phd in marketing

Doctorate in Marketing Program Guide

If you’re passionate about understanding market trends and helping companies reach their target customers, consider a Ph.D. in marketing . This advanced degree can equip you with specialized knowledge, expand your employment prospects, and increase your earning potential. If business isn’t your first preference for a career path, you can use a marketing doctorate to snag a position in research and development or higher education.

Marketing is a growing field, especially as companies increase their online presence. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) projects that marketing manager jobs will grow 7% between 2023-2033, compared to the 3% projected growth rate for all occupations in the same period. Jobs in academia are also projected to grow faster than average.

This program guide explores the requirements of most doctoral marketing programs and the concentrations they may offer. You’ll also learn what you can do with a Ph.D. in marketing and what career paths are available for people with this credential.

Featured Online Doctorate in Marketing Programs

Learn about start dates, transferring credits, availability of financial aid, and more by contacting the universities below.

Should I Get a Doctorate in Marketing?

Pursuing a doctorate in marketing requires a big commitment. The degree can take 3-7 years to complete and features a great deal of research and work.

Professional opportunity awaits graduates of doctorate in marketing programs. The BLS projects 8% job growth for postsecondary teachers. If you choose to join the private sector instead, the BLS projects 6% job growth for marketing managers and public relations managers and 13% growth for market research analysts between 2022 and 2032.

While graduate degrees in marketing can lead to significant employment opportunities and financial rewards, these programs can be challenging. Since many employers still value professional experience, students can consider working while they study , which means a very busy schedule for an extended period of time.

To keep their skills updated, marketing professionals and postsecondary teachers may need to continue their training after graduation. Some employers may even want to see additional credentials, such as vendor-specific marketing certifications. As a result, prospective students should be willing and prepared to continue their education long into their professional careers.

What Is the Difference Between a Doctorate in Marketing and a Ph.D. in Marketing?

Prospective students can choose between two major tracks for their doctorate in marketing: a Ph.D. and a doctorate in business administration (DBA). The research and theoretical emphasis of a Ph.D. typically leads to academic and research careers, whereas the business and practical focus of the DBA prepares graduates for business-related careers.

In a Ph.D. program, students choose their own research topics and the courses that complement that exploration. DBA programs, conversely, feature more rigid curricula, including courses like strategic management, marketing promotions, business-to-business (B2B) marketing, and marketing innovation. Both degree pathways provide advanced research, writing, and management skills, along with concentration options for students to further specialize.

Concentrations for a Doctorate in Marketing

Consumer behavior, digital marketing, integrated marketing, international marketing, marketing analytics, quantitative marketing, sustainable marketing, still looking for the right fit discover similar programs, how to choose a marketing doctorate program.

Prospective marketing students should consider several factors, including their own educational and career goals. Some other important considerations include accreditation, degree type, concentrations, and practical components. For an online doctorate in marketing, applicants should think about program delivery, schedules, and residency requirements.

Programmatic Accreditation for Doctorate in Marketing Programs

Prospective students should always verify their school holds regional accreditation prior to enrolling. Business-related programs may also receive programmatic accreditation from various organizations, such as the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business or Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs . Accreditation can help ensure that students qualify for financial aid, employment, transfer credits, and future certifications.

How to Get Into a Marketing Doctorate Program

Admission requirements for a doctorate in marketing vary by school and program, but prospective students typically need a marketing-related master’s degree and recommendation letters. Some schools require GMAT or GRE scores , and some competitive programs require a 3.0 undergraduate GPA.

Additionally, prospective DBA students may need relevant professional experience. Prospective Ph.D. students may need to submit a research proposal or a statement of interest. Some programs also require interviews.

What Can I Do With a Doctorate in Marketing?

Professionals with a doctorate in marketing can pursue careers in business, management, research and development, and academia. Graduates can pass their knowledge on in college and university classrooms, influence marketing practices with their research, and help organizations reach their customers in new ways and places.

Graduates gain specialized skills and advanced knowledge that position them to take advantage of a growing field with exceptional salary potential. For example, the BLS projects the addition of more than 1.1 million management occupations between 2022 and 2032, a sector that pays median annual wages of nearly $117,000.

The list below highlights common career paths available to graduates.

Popular Career Paths

Marketing manager.

Marketing managers typically plan and oversee programs that identify potential customers and determine the demand for current and new services or products. They’re also largely responsible for a company’s or division’s pricing plans, development of new products, and staying on top of trends in their industries.

• Median Annual Salary: $157,620

Postsecondary Teacher

Marketing instructors or professors teach marketing and related classes at the college or university level. Some individuals also conduct original research, write books, and present their work at academic conferences.

• Median Annual Salary: $84,380

Public Relations Manager

These managers typically lead the creation and implementation of campaigns that manage and enhance a company’s or client’s public image. Some of them supervise teams of public relations specialists.

• Median Annual Salary: $130,480

Market Research Analyst

Market research analysts investigate business conditions, consumer preferences, and other factors to evaluate and predict sales. Other duties usually include monitoring and forecasting market trends, determining consumer demands, and measuring the effectiveness of marketing strategies through statistical analyses.

