Masters Degree (MS) in Marketing
Best Universities in the world for Marketing
It goes without saying that in today’s fiercely competitive marketplace, just having a unique service, an innovative product or the latest technology would not suffice; instead it’s the need of the hour to connect your company’s offerings to the right customer segment.
Management expert, Professor Peter Drucker believed that marketing is a core discipline of the business. In the ever-evolving business landscape, it is imperative for companies to explore and utilise the potential of an effective marketing strategy to stay ahead of the competition.
Why Master of Science (MS) in Marketing
The marketing sector shows a promising growth trend with the projected growth in employment faster than average, at 8% for advertising, promotions, and marketing managers and 20% for market research analysts. (source: Bureau of Labor Statistics)
An MS in marketing would familiarise you with the required marketing tools and concepts as well as provide insights into the psychology of consumer behaviour so that you’re well-equipped to develop solutions and strategies to address various marketing issues and challenges.
You’d get a chance to hone your critical thinking abilities and develop essential marketing skills through various seminars, international case studies, simulations, international study trips and industry workshops.
Various experiential learning initiatives and marketing consultancy projects would give you hands-on experience by imparting practical training thus helping you pick up innovative marketing techniques along with analytical marketing skills.
You’d be prepared to face the competitive market through effective social media and the latest digital marketing methods.
The MS in Marketing degree can be completed within a year at most of the schools and the cost is much lesser compared to MBA programs (MBA vs Masters (MSc) in Business Degrees). So, it’d be a good option for those who wish to jumpstart their career in the marketing field.
Best MS in Marketing in USA & Canada
| University / School name | Location | Program name | Duration | Fees | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Columbia Business School | USA | MS in Marketing Science (MSM) | 2 semesters – 30 credits | $64,320 |
| 2. | USC Marshall | USA | Master of Science in Marketing | Full-time 1 year Part-time 2 years |
Tuition fees for one credit $1,980 – 30 credits |
| 3. | Texas McCombs | USA | Master of Science in Marketing (MSM) | 10 months | Resident Tuition and Fees $43,000 Non-Resident Tuition and Fees $48,000 |
| 4. | Purdue University – Krannert | USA | Master of Science in Marketing (MSM) | 10 months | In-State $22,600
Out-of-State $31,350 International $42,174 |
| 5. | Texas A&M – Mays Business School | USA | MS Marketing | 16 months | In-State $30,000 Out-of-State $35,000 |
| 6. | Michigan State University – Broad | USA | Master of Science in Marketing Research (MSMR) | On-campus 12 months
Online 20 months |
In-state $28,560 Out-of-state $37,500 |
| 8. | University of Maryland – Smith | USA | Master of Science in Marketing Analytics | 1-2 years | In-state $46,980 Out-of-state $59,850 |
| 9. | University of Rochester – Simon | USA | MS in Marketing Analytics | $67,250/year | |
| 10. | Queen’s University – Smith | Kingston, Canada | MSc in Marketing | 12 months | Domestic fees $5,772.99
International fees $12,927.45 |
| 11. | Vanderbilt University – Owen | USA | Master of Marketing | 10 months | Tuition $58,400 |
| 12. | Temple University – Fox School of Business | USA | Master of Science in Marketing | Full-time: 3 semesters
Part-time: 2.5 years |
Pennsylvania resident $1,114.00 per credit Out-of-state $1,114.00 per credit 30 credits required |
| 13. | York University – Schulich | Toronto, Canada | Master of Marketing (MMKG) | 12 months | Domestic $12,382 International $25,395 |
| 14. | UT Dallas – Naveen Jindal School of Management | USA | Master of Science in Marketing | 12-24 months | Resident $14,918 – $15,432 Non-resident $29,722 – $31,542 |
| 15. | University of Pittsburgh – Katz | USA | Master of Science in Marketing Science and Business Analytics (STEM designated) | 9, 12 and 16 month option | In-state per term $15,064.00 Out-of-state per term $20,857.00 |
| 16. | The University of Arizona – Eller | USA | Master of Science in Marketing | Full-time 12 months Part-time option available |
Resident Tuition $12,156 Non-Resident Tuition $22,131 |
| 17. | University of Georgia – Terry College of Business | USA | Master of Marketing Research (MMR) | 11 months | Georgia Residents Tuition $12,738 Non-Residents Tuition $36,135 |
| Online Master’s in Marketing | |||||
| 18. | Indiana University – Kelley | USA | MS in Marketing | 1-3 years | $1,380 per credit hour – 30 credit hours |
| 19. | Rutgers Business School | USA | Master of Science in Digital Marketing | 15 months-8 years | Tuition per credit $1,228
36 credits required |
MS in Marketing – STEM programs in the USA
Some of the Master of Science in Marketing programs in the US, have received a STEM designation. These programs, with a strong focus on data analytics, include the ones offered by Columbia Business School, University of Texas – McCombs, University of Maryland – Smith School of Business, University of Rochester – Simon Business School, University of Pittsburgh – Katz, Purdue University – Krannert, among others.
