Best Online Master’s in Marketing and Advertising

Best Online Master’s in Marketing and Advertising

By James Barham

Published: Jul 6, 2021
Updated: Mar 13, 2023

Find top-ranked online master’s in marketing and advertising degree programs for students wanting to qualify for leadership roles as marketing managers, promotions managers, chief executives, and sales engineers.

Top 10 Online Master's in Marketing Degrees

Boston University

69%

University of Arizona

66%

Brandeis University

65%

Syracuse University

65%

University of Alabama

60%

Fordham University

60%

University of Cincinnati

60%

Yeshiva University

58%

Baylor University

55%

University of Mississippi

53%

Southern New Hampshire University

92%

Roosevelt University

92%

Wichita State University

91%

University of Mississippi

90%

University of Texas at Dallas

87%

University of Arizona

87%

86%

University of Massachusetts Lowell

85%

University of Cincinnati

85%

University of North Texas

81%

University of North Texas

26 to 1

Florida International University

25 to 1

University of Texas at Dallas

25 to 1

Southern New Hampshire University

21 to 1

University of Alabama

20 to 1

Texas Tech University

19 to 1

University of Cincinnati

19 to 1

University of Massachusetts Lowell

19 to 1

Wichita State University

18 to 1

DePaul University

17 to 1

Brandeis University

$60,006

Boston University

$59,816

Syracuse University

$57,591

Fordham University

$56,161

Fairfield University

$52,870

Baylor University

$50,232

Yeshiva University

$47,500

Seton Hall University

$46,880

DePaul University

$42,012

Roosevelt University

$31,493

Boston University

$58,560

Brandeis University

$53,498

Syracuse University

$41,616

Baylor University

$37,674

Yeshiva University

$34,800

Seton Hall University

$25,218

Fordham University

$23,112

Roosevelt University

$21,275

Golden Gate University

$19,620

Fairfield University

$19,383

29%

Southern New Hampshire University

35%

Golden Gate University

35%

University of Massachusetts Lowell

37%

Webster University

38%

Fairfield University

38%

Roosevelt University

39%

Wichita State University

41%

University of Texas at Dallas

45%

University of North Texas

47%

Boston University

19%

Brandeis University

39%

Fairfield University

56%

Baylor University

57%

Fordham University

58%

Webster University

59%

Syracuse University

59%

Yeshiva University

63%

Florida International University

64%

Texas Tech University

68%

Yeshiva University

7 to 1

Boston University

10 to 1

Brandeis University

10 to 1

Roosevelt University

11 to 1

Fairfield University

12 to 1

Webster University

12 to 1

Golden Gate University

12 to 1

Fordham University

13 to 1

Seton Hall University

14 to 1

Syracuse University

15 to 1

Florida International University

$4,721

Wichita State University

$6,843

University of Nebraska–Lincoln

$7,770

University of North Texas

$8,295

University of Mississippi

$8,934

Texas Tech University

$8,935

University of Cincinnati

$10,099

University of Alabama

$10,780

University of Arizona

$10,990

Golden Gate University

$11,088

Wichita State University

$5,544

University of Nebraska–Lincoln

$6,138

University of North Texas

$6,350

Texas Tech University

$6,956

Florida International University

$8,912

University of Mississippi

$8,938

University of Alabama

$10,780

University of Arizona

$12,106

University of Cincinnati

$13,224

Webster University

$13,500

Featured Programs

Frequently Asked Questions About Marketing and Advertising Degrees

Why get a master’s in marketing and advertising?

As consumer trends change and social media plays a more prevalent role in business, so does the need for marketing professionals who have an up-to-date understanding of the field. Earning a master’s degree in marketing and advertising is a great way to advance one’s career while also taking a closer look into the marketing strategies, principles, and theories that make for successful practices.

How long does it take to get a master’s in marketing and advertising?

Students can typically complete this two-year, 30- to 45-credit degree either online or in person.

What topics do courses focus on while getting a master’s in marketing and advertising?

Courses cover topics such as branding, market research, and business statistics. Students are typically also required to complete a thesis or final project.

What can you do with a master’s in marketing and advertising?

Graduates will qualify for leadership roles as marketing managers, promotions managers, chief executives, and sales engineers.

Learn more about what you can do with a master’s in marketing.

Best Online Master's in marketing and advertising Degree Programs

How do we determine the best online marketing and advertising master's degree programs?

Pursuing your degree online doesn’t mean you need to settle for an inferior school. Today, most universities and colleges offer online degrees, and many respected schools are seeing significant growth in their numbers of online students.

The people affiliated with a school are ultimately what make it great. This is why influence — i.e., the academic impact of faculty and alumni associated with a school — gets at the heart of what is truly best in education. The combined influence score of a college or university’s top academic influencers is the best indicator of academic excellence. For our online degree rankings, we focus on the academic influence of faculty and alumni in the specific disciplines we’re ranking.

