Prepare for success with an Accelerated Marketing Degree Online. Salaries range from $47K to $200K+ with job growth up to 22% (Bureau of Labor Statistics).
The business world is changing drastically; an accelerated marketing degree can help set you up to be a part of the change.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics forecast for the next 7 years shows:
- 22% increase in employment for market research analysts
- 10% increase in employment for marketing managers
According to recent a report by the National Association of Colleges and Employers, 15.3 % of employers intended to hire graduates with a degree in marketing.
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Types of Accelerated Marketing Degree Programs
Since a marketing degree is grounded in business administration, it can help propel you into many different fields. Under each field, there are many niches as well.
Internet, analytics, international, advertising? All fit under the marketing umbrella. There are more varieties than there are ways to order your coffee at Starbucks.
Accelerated Marketing Degree Programs Overview
Marketing involves creativity and doing things differently to stand out from the crowd.
True, you don’t learn that in class. But you may learn skills for how to build marketing models and platforms. You learn what has worked in the past so that you can build on that.
An online degree in marketing may cultivate your talent with innovative classes like:
- Consumer Behavior
- Conversion and Optimization
- Customer Retention Through Digital Marketing
- Digital Marketing in a Virtual World
- E-commerce
- Internet Law
- Marketing Brand Management
- Social Media/Internet Marketing
- Web Analytics
Classes like these can help give you a foundation to innovate on.
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Careers with an Accelerated Marketing Degree
Marketing careers are as varied as the number of products on the market. There are careers in:
- Content Marketing
- Database Marketing
- Digital Marketing
- Direct Marketing
- Marketing Research
- Search Engine Marketing
- Social Media Marketing
- Traditional Marketing
You may work in management, public relations, sales, or human resources.
Career Tip:
Marketing managers and executives bring home the largest salary. The national average salary for marketing managers is $142,170 a year.
You won’t start there fresh out of school though. The National Association of Colleges and Employers reports that the average starting salary with a marketing degree is $47,777.
| Career | Annual Median Salary |
| E-commerce Marketing Director | $150,840 |
| Marketing Manager | $142,170 |
| Advertising and Promotions Manager | $133,460 |
| Sales Manager | $132,290 |
| Public Relations Manager | $118,430 |
| Art Director | $97,270 |
| Business Operations Specialist | $77,420 |
| Market Research Analyst | $65,810 |
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics
Careers in marketing are many! No job is 100% recession-proof, but marketing is a vital job that will exist as long as the economy and purchasing exist.
5 Accelerated Marketing Degree Career Fields
Here are the most promising industries for marketing graduates.
1. Education
While you might not think of educational institutions as having a strong association with marketing, they actually do quite a bit of marketing to attract prospective families and students. They usually have a hefty budget that goes toward marketing and a whole team that creates and implements their marketing campaigns.
If you have an interest in education or higher education, you may combine your marketing degree with those interests for a very rewarding career.
Plus, if you continue past the undergraduate level and pursue a marketing degree at the graduate level like an online digital marketing degree, you may have the opportunity to teach others about marketing strategies and skills in the college classroom. A private high school might also be interested in hiring you for working as a yearbook director and teacher or working in their admissions or public relations offices to attract prospective students.
2. Healthcare and Pharmaceuticals
There are many different types of accelerated college degrees offered for people looking to enter the healthcare industry. Because it’s a booming industry, career opportunities abound.
You may not have previously thought that a marketing degree could gain you entry into this field, but many healthcare facilities hire employees with a marketing degree to work in sales, public relations, or advertising. A pharmaceutical company, for example, might hire to you to direct and manage a specific marketing campaign.
3. Performing Arts
Promotional departments at theatres, concert venues, and other performing arts centers need knowledgeable staff members to advertise upcoming events. Your marketing skills could be used in a variety of ways, from designing flyers and advertisements to planning promotional events.
Working at a performing arts center could be a very dynamic and exciting work environment, which may be perfect for someone with a degree in marketing who’s looking to avoid the corporate scene.
4. Graphic Design
If you’re creative and artistic, working in the graphic design industry may allow you to combine your creative talents with your marketing skills and knowledge. Companies always need help creating the most attractive and appealing marketing ads, which is why they higher graphic designers and graphic design firms.
Your additional marketing expertise may be appealing to a company looking to hire the firm you work for. With a marketing degree, you might be a strong asset to any graphic design firm.
5. Event Planning
A lot of event planners and firms earn their business by word of mouth. By hiring someone with a degree in marketing to help spread the word about their business, an event planning company might be able to drum up a significant amount of referrals.
If you have any knowledge in the realm of social media or creating an online presence, you might be asked to maintain a social media site for an event planning firm. Putting a professional touch on the ways in which an event planning firm advertises its services might mean a stable career for you in this field.
Accelerated Marketing Degree Programs Offer Year-Round Admissions
Now that you have an idea of the job possibilities, let’s look at the fastest way to get there.
Many of the universities that have accelerated online marketing degrees offer start dates each month. You may start sooner rather than later and warp speed yourself to completion. Start whenever you’re ready!
