Bachelor's in marketing
Considering a marketing bachelor's degree? Learn more about course requirements and career outcomes with our comprehensive guide.
Explore marketing programs
Why earn an online bachelor’s in marketing degree?
Increased career options
Access better job opportunities with more potential for career advancement, including management roles.
Increased earning potential
On average, bachelor's degree-holders earn 66% more annually than high school graduates.
Great flexibility
An online program gives you the flexibility to take classes on your own schedule, allowing you to work while you're in school.
Source: The Bureau of Labor Statistics
A bachelor's in marketing program can help you develop versatile skills for a career in business, advertising, or public relations. Explore admissions requirements, common courses, and popular career paths.
Find the right online bachelor's in marketing program for you
What can you learn in an online bachelor's in marketing program?
A bachelor's in marketing program focuses on understanding consumer behavior and finding the most effective ways to market goods and services.
Along with general business skills, a bachelor's in marketing program covers topics in advertising strategies, market research, and data analysis. You may also be able to choose a specialization such as digital or global marketing.
Marketing is a versatile major, combining data-based research with creative approaches to marketing campaigns. If you're interested in how consumer behavior works, marketing could be the right field for you.
What jobs can you get with an online bachelor's in marketing degree?
A bachelor's in marketing program can help prepare you for jobs in many industries, since most businesses rely on marketing in some form. Many factors can influence your employment and salary prospects, including location, industry, and level of professional experience.
With a bachelor's degree, you can pursue entry-level careers like advertising sales agent or market research analyst. Higher-paying management careers usually require significant on-the-job experience.
A marketing bachelor's degree most commonly prepares you for jobs in companies' marketing departments. However, you can also find work in related fields, such as public relations and advertising.
Here are some common careers for marketing graduates, with salary and job outlook data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS):
| Job title | Job description | Median annual salary (May 2023) | Projected employment growth (2023–2033) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marketing managers | Marketing managers oversee marketing strategies for companies, products, and services. They may manage large-scale practices like pricing, market expansion, and market research. | $157,620 | +8% |
| Sales managers | Sales managers oversee product or service deliveries from companies to consumers. They may coordinate sales goals, overall sales strategies, and sales training programs for employees. | $135,160 | +6% |
| Advertising sales agents | Advertising sales agents sell ad space to clients. They may locate new clients and connect current clients to advertising platforms, such as television and online. | $61,270 | -7% |
| Market research analysts | Market research analysts examine consumer preferences, helping companies determine sales potential. They may conduct consumer studies, analyze market trends, and evaluate companies' current marketing practices | $74,680 | +8% |
Types of bachelor's in marketing programs
You can choose from several types of marketing bachelor's degrees, including bachelor of arts (BA), bachelor of science (BS), and bachelor of business administration (BBA). In general, a BA offers a more humanities-focused education, a BS focuses more on math and science, and a BBA builds general business knowledge.
If you're interested in a more creative approach to marketing, a BA could be the right choice. A BS can prepare you for more data-focused career paths, while a BBA gives you broad business training for many career paths.
Concentrations
Marketing concentrations let you customize your studies through specialized elective courses. Common marketing concentrations include:
- Digital marketing: This concentration focuses on digital technology strategies for marketing. Course topics may include social media marketing, video marketing, and digital brand management.
- Global marketing: Global marketing focuses on marketing strategies in an international context. This concentration may explore topics such as global retail strategy and global supply chain management.
- Data-driven marketing: This concentration highlights the use of data to drive marketing strategies. Course topics may include marketing analytics and advanced market research.
Further education in marketing
With a marketing bachelor's, you can pursue further education such as a . An builds advanced general business knowledge and includes specialized courses in marketing. You can also pursue other master's degrees, such as a master of science in marketing.
Graduate certificates in marketing can give you specialized marketing skills without the need to commit to a full degree. These programs may last months rather than years.
Admissions requirements for an online bachelor's in marketing program
Typical admissions requirements for a marketing bachelor's program include:
- High school diploma or GED: All bachelor's programs require you to hold a school diploma or equivalent. More selective programs may also maintain GPA requirements.
- SAT or ACT scores: Many schools may ask you to submit either SAT or ACT scores, though not all require a specific score.
- Personal statement: You may need to submit a personal statement summarizing your interest in a specific school and/or marketing major.
- Letters of recommendation: More selective programs may require you to submit letters of recommendation from teachers or supervisors familiar with your work ethic.