An online doctoral program in marketing may provide students the opportunity to focus their research on a particular area of marketing, such as consumer behavior or quantitative marketing. Through these programs that vary in length, students may learn advanced research skills, how to communicate their findings with others, and the analytical tools to assess marketing concepts and practices. Program coursework typically includes classes specific to an area of concentration combined with a handful of core marketing and research-based classes, such as marketing strategy, applied economics, and research philosophies in marketing.

Upon completion, students may seek employment in academia, as experts in a particular area or as researchers. Individuals who enroll in a doctoral-level program in marketing may hold a bachelor’s degree or higher, and may serve as a working professional in various advertising, promotions, or financial positions.

Program Overview

• Prerequisite: Bachelor’s Degree at minimum
• Program Length: Three to five years to complete
• Post-Grad Options: Employment
• Projected Employment Growth: 14% (2010-2020)*

Program Coursework

The curriculum for doctoral-level marketing programs is typically steeped in business courses as well as research-based coursework and possible classes within a chosen area of concentration, such as marketing science or consumer behavior. Coursework may provide students with the tools to perform high-quality research, address and solve marketing problems, maintain client relationships, allocate marketing resources, and understand and predict marketing trends. Core marketing classes may include:

• Behavioral Marketing
• Research Methodology
• Quantitative Marketing
• Economic Theory
• Introduction to Theory of Personality
• Statistical Inference
• Microeconomic Decisions

Career Options

Graduates of doctoral programs in marketing may find employment opportunities in academia, whether it be as a university-level professor, assistant, administrator, or researcher. As doctoral-level programs typically allow students to focus their studies in a particular area of marketing, employment opportunities may vary depending on the chosen area of specialization. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment opportunities marketing may increase by 14% from 2010-2020*.

• Researcher
• Assistant Professor
• Tenured Professor
• Lecturer
• Product Developer

*U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook