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Business development and marketing manager education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a business development and marketing manager. Business development and marketing managers usually study business, marketing, or communication. 74% of business development and marketing managers hold a bachelor's degree, and 16% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 2,798 real business development and marketing manager resumes to see exactly what business development and marketing manager education sections show.
The most common colleges for business development and marketing managers are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.
There are also many online business development and marketing manager courses to help get the education required to be a business development and marketing manager.
There are certain business development and marketing manager certifications that you should consider. These business development and marketing manager certifications include Professional Certified Marketer (PCM) and Certified Manager Certification (CM).
What education do you need to become a business development and marketing manager?
What degree do you need to be a business development and marketing manager?
- Bachelor's, 74%
- Master's, 16%
- Associate, 7%
- Doctorate, 1%
- Other Degrees, 2%
What should I major in to become a business development and marketing manager?
- Business, 29%
- Marketing, 18%
- Communication, 9%
- Management, 5%
- Other Majors, 39%
Most common colleges for business development and marketing managers
| Business development and marketing manager common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of Phoenix | 10.42% |
| New York University | 8.47% |
| Arizona State University | 7.17% |
| University of California, Santa Barbara | 5.86% |
| University of Houston | 5.21% |
Best majors for business development and marketing managers
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Business | 28.5% |
| 2 | Marketing | 18.4% |
| 3 | Communication | 8.7% |
| 4 | Management | 4.8% |
| 5 | English | 3.9% |
Best colleges for business development and marketing managers
The best colleges for business development and marketing managers are Northwestern University, University of Southern California, and University of Pennsylvania.
A business development and marketing manager with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for business development and marketing managers. We based this list on several metrics: admissions rate, retention rate, mean earnings of graduates, the ratio of working vs. non-working students ten years after admission, the average cost of attendance, and median debt for graduates who become business development and marketing managers.
1. University of Georgia
Athens, GA • Private
In-state tuition
$11,830
Enrollment
29,474
2. University of Wisconsin - Madison
Madison, WI • Private
In-state tuition
$10,555
Enrollment
30,360
3. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
Minneapolis, MN • Private
In-state tuition
$14,760
Enrollment
31,451
4. Purdue University
West Lafayette, IN • Private
In-state tuition
$9,992
Enrollment
33,495
5. Howard University
Washington, DC • Private
In-state tuition
$26,756
Enrollment
6,166
6. Ohio State University
Columbus, OH • Private
In-state tuition
$10,726
Enrollment
45,769
7. University of Texas at Austin
Austin, TX • Private
In-state tuition
$10,610
Enrollment
40,329
8. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
9. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
10. SUNY at Binghamton
Vestal, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$9,808
Enrollment
13,990
20 best online courses for business development and marketing managers
Advertising disclosure
1. Product Management (Part Time)
Balance business viability, technical feasibility, and customer desire to lead products and features toward long-term success. Learn from a seasoned expert. This course is offered in person and live online, in a remote classroom setting...
2. Digital Marketing (Part Time)
Build confidence and capability to apply modern marketing strategies on the job. Drive growth with multichannel campaigns powered by data and customer insight. This course is offered in person and live online, in a remote classroom setting...
3. Predictive Analytics for Business
Learn to apply predictive analytics and business intelligence to solve real-world business problems...
4. Marketing Analytics
Gain an in-depth understanding of Google Analytics and marketing analytics. Analyze data and build models with Excel, Data Studio, and create informative data visualizations with Tableau...
5. New Product Development For Small Businesses and Start-Ups
In this 1 hr 40 mins long project-based course, you will learn about the process of developing a new product for start-up companies, and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). You will learn about idea generation and the evaluation processes in product development by using an idea generation model and online resources like Google Trends and Amazon. You will use methods to evaluate your product concept through market segmentation, growth potential, and the competition to your product. You...
6. Relationship Management and Business Development
Welcome to the "Relationship Management and Business Development" course! Building and managing relationships is a crucial skill set for driving business growth and development. In this course, you will learn effective strategies to identify, cultivate, and nurture relationships with clients, stakeholders, and business partners. Throughout the course, we will explore essential topics such as networking, rapport building, and effective communication in a business context. You will develop the...
7. Business Mind - Mastering Business Development
Master in Practice the Product, Sales and Marketing Perspective of Business Development...
8. Product Management Marketing: Dekker's Product Marketing MBA
Be a Product Marketing Manager - Product Management : Product Manager MBA : Product to Market : Product Owner Launch GTM...
9. Product Manager
Envision and lead the product strategy of industry-defining products, and learn to successfully bring them to market. Influence the execution of product development as a Product Manager, one of the most highly-coveted roles in technology...
