The Top 5 Philly Marketing MBAs

Marketing is a competitive career field, and not all MBA programs are designed to train you to be a marketer. The key is finding a program that not only builds your skills in strategy, business, consumer behavior, decision-making theory and more but also has the right contacts within the marketing industry to help you get a job at a top company after graduation.

If you live in or are heading to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, choosing the right MBA program for a career in marketing could be a difficult choice. There are a dozen programs to choose from, and each offers a unique perspective and special features that make them attractive. So, how do you decide which school to attend for an MBA in marketing?

The Top 5 Philly Marketing MBA Programs

Haub School of Business – Saint Joseph’s University

At the Haub School of Business, MBAs have a variety of opportunities to take their marketing knowledge to the next level. First, there are two marketing concentrations within the MBA program:

• International Marketing: This concentration is designed for business managers who want to expand their skill levels within international marketing. Courses include International Marketing, Global Cultures and Consumers and Global Marketing Communications.
• Marketing: This concentration is for MBA students who understand that marketing moves at lightning speed and they want to learn how to develop customer-driven strategies using some of the latest marketing metrics and techniques. Courses include Promotional Strategy, Research in Marketing, Consumer Behavior and more.

Beyond coursework and concentrations, the Haub School also offers a unique Executive Food Marketing MBA program. The program takes two to six years to complete and is the only one of its kind. Courses are taught over the weekend or online and prepare students to become rising leaders in the food and related industries. Throughout the program, students will have many opportunities to learn internationally, take a study tour, or learn from visiting lecturers.

The Wharton School – University of Pennsylvania

Around 6.5 percent of the 2016 MBA class took a job in product/brand marketing post-graduation. It was the fifth most sought after job function, beating out Project Management, Real Estate and Business Development. The reason behind marketing’s popularity at the Wharton School is multi-fold. First and foremost are the majors in marketing: either in Marketing Management or Marketing and Operations Management. Students in these majors build a deep competency in the art and science of customer behavior and devising effective marketing strategies.

Wharton is also home to the Wharton Marketing Club. The club connects students, alumni, faculty and recruiters for education, events and opportunities to advance the field of marketing.

LeBow College of Business – Drexel University

The Marketing Department at Drexel University is nationally ranked by 20th overall by BusinessWeek and offers unique learning opportunities such as the Behavioral Lab, which was specially designed to enhance research productivity.

At the LeBow College, MBAs can also choose to focus their education with a concentration in Marketing. To complete the concentration, students are required to take three courses in marketing from a list of seventeen options including Global Marketing, Buyer Behavior Theory, and Knowledge Management.

Outside of the Marketing concentration, LeBow also offers a variety of experiential learning opportunities for aspiring marketers to put that learning into action. There are business simulations where students can bridge theory and practice in a real-world market environment. Or students can participate in case competitions with Fortune 500 companies, previous topics have included marketing.

La Salle University

MBA students at La Salle University can elect to specialize their MBA education by completing three 700-level courses in Marketing. Courses include topics such as Advanced Digital Marketing Strategies, Consumer Behavior and Advertising and Promotion Management. There’s also a unique Applied Research in Marketing course that is customizable and allows MBAs to integrate their academic work with a wide range of professional studies. Students can complete their own independent studies, research projects, or internships.

Students at La Salle can also participate in the American Marketing Association, which brings in guest speakers and alumni for networking events, career building activities and more.

Lehigh University College of Business and Economics

Leigh University’s Flex MBA program students can choose to concentrate their coursework in Marketing, which focuses on preparing students for traditional and non-traditional marketing positions and situations. Students who choose this career path will be required to complete 12 credits from the following course offerings: Strategic Marketing Management, Creating Breakthrough Innovations, Marketing Research and Analysis, Sales Management and more.

Lehigh students also receive the benefit of attending a school with a marketing department developed by leading researchers and courses taught by former technologists, marketers, designers and executives.

regions: Philadelphia

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