20 Best Master’s in Marketing Programs

Columbia University in the City of New York offers Grad School Hub's winning Master's Degree in Marketing for 2020. Its Master of Science in Marketing Science has a STEM-eligible curriculum with a focus on marketing analytics. It is recommended that students develop a foundational understanding of a database programming language and statistical package prior to entry. Course requirements include Marketing Models, Mathematical Methods, and Multivariate Statistics. Elective offerings include Digital Marketing, Pricing Strategies, and Systematic Creativity in Business. To culminate the program, students can choose to pursue a master's thesis or take a doctoral course. The intensive degree program takes just two semesters to complete.

Columbia began in 1754 on funds from the New York state lottery. Many people don't know how Columbia is the oldest higher education institution in the state and the fifth-oldest in the nation. It also stands among the nine colonial colleges founded prior to the signing of the Declaration of Independence. It is now a private university and member of the Ivy League and the Association of American Universities. A prominent research university, Columbia has played a role in such developments as the laser, the origin of modern genetics, and the World War II Manhattan project. Distinguished alumni include Alexander Hamilton and Barack Obama. U.S. News & World Report also ranks the school highly, at No. 3 in the nation.

Texas A&M University's Mays Business School offers a Master of Science in Marketing. The curriculum includes courses in Analyzing Consumer Behavior, Branding and Marketing Communications, and Product Innovation. All students must complete an internship, and most do in the summer between their first and second years. The university's Career Management Center assists students with internship placement and in their job search. The degree program spans four terms and is generally completed in 16 months.

Texas A&M was established in 1817 under the Morrill Act. It was the first public higher education institution in Texas and the founding campus of the Texas A&M University System. It opened as the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas – hence the ‘A&M' and student nickname ‘Aggies." Today, it is the largest university in the state and the second largest in the nation. The public research university holds land, sea, and space grants and is a member of the Association of American Universities. U.S. News & World Report ranks TAMU at No. 66 in the nation and No. 44 for best value.

The University of Maryland, College Park offers a Master of Science in Marketing Analytics. The program focuses on the mathematical and statistical aspects of customer analysis in marketing. The plan of study includes course requirements in Business Ethics, Data Science, and Statistical Program. Application courses are offered in Market Forecasting, Retail Analytics, and Web Analytics. The program culminates in an Action Learning Project in which students analyze data, report findings, and provide recommendations. The degree can be completed in 10 or 16 months.

UMD was chartered in 1856 as the Maryland Agricultural College. Today, UMD is known as the flagship university of the University System of Maryland, and the largest university in Maryland and the Washington metropolitan area. The university's proximity to the U.S. capital has led to research partnerships with the federal government. It is a Carnegie-classified first-tier research university and a member institution of the Association of American Universities. It has been labeled a "Public Ivy," meaning it has an educational quality comparable to that of the Ivy League. U.S. News & World Report ranks the University at No. 63 for the nation.

Johns Hopkins University's Master of Science in Marketing program offers full- and part-time options. A part-time online option will be available beginning Fall 2019. All students must take 12 credits of foundational business courses. The core curriculum is comprised of three courses: Consumer Behavior, Marketing Research, and Marketing Strategy. Elective offerings include Designing Experiments, Social Media Analytics, and Strategic Market Intelligence. The degree can be completed in one full-time year or two part-time years.

The university was named for Quaker abolitionist and entrepreneur Johns Hopkins. Hopkins bequeathed $7 million of his railroad fortune to establish a hospital and university in Baltimore, MD. The sum is approximately equivalent to $145 million today and was at that time the largest philanthropic gift in U.S. history. JHU is considered to be the nation's first research university. It has campuses in Maryland and Washington, D.C. and international sites in China, Italy, and Singapore. The private university was a founding member of the prestigious Association of American Universities. U.S. News & World Report ranks JHU at No. 10 in the nation and No. 18 for best value.

Michigan State University's Master of Science in Marketing Research program offers both full-time and online options. Both program formats feature the same courses taught by the same professors. Both programs use a "lock-step" cohort format, meaning students progress through the same plan of study together. The plan includes courses in Consumer Insights, Data Mining, and International Marketing Research. On-campus students also complete a directed consulting project and a summer project or internship. Online students can choose between two requirements that can be fulfilled through projects and capstone courses.

MSU was founded in 1855 as one of the nation's first higher education institutions to teach scientific agriculture. It later served as a model for land-grant universities created under the Morrill Act. After the Morrill Act's enactment, the university expanded its curriculum beyond agriculture. Today, MSU is one of the nation's largest universities in terms of student enrollment. In keeping with its scientific roots, the university is home to research facilities including the Abrams Planetarium, the Beal Botanical Garden, and the Facility for Rare Isotope Beams. U.S. News & World Report ranks MSU at No. 85 in National Universities.