Accelerated Marketing Degree Programs Online – Accelerated Classes vs. Self-Paced Classes
Your accelerated online marketing degree is controlled by you, thanks to the flexibility offered by Accelerated Online Classes and Self-Paced Classes.
Accelerated online classes are set up on a regular schedule. You get a class start day, class assignment dates, and you finish on a set schedule, just like traditional on-campus programs.
A self-paced class is more like being self-employed. You set your own schedule and go as fast (or as slow) as you like.
Option 1: Accelerated Online Marketing Classes
Accelerated online marketing classes put the speed into your degree. Although you complete the same material as a traditional classroom, you may get to go twice as fast. At home. In your pajamas.
Instead of a class taking you 16 weeks to complete and hours of sitting in class, you may complete the class in 8 weeks.
Option 2: Self-Paced Online Marketing Classes
Self-paced classes offered at schools like Western Governors University or Capella don’t impose schedules and due dates. You work at your own pace.
At Capella University, you can set up an account where you pay a one-time fee for a 12-week session. During that 12-week session, you may complete as many consecutive courses as you can.
Your speed and dedication is your only limit. You are set up to take 2 courses at a time. But once you finish one, you can register for another with no downtime.
This is definitely the self-driven way to go!
3 Ways to Accelerate Your Marketing Degree Even More
Are you ready to hold on tight and see just how fast a marketing degree can be finished? You don’t have time to sit in class for 4 years and have the cutting edge ideas you learn in your first year become old and obsolete before you use them.
You need to get out in the field while your training is fresh. These 3 ideas, outside of just getting an online associates degree in marketing, may help cut years off your bachelor’s degree and huge amounts off your bill.
1. Test Out of College Classes (Up to 1 Year’s Worth)
You don’t have to go to college classes to get college credit.
Instead, you can test out of college classes — thousands of accredited universities participate in the program.
College credit can be earned by taking the exam for the class you want. You may register with the College Level Examination Program and complete up to 30 credits by passing tests. You register for the exams you need (or just want to check off as electives), grab a study guide, power through the guide, and then take the exam.
The Principles of Marketing exam is 100 multiple choice questions that you have 90 minutes to answer. 90 minutes of exam time and $89 to potentially earn 3 college credits.
Plus, you only need to get 50% to pass and get your credit. That is a lot less time than 16 weeks of class!
2. Get College Credit for Your Life and Work Experience
Did you start your own business at some point? Or attend seminars in your workplace? That stuff may count for credit.
Most universities will grant you up to 15 credits for prior life learning. You can submit a portfolio that:
- clearly documents your experiences and can be verified
- shows which course objectives you have already covered
- demonstrates the learning outcomes you have mastered
American Intercontinental University, for example, states that up to 84% of their students received credit for prior learning or military experience. Don’t miss out on the credit you’ve already earned.
3. Stay Continuously Enrolled with Max Course Load
Testing out of exams and prior life experiences may only take you so far. At some point, you need to attend classes (online or in-person). But you don’t need to stay inside the traditional box.
Tradition says: You take 15 credits in the Fall Semester and 15 credits in the Winter Semester. It will take you 4 years to get 120 credit hours.
You don’t need to be traditional. Be innovative.
Innovation says: Most colleges will let you take up to 18 credits, in fall, winter, and summer. Yes, 3 semesters each school year. You will earn 54 credits a year this way.
Timeline to Completion
Here’s how long it will take you to finish your marketing degree if you use these 3 tips at the same time.
- Register and take 30 credits through the College Level Examination Program
- Submit a portfolio for 15 credits for Credit for Prior Learning
- Complete 18 credits each semester for just over 4 semesters
You might be done with 120 credits in 18 months. Start in September this year and be done by next Christmas.
Transferring Your Existing College Credits
Any credit you have may be good credit. If you have previously attended and completed college classes, then you might be able to apply those toward your marketing degree. Check to make sure that:
- The college you attended was accredited
- You earned at least a C in the class
- Your old class will fit in with your new degree
That last point is not really that important because if you took random college classes in American Poetry, you may still apply that class as an elective for your marketing degree. No credit is wasted!
Marketing Degree Accreditation
Anybody can print off a degree from their computers. But that will not get you very far in the professional world. You want an accredited degree. Most colleges are regionally accredited from one of these boards:
- Higher Learning Commission (HLC)
- Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE)
- New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE)
- Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU)
- Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC)
- WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC)
If you are wanting to get a higher level of accreditation, you would be applying for schools that are also accredited by one of these boards:
- Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB)
- Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP)
- Network of International Business Schools (NIBS)
- Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA)
A big name accreditor feels good but is not necessary. If your school is regionally accredited, you are good to go.
Lower Tuition Costs
College is not cheap. Anybody who tells you otherwise is either lying or trying to sell you something. But there are completely legitimate ways to save you money while you get an accredited marketing degree.
The biggest way to pay less for your college tuition is to earn your credits by taking exams and credit for prior learning. Each credit hour that you have to spend in class will cost you more than $300. No matter where you go, testing out of exams and applying for credit for prior learning can help save you big bucks.
You may also save yourself some money by taking advantage of financial aid opportunities. Fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) to see what you qualify for. Then, supplement that with state funding and scholarships from private organizations and universities.