• Median Annual Salary: $74,680

Top Executives

Top marketing executives coordinate strategies that help a company maximize profits and meet its strategic goals. They also use their marketing roles to provide input on organizational objectives, analyze financial statements, and oversee activities that contribute to the creation of new products or services.

• Median Annual Salary: $103,840

Frequently Asked Questions About Doctorate and Ph.D. Marketing Programs

Do marketing degrees pay well.

Many individuals with graduate marketing degrees earn competitive salaries. According to a BLS report , the median salary for market research analysts and marketing specialists was $74,680 in 2023. The report indicates that marketing professionals working in management and computer systems and design earned more than $94,000 on average in the same year.

Is a doctorate in marketing worth it?

A Ph.D. in marketing can be worth the time and resources you invest if you are interested in conducting research and teaching this topic at the postsecondary level. A doctorate allows you to gain specialized knowledge in a marketing area, and it can qualify you for higher-paying jobs.

What are the requirements for a Ph.D. in marketing?

A Ph.D. in marketing has several requirements, including admission prerequisites and conditions for earning the degree. To gain admission, prospective students may need to submit GRE scores, letters of recommendation, and official transcripts. Many graduate programs also require a minimum GPA, pre-admission interview, or previous research experience at the undergraduate or graduate level.

Once accepted, a doctoral student must complete various steps to earn the degree, including completing core curricular courses, selecting a concentration, and conducting supervised research. This degree also typically requires passing comprehensive exams and completing a dissertation project.

What do people with a Ph.D. in marketing do?

A Ph.D. in marketing can help you pursue career tracks in business, higher education, research and development, and management. If your passion is teaching, consider using your doctorate to teach at the college or university level. Your specialized knowledge in marketing might also prepare you for upper management, public relations management, or market research analysis.

What is the highest-paid job in marketing?

Marketing professionals in business leadership positions often earn the highest salaries in this field. For instance, According to Payscale , chief marketing officers make an annual average of $182,920. In addition to a base salary, these individuals can earn additional income from profit sharing, bonuses, and commissions.

Note: The insights on this page — excluding school descriptions — were reviewed by an independent third party compensated for their time by BestColleges. Page last reviewed June 10, 2024.

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PhD Programs in Marketing

The AMA helps potential doctoral students find the right program for them by maintaining a global list of PhD and DBA-granting institutions that offer the opportunity to specialize in marketing. If you would like your institution added to the list below, please email [email protected].

Current doctoral students may find helpful resources via the AMA DocSIG and PhD students who are going on the market should check out the AMA Transitions Guide or learn about Academic Placement at the Summer Academic Conference .

• ​Chinese University of Hong Kong  
• City University of Hong Kong 
• Hong Kong University of Science and Technology 
• Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad
• JK Business School
• Lingnan University​​
• Management Development Institute  
• Nanyang Technological University ​
• National University of Singapore  
• Aston Business School
• Athens University of Economics & Business  
• Bilkent University 
• Bocconi University  
• Boğaziçi University
• Cardiff University  
• City, University London  
• Copenhagen Business School
• Cranfield University  
• Erasmus Research Institute of Management  
• ESSEC Business School
• Frankfurt School of Finance & Management  
• Goethe-Universitaet Frankfurt  
• Grenoble Ecole de Management  
• HEC Paris  
• Hanken School of Economics  
• INSEAD 
• ICTE Business School  
• Kingston University  
• Koc University  
• Lancaster University  
• Loughborough University 
• Lausanne University  
• London Busines s School  
• Maastricht University  
• Manchester Business School  
• Nottingham University  
• Tilburg University  
• Umea University  
• University of Bradford
• University College Dublin 
• University of Cologne​
• University of Exeter  
• University of Glasgow  
• University of Grenoble  
• University of Groningen
• University of Guelph  
• University of Liverpool  
• University of Mannheim
• University of Muenster
• University of Navarra, IESE  
• University of St. Gallen 
• University of Southern Denmark  
• University of Stirling​
• University of Strathclyde 
• University of Valencia  
• VU University Amsterdam 
• Wilfrid Laurier University 
• Warwick Business School 
• Yeditepe University
• Carleton University  
• Concordia University 
• HEC Montréal  
• Laval University  
• McGill University
• McMaster University  
• Queen’s University
• Simon Fraser University 
• University of Alberta 
• University of British Columbia 
• University of Calgary
• University of Manitoba​
• University of Toronto  
• Western University  
• York University ​

Australia and New Zealand

• Bond University 
• Deakin University
• Griffith University​ 
• La Trobe University  
• Macquarie Graduate School of Management 
• Melbourne Business School  
• Monash University 
• Queensland University of Technology 
• Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology 
• University of Adelaide 
• University of Ballarat 
• University of Canterbury​
• University of Melbourne 
• University of Newcastle 
• University of New South Wales  
• University of Otago 
• University of South Australia  
• University of Sydney 
• University of Technology, Sydney  
• University of Western Australia 
• University of Wollongong

