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Director of sales and market development education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a director of sales and market development. Directors of sales and market development usually study business, management, or marketing. 80% of directors of sales and market development hold a bachelor's degree, and 14% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 111 real director of sales and market development resumes to see exactly what director of sales and market development education sections show.

The most common colleges for directors of sales and market development are the New York University and the New York University.

There are also many online director of sales and market development courses to help get the education required to be a director of sales and market development.

What education do you need to become a director of sales and market development?

What degree do you need to be a director of sales and market development?

The most common degree for directors of sales and market development is bachelor's degree, with 80% of directors of sales and market development earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 14% and master's degree degree at 7%.
  • Bachelor's, 80%
  • Master's, 14%
  • Associate, 7%

What should I major in to become a director of sales and market development?

You should major in business to become a director of sales and market development. 38% of directors of sales and market development major in business. Other common majors for a director of sales and market development include management and marketing.

Most common colleges for directors of sales and market development

Directors of sales and market development often get their degrees at New York University, Villanova University, and Indiana University Bloomington. Here are the most common colleges for directors of sales and market development in the US based on their resumes.
Director of sales and market development common collegePercentages
New York University13.33%
Villanova University10.00%
Indiana University Bloomington6.67%
Thunderbird School of Global Management6.67%
Pennsylvania College of Technology6.67%

Best majors for directors of sales and market development

RankMajorPercentages
1Business37.8%
2Management8.1%
3Marketing8.1%
4Communication6.8%
5Finance4.1%

Best colleges for directors of sales and market development

The best colleges for directors of sales and market development are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and University of Southern California.

A director of sales and market development 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 of sales and market development. 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 of sales and market development.

1. University of Georgia

Athens, GA • Private

In-state tuition

$11,830

Enrollment

29,474

2. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

3. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

4. University of Wisconsin - Madison

Madison, WI • Private

In-state tuition

$10,555

Enrollment

30,360

5. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

6. Howard University

Washington, DC • Private

In-state tuition

$26,756

Enrollment

6,166

7. Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

Blacksburg, VA • Private

In-state tuition

$13,620

Enrollment

27,730

8. Ohio State University

Columbus, OH • Private

In-state tuition

$10,726

Enrollment

45,769

9. University of Texas at Austin

Austin, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$10,610

Enrollment

40,329

10. SUNY at Binghamton

Vestal, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$9,808

Enrollment

13,990

20 best online courses for directors of sales and market development

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Master Sales Skills, Marketing Strategy, B2B Sales, Business Development, Lead Generation Using Top Social Skills...

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Develop Extraordinary Sales Skills With The Ultimate Sales Training (Taught By 5 Top Sales Experts)...

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6. Sales and Marketing For Online Businesses

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A Beginners Guide To Sales & Marketing For Your Online Business And Ventures...

7. Business Development & B2B Sales for Startups- Sales Valley

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8. Sales Machine: The Sales Training B2B Master Course

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Learn Sales Strategies & Sales Techniques to Sell ANYTHING for Entrepreneurs, Startup, B2B Sales, & Business Development...

9. Sales Funnels Masterclass: Increase Sales With Sales Funnels

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10. Digital Marketing Strategy - Profitable Sales Funnel Mastery

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11. Sales Training: Practical Sales Techniques

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Sales Hacking: Essential sales skills, sales strategies and sales techniques to sell just about anything!...

12. Sales Analysis for Management Consultants

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A practical guide on how to improve sales and marketing of your customers during consulting projects like Mc Kinsey, BCG,...

13. Sales Training: Become A Sales Superstar

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Develop Advanced Sales Skills To Sell Anything Like A Champ (Taught By A World-class Salesman)...

14. Sales Training: How To Close More Sales

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Closing Sales: Sales Training Course: Sales Skills; Selling Techniques; Sales Strategies for B2B, B2C Direct Sales...

15. Sales Training Pro: The Complete Sales Presentation Course

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Practical, Hands-on Sales Techniques and Tools to Effortlessly Engage your Customers In Your Sales Presentations...

16. B2B Sales Skills: LinkedIn Lead Generation, Cold Email Sales

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17. Sales Skills Mastery 1: Sales Training For Beginners

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Selling Techniques and Sales Strategy that Every Salesperson Ought to Know - Sales Training For the Modern World...

18. Digital Marketing: How to Generate Sales Leads

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Learn How To Generate Leads With A Step-By-Step Workbook & Action Plan To Boost Your Sales in 2019...

19. LinkedIn Sales Navigator: LinkedIn's tool for B2B Sales

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Linked In Sales Navigator best remote practices for the Linked In premium service for business development and B2B sales...

20. LinkedIn Advanced. Lead Generation Strategies For B2B Sales

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The Linked In Marketing Masterclass for Linked In Lead Generation and Business Development for B2B Sales. Remote Strategy...

Top 10 most affordable universities for directors of sales and market development

The most affordable schools for directors of sales and market development are USF Sarasota-Manatee, university of florida, and university of south florida.

If the best universities for directors of sales and market development 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 of sales and market development.

1. USF Sarasota-Manatee

Sarasota, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,587

Cost of attendance

13,043

2. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

3. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Cost of attendance

20,456

4. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

5. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez

Mayaguez, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$4,094

Cost of attendance

14,302

6. University of Houston - Victoria

Victoria, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$6,491

Cost of attendance

19,075

7. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

8. Fashion Institute of Technology

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$5,740

Cost of attendance

17,864

9. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

10. USF St. Petersburg

St. Petersburg, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,821

Cost of attendance

19,849

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for directors of sales and market development

The hardest universities for directors of sales and market development to get into are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and University of Southern California.

Some great schools for directors of sales and market development 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 of sales and market development 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 Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,492

3. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

4. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

5. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

6. Bentley University

Waltham, MA • Private

Admissions rate

43%

SAT average

1,338

7. George Washington University, The

Washington, DC • Private

Admissions rate

42%

SAT average

1,380

8. SUNY at Binghamton

Vestal, NY • Private

Admissions rate

40%

SAT average

1,376

9. University of Texas at Austin

Austin, TX • Private

Admissions rate

39%

SAT average

1,367

10. Fordham University

Bronx, NY • Private

Admissions rate

46%

SAT average

1,354

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for directors of sales and market development

The easiest schools for directors of sales and market development to get into are Oklahoma Wesleyan University, gwynedd mercy university, and mount saint mary's university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a director of sales and market development 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 of sales and market development.

1. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

2. Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,031

3. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

4. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

5. University of the Incarnate Word

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,044

6. LIM College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

1,061

7. Texas Woman's University

Denton, TX • Private

Admissions rate

87%

SAT average

1,059

8. University of Baltimore

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

78%

SAT average

1,020

9. D'Youville College

Buffalo, NY • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,072

10. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

Average director of sales and market development salary by education level

According to our data, directors of sales and market development with a Master's degree earn the highest average salary, at $169,327 annually. Directors of sales and market development with a Doctorate degree earn an average annual salary of $157,970.
Director of sales and market development education levelDirector of sales and market development salary
Master's Degree$169,327
High School Diploma or Less$104,867
Bachelor's Degree$145,738
Doctorate Degree$157,970
Some College/ Associate Degree$104,767

Director of sales and market development 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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