Master of Arts (MA) in Business with a Specialization in Marketing

The Master of Arts (M.A.) in Business (Marketing Concentration) has three options. Two of them are for people who intend to pursue a Ph.D., and the other is for people who intend to pursue a business career in marketing.

Option I

Option I is for those who intend to go forward to a Ph.D. It requires completion of 20-24 semester hours of graduate course credit (normally, 7-8 courses), and a thesis equivalent to 6 to 10 semester hours of credit, for a total of at least 30 hours. At least 15 of the total hours must be in Business, primarily Marketing. Students may take an entirely Marketing curriculum, or may take courses outside the department. A minor area outside Business of at least 9 hours is possible. At least 8 semester hours out of the 30 must be in more advanced graduate courses not open to undergraduates. The thesis should demonstrate the student's ability to carry out independent research, and is done under the advice and supervision of a committee of Marketing faculty and other faculty who help the student develop his or her research skills.

Option II

Option II is used for people who wish to go on to a business career in Marketing, and consists of 36 hours of graduate course work (normally 12 courses), with no thesis. The student must complete at least 18 hours in Business, (primarily Marketing), and at least one minor area outside of Business, consisting of at least 9 hours. If the student elects to have two minor areas, then the total hours in Business must be at least 15 hours, with at least 9 hours in each minor.

Option III

Option III, like Option I, is for those who wish to pursue an academic career. It consists of 36 semester hours of course work, at least 18 of which must be in Business (primarily Marketing). Instead of the thesis required in Option I, the student substitutes a greater fraction of the more advanced graduate-level courses; at least 18 of the 36 hours must be in courses open exclusively to graduate students.

All students entering the M.A. program must have previously completed the "Common Body of Knowledge (CBK)" requirements, which students with an undergraduate business degree usually have done. The CBK requirements are 3-5 hours of calculus, 3 hours of finance, 3 hours of marketing, 3 hours of human resources management, and 3 hours of operations management. Minor deficiencies can be made up by taking courses in our undergraduate program while taking graduate hours in the M.A. program.

As one can see from this discussion, the M.A. program is a flexible way to concentrate in the Marketing discipline for either academic or business career goals. It should be clear, though, that an M.A. is not normally thought of by employers or graduate schools as a general business degree. It is designed for people who wish to specialize in a business area such as the Marketing discipline for the bulk of their business or academic careers. Students who take the M.A. concentrating in Marketing normally have worked for several years in commercial marketing (advertising, direct marketing, marketing research, etc.), and have a strong feeling, based in real-world experience, that Marketing is their chosen career.

Click here to find out more about the application process.

For further information on the about this program, contact:

Professor James Gentry

University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Department of Marketing
CBA 322
P.O. Box 880492
Lincoln, NE 68588-0492
Office: 1 (402) 472-3278
Dept. Office: 1 (402) 472-2316
Fax: 1 (402) 472-9777

Comparing the Degree Programs

Marketing Courses:

We offer a number of Marketing courses at the Masters level:

• Marketing Management which is required in the M.B.A. program but also available in the M.A. program, and emphasizes the development of marketing plans and controlling the marketing mix for the firm. (GRBA 813)
• Applied Marketing Research covers the use of exploratory research, surveys, and experiments in marketing management decisions. (MRKT 821)
• Survey of Buyer Behavior which examines the economic, psychological and sociocultural bases of buying behavior as the basis for marketing strategy and public policy. (MRKT 822)
• Advanced Quantitative Analysis in Marketing covers state-of-the-art methodological issues in multivariate analysis of marketing research data. (MRKT 824)
• Sports Marketing covers concepts and theories unique to sports marketing, review of the basic principles of marketing in the context of sports. (MRKT 828*)
• Strategic Issues in Marketing Communication covers the analysis and application of current concepts in the formulation and evaluation of promotional strategy in both for-profit and not-for-profit organizations. (MRKT 830)
• Marketing Channels and Distribution emphasizes the marketing management issues relating to the selection of intermediaries, channel control, marketing institutions, channel power, and pricing. (MRKT 835)
• Marketing and Electronic Commerce covers strategies to deal with opportunities and challenges of evolving technology and marketing in digital networks of customers, suppliers, and employees. (MRKT 841*)
• Strategic Database Marketing covers concepts of customer relationship management, integration with electronic commerce systems, analytical techniques, ethics and practices of customer data privacy. (MRKT 850*)
• Marketing and Globalization puts emphasis on access to new consumers, new supplies, and the effect on consumer choices. Marketing strategies developed for Nebraska firms and organizations such as value-added food marketers. (MRKT 855)
  *(400-level counterpart)

Beyond the marketing courses they choose to take, Masters students are encouraged to take courses in other departments which fit their needs and goals. For example, a student interested in database marketing might take Database Organization from the Management Department, and an applied statistics course or two from the Sociology or Educational Psychology departments. A student interested in advertising might take a course or two in Mass Media from the Journalism and Mass Communications Department. A student interested in Marketing Research might take courses in statistics or research methodology from any one of several social science departments. Each student's program is tailored to him or her as an individual. We take a strong personal interest in each student, and do not put anyone in a preconceived mold.