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Director of strategy & marketing education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
5 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a director of strategy & marketing. Directors of strategy & marketing usually study business, marketing, or communication. 69% of directors of strategy & marketing hold a bachelor's degree, and 20% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 758 real director of strategy & marketing resumes to see exactly what director of strategy & marketing education sections show.

The most common colleges for directors of strategy & marketing are the New York University and the New York University.

There are also many online director of strategy & marketing courses to help get the education required to be a director of strategy & marketing.

There are certain director of strategy & marketing certifications that you should consider. These director of strategy & marketing certifications include Certified Sales Professional (CSP) and Professional Certified Marketer (PCM).

What education do you need to become a director of strategy & marketing?

What degree do you need to be a director of strategy & marketing?

The most common degree for directors of strategy & marketing is bachelor's degree, with 69% of directors of strategy & marketing earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 20% and master's degree degree at 6%.
  • Bachelor's, 69%
  • Master's, 20%
  • Associate, 6%
  • Doctorate, 2%
  • Other Degrees, 3%

What should I major in to become a director of strategy & marketing?

You should major in business to become a director of strategy & marketing. 27% of directors of strategy & marketing major in business. Other common majors for a director of strategy & marketing include marketing and communication.

Most common colleges for directors of strategy & marketing

Directors of strategy & marketing often get their degrees at New York University, Arizona State University, and University of Dayton. Here are the most common colleges for directors of strategy & marketing in the US based on their resumes.
Director of strategy & marketing common collegePercentages
New York University13.04%
Arizona State University6.52%
University of Dayton6.52%
University of California - Davis6.52%
National University5.43%

Best majors for directors of strategy & marketing

RankMajorPercentages
1Business26.6%
2Marketing20.1%
3Communication6.9%
4Finance5.7%
5Management4.2%

Best colleges for directors of strategy & marketing

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

A director of strategy & marketing 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 strategy & marketing. 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 strategy & marketing.

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 directors of strategy & marketing

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7. Product Manager

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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...

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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...

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15. Business Analytics

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17. Business Fundamentals: Marketing Strategy

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19. Growth Product Manager

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20. Product Strategy

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Learn how to build a bullet-proof vision & strategy for any digital product idea. By the end of this course, you’ll know how to identify the right problems to solve, map out business models for capturing revenue, and successfully pitch your strategy to stakeholders...

Top 10 most affordable universities for directors of strategy & marketing

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

If the best universities for directors of strategy & marketing 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 strategy & marketing.

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 directors of strategy & marketing

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

Some great schools for directors of strategy & marketing 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 strategy & marketing 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 directors of strategy & marketing

The easiest schools for directors of strategy & marketing 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 director of strategy & marketing 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 strategy & marketing.

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 director of strategy & marketing salary by education level

Directors of strategy & marketing with a Doctorate degree earn more than those without, at $166,901 annually. With a Master's degree, directors of strategy & marketing earn a median annual income of $160,397 compared to $143,321 for directors of strategy & marketing with an Bachelor's degree.
Director of strategy & marketing education levelDirector of strategy & marketing salary
Master's Degree$160,397
Bachelor's Degree$143,321
Doctorate Degree$166,901

Director of strategy & marketing 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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