United States of America

• Arizona State University  
• Bentley University  
• Boston University 
• Carnegie Mellon University 
• City University of New York (Baruch College) 
• Cleveland State University 
• Cornell University 
• Columbia University  
• Drexel University  
• Duke University  
• Emory University  
• Florida Atlantic University  
• Florida International University 
• Florida State University
• Fordham University  
• George Washington University 
• Georgia Institute of Technology  
• Georgia State University 
• Grand Canyon University  
• Harvard University  
• Indiana University  
• Iowa State University  
• Kennesaw University 
• Kent State University  
• Louisiana State University
• Louisiana Tech University  
• Massachusetts Institute of Technology  
• Michigan State University  
• Mississippi State University 
• Morgan State University 
• New Mexico State University 
• New York University  
• Northwestern University  
• The Ohio State University 
• Oklahoma State University  
• Old Dominion University
• Pace University  
• Pennsylvania State University  
• Purdue University  
• Rutgers University  
• Saint Louis University 
• Southern Illinois University  
• Stanford University  
• State University of New York, ​Binghamton  
• Syracuse University 
• Temple University  
• Texas A & M University  
• Texas Tech University 
• University of Alabama 
• University of Arizona  
• University of Arkansas 
• University at Buffalo  
• University of California, Berkeley  
• University of California, Irvine  
• University of California, Los Angeles
• University of California, Riverside
• University of California, San Diego  
• University of Central Florida 
• University of Chicago 
• University of Cincinnati 
• University of Colorado at Boulder  
• University of Connecticut  
• University of Florida  
• University of Georgia 
• University of Hawaii at Manoa  
• University of Houston  
• University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign 
• University of Illinois at Chicago 
• University of Iowa  
• University of Kansas 
• University of Kentucky 
• University of Maryland  
• University of Massachusetts – Amherst
• University of Massachusetts – Lowell  
• University of Memphis  
• University of Miami 
• University of Michigan  
• University of Minnesota  
• University of Mississippi  
• University of Missouri 
• University of Nebraska-Lincoln  
• University of North Carolina 
• University of North Texas 
• University of Oklahoma 
• University of Oregon  
• University of Pennsylvania  
• University of Pittsburgh 
• University of Rhode Island 
• University of Rochester  
• University of South Carolina  
• University of Southern California  
• University of South Florida  
• University of Tennessee 
• University of Texas – Arlington 
• University of Texas at Austin – Marketing 
• University of Texas – Dallas 
• University of Texas – El Paso​
• University of Texas – Rio Grande Valley  
• University of Texas – San Antonio 
• University of Utah  
• University of Virginia 
• University of Washington  
• University of Wisconsin-Madison 
• University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee 
• University of Wyoming  
• Vanderbilt University 
• Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University  
• Washington State University  
• Washington University in St. Louis  
• West Virginia University 
• Yale University  
• Wayne State University  ​​​

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Program Requirements

• Program Requirements →

Below please find the program requirements for a students in Marketing . Doctoral students in Marketing generally complete the program in five years.

A minimum of 13 semester courses at doctoral level are required. Each semester students will consult with the Marketing faculty coordinators to receive approval of their course selections.

Students in the Marketing program choose one of the following sequences

Microeconomics

• Microeconomic Theory I (HBS 4010/Economics 2020a)
• Microeconomic Theory II (HBS 4011/Economics 2020b)
• Social Behavior in Organizations: Research Seminar (Psychology 2630)
• Advanced Social Psychology (Psychology 2500)

Students must take four research methods courses, including at least one course in research design.

Research methods courses that meet this requirement include, but are not limited to:

Quantitative Research Methods

Research Methods Courses

• Introduction to Econometrics (Economics 1123)
• Introduction to Applied Econometrics (Economics 2120); (prerequisite Economics 2110; the pre-req will count towards 4 course requirement)
• Econometric Methods II (Economics 2115)
• Advanced Applied Econometrics (Economics 2144)
• Industrial Organization (Economics 2610)
• Statistical Methods for Evaluating Causal Effects (Econ 1127)
• Advanced Quantitative Methods II (KSG API 210i)
• Machine Learning and Big Data Analytics (HKS API 222)
• Statsitical Machine Learning (Statistics 195)
• Probability Theory (Statistics 210)
• Statistical Inference (Statistics 211)
• Bayesian Data Analysis (Statistics 220)
• Incomplete Multivariate Data (Statistics 232)
• Sequential Decision Making (Statistics 234)
• Advanced Demand Modeling (MIT 1.205)
• Advanced Natural Language Processing (MIT 6.864)
• Bayesian Modeling Inference (MIT 6.435)
• Inference Causal Parameters (MIT 14.388)

Quantitative Research Design Courses

• Advanced Quantitative Research Methodology (Gov 2001)
• Program Evaluation: Estimating Program Effectiveness with Empirical Analysis (HKS API-208)

Consumer Behavior

• Intermediate Statistical Analysis in Psychology (Psychology 1950)
• Multivariate Analysis in Psychology (Psychology 1952)

Research Design Courses

• Design of Field Research Methods (HBS 4070)
• Experimental Methods (HBS 4435)
• Field Experiments (HBS 4430)

Marketing students are required to take five additional doctoral courses.

