An online MBA in marketing focuses on the theory and practice of business and marketing. Typical areas of study include ethics, leadership skills, and the various types of marketing, such as digital marketing, business-to-business marketing, and business-to-consumer marketing.

Core courses

If you pursue an MBA in marketing online, you will be required to take the same core business courses as other specialized MBA programs. At their heart, these programs are designed to equip you with the knowledge you need to take on managerial responsibilities.

Along with a strong foundation in marketing, you will gain skills in: 

• Economics
• Global management
• Simulation modeling 
• Finance 
• Organizational behavior 
• Ethics 
• Change management
• Budgeting
• Data analysis 
• Human resources 

Advanced skills

An MBA in marketing offers you the chance to build on your existing knowledge base through close examination and practical application.

Product and brand management

You will explore products that are gaining popularity with consumers and learn tactics for increasing demand and engagement.

This specialized degree covers concepts such as: 

• Product promotion 
• Product development 
• Brand development 
• Building an online presence 
• Sourcing and supply chain management 
• Pricing models 
• Profitability analysis

Lead generation

Lead generation is the practice of attracting consumers to a company’s product or services. To do this effectively, you’ll need competency in the following areas:

• Data analytics 
• Website analytics 
• Consumer experience analysis 
• Marketing communications 
• Lead development strategies
• Content marketing 
• Marketing campaign development

Lead nurturing

Marketing isn’t just about acquiring new customers — building relationships that nurture brand loyalty is equally important.

With a marketing-focused MBA, you can expand your knowledge in:

• Relationship management 
• Strategic communication 
• Customer journey management 
• Purchase decision motivators 
• Content creation 
• Product and content promotion 
• Influencer strategies 
• Email marketing 
• Blogging 
• Video production

Marketing analytics

Honing advanced data analysis skills can help you improve marketing strategies for your organization and positively impact its bottom line.

Expect to investigate topics such as:

• Market research 
• Data mining 
• Predictive analytics 
• Digital analytics tools
• Market trends
• Identification of target audiences
• Data visualization

Social psychology

Understanding consumer motivation is crucial for any role that involves the marketing of products and services.

This area of study allows you to hone expertise in: 

• Individual leadership 
• Purchase motivators 
• Consumer decision-making processes 
• Personal influence 
• Decision-making

Typical concentrations and electives

Some MBA programs allow you to further specialize by taking electives and choosing a specific area of marketing to focus on. These concentrations can help position you for certain careers.  

Examples of concentrations and electives include: 

• Integrated marketing communications
• Retail merchandizing
• Customer equity
• E-commerce
• Big data
• Interactive marketing
• Search engine optimization
• Product and service innovation
• International marketing
• Consumer privacy and security

Choose your coursework wisely — it should map to your career goals to help increase your job opportunities and starting salary.

There are two types of accreditation — regional and specialized. 

Regional accreditation

Regional accreditation is the most prestigious type of accreditation that an online or traditional college or university can receive. Regional accreditation confirms that the provider has met and maintained adherence to a minimum set of academic standards.

Most regionally accredited schools will only accept credits from other regionally accredited institutions of higher learning.

Specialized accreditation

Schools often apply to gain specialized accreditation for specific areas of study, departments, or degree programs. The leading accreditation for business schools — including those with MBAs in marketing— is the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business, or AACSB.

Other business-specific accrediting bodies include:

• Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP)
• International Assembly for Collegiate Business Education (IACBE)

Enrolling in an accredited program makes you more marketable to employers and can affect your career growth over the long term.  

Why accreditation matters

Accreditation is key if you want to:

• Transfer your credits, as most schools will only accept transfer credits from accredited institutions
• Apply for financial aid, as federal aid is only granted to students who are studying at recognized accredited institutions

Check for both national and regional accreditation at your university of interest. You may also find that your degree program or academic department of interest has additional and specialized accreditations.

Many employers put a lot of stock in the accreditation of an MBA program when interviewing applicants. While there are no guarantees when it comes to finding a job, your choice of institution and its accreditation could end up being the tiebreaker when competing against other qualified candidates.