Some of these schools including Columbia, Smith School of Business, and Simon Business School have very high tuition fees compared to the average US fees.
The advantage of a STEM-designated degree program for international students is being eligible for a 24-month OPT STEM extension in addition to the 12-month OPT period. This means they are able to work in the US for at least 36 months post-graduation in a related field.
Top schools for Master of Science (MSc) in Marketing in UK & Europe
| University / School name | Location | Program name | Duration | Fees | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | HEC – Paris | Paris | MSc Marketing | 10 months | € 25,750 |
| 2. | ESADE | Barcelona, Spain | MSc in Marketing Management | One academic year | € 29,100 |
| 3. | Imperial College Business School | England, UK | MSc in Strategic Marketing | 1 year | £29,500 |
| 4. | ESCP Europe | Berlin, London, Madrid | MSc in Marketing and Digital Media | 15 months | €20,000 |
| 5. | EDHEC Business School | France | MSc in Marketing Management | 1 year | €20,700 |
| 6. | Cranfield School of Management | England, UK | Strategic Marketing MSc | 1 year | EU fees £13,000
International £24,500 |
| 7. | Rotterdam School of Management Erasmus University |
Netherlands | MSc Marketing Management | 1 year | €18,200 |
| 8. | The University of Manchester – Alliance Manchester Business School | England, UK | MSc Marketing | 12 months | UK/EU students (per annum): £14,000 International students (per annum): £24,000 |
| 9. | Warwick Business School | England, UK | MSc in Marketing & Strategy | 1 year | £29,250 |
| 10. | Vlerick Business School | Belgium | Masters in Marketing & Digital Transformation | 10 months | €15,800 |
| 11. | University of Bath School of Management
Dissertation or practice |
England, UK | MSc in Marketing | 1 year | Home/EU: £14,000
Overseas: £20,000 |
| 12. | The London School of Economics and Political Science | London, UK | MSc Marketing | 12 months | UK/EU: £29,184
Overseas: £29,760 |
| 13. | UCD Smurfit | Dublin, Ireland | MSc in Marketing | Full-time: 12 months
Part-time: 24 months |
Fees Full-Time EU €14,460
Full-Time Non-EU €19,900 Part-Time EU €7,855 per year Part-Time Non-EU €9,950 per year |
| 14. | Lancaster University | England, UK | Marketing MSc | 12 months | UK/EU
£16,500 Overseas £23,000 |
| 15. | City University – Cass Business School | England, UK | Marketing Strategy and Innovation MSc | 12 months | £23,500 |
| 16. | University of Edinburgh Business School | Scotland, UK | Master’s in Marketing | One academic year | Home/EU £16,400 International £23,950 |
| 17. | Trinity Business School | Dublin, Ireland | MSc in Marketing | 12 months | EU students €14,500 Non-EU students €19,500 |
| 18. | Emlyon Business School | Paris & Shanghai | MSc in Digital Marketing & Data Science | 18 months incl. 4-6 months internship | €24,000 |
Top Master of Science (MSc) degrees in Marketing in Asia & Australia
| University / School name | Location | Program name | Duration | Fees | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | ESSEC Business School | Singapore | MSc in Marketing Management and Digital | 1 year | SGD 33,700 |
| 2. | The University of Melbourne | Melbourne, Australia | Master of Marketing | 1 year | AUD $55,900 |
| 3. | NUS Business School | Singapore | Master of Science in Marketing Analytics and Insights | 12-15 months | S$55,000 |
| 4. | Monash University | Melbourne, Australia | Master of Marketing | 1 or 1.5 years full-time
3 years part-time |
AUD $45,500 for 1 year |
