Master of Science (M.S.) Major in Marketing Research and Analysis (Non-thesis Option)

Program Overview

Marketing research and analytics are used by companies to link information about products, customers and markets to financial metrics like sales, margin, and EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization). Further, McKinsey & Company claims that marketing and sales leaders need to use analytics since companies that effectively use data will improve productivity and profitability. Marketing research is increasingly being incorporated into the strategic planning function by organizations. This shift is increasing the scope and demand for marketing managers with strong research skills as well as the need for market research analysts and survey researchers.

The M.S. major in Marketing Research and Analysis is a specialized degree program that helps to fill the disconnect between marketing practice and marketing education. As technology advances and data collection becomes the primary source for managerial decisions, a need has evolved for a managerial workforce with advanced degrees in marketing to be able to make effective use of this vast amount of data coming into the organization. These marketing research and analysis functions are a critical part of modern marketing in organizations. Effective organizations are making decisions based on facts and these facts are gleaned from analysis of incoming data. More and more organizations are using marketing analytics and digital marketing. There is an unmet need for marketing professionals who can interpret and relate that data to marketing decisions as well as make marketing decisions in an increasingly digital marketplace.

Application Requirements

The items listed below are required for admission consideration for applicable semesters of entry during the current academic year. Submission instructions, additional details, and changes to admission requirements for semesters other than the current academic year can be found on The Graduate College's website. International students should review the International Admission Documents page for additional requirements.

  • completed online application
  • $55 nonrefundable application fee

          or

  • $90 nonrefundable application fee for applications with international credentials
  • baccalaureate degree (preferably in business administration or a related field) from a regionally accredited university
  • official transcripts from each institution where course credit was granted
  • a competitive GPA in the last 60 hours of undergraduate course work (plus any completed graduate courses)
  • knowledge of business functions (management, marketing, finance, accounting, MIS) demonstrated through previous course work and/or work experience
  • Fall 2023: official GMAT or GRE (general test only) with a competitive score.
  • Fall 2024: official GMAT or GRE (general test only) with a competitive score for those who do not have a last-60-hours GPA of 3.5 or higher
  • responses to specific essay questions on the statement of purpose
  • resume/CV detailing work experience, extracurricular and community activities, and honors and achievements
  • three letters of recommendation from persons best able to assess the student’s ability to succeed in graduate school

TOEFL, PTE, or IELTS Scores

  • Non-native English speakers who do not qualify for an English proficiency waiver:

  • official TOEFL iBT scores required with a 80 overall and minimum individual module scores of
    • 19 listening
    • 19 reading
    • 19 speaking
    • 18 writing
  • official PTE scores required with a 52 overall
  • official IELTS (academic) scores required with a 6.5 overall and minimum individual module scores of 6.0

This program does not offer admission if the scores above are not met.

Degree Requirements

The Master of Science (M.S.) degree with a major in Marketing Research and Analysis non-thesis option requires 30 semester credit hours.

Any student enrolled in a graduate degree program in the McCoy College of Business Administration can earn no more than two grades of C or lower. Even if the grade of C or lower was replaced with a higher grade as a result of repeating the course, the original grade counts as a “strike” under this policy. Upon earning the third C (or lower), the student is automatically placed on academic suspension and permanently dismissed from their degree program without any possibility of readmission to their program or another degree program in McCoy College. The 3 C Policy takes precedent over probationary status. So, if a student earns a third C they are automatically dismissed from their program permanently; even if probation does not occur.

Course Requirements

Required Courses
FIN 5352Financial Management3
MKT 5321Marketing Management3
MKT 5322Marketing Research Methods3
MKT 5323Qualitative Research in Marketing3
MKT 5340Digital Marketing3
MKT 5345Marketing Analytics3
MKT 5350Strategic Marketing Analysis and Planning3
QMST 5334Statistical Methods for Business3
Prescribed Electives
Choose 6 hours from the following:6
Accounting Analysis for Managerial Decision Making
Database Management Systems
Agile Project Management For Business Professionals
E-Commerce: Strategies, Technologies, and Applications
Enterprise Resource Planning and Business Intelligence
Managerial Finance
Seminar in Strategic Communication
Organizational Change Management
Process Improvement Management in Organizations
Supply Chain Management
Managing Business Creativity
International Marketing
Integrated Marketing Communications
Services Marketing
Independent Study in Marketing
MKT 5397E
MKT 5397F
MKT 5397G
Internship in Marketing
Multivariate Statistics
Forecasting and Simulation
Analytics
Data Mining
Total Hours30

Comprehensive Examination Requirement

 All students are required to take a written comprehensive examination in their last semester of the program.  Students must pass the comprehensive exam during the last semester in at most two attempts. If a student fails to pass the comprehensive exam in two attempts during the final semester, the student will be required to take GC 5100 the following term to retake the comprehensive exam.

