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Marketing & Sales · Marketing & Advertising

Advertising, promotions and marketing manager: business or communications degree and years in a related job

Advertising, promotions and marketing managers typically need a bachelor's degree in a business field such as marketing, or in communications, plus work experience as a sales representative, market research analyst or public relations specialist. Some employers prefer a master's degree.

For: Creative, numbers-aware people who want to lead campaigns that get people to buy.

See the roadmap Marketing & Advertising Manager guide

Route 1: Marketing degree → related job → manager Typical

Courses might include consumer behavior, market research and art history. An internship, trainee job or mentoring may help.

  1. Start here

    High school diploma

    BLS
    Advertising, Promotions, and Marketing Managers — How to Become OneU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OOH)
    Checked
    20 Oct 2026
    View source

  2. About 4 years

    Bachelor's in marketing, another business field or communications

    BLS
    Advertising, Promotions, and Marketing Managers — How to Become OneU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OOH)
    Checked
    20 Oct 2026
    View source

  3. Years of work

    Sales rep, market research analyst or PR specialist

    BLS
    Advertising, Promotions, and Marketing Managers — How to Become OneU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OOH)
    Checked
    20 Oct 2026
    View source
    Market research analyst

  4. Goal

    Advertising, promotions or marketing manager

    BLS
    Advertising, Promotions, and Marketing Managers — How to Become OneU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OOH)
    Checked
    20 Oct 2026
    View source

Route 2: Master's degree Some employers prefer

Some employers prefer to hire candidates who have a master's degree.

  1. Start here

    Bachelor's degree

    BLS
    Advertising, Promotions, and Marketing Managers — How to Become OneU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OOH)
    Checked
    20 Oct 2026
    View source

  2. Exam gate

    GMAT or GRE, if the program asks for one

    Business schools use the GMAT: Quantitative Reasoning, Verbal Reasoning and Data Insights in 2 hours 15 minutes.

    GMAC
    GMAT exam structureGraduate Management Admission Council (GMAC), mba.com
    Checked
    21 Oct 2026
    View source
    GMAT and GRE exam pages

  3. Graduate

    Master's degree

    BLS
    Advertising, Promotions, and Marketing Managers — How to Become OneU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OOH)
    Checked
    20 Oct 2026
    View source

  4. Goal

    Advertising, promotions or marketing manager

    BLS
    Advertising, Promotions, and Marketing Managers — How to Become OneU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OOH)
    Checked
    20 Oct 2026
    View source

GRE instead of GMAT
ETS calls the GRE General Test one test for graduate, business and law school, accepted at thousands of schools.
ETS
The GRE General TestETS
Checked
21 Oct 2026
View source
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Every step links to the official page it came from (regulators, licensing boards, the law), checked 20 Oct 2026. State and city licensing rules change: confirm with the board where you will work before you pay any fee. Education Margdarshan does not recommend paid courses. All careers →