The 10 Best Online Marketing MBAs

A Master’s of Business Administration (MBA) is a highly dynamic degree that covers advanced topics in the practical and theoretical applications of business principles. One of the most common degree specializations within MBA programs is the Marketing concentration. A Marketing MBA explores the intersection between marketing and numerous areas of business such as administration, finance, accounting, and management.

An MBA Marketing program essentially explores the world of business through the lens of marketing. While there are stand-alone business principles, the primary goal of MBA Marketing Programs is to teach students how to apply high level marketing principles and perspectives to all areas of business, which is necessary to master business branding, customer engagement, and the selling of ideas–the three main pillars of advanced marketing. Many Marketing MBA programs will offers students the ability to specialize in one or more areas. A primary appeal of the MBA in Marketing, however, is that marketing is a crucial component of business in general. So while in many cases degree specializations narrow the focus of one’s expertise–thus also narrowing their potential ‘highest career path options’–an MBA Marketing Specialization is uniquely valuable because it provides depth of expertise without narrowing the high-level career options available, and in fact, it does the opposite, opening doors to new high-level careers.

Marketing itself is one of the most universally applicable degrees available at the graduate level, meaning that with the right preparation students can work in almost any industry they choose. And with new systems for marketing technology developed daily, it is a booming industry with promising job markets and steady national growth. In short, it is a great time to get an MBA in Marketing, which is what makes the online degree so relevant in 2016/17. Current professionals or working students can greatly accelerate their careers with a top online MBA in Marketing without taking time off from their jobs. So to find the top MBA Marketing programs, we poured over 150 business schools accredited by The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB), which is the world’s largest business education network. AACSB accredited business schools also rank in the top 20% of all business schools worldwide. Below you can find the best of the best: The Top 10 Online MBA Marketing programs-anked according to our multidimensional metrics, of which you can find a more thorough explanation below.

Methodology:

• Affordability (1/3): Combined analysis of overall tuition of the program, financial aid or scholarship assistance programs, and estimated cost per credit hour for in-state and out-of-state students.
• Flexibility (1/3): The number of flexibility-enhancing elements specific to the degree program including teaching philosophy concentrations, degree specialties, prior learning or life experience credit options, accelerated or self-paced courses, personalized student advisement/guidance, and competency-based credit options.
• Academic Prestige (1/3): The academic prestige of the parent institution operationally defined through the analyses of rankings and reviews of prominent education review entities such as US News & World Report and The Princeton Review.

1.) Jacksonville State University, College of Commerce and Business Administration

Jacksonville State University’s College of Commerce and Business Administration (CCBA) offers a world class MBA program. The CCBA’s MBA Program received a long list of impressive accolades from GetEducated.com and Princeton Review in recent years, also ranking #2 for “Greatest Opportunities for Women” for 2 consecutive years. Multiple institutions have also praised the CCBA for holding one of the most affordable AACSB accredited MBA programs in the nation. The CCBA further distinguishes itself through a clear commitment to student and career success outcomes. Its MBA programs are characterized by real-world, hands-on experiential learning and professional development opportunities, which strongly counteracts the common perception that online degree programs lack such real-world learning.

While many MBA programs are designed with strict admission requirements geared to serve the experienced professional, the CCBA MBA program is designed to accommodate students and professionals at any level of expertise. Students can earn their MBA in Marketing through choosing high-level course concentrations, which can also lead to 4 other degree specializations including: Accounting, General Business, Managerial Economics, and Management. The MBA in Marketing is offered through 33 credit hours of coursework that can be completed in either full-time or part-time learning formats, thus accommodating students’ varying personal schedules. The CCBA program further distinguishes itself as a top-tier option through offering students internship opportunities, professional networking, and a summer New York trip where students can observe the New York Stock Exchange and other figureheads of marketing and business.

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• Total Tuition Cost Out-of-State/ In-state: $20,940 / $10,470
• Flexibility enhancing features: Part-time and full-time learning formats; 5 degree specializations; Internships, professional networking, and summer trip offered.

2.) The University of Texas – Pan American, College of Business and Administration

The University of Texas – Pan American is a school highly dedicated to its own improvements and growth. It is the University’s goal to become the premier research and education business school in the South Texas Region. This school-wide mission creates an excellent environment of creativity and innovation for business students. Particularly in the University’s College of Business and Administration, students can expect to work alongside rockstar faculty on business symposiums, entrepreneurship research projects, and other projects. The MBA program faculty clearly take mentorship of students very seriously, as this is considered an area crucial to the success of the University’s larger goals. This means that although the MBA program can be completed entirely online, students can expect to make real and impactful relationships with their instructors.

