can you get with a marketing degree? 

As you plan your learning journey, consider the career opportunities that may be available to you, from entry-level to managerial positions, as well as average salaries and job outlooks. The great news is that marketing professionals, especially those with strong digital marketing skills, will continue to be in demand as companies and their consumers shift online. 

Some in-demand marketing jobs and the average annual salary for each include:

• Marketing manager: ₹13,50,000 [1]

• Social media manager: ₹31,36,000 [2]

• Content marketer: ₹6,00,000 [3]

• SEO manager: ₹8,35,000 [4]

How to get a marketing degree 

Every degree programme, from a bachelor degree to a doctorate, is an investment of time and money. Take time to consider how a programme might fit your professional and personal goals. For each degree programme you’re considering, look at its flexibility, location, cost, application process and requirements, coursework, and graduate job placement information. 

To get a bachelor’s degree in marketing, you’ll need:

• Complete 10+2 with a 50 percent pass mark or higher.

Master’s level degree programmes may require:

• A bachelor’s degree from a recognised institution with a 50 per cent pass mark as a minimum. 

Doctorate-level programmes may require:

• A bachelor’s degree

• A master’s degree

• A specified amount of experience 

For all programmes, you may also need to pass a relevant entry exam. These vary according to the course you choose and where you study. Depending on the course, you may also receive an invitation for an interview and need to supply a statement of purpose.

Build marketing knowledge and skills with Coursera

Marketing is an in-demand degree subject that you can apply to various industries. If you’re deciding which type of degree is best for you and your career, consider beginning by taking an online course to build job-ready marketing skills as a first step. Check out the Adobe Social Media and Content Creation Specialization to learn how to create ad campaigns or the Meta Marketing Analytics Professional Certificate to explore marketing analytics methods and how to evaluate the effectiveness of ads. 

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