Quantitative-track students are required to complete:

• Consumer Behavior (HBS 4630)
• Marketing Models (HBS 4660)
• Two breadth courses
• Three elective doctoral courses

Consumer Behavior-track students are required to complete:

• Micro Topics in Organizational Behavior (HBS 4882)
• Behavioral Approaches to Decision Making and Negotiation (HBS 4420)
• One elective doctoral course

All students without an MBA degree are required to complete two case-based HBS MBA courses.

Students are strongly encouraged to attend and participate in seminars throughout their program. Students are expected to attend the Marketing Unit Seminars .

Good Academic Standing

To remain in good academic standing, doctoral students are expected to maintain a B grade point average.

Teaching Requirement

Students are required to complete a teaching engagement of one full academic term that includes at least 8 hours, or 3 class sessions, of front-of-class teaching experience and at least 16 hours of teaching preparation time.

Special Field Exam

Students are required to pass the Special Field Exam at the end of the second year or beginning of the third year. This exam has two parts: a written exam and an oral exam based on a research paper a student has written.

Dissertation Proposal

By the end of their third year, all students are required to obtain approval of their dissertation proposal by their Dissertation Chair.

Oral Examination

Students are required to complete a dissertation proposal oral examination. In evaluating the student’s performance at the orals, the Dissertation Committee will take into account the quality of the student’s oral presentation, the quality of the student’s responses to questions from the Dissertation Committee, and the written material prepared prior to the oral date.

Dissertation

Students are required to write a dissertation, which typically takes the form of three publishable papers, to the satisfaction of their Dissertation Committee. The dissertation defense is oral and open to the public.

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From the Marketing Chair

"Welcome and thank you for your interest in a Ph.D. in marketing from UCLA Anderson! Marketing is a broad area, and we encourage curious individuals with strong economics, psychology or business training, as well as documented research experience, to apply. Our Ph.D. program is designed to allow students to concentrate in either a behavioral or quantitative marketing track, with training in economics and psychology to complement your coursework within marketing. We foster a collaborative environment and work hard to establish our students as successful researchers with strong publication records prior to graduation. Our excellent track record of placing our students in top research schools around the world speaks to the strength of our approach. To learn more about what our program focuses on, and to clarify the match to your own research interests, we strongly encourage you to read more on these pages about the work done by our faculty and students. "

Hal Hershfield, Ph.D. Marketing Chair

Explore the Program

Milestone publications.

People Who Choose Time over Money Are Happier Hal Hershfield and Cassie Mogilner Holmes

Although thousands of Americans say they prefer money, having more time is associated with greater happiness.  

Read Publication

Effects of Internet Display Advertising in the Purchase Funnel Randy Bucklin

Model-based insights from a randomized field experiment analyzed the value of reallocating display ad impressions across users at different stages.  

The Benefits of Emergency Reserves: Greater Preference and Persistence for Goals That Have Slack with a Cost Suzanne Shu

The exploration of how marketer-based programs designed to help consumers reach goals face dual challenges of consumer signup and motivating consumers to reach desirable goals.  

Alumni Success

Julia Levine (’23)

Dissertation: State Dependence in Brand, Category and Store Choice

Sherry He (’23)

Dissertation: Essays on Platform Policies, Ratings and Innovation

Kate Christensen (’21)

Dissertation: Moving Through Time: How Past and Future Connections Impact Consumer Decisions

Marissa Sharif (’17)

Dissertation: The Emergency Reserve: Benefits of Providing Slack with a Cost

Wayne Taylor (’17)

Dissertation: Modeling Customer Behavior in Loyalty Programs

Elizabeth Webb (’14)

Dissertation: Understanding Risk Preference and Perception in Sequential Choice

Claudia Townsend (’10)

Dissertation: The Impact of Product Aesthetics in Consumer Choice

Oliver Rutz (’07)

First academic placement: Yale University Dissertation: Essays in Cooperative Game Theory

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The marketing faculty embrace research traditions grounded in psychology and behavioral decision-making, economics and industrial organization, and statistics and management science.

These traditions support research inquiries into consumer behavior, firm behavior, the development of methods for improving the allocation of marketing resources, and understanding of how marketing works in a market setting.

A small number of students are accepted into the PhD Program in marketing each year. Students and faculty work together closely, and we have program-wide social gatherings throughout the year. This permits the tailoring of the program of study to fit the background and career goals of the individual.

A marketing student’s program of study usually includes several doctoral seminars taught by marketing faculty, some doctoral seminars taught by other Stanford GSB faculty, and a considerable number of graduate-level courses in related departments outside the business school, depending on a student’s particular area of investigation.

The field is often broken down into two broad subareas: behavioral marketing and quantitative marketing.