The AACSB accredited online MBA program can be completed in just 1-2 years (36 credit hours), depending on the pace of the student. The freedom to progress at one’s own pace through the MBA is reported by graduates to be a major strength of the program and a continuous source of encouragement. Students may also choose from degree concentrations in Finance, Marketing, Management, and Accounting. In the Marketing MBA program, students work alongside faculty members to conduct research projects that mimic the real world challenges of marketing industries. These research projects range from self-directed hypothesis investigations to hands-on collaboration with communities and professional organizations. The University’s College of Business and Administration prides itself on providing real-world experiential learning to its students where peer and faculty collaboration play fundamental roles–a unique strength in an online education where such collaboration is difficult to design and execute.

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• Total Tuition Cost Out-of-State/ In-state: $23,134 / $9,794
• Flexibility enhancing features: 4 degree specializations; Self-paced learning; Real-world research projects and community engagement.

3.) St. Joseph’s University, Erivan K. Haub School of Business

For 160 years, Saint Joseph’s University has dedicated itself to all aspects of growth and development in its students. The University’s deep roots in Jesuit education play out in strong beliefs, convictions, and a faith-based curriculum. In the Erivan K. Haub School of Business, students can expect their development as business professionals to parallel their spiritual development. Program instructors hold true to Jesuit learning principles of engaged teaching and impactful mentoring, so students are expected to reciprocate respectful relationships in order to facilitate mind-expanding collaboration and learning. Though the Jesuit tradition permeates the School of Business, this does not mean students must hold certain faiths; but it does require that students maintain a respectful and open mind towards such faith-based traditions.

Part of the Jesuit tradition in education is upholding true rigor and challenge in coursework. MBA students can expect to work hard, but in turn they can expect to receive a world-class business education. What’s more is that the School of Business offers an Executive MBA in Food Marketing, the only program of its kind in the entire nation. The MBA in Food Marketing has a 25-year tradition, and is now available online through self-paced learning which can lead to degree completion in as little as two years. As the only program of its kind, students can expect a competitive edge totally uncommon in graduate education. Specifically, student success outcomes in the program are remarkably high, as the companies worldwide have become familiar with this program. So many students in the program will have jobs lined up well before their graduation date. Few programs in all of higher ed. can claim this kind of monopoly, so while the price tag is a bit higher than some and the degree is specialized/obscure it is literally the best option for students seeking this degree.

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• Total Tuition Cost Out-of-State/ In-state: $31,218 / $31,218
• Flexibility enhancing features: Self-paced learning [2 year minimum]; Only degree program of its kind in the country.

4.) University of South Dakota, School of Business

The University of South Dakota (USD) offers a progressive business education built on a foundation of traditional liberal arts principles. USD places strong emphasis on the importance of highly trained faculty. Thus USD’s School of Business houses a world-class faculty with excellent track records of teaching excellence, cutting edge research, and outreach engagement. This means that students will be learning from true business professionals and scholars, who deliver modern, real-world business perspectives. An overarching philosophy at USD is that students should be able to use what they learn during the program in their professions. Students cover a wellounded curriculum of critical thinking, communication skills, and intrapersonal leadership skills–skills which are often overlooked in graduate level education but play a crucial role in professional development and career success.

USD’s School of Business offers five distinct MBA degree programs among which is the Master of Business Administration – Marketing Specialization. The program’s core objective is to develop students’ skills in a variety of marketing areas. Students will study in-depth topics such as consumer behavior, new product development, branding, and other topics with relevance to the massive and dynamic marketing industry. The program is composed of 36 total credit hours, during which time students will develop career-oriented strengths in creativity, market analysis, and strategic marketing–all of which are highly valued professional skills across various sectors of the marketing industry. To likewise prepare students for the expansiveness of the marketing industry, the School of Business assigns personalized career and academic advisement to students throughout their time in the program.

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• Total Tuition Cost Out-of-State/ In-state: $22,325 / $13,759
• Flexibility enhancing features: Full-time and part-time tracks; Five degree specialization areas; Personalized academic/career advisement.

5.) Saginaw Valley State University, College of Business and Management

Saginaw Valley State University (SVSU) was listed in Princeton Review’s Best Business School Ranking. SVSU’s College of Business and Management is ranked in the top 5% of business schools in the world, and specializes in delivering flexible, but rigorous business education to students of varying backgrounds. The College of Business and Management is accepting of qualified students without developed backgrounds in business; and boasts that it provides a much faster “startup” for non-business majors. Further enhancing the flexibility of the program, students progress through coursework at a self-determined pace that best suits their personal lives and career goals.