If you are serious about finding the best online colleges, you should be asking where the most influential professors are teaching, and whether their graduates themselves are advancing the school’s reputation for academic excellence. Most ranking sites rely on an opaque combination of reputation surveys and arbitrary performance metrics. Influence, as measured by our InfluenceRanking engine, provides a ranking that is free from bias, insulated from manipulation, and reflective of real-world educational outcomes.

Best Online Master’s in marketing and advertising Degree Programs

Online Degree Frequently Asked Questions

If this is your first time taking an online course, the experience may require some adjustment. While you’ll generally learn the same content and take the same exams as your on-campus peers, the medium will likely require you to manage much of this experience independently. You’ll be accountable for your own time management, your ability to harness the technology at your fingertips, and your ability to focus on the lectures, lessons, and assignments at hand. This means you’ll need to create a suitable workspace for yourself, maintain a realistic schedule, and take it upon yourself to build relationships with your instructors and classmates. With online college, your goal is to find a balance between independence and engagement.

No. The only part of online education that’s easier is actually getting there. Taking the commute out of the equation means getting to class should be a lot more manageable. But that’s where it ends. In general, your online courses will incorporate the very same materials, concepts, and testing methods as would a traditional classroom.

And in many cases, you’ll even have the same instructors as your on-campus counterparts. In fact, if you are adjusting to the experience of independent learning or working with remote learning technology for the first time, online college may even be a little more challenging for you. For a few insights on how to manage this new experience, check out our 10 Tips for Adjusting to School Online.

Accreditation is especially important when it comes to online college. This is because the online education landscape is a mix of highly-reputable institutions and less-than-reputable for-profit schools. Accreditation gives you the power to differentiate between the two. Accreditation is a stamp of approval from an independent accrediting agency which indicates that a college or university is meeting standards of quality, credibility, and currency. School-wide accreditation falls into two major categories: regional and national accreditation. Regional accreditors generally hold jurisdiction only over schools in the states comprising their region, whereas national accreditors hold jurisdiction over schools in all states. Regional accreditation is widely regarded as a more rigorous standard of quality and credibility than national accreditation.

Attending a college or university which is not regionally accredited could limit your opportunities. When seeking an online education, we strongly recommend that students opt for regionally accredited schools. Regional accreditation ensures eligibility for federal loans and grants, ensures your college credits can be transferred between schools, and ensures that your degree credits can be accepted if you wish to earn an advanced degree.

As long as your online college degree is regionally accredited, you should have little difficulty transferring most of your credits or credentials to another regionally accredited undergraduate school. Every school carries its own standards and procedures for granting a transfer. In many cases, you will be required to navigate a bureaucracy in which some of your credits will be transferred and others will be jettisoned. However, provided that you have attended an online school with the proper regional accreditation, you should have plenty of options for transfer.

In most cases, as long you graduate from a well-regarded, regionally-accredited online college, prospective employers won’t look sideways at your degree. In fact, unless you attend an exclusively online college or university, there will likely be no specific indicator on your degree, transcript or resume differentiating your school from its brick-and-mortar counterpart. This means that your employer will likely only differentiate between an online and in-person degree if you mention this distinction.

While some employers may express concern about making the adjustment from online education to in-person workplace collaboration, many other employers will view your online degree as evidence of valuable 21st Century professional skills such as independence, self-motivation, time management, and tech savvy.

If you are a student who thrives on the dynamic energy of in-person discussion, who requires the physical surroundings of a classroom to feel engaged, or who considers the social aspects of education to be of equal importance to the actual content of your courses, online education will require some adjustment.

While there is much that can be supplanted or simulated through the online medium, some students may find that there is nothing which can replace the conversation, collaboration, and motivation that occur in an actual classroom setting. As you make the adjustment to online education, one of the biggest challenges you will likely face is overcoming this difference in order to the get the most out of your classes. Fortunately, we’ve got some great Tips for Online Education Beginners.

The advantages of online classes are many. First and foremost, online courses give you the freedom and flexibility to attend class from anywhere that works for you, whether you’re at home, in a coffee shop, or in a quiet conference room at work. In many cases, you’ll also enjoy the convenience of asynchronous learning opportunities-educational experiences that you can complete on your own schedule. This may include pre-taped lectures, ongoing chat-board discussions, and 24/7 access to digital materials. And of course, just as there are some learners who prefer the energy of a live classroom, there are those who learn best when working in their own personal space, free from distractions. If this sounds like you, you might find the solitude of online learning to be a major advantage.

Whether you’re just getting started on your college search, you’re looking for survival tips on your way to a bachelor’s degree, or you’re preparing for the transition into grad school, we’ve got guides, how to’s and tons of other valuable resources to keep you moving forward in your educational journey.