Degree Overview: Master of Integrated Marketing Communications Degree Program
Majors Overview May 25, 2015Get information about Master of Integrated Marketing Communications degree programs and their education requirements, coursework, career choices, and job and wage outlook.
Master of Integrated Marketing Communications Programs
Many communication-related and marketing disciplines are in a master’s degree program in integrated marketing communications; these disciplines include face-to-face marketing, brand development, promotions, social media, public relations, and advertising. Traditional classroom teachings, along with internships and projects, are used to impart marketing communications experience. Coursework may be customized according to students’ professional interests by choosing either relevant electives and/or a specific area of concentration.
Education Requirements
Admission criteria typically require incoming students to hold a bachelor’s degree. At some schools, candidates are required to have sufficient professional experience in marketing. Although schools don’t insist on any specific undergraduate major requirement from incoming students, those with a broad liberal arts background could consider themselves solidly prepared for the integrated marketing coursework.
Coursework
Coursework covers numerous fundamental business areas, including economics, investing, finance, and management. The program also helps students gain skills to construct persuasive visual, oral, and written narratives, use statistical and mathematical modeling techniques to analyze market trends, and create marketing campaigns and write business proposals.
Workplace training, independent learning, classroom instruction and hands-on training are important parts of the master’s degree program. The theories learned in an academic setting may be applied to a professional environment through special projects and internships. Core coursework may cover topic areas such as:
•Marketing campaigns
•Public relations
•Consumer behavior
•Marketing research
•Brand management
•Marketing management
•Internet marketing
Career Choices
Program graduates may seek jobs in numerous sectors, including sales, public relations, media planning, human resources, advertising, and brand management. They may choose from potential job options such as:
•Brand manager
•Agency executive
•Communications director
•Marketing consultant
Job and Wage Outlook
Over the 2010 – 2020 decade, a job growth rate of 20-28% has been predicted for public relations specialists, including communications directors (O*NET OnLine reports of U.S. Department of Labor). In 2012, these workers brought in an average annual wage of $120,950.
In December 2013, the average annual wage of $77,117 was earned by brand managers, who take home wages between $41,263 and $123,757 (10th-90th percentile). Marketing consultants within the 10th-90th percentile pay range earned an average annual wage of $62,516, between $33,036 and $152,866, including bonuses, commission and profit-sharing. Account executives working with marketing agencies banked $48,427, on average per annum.