The University of Texas at Dallas offers a highly flexible Master of Science in Marketing. The degree can be completed on campus, online, or a combination of both. Students choose between tracks in Advertising & Branding, Business Development, Customer Insights & Analytics, Digital Marketing, Marketing Management, and Product Management. Core courses include Consumer Behavior and Statistics and Data Analysis. Students can choose between capstone courses in Competitive Marketing Strategy and Marketing Decision Making. The degree can be completed in one to two years.

UT Dallas began as a research arm of Texas Instruments. The institution began in the early 1960s as the Graduate Research Center of the Southwest. It was originally located in the Fondren Science Library at Southern Methodist University. UTD was officially established and added to the University of Texas System in 1969. Today, the public university is categorized in the top tier of research universities by the Carnegie Foundation. It has members of both the National Academy of Engineering and the National Academy of Science among its faculty. U.S. News & World Report ranks UTD at No. 129 in National Universities and No. 117 for best value.

The University of Southern California highlights the "personalized and global-focused curriculum" of its Master of Science in Marketing program. Specializations are offered in Analytics and Consumer Behavior. Students discuss their career goals with the program's Associate Director, who helps them customize their plan of study accordingly. These students then take classes alongside students from other specialized master's programs. The program incorporates real-world projects and case studies from global perspectives. Course offerings include Advertising and Promotions; Fashion, Luxury and Lifestyle Marketing; and Internet Marketing.

Founded in 1880, USC is the oldest private research university in California. With its Los Angeles location, scenes have been filmed on campus for films including Forrest Gump, The Graduate, and Legally Blonde. Directors Judd Apatow and George Lucas are among the university's alumni. Technologies invented at the university include antivirus software, the Domain Name System, and image compression. USC Trojan athletes have collectively won more Olympic medals than any other U.S. university. U.S. News & World Report ranks USC at No. 22 for National Universities and No. 37 for best value.

Georgia State University offers a Master of Science in Marketing and a dual degree in marketing and big data analytics. The project-based Marketing curriculum covers topics including brand management, data-driven marketing, and social media marketing. Four courses – including Buyer Behavior and Data-Driven Marketing – earn students a Graduate Certificate of Specialization in Brand & Customer Management. Laid out into five "minimesters" with two courses each, the degree program allows students to work full-time. All classes are held after 5:30 p.m.

GSU was established in 1913 as the Georgia School of Technology's Evening School of Commerce. It became Georgia State University in 1969. Today, it is Georgia's largest institution of higher education and one of the top 10 largest in the nation. The public university is categorized within the top tier of research universities by the Carnegie Foundation. GSU's location in the heart of Atlanta positions it among several Fortune 500 company headquarters. U.S. News & World Report ranks the university No. 187 in the nation.

The University of Houston offers a customizable Master of Science in Marketing program. The degree can be completed in one year of full-time study or two years of part-time study. Students can select electives from six areas: Consulting, Digital Marketing, Entrepreneurship & Technology, Marketing Analytics, Product Management, and Selling & Sales Management. Students must take foundational courses in Financial Accounting, Practical Marketing Analysis, and Quantitative Analysis for Business Decisions. All students must also complete a professional project. The program offers students opportunities to create marketing campaigns for real clients, to plan and pitch businesses to potential partners, and to learn abroad in Paris.

UH began as the Houston Junior College in 1927. Since then, it has evolved into the third-largest university in Texas. The Carnegie Foundation categorizes it within the top tier of research universities. UH operates more than 40 research centers on campus and conducts interdisciplinary research in areas such as artificial intelligence, energy and natural resources, and space exploration. Each spring, the campus hosts a three-day Frontier Fiesta, which involves free concerts, a cook-off, and student-conducted carnival booths, variety shows, and multicultural displays. U.S. News & World Report ranks the University at No. 91 for Top Public Schools.

The University of South Florida offers a research-oriented Master of Science in Marketing program which prepares graduates for careers in the technical aspects of the field. The degree can enhance working professionals' skills, qualify graduates for adjunct teaching roles, or prepare students for doctoral programs. Students can choose from three areas of emphasis: digital marketing and brand management, marketing analytics, and supply chain management. The core curriculum includes courses in Creativity in Marketing, Consumer Behavior, and Digital Marketing. Elective offerings include Improvisation in Business Organizations and Negotiating Agreements and Resolving Conflicts.

USF was the first independent state university of the 20th century. Founded in 1956, the university was built on a former World War II airstrip which was previously the site of part of the world's largest orange grove. Today, the public university has three institutions, in Tampa, Sarasota, and St. Petersburg, FL. It is a member of the State University System of Florida and the fourth-largest public university in the state. The Carnegie Foundation classifies the space-grant university within the top tier of research universities. U.S. News & World Report ranks USF at No. 124 for National Universities and No. 71 for best value.