Behavioral Marketing

Behavioral marketing is the study of how individuals behave in consumer-relevant domains. This area of marketing draws from social psychology and behavioral decision theory and includes a wide variety of topics such as:

• Decision making
• Attitudes and persuasion
• Social influence
• Motivation and goals
• New technologies
• Consumer neuroscience
• Misinformation

Students in this track take classes in behaviorally oriented subjects within Stanford GSB and also in the Psychology Department . All students have the opportunity to interact with Stanford GSB faculty in every group and, indeed, across the Stanford campus.

Behavioral Interest Group

There is also a formal institutional link between the behavioral side of marketing and the micro side of organizational behavior , which is called the Behavioral Interest Group. The Stanford GSB Behavioral Lab links members of this group. This lab fosters collaborative work across field boundaries among those with behavioral interests.

The Behavioral Lab is an interdisciplinary social research laboratory open to all Stanford GSB faculty and PhD students. The lab’s research primarily spans the fields of organizational behavior and behavioral marketing, and covers a rich and diverse array of topics, including attitudes and preferences, consumer decision-making, group dynamics, leadership, morality, power, and prosocial behavior.

Preparation and Qualifications

A background in psychology (or behavioral science) and experience with experimental methods and data analysis provide optimal preparation for students pursuing the behavioral track, though students from a variety of backgrounds have performed well in the program.

Quantitative Marketing

The quantitative marketing faculty at Stanford emphasize theoretically grounded empirical analysis of applied marketing problems. This line of inquiry draws primarily on fundamentals in applied microeconomic theory, industrial organization, and econometrics and statistics.

Questions of interest include:

Investigating consumer choices and purchase behavior

Examining product, pricing, advertising, and promotion strategies of firms

Analyzing competition in a wide range of domains

Development and application of large-scale experimentation, high-dimensional statistics, applied econometrics and big-data methods to solve marketing problems

A common theme of research is the use of rigorous quantitative methods to study important, managerially relevant marketing questions.

Cross-Campus Collaboration

Students in this track take common classes in quantitatively oriented subjects with others at Stanford GSB, as well as the Economics and Statistics Departments. All Stanford GSB students have the opportunity to interact with Stanford GSB faculty in every group and, indeed, across the Stanford campus.

Solid training in economics and statistical methods, as well as programming skills, offers a distinct advantage for quantitative marketing students, but students from various backgrounds such as engineering, computer science, and physics have thrived in the program.

Faculty in Behavioral Marketing

Jennifer aaker, szu-chi huang, jonathan levav, zakary tormala, s. christian wheeler, faculty in quantitative marketing, kwabena baah donkor, samuel goldberg, wesley r. hartmann, sridhar narayanan, navdeep s. sahni, emeriti faculty, james m. lattin, david bruce montgomery, michael l. ray, itamar simonson, v. “seenu” srinivasan, recent publications in marketing, preference externality estimators: a comparison of border approaches and ivs, creating a beautiful life, recommending for a multi-sided marketplace: a multi-objective hierarchical approach, recent insights by stanford business, 11 of our favorite stories about careers and success from 2024, 9 stories about ai for your holiday reading list, what soccer fans can teach us about making irrational decisions.

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Top 10 Best PhD in Marketing Programs in the US [2024]

How deep do you want to dive into the ever-growing marketing field? A marketing background is a lucrative education choice that brings you applicable expertise for any industry. These days, marketing managers  make upwards of $130,000 per year. A master’s in marketing  is a great start.

But a PhD in marketing takes your career to the highest levels, though not only for individual businesses. You can take that expertise and dive deeper into research or pursue a teaching career in academia.

What are the best marketing PhD programs, and where can you find them? We’ve put together a solid list that even includes online marketing PhD programs for you to choose from!

Table of Contents

Best Marketing PhD Programs and Schools

Arizona state university, w. p. carey school of business, phd in marketing.

ASU was ranked no. 1  by the US News and World Report on its list of the most innovative schools. In this PhD marketing program, you can choose between three tracks: consumer behavior, quantitative marketing models, and service strategy. There are also core courses shared by all streams, which cover research methods and marketing models.

• Duration: 5 years
• Tuition : $11,720 per year
• Acceptance rate: 88.4%
• Location: Phoenix, Arizona

Harvard University, Harvard Business School

Harvard University is a world-renowned Ivy League  university known for its strength in research. This program draws on various disciplines, such as research methods, statistics, computer science , machine learning, and field seminars. After the first two years, students can embark on their dissertation. Although the Harvard Business School offers this program, doctorate candidates can also collaborate with other Harvard schools and MIT.

• Courses: 13
• Tuition : $50,928
• Acceptance rate: 5%
• Location: Boston, Massachusetts

The University of Wisconsin, Wisconsin School of Business

The Wisconsin School of Business has a strong reputation for its excellent faculty and reasonable tuition. The school’s core research areas for their marketing PhD are quantitative modeling, marketing strategy, and consumer behavior. Interested in a research position at a university, or teaching a specialized course? You’ll find many network opportunities if you enroll in this prorgam.