10. Data Product Manager
Leverage data to build products that deliver the right experiences, to the right users, at the right time. Lead the development of data-driven products that position businesses to win in their market...
11. Strategic Product Development
This course discusses how companies create new products that customers want while achieving their financial objectives. Learners begin by defining the product strategies necessary to ensure a company’s long-term growth. Learners then explore the different product development processes used by high-tech businesses today, such as Stage-Gate and Lean/Agile techniques. Learners conclude by illustrating the tools to build the high-performance teams that take the development process from concept...
12. Product Marketing Launch Plan: Product GTM with Dekker, MBA
Product Management Marketing Strategy, Marketing Plan, Product Marketing Manager, Product Manager Marketing Plan...
13. Sales and Marketing For Online Businesses
A Beginners Guide To Sales & Marketing For Your Online Business And Ventures...
14. Digital Marketing
Gain real-world experience running live campaigns as you learn from top experts in the field. Launch your career with a 360-degree understanding of digital marketing...
15. AI for Business Leaders
Master the foundations of artificial intelligence so you can strategically implement AI in your company. Leverage machine learning technologies to power corporate growth, increase efficiency, and enhance customer experiences...
16. Business Development For Startups and Tech Companies
Unlock massive growth using the business development channel. Learn pitching, BD strategy, cold emailing, & deal closing...
17. Business Strategy Development: The Art of Differentiation
Learn 3 key business strategy tools. Improve your business innovation skills and drive profitable business development...
18. Business Analytics
In this program, you will learn foundational data skills that apply across functions and industries. You will learn to analyze data and build models with Excel, query databases using SQL, and create informative data visualizations with Tableau...
19. AI Product Manager
Learn to develop AI products that deliver business value. Build skills that help you compete in the new AI-powered world...
20. Product Marketing for Technology Companies
Master your product marketing skills through practical examples and exercises...
Top 10 most affordable universities for business development and marketing managers
The most affordable schools for business development and marketing managers are University of Florida, fashion institute of technology, and suny farmingdale.
If the best universities for business development and marketing managers are out of your price range, check out these affordable schools. After factoring in in-state tuition and fees, the average cost of attendance, admissions rate, average net price, and mean earnings after six years, we found that these are the most affordable schools for business development and marketing managers.
1. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
2. Fashion Institute of Technology
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$5,740
Cost of attendance
17,864
3. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,306
Cost of attendance
16,091
4. USF Sarasota-Manatee
Sarasota, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,587
Cost of attendance
13,043
5. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
6. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
7. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
8. Purdue University
West Lafayette, IN • Private
In-state tuition
$9,992
Cost of attendance
22,430
9. California State University - Fresno
Fresno, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,587
Cost of attendance
16,915
10. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for business development and marketing managers
The hardest universities for business development and marketing managers to get into are Northwestern University, University of Southern California, and University of Pennsylvania.
Some great schools for business development and marketing managers are hard to get into, but they also set your career up for greater success. The list below shows the most challenging universities to get into for business development and marketing managers based on an institution's admissions rates, average SAT scores accepted, median ACT scores accepted, and mean earnings of students six years after admission.
1. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
2. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
3. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
4. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,466
5. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
6. University of Texas at Austin
Austin, TX • Private
Admissions rate
39%
SAT average
1,367
7. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
8. SUNY at Binghamton
Vestal, NY • Private
Admissions rate
40%
SAT average
1,376
9. Villanova University
Villanova, PA • Private
Admissions rate
29%
SAT average
1,407
10. University of Maryland - College Park
College Park, MD • Private
Admissions rate
47%
SAT average
1,390
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for business development and marketing managers
The easiest schools for business development and marketing managers to get into are Oklahoma Wesleyan University, university of the incarnate word, and d'youville college.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a business development and marketing manager without much hassle, check out the list of schools where you will be accepted in no time. We compiled admissions rates, average SAT scores, average ACT scores, and average salary of students six years after graduation to uncover which were the easiest schools to get into for business development and marketing managers.
1. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
2. University of the Incarnate Word
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,044
3. D'Youville College
Buffalo, NY • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,072
4. LIM College
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
1,061
5. Holy Names University
Oakland, CA • Private
Admissions rate
70%
SAT average
849
6. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
7. Gwynedd Mercy University
Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,031
8. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
9. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
10. Felician University
Lodi, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
81%
SAT average
999
Average business development and marketing manager salary by education level
| Business development and marketing manager education level | Business development and marketing manager salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $88,860 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $78,236 |
| Doctorate Degree | $92,947 |
Business development and marketing manager education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025