Saginaw’s College of Business and Management offers a fully online, MBA that is self-paced, or part-time, consisting of 31 base credit hours. Beyond this core curriculum, students will choose from three degree concentrations: Finance, Marketing, or International Business & Entrepreneurship. Students who choose the Marketing MBA track will not necessarily miss out on the coursework of the other concentrations, and in fact, students can construct their own custom degree concentration after gaining approval from the MBA director. This means that students can supplement their MBA Marketing degree with other areas of business expertise to enhance their professional toolset and boost their competitive edge. Students will also be able to maintain close relationships with peers and instructors, as the program’s virtual classroom technology facilitates real-time collaboration with classmates and discussions with instructors.

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• Total Tuition Cost Out-of-State/ In-state: $37,346 / $19,852
• Flexibility enhancing features: Self-paced learning format or part-time; Variety of degree concentrations offered; Option for customized degree specialization.

6.) Drexel University, Bennett S. LeBow College of Business

Drexel University is a well-known name in online education, largely due to its standard-setting practices for online degree programs based on student success outcomes and professional development. Drexel’s curriculum emphasizes the delivery of career-oriented education based on real industry standards and demands. Drexel’s Bennett S. LeBow College of Business in particular employs this distinctive philosophy. Students in Drexel’s business programs will be challenged in both the virtual classroom, and also in experiential learning projects where students are tasked with going out into communities, collaborating with professionals, or working with faculty on projects simulated to mirror the same challenges students will someday encounter in their careers.

The MBA program can be completed entirely online at a variety of paces: Part-time, Accelerated, ‘At Your Own Pace,’ or Full-time, which can result in a completion time of just 15 months. MBA students choose from a variety of concentration options and electives in order to earn a degree specialization. The MBA in Marketing specialization is characterized by experiential learning components such as consulting, residencies, and internships. Drexel’s program distinguishes itself from similar programs through its impressive levels of flexibility in numerous program pacing and coursework customization options and through its commitment to hands-on learning experiences and professional development. Few programs manage to balance flexibility and professional development so well.

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• Total Tuition Cost Out-of-State/ In-state: $64,000 / $64,000
• Flexibility enhancing features: Part-time, Full-time, Accelerated, and ‘At Your Own Pace’ learning formats; Experiential learning components; Self-directed coursework and specialization options.

7.) Oklahoma State University, Spears School of Business

Oklahoma State University Spear School of Business employs a threefold teaching philosophy: First, teach students to make a difference in the world by developing interpersonal skills. Second, develop these skills alongside high-quality business education. Third, build high-quality business education on a foundation of impactful research and outreach. Spears Business is composed of seven academic departments with more than 100 tenure faculty, making it one of the nation’s strongest business schools in terms of student-to-high-quality-faculty ratios and interdepartmental collaboration. Offering degrees at the undergraduate, graduate, and doctorate levels, Spears Business has the faculty and resources needed to cover a very large number of business topics, degree specializations, and interdisciplinary crossover of traditionally separate topics. This allows students to explore innumerable interests in relation to concepts that are mostly peripheral in similar programs.

The Spears Business MBA is designed to accommodate the experienced, working business professional, who has strict job responsibilities and would otherwise be unable to attend a traditional MBA program. Conversely, however, the program is also lenient in terms of prior experience and education–without any requirements for specific undergraduate business degrees. The numerous departments of Spears Business allows students of the MBA Program to pursue personal interests such as accounting, business analytics, economics, entrepreneurship, information assurance, management information systems, and quantitative financial economics. MBA students, however, must first declare a degree specialization before taking on additional coursework or interdepartmental projects in order to avoid any confusion. MBA students with a Marketing Specialization will work in a team-based environment that is uncommon in online degree programs. This collaboration with peers is a primary focus of the online MBA program, designed to develop the interpersonal skills that Spears Business views as crucial to overall success in business.

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• Total Tuition Cost Out-of-State/ In-state: $43,106 / $15,362
• Flexibility enhancing features: Interdepartmental collaboration; Self-paced learning options; Team-based learning environment.

8.) University of Baltimore, Robert G. Merrick School of Business

The University of Baltimore’s Robert G. Merrick School of Business is located in the heart of Maryland’s largest city. Embracing the diversity of the city is a crucial element of the School’s role as an urban anchor institution. Following suit with this philosophy, the Merrick School of Business offers MBA programs that emphasize diversity, tolerance, and team-building through collaborating with peers, who may or may not be in your exact program. This exposure is meant to keep minds fresh and promote creative thinking from new perspectives. The Merrick School of Business emphasizes the importance of student empowerment in business. Thus the School offers an enormous number of degree-pacing options, MBA degree specialization options, MBA dual degree options, and five accredited graduate level certifications. In the Merrick School of Business the freedom of choice is the most fundamental prerequisite to student empowerment and professional development.