• Tuition: Refer tuition page
• Acceptance rate: 57.2%
• Location: Madison, Wisconsin

Carnegie Mellon University, Tepper School of Business

Phd program in marketing.

Carnegie Mellon University is based in Pittsburgh but has campuses all over the world. Their marketing PhD program covers topics like brand-choice models, marketing/operations interface, and theories of consumer behavior. Students are supported by excellent faculty to pursue quality research in specialty areas like behavioral and experimental economics , high-tech marketing, and two-sided market pricing.

• Duration: 4 to 5 years
• Tuition : $47,000 per year
• Acceptance rate: 17.3%
• Location: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

The University of Colorado Boulder, Leeds School of Business

The University of Colorado Boulder is the flagship institution of the University of Colorado system and has nine schools and colleges offering around 150 programs. Its PhD in marketing is an advanced degree covering experimental and statistical methods, predictive modeling, quantitative marketing, and theory building, with crucial courses built around consumer behavior and quantitative modeling.

• Tuition : $2,811 per credit
• Acceptance rate: 84.2%
• Location: Boulder, Colorado

The University of Missouri, Robert J. Trulaske Sr. College of Business

The University of Missouri is a public land-grant university that offers high-quality but affordable education. Its PhD program in marketing focuses on developing teaching and research skills and helps students prepare for careers in various research settings. The program offers small class sizes and promotes a collaborative environment.

• Semester hours: 72
• Tuition : $414.60 per credit hour
• Acceptance rate: 81.8%
• Location: Cornell Hall | Columbia, Missouri

Florida International University, College of Business

Phd in business administration (marketing).

FIU College of Business is a world-renowned institution that falls within the top 5% of elite business schools globally and has been ranked second  in the nation for international business programs. Its PhD in Business Administration with a focus on marketing equips students with the knowledge necessary to establish successful careers in academics and research. The program’s key courses include marketing research methodology, advanced data analysis, and statistical methods in consumer research.

• Duration: 4 years
• Tuition : $10,935.36 per year
• Location: Miami, Florida

Drexel University, LeBow College of Business

Drexel University is a well-known private research institution and center of higher learning that emphasizes experiential learning. Its PhD in marketing program covers both the macro and micro aspects of marketing, though with a greater focus on the microelements. You can also choose between electives in economics-oriented or behavior-oriented subjects. Economics-oriented courses include econometrics and advanced microeconomics, while behavior-oriented includes multivariate analysis, and behavioral science research.

• Tuition : $2,000 per credit hour
• Acceptance rate: 77.2%
• Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Liberty University

Online doctor of business administration (dba) – marketing.

Looking for online marketing doctoral programs? Liberty University offers various fully online programs flexible enough for working professionals. Its DBA program in marketing includes strategic marketing management, supply chain management, marketing research, and marketing promotions. As one of the only fully-online marketing PhD programs available, it is ideal for working professionals who want to keep a balance between work and study. The program also lets you transfer up to 50% of credits from previous degrees.

• Credit hours: 60
• Duration: 3 years (average)
• Tuition : $595 per hour
• Acceptance rate: 50.1%

Grand Canyon University, College of Doctoral Studies

Doctor of business administration (dba): marketing (quantitative research).

Grand Canyon University is the largest private Christian university with almost 100,000 students. Unlike a qualitative DBA, which attempts to analyze topics using insights into how and why people think and behave, this quantitative DBA focuses on analysis by interpreting numeric data. This online doctorate in marketing includes courses about quantitative data collection and analysis, the complexity of marketing, and digital technology (a PhD in digital marketing is a great specialty!) and consumer behavior.

• Credits: 60
• Tuition : $702 per credit
• Acceptance rate: 80.7%

Should I Get a Doctorate in Marketing?

With a doctorate in marketing, you’ll be eligible for various high-level roles in academia, business, and research. These positions can offer salaries anywhere from $55,000 to $155,000, making the degree a valuable qualification for your CV.

Of course, like any discipline or program, a marketing PhD has advantages and disadvantages.

Advantages of Having a PhD in Marketing:

• Excellent career prospects:

A PhD in marketing will qualify you for roles at the highest levels of business management, which you otherwise might not access with a master’s alone. Alternatively, you use this degree to pursue a career in academia and research.

• Job opportunities in academia:

A PhD is a prerequisite if you want to teach marketing at a post-secondary level or pursue certain research career paths.

• Scope for innovation:

A PhD in marketing helps you contribute to advances in the field, especially in cutting-edge areas like artificial intelligence and natural language processing. In contrast, a master’s degree has a smaller scope for research.

Drawbacks of a PhD in Marketing:

• You have to wait to launch your career:

Studying a PhD is a serious time investment: it takes around five years to complete for most people. Of course, this is after you’ve already completed your bachelor’s and master’s degrees, so it will take you an average of 11 years before the degree brings you higher on the career ladder.

• It’s a balancing act:

By the time you start your PhD, you might have a family to take care of. As a result, managing your studies, research, and family could be a challenge.

