Master of Marketing Frequently Asked Questions

With a Master of Marketing from the Carlson School of Management, you’ll gain in-depth knowledge of marketing, both academically and from a practical perspective. This knowledge will give you the confidence to address marketing challenges in any sector. This full-time, 32-credit on-campus program is designed for recent college graduates and early career professionals and prepares students to launch a fun and rewarding career in marketing.

We are unable to provide specific program comparisons; however, we encourage students to research schools with similar programs and talk to someone in their program office for more information. 

To aid in your research, here are some key highlights of the Master in Marketing program:

• Cohort-based, lock-step program. Become part of a community of students with shared experiences and professional goals all while expanding your network.

• Graduate in nine months. The Carlson School’s Master of Marketing is one of the more accelerated programs in the region. Students begin the program in the fall semester and finish at the end of the spring semester.

• Top-ranked faculty. Our faculty in the Marketing Department have a recognized reputation for excellence worldwide.

• Lifetime career services. All Carlson School students (and alumni) have access to a wealth of career and job placement services through the Graduate Business Career Center (GBCC). Students in the Master of Marketing program have a designated career coach who helps them with resume building, interviewing skills, organizing site visits, information sessions with employers, and much more.

• Real-world experience. Students in the program complete an experiential learning project to solve marketing and business challenges as part of the Carlson Brand Enterprise (CBE) program. CBE is a one-of-a-kind consultancy that allows students to work with senior management at top companies while applying the tools and skills learned throughout the program. Most recently, the Class of 2022 worked with Cambria and Schwan's during the CBE course.

This question is one that many prospective students ask, and it’s a great one. No matter which program you choose, you’ll receive a solid foundation to help take your career to the next level. 

Each program will vary slightly. An MBA requires at least two years of work experience and takes an average of two years to complete. On the other hand, a Master of Marketing is an accelerated program that only takes nine months to complete and doesn’t require any work experience. 

An MBA is ideal for someone who wants to expand their general business knowledge and gain an understanding of the business field as a whole. Additionally, MBA programs also allow for someone to specialize in a more specific area of their choosing, such as finance, marketing, or entrepreneurship. 

An MBA tends to prepare students for careers as a CEO, entrepreneur, or starting their own business. A Master of Marketing degree, on the other hand, is focused solely on marketing and is a good fit for someone who wants an in-depth understanding of all aspects of marketing. This program will prepare students to build a career in the marketing field.

If you are still unsure which program is the right fit for you, please schedule an appointment with our admissions advising and recruiting team to discuss your options.

No. There is not a dual degree offered with the Master of Marketing program.

Not at this time. The Master of Marketing program is a full-time, 32-credit, nine-month program. The cohort-based program is delivered in-person and on campus during the day on weekdays, with Fridays reserved for workshops and career center events.

It does not. Our programs welcome students from all backgrounds, undergraduate programs, and industries.

Yes! There is no work experience required to enroll. The program is designed for recent college graduates with no experience, as well as those with 1-3 years of work experience.

Unfortunately, no. The Master of Marketing program is a full-time, on-campus program with courses during the day.

Yes! One thing to note: The Master of Marketing program requires a first university degree that is an equivalent to a four-year U.S. bachelor's degree. Additionally, the Master of Marketing program is not a STEM-designated program.

​​Full details regarding admissions and application requirements are available on the Master of Marketing webpage.

The admissions committee will conduct a holistic review by considering your past academic performance (transcripts for any post-secondary coursework and GPA), standardized test scores (if applicable), professional experience, current resume, personal statement, and recommendations.

We do not have minimum requirements for GPA or GRE/GMAT scores.

There are two prerequisites for the Master of Marketing program:

1. A first university degree that is equivalent to a 4-year U.S. bachelor's degree.
2. Completion of at least one college-level statistics course is required by the time of enrollment but is NOT required for admission consideration.

Yes. Work experience is not required for admission.

International and domestic applicants whose first language is not English must provide proof of English language proficiency. For additional details regarding this requirement, please visit the Office of Graduate Admission’s website.

Applicants to the MS in Marketing are not required to submit a GMAT or GRE test score to be considered for admission. However, if an applicant has an existing or scheduled GMAT or GRE test score they would like to include in their application, they may do so.

Applicants do not need to convert their GPA or CGPA or grads to a 4.0 or another grading scale. Simply provide these marks and evaluations only on the grading scale as it was awarded by your educational institution.

We require two recommendations to apply to the Master of Marketing program. These recommendations can be from any combination of professional and academic recommenders, though we strongly prefer that at least one recommendation come from a supervisor or current employer if you have professional experience.

All applicants for the Master of Marketing program are required to submit a non-refundable application fee ($75 for U.S. citizens; $95 for international applications and U.S. residents with foreign credentials). The application fee will be automatically waived for any applicants who have served on active duty in the U.S. military.

Admission interviews are by invitation only. Not all applicants will be interviewed. Interviews may be conducted on campus or via Zoom.

Every year the online application and any updated requirements are posted on the website in September. For someone applying for Fall 2025 admission consideration, the online application would be available in September 2024.

Current application deadlines and decision timelines can be found on our Application Requirements webpage.

Applications are reviewed in batches after each deadline has passed. Applications submitted in between rounds are typically not reviewed until the next deadline has passed. After each deadline, applicants can expect to receive an admission decision within approximately two months.

The Carlson School of Management does not publish admission rates. Please refer to the Master of Marketing class profile to gauge your competitiveness for the program.

The admissions committee will conduct a holistic review by considering your past academic performance (transcripts for any post-secondary coursework and GPA), standardized test scores (if applicable), personal statement, and recommendations.

We do not have a student quota.

We do not offer conditional admission to the Master Marketing program. All admission requirements must be met at the time of application for admission consideration.

If you are admitted and need to defer enrollment, please reach out to msmk@umn.edu to discuss your options.

No. Students who enroll in either the Master of Marketing or Full-Time MBA program are expected to complete the full program as intended. The curriculum, course timeline, program structure, and cohort model are not designed to accommodate students moving between programs.

A separate application is required to apply for each program.

A breakdown of the tuition and fee costs can be found on the Tuition and Financial Aid webpage. The Carlson School and the University of Minnesota award a limited number of academic merit-based scholarships. Scholarship consideration is extremely competitive. No special application is required for these scholarships. All applicants are automatically considered, and scholarship award letters are received at the same time as final admissions decision notifications. Additionally, candidates from diverse and/or underprivileged backgrounds are also eligible to be reviewed for DEI merit-based scholarships which range up to $10,000. No additional application is required to be reviewed for these scholarships.

Yes. The University has reciprocity agreements with the states of North Dakota, South Dakota, Wisconsin, and the province of Manitoba, Canada.

The Master of Marketing program does not offer graduate or teaching assistantships as part of the admissions process. Because students have a rigorous academic schedule, we suggest waiting to apply for and commit to these types of assignments until after the program has started. If you believe you can balance the course load, you can pursue TA and GA openings on the Office of Human Resources Graduate Assistant Employment website.

We generally do not recommend that students work when initially enrolled in the Master of Marketing program. Students have a rigorous academic schedule and will be taking 16 credits every semester, so the heavy course load and time constraints should be considered before pursuing any part-time employment.