One of the biggest advantages of choosing a career in the marketing industry is that there are several different options when it comes to taking your career further and standing out in the industry for lucrative job offers. While getting a college degree in marketing or Marketing MBA is useful for getting into this industry, there are various alternatives, including online learning programs and marketing apprenticeships.
Many successful marketers do not even come from a marketing educational background; they have learned through trial and error and from either marketing their own company, marketing for their employer, or helping clients with marketing campaigns and strategies.
Whether you want to get into a great marketing career for a dream employer, are looking to run your own successful business and need marketing skills to achieve your goals or want to start your own marketing agency in the future, there’s no denying that an education in the field of marketing comes with a variety of options to help you stay updated and current in an industry that is always changing and very dynamic.
If you are considering a career in marketing for the future, already work in marketing, and want to advance your career or have an idea for a new marketing agency venture, it is definitely worth considering becoming an expert with an advanced qualification like an MBA that will set you apart from your competition and help you get noticed in your chosen industry.
An MBA with a concentration in marketing can be one of the best ways to set yourself up for success with your future marketing career, giving you the chance to improve your marketing expertise and skills while developing a stronger knowledge of business as a whole and how marketing has an impact on all other business departments.
If you’re aspiring to a successful career in marketing, here are some MBA degree program options to consider.
Why Get an MBA in Marketing?
Whether you hope to start your own marketing agency in the future or are considering going after employment as a marketer or marketing manager for a reputable company, an MBA in marketing can help you achieve this goal. Compared to the general MBA degree program, an MBA with a marketing concentration is designed to focus more on the marketing aspect of business while providing you with a solid foundation in the main pillars of business at the same time.
This degree program is designed to fully prepare future marketers for the role with a higher focus on the various types of marketing used by companies to build their audience and sell more products and services. In addition to the MBA in marketing, you may also want to consider other similar concentrations such as an MBA in digital marketing, which may be the right choice for you if you are interested in a career in SEO, social media marketing, and other forms of internet advertising that are becoming increasingly popular today.
Traditional MBA
The traditional MBA degree program involves a campus-based, full-time online master’s degree that typically takes between one and two years to complete. You will usually be required to commit to studying full-time, which could involve taking time off work or putting your business idea on hold for the duration of the program.
If you have the time and are in a good financial position to do so, a traditional MBA program might be the ideal option for you. If this is the route that you are considering taking, you should spend some time researching the business schools where you can get an MBA in marketing. Various business schools now offer this program, and you will likely have the option to either stay local or relocate. Before enrolling, speak to current and previous MBA in marketing students to get a better idea of what to expect from the program and if it is going to be the right fit for you.
Face-to-face work with professors and tutors, the opportunity to meet and build a professional network with your peers in person, and full access to the various campus facilities are some of the benefits of getting a traditional, campus-based MBA in marketing. Along with this, there may be a wider range of schools to choose from including more prestigious institutions that only offer in-person tuition. In addition, businesses and recruiters often visit campuses, which can help you build your network further and improve your employment and business opportunities.
Online MBA
If your situation does not allow you to take time off work for up to two years, then an online MBA in marketing might be a better choice for you. The MBA degree online from Saint Bonaventure University is becoming a more and more popular choice as master’s students are increasingly unable to commit to attending campus-based classes for two years. These degree programs are worth no less than the traditional MBA programs offered on campus, but they offer a greater degree of flexibility allowing you to study from home and in some cases, be in full control over your own study schedule. This leads to a lower opportunity cost for students who may be able to continue working full time and earning money while studying.
Along with this, an online MBA program may help students save money in various ways including allowing them to take a program from a college or university that is located hundreds of miles away without the need to physically relocate. Even if studying at a school that is fairly local, students can save on the cost of commuting to campus.
Part-Time MBA
With many MBA students in a situation where they have a full-time career, business to run or a family to care for while studying, it’s no surprise that part-time MBA programs in marketing are increasing in popularity. You can find both classroom-based and online MBA programs that are available to take part-time. The main thing to consider if you are thinking about studying part-time is that unlike a full-time MBA which is completed in two years, you will need to commit to learning for around four years in total, although the number of hours that you put in on a typical week will be lower.