Universities Offering Online Marketing Degrees
- BS in Marketing
Albany State is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.
- BBA in Marketing
AIU is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.
- BA in Marketing
APUS is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.
- BS in Marketing
ASU is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.
- BS in Business – Marketing
APU is accredited by the WASC Senior College and University Commission.
- BBA in Marketing
Baker is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.
- BS in Marketing
Bellevue is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.
- BBA in Marketing
Brenau is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.
- BS in Marketing
CBU is accredited by the WASC Senior College and University Commission.
- BBA in Marketing
CalSouthern is accredited by the WASC Senior College and University Commission
- BS in Digital Marketing
Cambridge College is accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education.
- BS in Business – Marketing
Capella is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.
- BBA in Marketing
Clayton is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.
- BBA in Digital Marketing
Cleary is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.
- BS in Marketing and Sales
CCU is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.
- Bachelor’s in Marketing
CSU-Global is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.
- BBA in Digital Marketing
CTU is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.
- Bachelor’s in Marketing
Columbia is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.
- BA in Marketing
CSP is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.
- BBS in Marketing
DBU is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.
- BBA in Marketing
Davenport is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.
- BSBA in Marketing
ECU is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.
- BS in Marketing
Fisher is accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education.
- BBA in Marketing
FAU is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.
- BBA in Marketing
FIU is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.
- BBA in Marketing
FHSU is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.
- BS in Marketing
Franklin is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.
- BBA in Marketing
GSW is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.
- BS in Advertising and Marketing
GCU is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.
- BS in Marketing
Granite is accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education.
- BBA in Marketing
Harding is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.
- BS in Marketing
Huntington is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.
- BS in Marketing
Indiana State has been accredited by the Higher Learning Commission since 1915.
- BS in Marketing
IU is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.
- BS in Marketing
IWU is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.
- BS in Marketing
JWU is accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education.
- BBA in Marketing
KSU is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on College.
- BS in Business – Digital Marketing and Advertising
Liberty is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.
- Bachelor’s in Marketing
Linfield is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities.
- BS in Marketing
LSU is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.
- Bachelor’s in Marketing
Midway is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.
- BS in Marketing
MSU is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.
- BSBA in Marketing
Missouri Southern is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.
- BSBA in Marketing
MSUB is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities.
- BBA in Marketing
NMSU is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.
- BS in Marketing
NIU is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.
- BSBA in Marketing
NKU is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.
- BS in Marketing
NMSU is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.
- BA in Business Management – Marketing
Northwest University is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities.
- BSBA in Marketing
NCU is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities.
- Bachelor’s in Marketing
Northwood is regionally accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.
- BSBA in Marketing
NSU is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.
- BSBA in Marketing
ODU is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.
- BA/BS in Marketing
OSU is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities.
- BS in Marketing
Penn State Online is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education.
- BBA in Marketing
Peru State is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.
- BS in Marketing
Post is accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education.
- Bachelor’s in Marketing
Rasmussen is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.
- BS in Marketing
Regent is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.
- BS in Marketing
Regis is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.
- BABA in Marketing
Saint Leo is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.
- BS in Marketing
SNHU is accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education.
- Bachelor’s in Business Marketing
SAGU is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.
- BBA in Marketing
Strayer is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education.
- BSBA in Marketing
Sullivan is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.
- BBA in Marketing
Temple is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education.
- BBA in Marketing
Texas State is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.
- BSBA in Marketing
TESU is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education.
- BSBA in Marketing – Global Business
Troy is regionally accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.
- BSBA in Marketing
Truett McConnell is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.
- BS in Marketing
UAB is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.
- BBA in Marketing
ULM is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.
- BS in Marketing
UMary is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.
- Bachelor’s in Marketing
UMGC is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education.
- BBA in Marketing
UMass Amherst is accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education.
- BS in Marketing
UMass Dartmouth is accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education.
- BBA in Marketing
U of M is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.
- BS in Marketing
UMN Crookston is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.
- BBA in Marketing
UMN – Duluth is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.
- Bachelor’s in Marketing
- BBA in Marketing
UNOH is regionally accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.
- BS in Business – Marketing
UOPX is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.
- BBA in Marketing
The UTPB is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.
- BA/BS in Integrated Marketing Communications
UWA is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.
- BBA in Marketing
UW-Whitewater is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission during a 2015 campus visit.
- BSBA in Marketing
Walden is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.
- BBA in Marketing
Walsh is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.
- BBA in Marketing
WalshU is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.
- BBA in Marketing
WTAMU is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.
- BSBA in Marketing
WGU is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities.
- BS in Marketing
Wilmington is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education.
Ready to Start?
Do you believe what you just read? That you can potentially:
- Finish a bachelor’s degree in marketing in 18 months
- Start a marketing career earning $47,000 or more a year (National Association of Colleges and Employers)
It will be hard work. But it doesn’t mean you have to quit your current job or move across the country. You can still be home for dinner and all the important family events.
Then, in 18 months, you may have earned a bachelor’s degree in marketing. Start by narrowing down your choice of colleges and applying for financial aid.