| 5. | Nanyang Technological University | Singapore | Master of Science in Marketing & Consumer Insight | 1 year | S$45,000 |
| 6. | Australian National University (ANU) | Canberra, Australia | Master of Marketing Management | 2 years | Annual international fees AUD $47,880 |
MS in Marketing curriculum
The various core courses covered may include fundamentals of marketing management, consumer behaviour, marketing strategy, digital business, product management, brand strategy, pricing strategy, marketing data analysis and research for decision-making, statistics, advertising research and strategy, social media management, international marketing, among others.
Elective courses in marketing
The choice of electives or specialty tracks would vary depending on the school. Some of the electives may include advertising and branding, strategic advertising and marketing, digital advertising and marketing, corporate social responsibility and marketing, marketing research and insights, business to business marketing, retail marketing and data analytics.
The program may include a Master’s thesis and/or internship.
MS in Marketing – Admissions requirements
Prerequisite for MS in Marketing
An undergraduate degree of 4 years or equivalent is usually required. Most of the programs may not have a work experience requirement, however some schools may take into consideration prior work experience while taking admission decisions, e.g. at ESCP Europe, 12 months of work experience is recommended.
Some programs may have some specific undergraduate requirement, e.g. at Columbia Business School, those admitted are required to have taken a probability and statistics course at the undergraduate level. A course in marketing management and microeconomics is also preferred.
Getting in can be competitive for some of the top brand names, e.g. At Columbia, the acceptance rate is very low at 7% for the recent incoming class while the average GMAT is 723. At HEC Paris the average GMAT is 700.
Following are the application requirements
- Statement of purpose / Essays
- Letters of recommendation (usually 2)
- Resume
- Academic transcripts
- GMAT or GRE score
- English language requirement – TOEFL / IELTS / PTE
- Interview
MS in Marketing salary and job role
The salary varies depending upon your location, industry, recruiting company, previous work experience and role.
At University of Rochester – Simon Business School, the average salary was $65,000, at Purdue – Krannert, the average base salary including bonus was $69,500.
At HEC Paris, the average starting salary was €46,000 with 100% students employed within three months.
| Role | Average US salary |
|---|---|
| Marketing Associate | $53,000 |
| Marketing Analyst | $58,000 |
| Data Analyst | $57,000 |
| Marketing Specialist | $52,000 |
| Digital Marketing Manager | $70,000 |
| Senior Marketing Analyst | $75,000 |
| Senior Data Analyst | $77,000 |
| Marketing Manager | $71,000 |
| Brand Manager | $73,000 |
| Senior Marketing Manager | $91,000 |
| Marketing Director | $104,000 |
| Vice President, Marketing | $157,000 |
Source: PayScale
According to PayScale, the average US salary after completing Master’s in Marketing is $65,000. In the UK, the average marketing manager salary is £33,257 while in Canada, it is C$62,186.
According to Quirk’s media, the mean marketing researcher salary ranges from $106,183 for research companies to $111,972 for corporate research.
Also read
– Best MBA programs in Marketing
– Best online courses in Marketing
– MS and Best Universities in Luxury Brand Management
– Masters/MBA in Digital Marketing
– Guide to an international MS degree.