Marketing has existed for as long as there have been consumers of products and services. The Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM) define marketing thusly, “Marketing is the management process for identifying, anticipating and satisfying customer requirements profitably.” In other words, marketing can be thought of as the processes of communicating the value of a product to its potential customers. Aside from traditional marketing methods, much focus in the field is also now given to its integration with information technology.
More often than not, obtaining a marketing degree would require the student to take foundation courses or units in business administration, management, communications, finance, economic, international business, market research, and statistics. This is in addition to general education courses that the student might be required to take such as literature, mathematics, and history.
Students are also likely to be able to take a specialization during their degree program. Since modern marketing relies heavily on information technology, specializations are continuously being added to the offerings of schools. Specializations will be discussed later in the article.
As mentioned earlier in the article, specializations are available in a number of institutions. This may be a required part of the degree program for marketing or it may be optional, depending on the institution. Below is a short list of common specializations offered by universities:
It is also worth noting that inversely, marketing is offered as a specialization in most business administration degrees.
The accreditation of a degree usually depends on the country where the degree is awarded. In most cases, countries have their own accrediting systems for universities, students and graduates. You are advised to check with the institution you are interested in to find out their accreditation system. The UK based Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM) is perhaps one of the best known international bodies for the accreditation of marketing qualifications.
A degree in marketing can take anywhere from three to four years. The exact period of time would depend on the university of your choice and the country wherein it is located. It may also depend on what type of degree is being awarded. Typically, double degrees are expected to take longer, while associate degrees are shorter than bachelor degrees.
There are also various degrees available for those interested in marketing at the master’s and doctorate level. Some students decide to continue their study of Marketing in the form of a Master’s degree, however it is also possible to opt to study an MBA. The MBA is considered as one of the most popular degrees at the master’s level. Obtaining a marketing degree at this level involves specialization in a specific area of marketing and would more often than not require work experience in the field you would like to research or study. Some of these specializations at the master’s level include sustainable marketing, digital marketing, strategic product marketing, integrated marketing communications and brand marketing.
Entrance into a marketing degree program varies from institution to institution. Some universities require you to take an entrance exam, while some will take into consideration national or standard exams. For a complete list of requirements, you are advised to check out or contact the institution you are interested in applying to.
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Most, if not all, industries employ marketing to some degree, and graduates who have completed a degree in marketing find employment in a wide variety of fields and sectors. Some of these are health care, energy and utilities, performing arts, entertainment industry, tourism, real estate and government.
A major factor that contributes to the presence of marketing graduates in numerous sectors is the amount of transferrable skills that are gained by a student of marketing throughout the whole degree program. Marketing graduates are expected to have gained good communication and persuasion skills, management skills, research and market knowledge, and creativity. Students are also known to have good presentation skills, strategic thinking and some degree of financial competency.
There are many directions you can take if you choose to pursue a degree program in marketing. Marketing graduates are also present in related industries such as retail, events management, media production, public relations and sales, while some have their own businesses or companies.
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