How to Choose a Marketing Doctoral Program?

With so many options, you might have trouble picking from the top marketing PhD programs. Here are some essential factors to consider before deciding:

1. Your career goals

You might be able to build a worthwhile career in marketing with a master’s degree . But for heavy research and academic or teaching work, you’ll need a PhD. If you’re not interested in teaching or research, you might reconsider the time and financial commitment needed to complete a marketing PhD.

2. Accreditation

Check each school you’re considering for their regional accreditation. Some marketing programs may even have programmatic accreditation to look out for. This is an important factor in picking a reputable program that’s attractive to potential employers.

3. Mode of delivery

If you’re already a working professional, full-time, on-campus study might not be an option for you. In this case, you must look for a PhD in marketing online that offers remote learning and flexibility.

These are just a few ideas to keep in mind. Weigh all your options and listen to your gut feeling in the end.

Alternatives to a Marketing Major

Marketing is a specialized discipline with well-defined objectives, needing specific skillsets. However, in today’s interconnected world, various disciplines share many of the same concepts.

You can still build a high-level career in marketing with qualifications in different fields, like:

• Advertising
• Data analytics
• Strategic management
• Analytical management
• Production management

Careers with a PhD in Marketing

A PhD in marketing can open doors to various top-level roles.

Here are some of the most common roles for professionals with a marketing doctorate, with the median annual salaries for each:

• Marketing Manager ( $67,696 )
• Market Research Analyst ( $55,742 )
• Chief Executive Officer (CEO) ( $156,413 )
• Professor (Marketing) ( $89,181 )

What Do You Need to Get into a Marketing Doctoral Program?

Every marketing PhD program has specific admission requirements. Always double-check by referring to the admission webpage or contacting a school representative. Usually, a master’s degree in a related field is required for admission.

Most programs will also require:

• A statement of purpose , research proposal, or both
• Letters of recommendation
• Academic resume
• GRE/GMAT scores may or may not be required

PhD Marketing vs. Master’s Degree: Which is Better?

A master’s degree in marketing is a career-oriented qualification that can propel you into a meaningful marketing career for a variety of corporations or small businesses. On other hand, marketing PhD programs are generally research-based and will give you more specialized knowledge that equips you for a career in the academic sphere.

PhDs also require a much more significant time and financial commitment.

PhD in Marketing FAQs

What can you do with a phd in marketing.

Popular career choices for marketing PhD grads include market research analysts, chief marketing officers, and marketing professors. This advanced degree will not only equip you for roles in senior management, but also the fields of research and academia.

How Many Years is a PhD in Marketing?

A PhD in marketing typically takes five years to complete. However, some universities allow you to earn your doctorate in as little as three years, though usually only if you have enough transfer credits. At the other end of the scale, your PhD may push out to up to seven years.

Is There a PhD in Marketing?

Yes. Many universities offer a PhD degree in marketing, as well as online marketing doctorate programs for working professionals. Some schools also offer a comparable DBA (Doctor of Business Administration)..

Can I Do a PhD in Marketing After an MBA?

Yes, you can do a PhD in marketing after completing an MBA. In fact, you might consider completing a DBA to be more in line with your studies.

Key Takeaways

You can access a wealth of career opportunities available with an MBA or another master’s degree . But if you want to open more doors in research and academia, a PhD in marketing is the way to go. With so many online study options, it’s easier now than ever to complete a remote degree while juggling work or a family.

If you want to explore more options for excellent advanced degrees, take a look at our guides for:

• Best online PhD in Psychology programs
• History PhD programs
• Best PhD programs in California

Lisa Marlin

Lisa is a full-time writer specializing in career advice, further education, and personal development. She works from all over the world, and when not writing you'll find her hiking, practicing yoga, or enjoying a glass of Malbec.

• Lisa Marlin https://blog.thegradcafe.com/author/lisa-marlin/ 30+ Best Dorm Room Essentials for Guys in 2024
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• Lisa Marlin https://blog.thegradcafe.com/author/lisa-marlin/ ACBSP Vs AACSB: Which Business Program Accreditations is Better?
• Lisa Marlin https://blog.thegradcafe.com/author/lisa-marlin/ BA vs BS: What You Need to Know [2024 Guide]

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The Kellogg Marketing doctoral program provides rigorous training in the skills required for success as a world-class marketing researcher. This is achieved via coursework, close collaboration with faculty, and intellectual exchange in a department known for its research culture. Our program offers two different tracks in training marketing scholars: a consumer behavior (sometimes called “CB”) track, and a quantitative marketing (sometimes called “Quant”) track. Both tracks focus on understanding the impact of marketing activity on consumers and firms. However, they differ in terms of the theories and methods used to analyze data. Consumer behavior researchers tend to focus on the psychological aspects of a consumer’s decision-making process and analyze data collected through laboratory studies and field experiments. Quantitative marketing researchers often draw on theories of behavior from related social sciences (e.g., economics, psychology, sociology), use data from observational and archival sources and field experiments, and analyze the data using advanced statistical and econometric techniques.