If you do not have a huge amount of time to dedicate to studying right now but still want to get an MBA, this could be the best option for you. Along with this, it might also be an ideal choice if you want to attend in-person classes rather than study online since many part-time MBA programs are based on campus but designed for students who have full-time work commitments, with more flexible classes to attend that are often held outside of business hours. While these part-time programs may not offer the same flexibility as online programs, they are typically more flexible in comparison to the traditional full-time MBA on campus, providing you with more time to complete your degree while upholding any other commitments that you have.
Blended MBA
If you aren’t sure whether a campus-based MBA or an online MBA will be the best choice for you or feel that there will be benefits of both options when it comes to your current situation, a blended MBA program might be something that you want to consider. Blended online degree programs are quite similar to the new model of hybrid working, in which you have the option to study remotely and attend campus classes. This might be an ideal option for you if you are considering enrolling to a local college where you can easily access the facilities but want the flexibility to take online classes sometimes when it is a more suitable option for your situation.
If you are working full-time or are running a business while getting your MBA in marketing, a blended program might suit you best. This will give you the option to take online classes when your commitments do not allow you to get to campus and attend classes in-person, while having the freedom to use the campus facilities, attend the classes that you can make in-person, and network with your peers face-to-face as well as online. Often, blended programs mean that you have the chance to meet and network with the students who are taking traditional MBA classes along with online learners, providing you with one of the best opportunities to seriously expand your professional network as you study.
What Skills Will You Learn with an MBA in Marketing?
Whether you decide to go with a traditional program, study online, study part-time or take a blended course offering both campus-based and online learning, getting your MBA in marketing gives you the chance to develop a wide range of essential skills that are necessary for your success in pursuing a professional career in marketing or starting your own marketing agency. Some of the main skills that the MBA in marketing is designed to help you develop and improve include:
Communication
Since marketing is the main way that many brands communicate information about their products and services, good communication skills are one of the most essential skills that you are going to need to succeed in this industry. Whether you are considering a career in marketing for an employer in the future or want to start your own company offering professional marketing services to your clients, a marketing MBA will help you develop the ability to communicate various messages in different forms while having an impact.
Analytics
Today’s marketing industry requires professionals to have strong data analysis skills. Marketers are often tasked with using the data that has been gathered by the business. To determine the best business decisions to make in terms of what’s required or preferred by the audience. To be successful in marketing, it is crucial to have an analytical mindset and a strong ability to carefully strategize around the analysis to design marketing campaigns that have the requirements, preferences, and behavioral habits of the target audience at the forefront.
Public Speaking
If public speaking makes you nervous, then you need not worry about this after completing an MBA in marketing, where you will have plenty of opportunities to become a more confident public speaker and seriously improve your skills in this area. Marketers often have to become public speakers as they will be tasked. With announcing new services and products or providing education on new campaigns or initiatives. Part of the role of a marketer might involve pitching new ideas to clients, employers, colleagues, and customers, which may involve some public speaking.
Creativity
While marketing is becoming increasingly analytical and data-driven, it is also a career option that is quite creative. People who want to work in this field need to be adept at thinking on their feet and coming up with out of the box ideas. Successful marketing often involves using the data that is available to you as a marketer. To come up with new, exciting ideas that help your company or your employer stand out from the competition and attract new customers and clients. Getting an MBA in marketing provides students with lots of opportunities to come up with unique ideas and flex their creative side.
Teamwork
Any good marketer knows that in order to be successful with a campaign, they will need to work closely with a team of other professionals to achieve the desired results. Whether you are working together with other marketing professionals to put together a campaign or working with professionals in the industry such as sales managers, website developers, social media managers, and more, it’s important for any marketer to be able to work successfully as part of a multi-disciplinary team. Getting an MBA in marketing will often involve various group assignments and projects, whether you are studying on-campus or online. This will give you the opportunity to put your teamwork skills into practice and improve them, either in-person or remotely.
Whether you’re aspiring for employment or entrepreneurship in the marketing industry, there are more options than ever before for getting your marketing MBA to drive your career.
