What are the best degrees to work in marketing?

nicolegeogery

Scroll to see replies

Reply 1

MindMax2000

Universities Forum Helper

Original post by nicolegeogery

What are the best degrees to work in marketing?

The straightforward answer would be the marketing degrees.

Having said that, a lot of places accept graduates with a degree in any subject, primarily because you don't need a degree to go into marketing i.e. do a degree you enjoy and then worry about the job afterwards.

If you want a generic list of subjects that would better suit marketing roles, then consider:

•

advertising

•

business or management

•

communications

•

IT or computer science

•

marketing

•

psychology.

•

humanities

•

media, art and design

•

English language or literature

•

languages

•

computer studies or IT

•

marketing communications

•

digital marketing

References:
https://www.prospects.ac.uk/job-profiles/marketing-executive
https://nationalcareers.service.gov.uk/job-profiles/marketing-executive
https://careerpilot.org.uk/job-sectors/sales-marketing/job-profile/marketing-executive

Why are the subjects so varied? I don't know. Personally, I don't think any particular subject or degree would specifically prepare you very well for a role in marketing

If you want a more statistical role, then you're better off with something in statistics or maths.e.g.

•

business or management

•

economics

•

mathematics

•

statistics

•

anthropology

•

geography

•

psychology

•

social sciences

•

sociology

•

marketing and analytics

•

marketing

•

data science

References:
https://www.careerpilot.org.uk/job-sectors/sales-marketing/job-profile/market-research-executive
https://www.careerpilot.org.uk/job-sectors/sales-marketing/job-profile/market-research-data-analyst
https://www.prospects.ac.uk/job-profiles/market-researcher
https://nationalcareers.service.gov.uk/job-profiles/market-research-data-analyst

Personal preference of mine is irrespective of what degree you do, I would go for the CIM certificates/diplomas (Internationally recognised) as the content is more vocational and directly relevant (see:https://www.cim.co.uk/qualifications/). If you want to go into the research analyst roles, then you're better off with the MRS qualifications (see: https://www.mrs.org.uk/learningCPD/about-mrs-training under the qualifications sections).
Should you get a degree that's accredited by either of these professional bodies, so much the better. However, it's still easier, cheaper, and quicker to do the qualifications directly with them instead of doing a degree.

Reply 2

OxfordBrookesRep

Official Rep

Original post by nicolegeogery

What are the best degrees to work in marketing?

Hi @nicolegeogery,

@MindMax2000 has already provided a very comprehensive and helpful answer. I thought you might like to see a few courses offered at Brookes which would be excellent options if you want to pursue a degree in marketing:

BA Marketing Management
BA Business and Marketing Management
BA Digital Marketing

There are in fact more marketing related courses, however this gives you a selection of options at Brookes. These courses are also available in Clearing if you have already achieved your results. I hope this is helpful.

Best wishes,
Daniel

Admissions Office
Oxford Brookes University

Reply 3

Kinga88

Original post by nicolegeogery

What are the best degrees to work in marketing?

The best degrees are: Engineering, Modern Languages (incl. English), Economics /PPE, Geography (with Economics), Graphic Communications, Economics with Psychology, Statistics, Data Science, Law, and History. These degrees are what top FMCG/CPG, Management Consultancies, etc prefer to recruit. These degrees give you the ability to also pursue another career path allied to marketing, such as journalism, PR, advertising, marketing science, scriptwriting, literary agent, and of course starting your own marketing agency. Employers increasingly look for graduates who have a range of skills, and this is why PPE and Economics & Statistics degrees have been growing in popularity. Remember that Marketing is increasingly being 'automated' and data is being used to map and track customer churn, understand segments, develop GIS modelling, and evaluate pricing, etc. Remember if everyone in a marketing department had a marketing degree then everyone who have a tendency to think the same way i.e. there is no competitive advantage for the organisation. Also, marketing is based on economic models.

The very best degree to work in marketing now and in the future is one that involves understanding data, as ChatGPT, Bard, and other generative AI systems, and Machine Learning algorithms are totally transforming how marketing is being done, especially marketing communications and hyper personalisation, and they are changing how it will be done in the future - a trend that will rapidly increase. I would recommend Computer Science and Maths at Oxford, or Computer Science and Management Science at Edinburgh University - if you have a scientific/statistical mindset. Management Consultancies and the major marketing organisations target these programs. oxford and Edinburgh are the best places for Data Science in the UK. The only others worth considering are for data focussed subjects UCL and Imperial. Natural Sciences and Computer Science at Cambridge are also recommended.

As has been previously been stated the Chartered Institute of Marketing qualifications trumps any university marketing degree, as it is THE professional body for marketers.

