Is a Marketing Degree Worth It?
Sep 01, 2023
Is a Marketing Degree Worth It?
If you are a junior or senior in high school who is looking to enroll in college, you have likely been thinking about different majors and which would be the best fit for you. When majoring in marketing, students have access to many exciting possibilities regarding research, internships, involvement opportunities, and marketing job roles. If you are considering a degree in marketing, keep reading for more information about the degree, what it entails, and if it is a major worth pursuing to build a successful career.
Is a marketing degree hard?
Like other degree programs, marketing comes with a unique set of challenges. These challenges can depend on a student’s foundation of knowledge and skills. That is why finding a marketing degree program that pairs best with your learning style and career goals is essential. As a marketing professional, you will encounter tests requiring you to reason and think creatively and strategically. Depending on your role in the marketing field, you could be responsible for developing and executing a marketing strategy to promote brands, products, or services, monitoring and applying key social media trends and best practices, or building an extensive advertising or marketing campaign. No matter your career outlook or role, it will be critical to have marketing skills, including:
- Creativity
- Communication
- Interpersonal Skills
- Leadership
- Problem-solving
- Time management
- Critical thinking
“At North Central College, (in your coursework) you will work on enriching projects like creating promotional plans and conducting market research for nearby business partners in the community,” stated Mary Galvan, associate professor of marketing and chairperson of the Department of Management and Marketing. Whether you go into advertising, sales, market research, or public relations, marketing graduates will find that it is a field with a great career outlook and job opportunities.
See related: Marketing vs. Advertising
Is marketing a hard career to get into?
While marketing is a field that can be difficult to break into, it becomes much easier once you complete all the marketing degree requirements, find your niche and gain work experience. As a marketing professional, you can choose from several areas to specialize in and base your career around, depending on your interests, skills, and passions. In today’s marketing world, the rise of technology has revolutionized the industry, providing even more opportunities for individuals and businesses “get the word out.” Nowadays, social media marketing and influencer marketing are all relatively new specializations highly sought after in digital marketing. In addition to these relatively new areas of marketing, there are many other areas you can choose to focus your career around specialization, such as:
- Content marketing
- Market research
- Product marketing
- International marketing
- Marketing management
- Consumer behavior
- Digital marketing
With these several avenues to connect with consumers, marketing has become an expansive industry with many niches. Furthermore, you can be responsible for several tasks in these niches, such as sales, copywriting, social media, research, project management, public relations, or data analytics. Whether you are a market research analyst or digital marketing manager, a dynamic program will prepare marketing majors with the appropriate knowledge and skills to lead a rewarding career.
Can you make money with a marketing degree?
When earning a living with a marketing degree, many opportunities can lead to a satisfactory career. Marketing is a great major to study as it is highly versatile, provides opportunities to advance your education, and can lead to a high-paying, in-demand career. According to Zippia, the average marketing degree salary in America is $56,295 per year or $27.07 per hour, with the top 10 percent making over $117,000. In today’s working world, marketing degree jobs at tech and professional companies tend to be more competitive regarding the number of employment opportunities and pay.
What is the best degree to get for marketing?
Students can choose from several degrees to find success in the marketing industry. For instance, depending on students’ interests and desired career path, they can earn a business administration degree or business management degree and then opt to specialize in marketing. No matter which business degree you choose, a bachelor’s degree in marketing is viewed by many as the typical entry-level degree for those seeking a progressive career. This degree type covers the basics as well as offers coursework to provide a strong foundation of knowledge specific to marketing.
See related: Business Development vs. Marketing
In other cases, a marketing-focused master of business administration can target your expertise, building on industry experience. A master’s degree can elevate your credentials, preparing you for new responsibilities and roles. The higher education you receive can increase your “marketing worth,” helping you stand out as a candidate for a highly sought-after job or in securing a mid to senior-level role. With new technologies more widely available, master’s degrees have become more accessible as they can be completed from the comfort of your home. Nowadays, it is common to find an online MBA or master’s degree program that does not require students to commute to campus or attend an in-person lecture.
Pursuing a degree in marketing
If you are interested in receiving a quality marketing education that promotes the development of students as marketing leaders and socially responsible individuals, consider North Central College’s marketing program. While enrolled, students can:
- Learn from full-time faculty equipped with firsthand industry knowledge and best practices in marketing.
- Conduct market research and create marketing plans for nearby business partners in the community by applying marketing strategies and best practices.
- Access to the state-of-the-art Bloomberg Finance Lab, equipped with ten dual-monitor workstations, Bloomberg Terminal software, and Bloomberg’s unique keyboards.
- Become “Bloomberg certified” after completing advanced financial modules in the College’s Bloomberg Finance Lab.
- Work closely with faculty to conduct undergraduate marketing research and present findings at the College’s Rall Symposium for Undergraduate Research.
- Apply to College’s award-winning American Marketing Association (AMA) case competition team for the opportunity to compete and present a marketing plan to corporate executives for well-known companies.
- Enroll in Chicago Term, a marketing program allowing students to take courses from North Central faculty in the city, a hub for cutting-edge digital marketing agencies.
- Uncover marketing internships and job opportunities by meeting one-on-one with the College’s Center for Career and Professional Development.
- Network with the College’s robust faculty and alum networks.
With access to valuable individuals, opportunities, and experiences, North Central College’s marketing students develop the necessary knowledge and skills to succeed in their marketing career and future educational pursuits. To learn more about how you can fulfill your potential, schedule a visit to North Central College in Naperville, Illinois.
Kara Kots is the senior social media specialist in North Central College’s Office of Institutional Communication. In this role, she contributes her content, writing, and communication skills.
Sources:
School of Business & Entrepreneurship: Marketing. North Central College. https://www.northcentralcollege.edu/program/marketing. Accessed May 12, 2023.
14 Key Marketing Skills for Your Resume (Plus Examples). Indeed. https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/resumes-cover-letters/key-marketing-skills. Updated June 2, 2023. Accessed May 23, 2023.
Average Marketing Major Salary. Zippia The Career Expert. https://www.zippia.com/marketing-major/salary/. Updated August 22, 2022. Accessed May 24, 2023.