MBA students in the Merrick School of Business can choose from 10 specialization options including: Entrepreneurship, Finance, Health-Care Management, Human Resource Management, International Business, Leadership and Organizational Learning, Management Information Systems, Marketing, and Public Sector Management. The tenth option for an MBA degree specialization is the customized track option where students can actually design their own specialization through a combination of new or existing coursework. As mentioned above, team-building and interpersonal development is a central focus of all Merrick Business Programs. Students in the School can expect to interact with peers and faculty as frequently as they would in a residential program, making it an excellent choice for students looking for an online program with social connectivity–so often a shortcoming of online education.

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• Total Tuition Cost Out-of-State/ In-state: $47,184 / $33,840
• Flexibility enhancing features:

9.) University of North Texas, College of Business

The University of North Texas (UNT) College of Business is one of the largest business schools in the nation, offering 15 bachelor’s, 15 master’s, and 8 doctoral degree programs–many of which are nationally ranked. UNT offers a unique focus on digital business systems and the global nature of business interactions. This focus is meant to accommodate the rapidly changing industries of business in our world. more and more of which are moving into the global arena. ALl business classes operate with these as central ideas, however, students have a large number of choices for degree specializations, coursework concentrations, and research projects. UNT’s Business Programs are meant to be flexible in order to meet the needs of busy professionals and working students. Classes are offered in eight-week sessions with five start dates each year, so that even the busiest of people can fit in class sessions.

The MBA program offers students enormous choice in areas of study and degree specializations, which include: Business Studies, Decision Sciences, Energy, Finance, Health Services Management, Information Technology, Logistics and Supply Chain Management, Marketing, Marketing Analytics, Organizational Behavior and Human Resource Management, and Strategic Management. UNT is one of only a handful of schools to offer two paths of MBA Marketing degree specializations: in [general] marketing and in Marketing Analytics. The difference between these two tracks is that the General Marketing degree approaches the subject from a macro perspective, incorporating various business concepts and principles, while the Marketing Analytics specialization represents a perspective focused on the micro with less emphasis on general business principles and more on the components, systems, and patterns of marketing in specific contexts. For students looking to explore the nuances of marketing to this extent, this program is a top choice.

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• Total Tuition Cost Out-of-State/ In-state: $30,698 / $17,666
• Flexibility enhancing features: 8 week class periods with 5 yearly start dates; 11 MBA degree specializations including 2 marketing specializations.

10.) University of Massachusetts – Amherst, Eugene M. Isenberg School of Management

The University of Massachusetts – Amherst (UMass Amherst) is a large, well-known school that recently shifted many of its most popular degree programs into online options. Among these is the Isenberg School of Management’s business degree program, which was ranked at #2 of public business schools in the region based on quality, types of courses offered, faculty, awards, rankings, and reputation. And while the online business program values flexibility, it does maintain a synchronized schedule, so that online students are learning with residential students, at the same time, and from the same instructors. This learning format is a point of pride for UMass Amherst, as it reportedly increases peer collaboration, social connectedness, and the motivation of online students to push themselves in the competitive fashion usually associated with traditional classroom environments. This learning format and the emphasis on rigorous coursework in the online MBA has led to numerous impressive rankings, such as consecutive years at #12 nationally according to U.S. News & World Report.

The Online MBA degree program can be completed entirely online either at a part-time or full-time pace. Prior to enrollment, however, students are provided with an impressive list of resources to help them decide which program and/or degree pace is best-suited for their work schedules including: personal advisers, video info sessions, and one-on-one guidance from faculty. MBA students can also pursue specialized degrees in any of the following: Business Analytics, Entrepreneurship, Finance, Healthcare Administration, Marketing, and Sports Management. The Isenberg School of Management also offers students a tremendous support network through heavily invested faculty, active and engaging alumni networks, and also through personal degree advisers. The alumni networks also serve as excellent professional resources for students seeking employment after graduation. UMass Amherst distinguishes itself from other similar online degrees through its strong commitment to delivering an online education with all the strengths of a residential program but without any of its shortcomings.

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• Total Tuition Cost Out-of-State/ In-state: $57,092 / $28,102
• Flexibility enhancing features: Part-time or Full-time degree pacing; Numerous degree specialization tracks; Synchronized schedule for peer and faculty interaction; Active professional alumni networks.