This Year’s Most Affordable Online Master’s in Marketing

The single most important factor is tuition rate. But how much tuition you pay depends on several variables, such as whether you’re an in-state or out-of-state resident (if attending a public school) or if you’re enrolling in a private school. Other ways to make tuition more affordable include finding grants, scholarships, or other forms of financial aid that don’t have to be paid back. You can also lower your tuition by reducing the number of classes you have to take or the time you need to spend in school. One common way to do that is to obtain transfer credits for prior learning.

Many marketing positions require only a bachelor’s degree. So you might wonder if a master’s degree in marketing is worth it, no matter how affordable it is. Your return on investment depends on what you’re doing now and why you want a master’s degree. For example, if you’re a successful marketing manager with years of experience, simply adding a master’s degree to your resume probably won’t result in a big increase in your median salary of $135,030. But if you want to shift into a position with more leadership, such as becoming a chief executive, the median salary rises to $179,520 and a master’s degree, such as an MBA, is common.

To confirm the quality of a particular program, look for a few characteristics. First, see if it’s been accredited by AACSB or the ACBSP. Second, see what kind of career services and networking opportunities the program offers. Third, see if the school shares job placement statistics for recent graduates. Ideally, you want as close to 100% of graduates as possible finding gainful employment within six to nine months after graduation.

Some schools charge online students a lower rate than their in-person counterparts, while others charge more. However another thing to consider is the flexibility offered by online learning. Even if it’s the same cost as an on-campus program, the ability to continue working while taking marketing classes can make an online master’s degree far more affordable than a traditional master’s degree in marketing.

Most affordable master’s degree marketing programs won’t give course credit for work experience. Instead, they will prefer (or require) applicants to have at least a few years of work experience as a prerequisite for admission. However, many programs, like the one at Southern New Hampshire University, accept transfer credits for classes taken from other schools.

The answer depends on what you’re looking for in an affordable master’s degree in marketing program. You might place importance on a curriculum that’s mostly or completely online, thus reducing the need for on-campus visits. Or you might want some classes to be on-campus to improve your opportunities to network with classmates. When deciding if a particular online master’s degree in marketing program is right for you, make a list of key program traits that are important. This list will help you narrow down your prospective schools so you can start your affordable master’s degree in marketing program.