LinkedIn can be a very useful way of evaluating courses and types of work experience required for specific areas of marketing

(edited 6 months ago)

Reply 4

University of Surrey Student Rep

Official Rep

Original post by nicolegeogery

What are the best degrees to work in marketing?

Hello 😊

I've just submitted my dissertation as part of my Digital Marketing and Channel Management MSc at the University of Surrey and my entire higher education path has been with marketing.

From experience, a simple marketing degree oversees the entirety of the marketing field, which is extremely broad as it covers sales, strategies, research and other areas. However, for example, a more specific marketing degree such as digital marketing offers you a more specific and narrow education.

It depends on what level of education you are looking at (undergrad or postgrad) and what professional area you want to pursue. A marketing degree offers a broader knowledge of all marketing areas, which is extremely beneficial, however, it wouldn't be as specific and in-depth as a more specific course. Personally, I got a narrow undergrad degree in communications and worked my way up to marketing and digital marketing with postgrad degrees.

The University of Surrey offers numerous undergrad and postgrad marketing courses, check these links:
- Undergrad courses: https://www.surrey.ac.uk/department-marketing/study/undergraduate-courses
- Postgrad courses: https://www.surrey.ac.uk/department-marketing/study/postgraduate-courses

In terms of ranking, our university is ranked 21st on The Guardian University Guide 2024, The Times and The Sunday Times Good University Guide 2024. Regarding the Employability Rate, we are ranked 12th overall in the UK and 3rd in the South.

Hope this helps and feel free to message me again if you have any more questions,
Jénifer
MSc Digital Marketing and Channel Management

Reply 5

Kinga88

Original post by nicolegeogery

What are the best degrees to work in marketing?

A Management degree is better than a Marketing degree, as you will have a wider range of career options. Also, the Chartered Institute of Marketing Professional trumps most university degrees, unless you go to LSE, Oxford, Cambridge, Edinburgh, Durham, UCL, Imperial, and possibly St Andrews, as employers know how hard it is to get into those universities. Bath, Warwick, and Manchester are also worthwhile.

Reply 6

Kinga88

Original post by Kinga88

The best degree for Marketing is the subject that you are passionate about studying AND your focus on a particular industry that you want to work in. I have met people who did Languages, Classics, Law, Economics, Real Estate, Education, Economics/PPE, Management, and Engineering who are passionate about marketing in their chosen industry, It really is about you, your level of motivation, and how passionate you are about going into a target sector. If you aim to studying at a university that has links to a sector then you will get a head start. Look at the entry requirements for graduate training schemes in your chosen sector - what subjects do at uni. One note of caution is a double degree e.g. Accounting and Marketing, etc may improve your employability.

Reply 7

Thisismyunitsr

Original post by nicolegeogery

What are the best degrees to work in marketing?

Slightly controversial opinion, but since you don't actually need any degree whatsoever to work in marketing, the best option might be to not get any sort of HE qualifications and go straight into work through an apprenticeship or other vocational option.

Reply 8

Kinga88

Original post by nicolegeogery

What are the best degrees to work in marketing?

You should look at https://openai.com/dall-e-2 and blueshift.com, and think about how the world of marketing will be after you have spent 3 or 4 years at uni.

(edited 6 months ago)

Reply 9

jisvngxstay

Original post by Thisismyunitsr

I can back this up, I'm just over a year in a digital marketing apprenticeship and I have a wide range of experience already

Reply 10

Kinga88

Original post by jisvngxstay

I can back this up, I'm just over a year in a digital marketing apprenticeship and I have a wide range of experience already

Many of the university lecturers are teaching things that are out-of-date

Reply 11

Kinga88

If I was to recommend one degree that will future-proof you (assuming that AI, Machine Learning, and Generative AI, as well as the growth in data science that is used to drive personalisation and hyper-personalisation trends continue to be as important) then I would recommend the following degree - Computer Science and Management Science at Edinburgh University. (NB University of London runs distance learning undergraduate degrees which may be of interest.)

Other good degrees are (they all open up careers in the widest range of industries, not just marketing):

A - Assuming you don't have a target industry or sector
1) Economics and Statistics
2) Economics with a Modern Language
3) Engineering - any branch
4) Economics and History
5) Management with Language, Statistics, or Accounting

B - Pick a professionally accredited degree from a university that has active links with an industry. This is one of the BEST routes into marketing, as you will get to know the nuances of an industry. Caveat - avoid Tourism, Hospitality, and Retail sectors as they have high level of staff turnover and job tenure is poor - "hire and fire culture" proliferates these sectors.