Students who do not successfully complete the requirements for the degree within the timelines specified will be dismissed from the program.

Master's level courses in Marketing: MKT 

MKT 5199B. Thesis.

This course represents a student’s continuing thesis enrollments. The student continues to enroll in this course until the thesis is submitted for binding.

1 Credit Hour. 1 Lecture Contact Hour. 0 Lab Contact Hours.
Course Attribute(s): Exclude from 3-peat Processing
Grade Mode: Credit/No Credit

MKT 5299B. Thesis.

This course represents a student’s continuing thesis enrollments. The student continues to enroll in this course until the thesis is submitted for binding.

2 Credit Hours. 2 Lecture Contact Hours. 0 Lab Contact Hours.
Course Attribute(s): Exclude from 3-peat Processing
Grade Mode: Credit/No Credit

MKT 5321. Marketing Management.

A study of the planning and coordination of marketing functions, marketing policies, and the analysis of marketing administration. Prerequisite: B A 5351 with a grade of "C" or better.

3 Credit Hours. 3 Lecture Contact Hours. 0 Lab Contact Hours.
Grade Mode: Standard Letter

MKT 5322. Marketing Research Methods.

An advanced study of the marketing research process to include problem formulation, determination of sources of information and research design, design of data collection forms, design of the sample, collection of the data, analysis and interpretation of the data, preparation of the research report, and oral presentation of the research findings. Prerequisite: MKT 5321 and QMST 5334 both with grades of "C" or better.

3 Credit Hours. 3 Lecture Contact Hours. 0 Lab Contact Hours.
Grade Mode: Standard Letter

MKT 5323. Qualitative Research in Marketing.

This course examines qualitative methods as used in marketing and market research. Topics include the design and execution of qualitative research projects using various qualitative methodological approaches. Activities include application of qualitative methods for conducting research. Students will apply learning in a qualitative research project.

3 Credit Hours. 3 Lecture Contact Hours. 0 Lab Contact Hours.
Grade Mode: Standard Letter

MKT 5330. International Marketing.

An application of marketing concepts to the global business environment. Examines marketing in the light of international economic, social, cultural, business, and environmental factors. Prerequisite: B A 5351 with a grade of "C" or better.

3 Credit Hours. 3 Lecture Contact Hours. 0 Lab Contact Hours.
Grade Mode: Standard Letter

MKT 5331. Integrated Marketing Communications.

An analysis of consumer behavior in the marketplace and its application to the preparation and presentation of a complete integrated marketing communications plan for a local, regional, and/or national client. Prerequisite: MKT 5321 with a grade of "C" or better.

3 Credit Hours. 3 Lecture Contact Hours. 0 Lab Contact Hours.
Grade Mode: Standard Letter

MKT 5335. Services Marketing.

Services dominate the U.S. economy and are becoming critical for competitive advantage in companies across the globe and in all industry sectors. This course examines the foundations of services marketing, which are necessary to create, promise, and deliver a successful, interactive customer experience. Prerequisite: MKT 5321 with a grade of "C" or better.

3 Credit Hours. 3 Lecture Contact Hours. 0 Lab Contact Hours.
Grade Mode: Standard Letter

MKT 5340. Digital Marketing.

This course examines marketing strategies in the digital environment. It examines the latest technology and analytical tools used in e-marketing and e-commerce, including online advertising, mobile marketing, social media marketing, search marketing, email marketing, and web analytics. Prerequisite: MKT 5321 with a grade of "C" or better.

3 Credit Hours. 3 Lecture Contact Hours. 0 Lab Contact Hours.
Grade Mode: Standard Letter

MKT 5341. Social Media Marketing and Analysis.

This course provides a conceptual foundation and practical approach for conducting social media analysis and developing a social media marketing plan and/or campaign will be presented. Students will gain hands-on experience using social media strategically to achieve desired marketing goals through a hands-on project. Students will also earn applicable digital marketing certifications. Prerequisite: MKT 5321 with a grade of "C" or better or instructor approval.

3 Credit Hours. 3 Lecture Contact Hours. 0 Lab Contact Hours.
Grade Mode: Standard Letter

MKT 5345. Marketing Analytics.

This course is a study of the scientific approach that connects customer data and competitive information to drive marketing decision-making. The course explores customer data analysis techniques and their theoretical foundations that are applied to real world business problems. Students will learn software, conduct data analysis and communicate the results. Prerequisite: MKT 5321 and QMST 5334 both with grades of "C" or better or instructor approval.

3 Credit Hours. 3 Lecture Contact Hours. 0 Lab Contact Hours.
Grade Mode: Standard Letter

MKT 5346. Contemporary Topics in Marketing Analytics.

