Online Degrees in Marketing

Sales and spending are crucial elements of the U.S. economy, and marketing professionals help bridge the gap between sellers and buyers. Careers in marketing involve identifying demand for particular products or services, helping define a target customer for sales and advertising campaigns, and working to maximize profits by identifying competitive pricing plans. Marketing professionals work closely with those in sales, advertising and product development.

Training in marketing at all levels

Entry-level roles in marketing can include assistant account executive, assistant media planner or assistant art director, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). While positions on the sales and business side of marketing usually require a bachelor's degree, entry-level positions in the art department are available with a two-year associate degree.

Marketing professionals who want to move up in the field can become marketing managers or art directors. A master's degree may be required for management roles at larger firms, but on-the-job experience tends to be equally important in marketing positions, the BLS reports.

Market and survey researchers are other key members of a marketing team. While four-year marketing degrees are sufficient for entry-level jobs, many market research positions involve difficult quantitative and research tasks that require a master's or doctoral degree. Market and survey researchers may work with numerical data or human subjects to gain information on how products are used, what prices are most efficient and how markets are changing.

Marketing professors and researchers--who generally focus on the theory of marketing rather than its applied practice--usually need a doctoral degree.

Marketing coursework: A blend of business and sales

Marketing degrees focus on consumer behavior and advertising techniques, with an additional focus on elements like e-commerce, public relations, communication and more. A typical degree program might include the following broad topics:

• Advertising
• Marketing research
• Marketing behavior
• Integrated marketing
• Global marketing

Because marketing graduates often find themselves working on a team, the ability to work in groups is important for the profession. Other skills like communication, consumer empathy and leadership can also benefit workers.

Studying marketing online comes with the convenience of logging on from anywhere to complete coursework. In addition to the increased access of online education, students also enjoy the ability to collaborate with others across the country, leading to more perspectives from different locations--a true nationwide marketing sample.

Furthermore, free online webinars and resources are seen as important educational resources for marketers the American Marketing Association (AMA) explains in its 2010 Trends in Marketing report. In fact, 49 percent of the marketers the AMA polled participated in live online webinars in 2009.

Popular careers for marketing graduates

Many marketing grads can be found working for marketing firms who take on the marketing responsibilities of clients from a wide range of industries. Beyond dedicated firms, marketing professionals may also find in-house work at companies ranging from publishing to computer supplies to insurance carriers.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that market research analysts earned mean annual wages of $66,850 in 2010, while marketing managers earned $122,720.

Marketing at a glance

• Common industries: Computer systems design and related services; management, scientific, and technical consulting; insurance carriers; professional, scientific, and technical services
• Salary range: $66,850 (market research analysts) - $122,720 (marketing managers)
• Workers employed in the U.S.: 261,780 (market research analysts),164,590 (marketing managers)
• Preferred skills: Communication, empathy, teamwork, leadership

(Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2010 data)