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Director, marketing and creative services education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a director, marketing and creative services. Directors, marketing and creative services usually study graphic design, communication, or marketing. 83% of directors, marketing and creative services hold a bachelor's degree, and 9% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 285 real director, marketing and creative services resumes to see exactly what director, marketing and creative services education sections show.

The most common colleges for directors, marketing and creative services are the Syracuse University and the Syracuse University.

There are also many online director, marketing and creative services courses to help get the education required to be a director, marketing and creative services.

What education do you need to become a director, marketing and creative services?

What degree do you need to be a director, marketing and creative services?

The most common degree for directors, marketing and creative services is bachelor's degree, with 83% of directors, marketing and creative services earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 9% and master's degree degree at 6%.
  • Bachelor's, 83%
  • Master's, 9%
  • Associate, 6%
  • High School Diploma, 1%
  • Other Degrees, 1%

What should I major in to become a director, marketing and creative services?

You should major in graphic design to become a director, marketing and creative services. 16% of directors, marketing and creative services major in graphic design. Other common majors for a director, marketing and creative services include communication and marketing.

Most common colleges for directors, marketing and creative services

Directors, marketing and creative services often get their degrees at Syracuse University, Chapman University, and Pennsylvania State University. Here are the most common colleges for directors, marketing and creative services in the US based on their resumes.
Director, marketing and creative services common collegePercentages
Syracuse University7.27%
Chapman University7.27%
Pennsylvania State University7.27%
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey7.27%
University of Connecticut5.45%

Best majors for directors, marketing and creative services

RankMajorPercentages
1Graphic Design16.4%
2Communication15.0%
3Marketing10.6%
4Business10.1%
5English7.7%

Best colleges for directors, marketing and creative services

The best colleges for directors, marketing and creative services are Northwestern University, University of Southern California, and University of Pennsylvania.

A director, marketing and creative services with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for directors, marketing and creative services. 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 directors, marketing and creative services.

1. University of Wisconsin - Madison

Madison, WI • Private

In-state tuition

$10,555

Enrollment

30,360

2. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, MN • Private

In-state tuition

$14,760

Enrollment

31,451

3. University of Georgia

Athens, GA • Private

In-state tuition

$11,830

Enrollment

29,474

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. University of Texas at Austin

Austin, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$10,610

Enrollment

40,329

7. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

8. Ohio State University

Columbus, OH • Private

In-state tuition

$10,726

Enrollment

45,769

9. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

10. San Diego State University

San Diego, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,488

Enrollment

30,018

20 best online courses for directors, marketing and creative services

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1. Product Management (Part Time)

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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...

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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

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Learn to apply predictive analytics and business intelligence to solve real-world business problems...

4. Marketing Analytics

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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. Creativity And Entrepreneurship

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Creativity & Entrepreneurship will help you tap into your inner creativity and learn how to leverage it for career development or business innovation. Presented by Berklee Institute for Creative Entrepreneurship founder Panos Panay, this course features interviews with world renown entrepreneurs, innovators, songwriters, producers, creative directors, educators, performers, visual artists and chefs as they discuss parallels between the creative and entrepreneurial journeys. The course...

6. Creativity, Design Thinking, and Innovation for Business

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4.5
(22,924)

Creativity that Create an Innovative Corporate Culture Using Design Thinking & Problem Solving for the Workplace...

7. Adobe Creative Cloud Ultimate Guide

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4.4
(609)

Adobe Creative Cloud Ultimate A-Z Guide. Go From Basic to Advanced with Creative Cloud and 10 Projects From Scratch...

8. Product Manager

udacity

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...

9. Data Product Manager

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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...

10. 365 Days of Creativity

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4.2
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A totally new learning experience that will teach you 365 creative skills...

11. Graphic Design Bootcamp: Advanced Training Using Adobe CC

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Project-Based Learning For Intermediate Designers: Use Photoshop, Lightroom, and Other Adobe Creative Cloud Programs...

12. Digital Marketing

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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...

13. AI for Business Leaders

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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...

14. Adobe Muse CC Course - Design and Launch Websites

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4.5
(267)

Design and build responsive websites without having to know code. Learn web design with Adobe Muse Creative Cloud...

15. Facebook Marketing 2023. Promote Your Business on Facebook!

udemy
4.3
(592)

Learn how to promote your brand on Facebook, create engaging content, launch ads and increase the number of followers!...

16. Business Analytics

udacity

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...

17. AI Product Manager

udacity

Learn to develop AI products that deliver business value. Build skills that help you compete in the new AI-powered world...

18. Successful Events: Event Planning, Marketing & Management

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4.7
(2,141)

Create a single successful event or event-series with effective event promotion, planning, management, and monetization...

19. Graphic Design using Photoshop, Illustrator and InDesign

udemy
4.5
(259)

Learn the fundamentals of the 3 most important design applications in the creative industry...

20. Growth Product Manager

udacity

Hone specialized Product Management skills in growth strategy. Lead experimentation and data-driven decision-making in your organization to drive products to reach the next level of scale, impact, and profitability...

Top 10 most affordable universities for directors, marketing and creative services

The most affordable schools for directors, marketing and creative services are University of Florida, suny farmingdale, and fashion institute of technology.

If the best universities for directors, marketing and creative services 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 directors, marketing and creative services.

1. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

2. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

3. Fashion Institute of Technology

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$5,740

Cost of attendance

17,864

4. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

5. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

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. University of Houston - Victoria

Victoria, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$6,491

Cost of attendance

19,075

9. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

10. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for directors, marketing and creative services

The hardest universities for directors, marketing and creative services to get into are Northwestern University, University of Southern California, and University of Pennsylvania.

Some great schools for directors, marketing and creative services 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 directors, marketing and creative services 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. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

4%

SAT average

1,497

5. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

6. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

7. University of Texas at Austin

Austin, TX • Private

Admissions rate

39%

SAT average

1,367

8. University of Maryland - College Park

College Park, MD • Private

Admissions rate

47%

SAT average

1,390

9. George Washington University, The

Washington, DC • Private

Admissions rate

42%

SAT average

1,380

10. University of Washington

Seattle, WA • Private

Admissions rate

49%

SAT average

1,347

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for directors, marketing and creative services

The easiest schools for directors, marketing and creative services to get into are Oklahoma Wesleyan University, university of the incarnate word, and notre dame de namur university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a director, marketing and creative services 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 directors, marketing and creative services.

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. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

4. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

5. LIM College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

1,061

6. La Roche College

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

99%

SAT average

1,008

7. Wayland Baptist University

Plainview, TX • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

1,003

8. Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,031

9. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

10. Curry College

Milton, MA • Private

Admissions rate

93%

SAT average

1,026

Average director, marketing and creative services salary by education level

According to our data, directors, marketing and creative services with a Doctorate degree earn the highest average salary, at $112,059 annually. Directors, marketing and creative services with a Master's degree earn an average annual salary of $108,020.
Director, marketing and creative services education levelDirector, marketing and creative services salary
Master's Degree$108,020
Bachelor's Degree$97,355
Doctorate Degree$112,059

Director, marketing and creative services education FAQs

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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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