This course covers contemporary topics in marketing analytics. Students will learn (1) concepts and methods in strategic marketing analytics, (2) analytical and mapping tools in geospatial data and information, (3) concepts and methods in Bayesian Networks, (4) Topic Analysis using big data in marketing, and (5) other emerging analytical tools and methods in marketing. Prerequisite: QMST 5334 with a grade of “C” or better or instructor approval.

3 Credit Hours. 3 Lecture Contact Hours. 0 Lab Contact Hours.
Grade Mode: Standard Letter

MKT 5347. AI and Data Visualization for Marketing.

This course consists of applied training in foundational topics for artificial intelligence and data visualization. It covers both prediction as well as classification problems. While many technical aspects are covered, the main emphasis is on knowing how to apply a wide range of modern techniques to specific marketing problems. Prerequisite: MKT 5321 and QMST 5334 both with grades of "C" or better or instructor approval.

3 Credit Hours. 3 Lecture Contact Hours. 3 Lab Contact Hours.
Grade Mode: Standard Letter

MKT 5348. Python for Marketing Analytics.

This course consists of learning Python and using this programming language for data analysis and visualization. This course will help to leverage the power of historical data and to develop models that project future trends. Python will be used for exploratory data analysis, market forecasting, customer segmentation, deep learning, social media analysis and analysis of marketing images and videos. Prerequisite: MKT 5321 and QMST 5334 both with grades of "C" or better or instructor approval.

3 Credit Hours. 3 Lecture Contact Hours. 0 Lab Contact Hours.
Grade Mode: Standard Letter

MKT 5350. Strategic Marketing Analysis and Planning.

This course examines strategic marketing decision making through the analysis and interpretation of marketing intelligence, metrics, and dashboards. Topics will include data-driven decision making on marketing challenges pertaining to customers, brands, marketing mix decisions, online strategy and social media, market performance, and firm profitability. Prerequisite: MKT 5322 with a grade of "C" or better.

3 Credit Hours. 3 Lecture Contact Hours. 0 Lab Contact Hours.
Grade Mode: Standard Letter

MKT 5395. Independent Study in Marketing.

Individual problems or topics will be designed and completed to emphasize selected areas of study in Marketing. Prerequisite: Instructor approval.

3 Credit Hours. 3 Lecture Contact Hours. 0 Lab Contact Hours.
Course Attribute(s): Exclude from 3-peat Processing
Grade Mode: Standard Letter

MKT 5397I. Entrepreneurial Marketing.

Entrepreneurship involves the discovery, implementation, and pursuit of new business opportunities. Successful execution of an entrepreneurial idea requires an effective marketing plan and related skills. In this course, we will investigate how marketing concepts (product, price, promotion, place, people, processes, brand image, segmentation, targeting, positioning, quality perceptions) can facilitate entrepreneurs' realization of their ideas. A conceptual foundation and practical approach for developing an entrepreneurship-focused marketing plan will be discussed. Using a hands-on approach, students will gain skills and knowledge on the effective use of marketing concepts to achieve entrepreneurial goals. Prerequisite: Instructor approval.

3 Credit Hours. 3 Lecture Contact Hours. 0 Lab Contact Hours.
Course Attribute(s): Exclude from 3-peat Processing|Topics
Grade Mode: Standard Letter

MKT 5398. Internship in Marketing.

Internship in marketing is an external employer supervised, experiential learning course that enables a student to integrate professional and graduate business coursework. Prerequisite: Instructor approval.

3 Credit Hours. 1 Lecture Contact Hour. 20 Lab Contact Hours.
Course Attribute(s): Exclude from 3-peat Processing
Grade Mode: Standard Letter

MKT 5399A. Thesis.

This course represents a student’s initial thesis enrollments. No thesis credit is awarded until student has completed the thesis in Marketing Research and Analysis.

3 Credit Hours. 3 Lecture Contact Hours. 0 Lab Contact Hours.
Grade Mode: Credit/No Credit

MKT 5399B. Thesis.

This course represents a student’s continuing thesis enrollments. The student continues to enroll in this course until the thesis is submitted for binding.

3 Credit Hours. 3 Lecture Contact Hours. 0 Lab Contact Hours.
Course Attribute(s): Exclude from 3-peat Processing
Grade Mode: Credit/No Credit

MKT 5599B. Thesis.

This course represents a student’s continuing thesis enrollments. The student continues to enroll in this course until the thesis is submitted for binding.

5 Credit Hours. 5 Lecture Contact Hours. 0 Lab Contact Hours.
Course Attribute(s): Exclude from 3-peat Processing
Grade Mode: Credit/No Credit

MKT 5999B. Thesis.

This course represents a student’s continuing thesis enrollments. The student continues to enroll in this course until the thesis is submitted for binding.

9 Credit Hours. 9 Lecture Contact Hours. 0 Lab Contact Hours.
Course Attribute(s): Exclude from 3-peat Processing
Grade Mode: Credit/No Credit