C - Aim for a degree apprenticeship, as experience, especially relevant experience in a well-regarded company (ideally FTSE 100) is probably the BEST route. Think about what industry you want to work in as that will be key. Chartered Institute of Marketing qualifications trump marketing degrees, especially with industrial experience.

Think about the costs of going to university AND the background of the lecturers. Do they have work experience? Do they undertake regular consultancy work with industrial partners. If the answer to both of these questions is "no" be very careful.

Have a look at https://www.sbs.ox.ac.uk/research/centres-and-initiatives/oxford-future-marketing-initiative - especially the podcast series that was developed with Kantar (scroll down the page). This will give you a good idea about the key marketing trends. Also, look at https://www.b2bmarketingexpo.co.uk/digital-series - this is the key B2B event in the UK. Many people leave school and go to university and then fail to have the career once they graduate that they were hoping for.

If Marketing is your thing then go a university in one of the key cities for marketing, as you will improve your chances of getting a career - London (including one of the UAL colleges), Bristol, Manchester, Leeds, Glasgow, and Birmingham.

Good luck!

(edited 6 months ago)

Reply 12

ajj2000

Surprised this hasn't been mentioned above - maths/ maths stats or economics plus statistics.

Reply 13

Thisismyunitsr

Original post by jisvngxstay

I can back this up, I'm just over a year in a digital marketing apprenticeship and I have a wide range of experience already

W option.

Reply 14

Kinga88

Original post by Thisismyunitsr

W op

Original post by nicolegeogery

What are the best degrees to work in marketing?

Read this https://www.salesforce.com/news/press-releases/2023/03/07/einstein-generative-ai/

Reply 15

Kinga88

Original post by Thisismyunitsr

W op

Read this https://www.salesforce.com/news/press-releases/2023/03/07/einstein-generative-ai/

Reply 16

Thisismyunitsr

Original post by Kinga88

Read this https://www.salesforce.com/news/press-releases/2023/03/07/einstein-generative-ai/

Read it, see below.

Original post by Kinga88

Read this https://www.salesforce.com/news/press-releases/2023/03/07/einstein-generative-ai/

This is basically an irrelevant statement. All jobs will eventually be able do be completed by AI. OP could train to become a doctor and have that profession automated within 20 - 30 years, and they'll still be up to their ears in student debt which they will never pay off.

The sensible thing to do for OP, would be to complete a marketing apprenticeship, see if they enjoy it and then go onto HE at a later stage if they like it. No point training for something else based on what may or may not happen in the future. OP might self combust by the time then train for an unrelated marketing career, then this would have all been a waste of time.

Reply 17

ARUStudents

Official Rep

Original post by nicolegeogery

What are the best degrees to work in marketing?

Hiya👋,
If you looking to make career in marketing, many degrees and extra modules are provided by universities. I am a postgraduate student at ARU who is studying MBA Marketing as core module and Social Media Marketing as extra cpd module.
The best courses ARU offers in marketing are :
Undergraduates >
1) BSc Hons- Business with Marketing (Cambridge)
2) BSc Hons - Marketing (Peterborough)
3) BSc Hons - Business and Marketing (London)
4) BSc Hons - Digital Marketing (Distance learning)
5) BA Hons - Fashion Communication and Branding (Cambridge)
6) BSc Hons - Events Management (Peterborough)

Postgraduates >
1) MSc - Marketing (Cambridge)
2) MSc - International Marketing (London)
3) MBA - Health and Social Care (London)
4) MBA - Fintech and Data Analytics (Chelmsford)
5) MBA - Finance (Chelmsford)
6) MSc - Brand Management (Cambridge)
7) Mphil - Business Phd, School of Management (Cambridge and Chelmsford)

MBA and International Marketing are the most popular degrees among the rest. I am a MBA Finance Student at ARU Chelmsford studying Marketing as core module along with Social media marketing. The module is exactly the same as I expected to study.
I hope it would help you☺
All the best👍

Ayan Khan
(DSA, ARU Chelmsford)

Reply 18

Kinga88

Original post by nicolegeogery

What are the best degrees to work in marketing?

Economics, Modern Languages. Economics & History, Maths with Statistics, Physics, and Data Science degrees are all useful. It depends what area of marketing you want to go into. Outside of these areas London College of Fashion offers very targeted and highly employable degrees.

Note that AI (ChatGPT) and ML are starting to impact, so an ability to do copywriting, understand statistics, and code (JavaScript, CSS, HTML, Python, and R) will make you very employable. Knowledge of Salesforce CRM will make you standout. work experience in top agencies will be great.

Make sure you stand out as the jobs market for marketing is getting more quant by the year.