Consumer Behavior

This program provides training in all the skills and perspectives necessary for success as a researcher in marketing and consumer behavior. Our program provides a unique emphasis on the fundamental building blocks of theory and how best to advance scientific knowledge via a principled, systematic approach. You not only learn extant theories but work extensively in designing and refining cutting-edge conceptual tools. You also gain deep experience in the identification, development, and implementation of research ideas that advance theory and practice. We empower you to become one of the theoretical and empirical thought leaders of tomorrow.

Quantitative Marketing

This program provides excellent training in all the skills and perspectives necessary for success as an academic researcher. Starting with a rigorous foundation in economics and statistics, you learn how to identify, develop, and implement research ideas that advance theory and practice. The goal is to empower you to become a successful and independent quantitative researcher.

Active research areas

Brand management; competitive advantage; data analytics and analysis; pricing and promotion; channel management; statistical learning; digital marketing; uncertainty, motivation, and consumer identity characteristics; judgment and decision making; trust and deception in market exchanges; neuro-marketing.

Please note: Applicants to economics-based Ph.D. programs, such as Quantitative Marketing, may opt-in to have their application considered by Weinberg's Economics Ph.D. program. More information about this option is available on The Graduate School website .

Kellogg’s faculty and doctoral graduates have been among the most influential researchers in the field of marketing. Kellogg faculty members actively publish in the top marketing and business journals, as well as top journals in other disciplines such as economics, psychology, and statistics. This intellectual diversity provides doctoral students with the opportunity and guidance to pursue research that interests them. Marketing faculty members work closely with doctoral students to develop and publish top research papers, adopting a mentorship model that familiarizes students with successful publishing strategies. We have published scholarly articles in, and serve on the editorial boards of leading journals, such as the  Journal of Consumer Psychology, Journal of Consumer Research, Journal of Marketing, Journal of Marketing Research, Management Science, and Marketing Science .

Our program focuses on creating scholars who have the desire and capacity to contribute to the academy through the dissemination of knowledge. A master’s degree is not required, but about half of our matriculating students have a graduate degree.

Our Consumer Behavior program seeks students with strong statistical skills with evidence of quantitative thinking and a good understanding of central concepts of probability and statistics. Prior research experience is not required.

Our Quantitative Marketing program requires solid training in mathematics, statistics, or a related quantitative field. Recommended coursework includes calculus, real analysis, linear algebra, optimization, probability, and statistics. Prior research experience is not required.

Behavioral doctoral students take a total of 18 classes or three courses per quarter (fall, winter, and spring), including four doctoral-level courses offered within Marketing each year. This rigorous commitment to coursework gives you an opportunity to build your expertise in key social science approaches and theories and allows you to take advantage of the instruction available via the many excellent Northwestern doctoral programs beyond marketing (for example, psychology, organizational behavior, and sociology). Because additional coursework may prove helpful in accomplishing these research goals, you can take more classes as desired or needed after your first two years.

Qualifying exam

You will take a comprehensive qualifying (“prelim”) exam during June of your first year. The exam is comprised of several questions, based on material learned during the marketing doctoral seminars that you take during your first year.

Paper requirement and candidacy

In your first and second year you are required to submit a research paper by the end of each academic year. You are also required to present summaries to the faculty and other Ph.D. students in early September.

Research, proposal and dissertation

The main activity in your third year and afterward is research toward a thesis, under the direction of one or more faculty advisors. A thesis proposal must be presented to the department by the end of year three, prior to the beginning of fall classes. In your final year in the program, you must complete a dissertation demonstrating original and significant research and pass a final oral examination on your dissertation.

Teaching requirement

To promote engagement with faculty and integration with the intellectual life of the department, students serve as research and teaching assistants during years two, three, and four, including summers. Research assistantships (RAs) are an excellent lead-in to research; teaching assistantships (TAs) prepare you for teaching after obtaining you Ph.D.

During the first two years of the program, quantitative doctoral students take a mix of courses in marketing, economics, and statistics. In addition to the five Marketing quantitative Ph.D. courses, you receive rigorous theoretical and empirical training through the microeconomics and econometrics sequences. Elective courses allow you to develop specialized skills to advance your specific research interests. Because additional coursework may prove helpful in accomplishing these research goals, you can take more classes as desired or needed after your first two years.

You will take a comprehensive qualifying (“prelim”) exam during June of your first year. You are expected to answer a series of questions, which are typically written by the Marketing faculty who taught you during the year.

In your first and second year you are required to submit a research paper by end of each academic year. You are also required to present a summary of your first and second-year papers to the faculty and other Ph.D. students in early September.

To promote engagement with faculty and integration with the intellectual life of the department, students serve as research and teaching assistants during years two, three, and four, including summers. Research assistantships (RAs) are an excellent lead-in to research; teaching assistantships (TAs) prepare you for teaching after obtaining your Ph.D.

ph.d. students

Our current Ph.D. students

Visit our current students page to view a listing of our students by their areas of study.

Contact us about the Doctoral Program