What Is a Marketing Degree?

Key takeaways

A marketing degree is a credential you earn through an undergraduate or graduate program where you study how to promote products and services.

• Marketing differs from business administration, advertising, and public relations, as it focuses on identifying customer needs and promoting products.

• Marketing degrees differ by level, with a master's degree preparing graduates for roles like market research analyst and brand manager, while a doctorate leads to research or executive leadership positions.

• You can pursue a career in marketing by earning a degree at the level that fits your goals, from entry-level to specialist roles.

Learn more about the different marketing degrees available to pursue and the benefits of doing so.

What is a marketing degree? 

A marketing degree is an undergraduate or graduate program where you study the promotion of products and services. This can include learning how to find out what people want, understanding the needs of different customer segments, communicating how a product or service fills those needs, and guiding potential customers to take action. 

Marketing degree coursework combines theory and practice so graduates can enter careers equipped to help companies increase their profitability and brand recognition. 

Learn more: Is a Marketing Degree Worth It?

Similar areas of study

Marketing degrees share some similarities with business administration, advertising, and public relations. Consider these essential differences before deciding to major in marketing:

• Business administration is broader in scope than marketing. It covers management, accounting, corporate leadership, and marketing. 

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

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

Marketing degrees by level

It's possible to earn a degree in marketing at each academic level, and each comes with its own requirements and areas of emphasis. The degree you ultimately pursue will depend on your educational and career goals, as well as your resources.

Associate degree in marketing 

An associate degree in marketing will require completing a range of general education courses before taking focused marketing courses to build a foundational understanding of business, marketing, and sales. An associate degree in marketing might be a good path if you want to transfer to a bachelor's program or gain fundamental skills to find an entry-level marketing job.

With an associate in marketing, you can typically pursue jobs as a marketing assistant, sales representative, customer service representative, and social media coordinator, among others.

• Typical required credits: 60 

• Time to completion: Two years if you attend full-time

Bachelor’s degree in marketing

A bachelor's degree in marketing is a standard credential to work as a marketing professional. Many colleges offer a marketing major through their business school. In that case, you’ll earn your Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) and concentrate in marketing. With a BBA, you’ll learn broadly about business, including sales, customer management, and finance, with several courses focused on marketing. 

However, you may find that some institutions offer a Bachelor of Science (BS) or a Bachelor of Arts (BA) in marketing. In that case, you’ll focus more exclusively on marketing, alongside some required business-related courses to augment your overall education.

With a bachelor's in marketing, you can pursue jobs as a social media manager, content marketing specialist, SEO specialist, email marketing coordinator, public relations specialist, or marketing specialist.

• Typical required course credits: 120

• Time to completion: Four to five years if you attend full-time

Master’s degree in marketing 

A master’s degree in marketing is an advanced degree you can pursue once you complete your bachelor's. There are two types of master's degrees to consider if you're interested in marketing: Master of Science in Marketing (MSM) and a Master of Business Administration (MBA) with a marketing concentration. Consider the core differences between these two programs to choose the one that’s best for you. 

• MSM: An MSM is considered the “traditional” graduate degree track and focuses specifically on advanced marketing topics, theories, and strategies rather than business management or leadership.

• MBA with a marketing concentration: An MBA offers a broader business education. It might include topics such as leadership, economics, and finance, while offering marketing coursework. This degree option can set you up for success in marketing and other leadership positions that require applying your advanced skills to various areas in the business world.

With a master's in marketing, you can pursue jobs as a market research analyst, brand manager, product marketing manager, digital marketing manager, media planner, or account executive.

• Typical required course credits: 30 to 33 

• Time to completion: Two years if you attend full-time

Doctorate in marketing

A doctorate in marketing is a terminal degree, meaning it's the most advanced degree you can get in this field and represents the highest level of academic achievement. There are two types of doctoral degrees in marketing: a PhD and a Doctor of Business Administration (DBA). Both programs build on concepts, theories, and strategies you’d learn in a bachelor’s or master’s degree program. Still, some core differences exist.

• PhD in marketing: A PhD in marketing helps you develop the skills necessary to conduct original research on topics in marketing. As an academic degree, the coursework intersects with research methods in psychology, economics, statistics, and management science. If you want to teach at a college or university and publish scholarly research, consider a PhD in marketing.

• DBA: Like an MBA, a DBA focuses more on real-world business applications than theory. If you earn a DBA, you may secure a marketing leadership role within a company or go on to become a marketing executive or even a CEO. 

How to get a marketing degree 

Every degree program, from an associate to a doctorate, is an investment of your time and money. Consider how a program might fit your professional and personal goals. For each degree program you’re considering, look at its flexibility, location, cost, application process, requirements, coursework, and graduate job placement information. Also, decide whether an in-person or online marketing degree program suits you.

Additionally, consider the criteria for each type of marketing degree.

To get an associate or bachelor’s degree in marketing, you’ll likely need:

• High school diploma or equivalent

• SAT or ACT scores

Graduate degree programs may require:

• GRE or GMAT scores 

• Professional experience 

For all programs, you’ll likely need to gather:

• Transcripts from previous schools you’ve attended

• Letters of recommendation from former teachers, mentors, or professors

Some programs may ask for the following:

• Resume

• Personal essay

• Samples of your work or writing

Is marketing likely to be replaced by AI?

Marketing is among the fields potentially affected by AI, but full replacement remains unlikely based on current data. A 2026 labor market study by Anthropic found that 64.8 percent of the work done by market research analysts and marketing specialists already overlaps with tasks AI can perform, including preparing reports and translating complex findings into written content [1]. 

Stay current with marketing trends

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• Hear from a pro: Marketing Career Path: How I Became a Brand Marketing Manager at Coursera

• Watch on YouTube: Marketing vs. Sales: Choosing the Right Business Career

• Bookmark for later: Marketing Terms: A to Z Glossary

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