Sem specialist education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a sem specialist. Sem specialists usually study marketing, business, or communication. 86% of sem specialists hold a bachelor's degree, and 9% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 216 real sem specialist resumes to see exactly what sem specialist education sections show.

The most common colleges for sem specialists are the University of Central Florida and the University of Central Florida.

There are also many online sem specialist courses to help get the education required to be a sem specialist.

There are certain sem specialist certifications that you should consider. These sem specialist certifications include Google IT Support Professional Certificate and Google Data Analytics Professional Certificate.

What education do you need to become a sem specialist?

What degree do you need to be a sem specialist?

The most common degree for sem specialists is bachelor's degree, with 86% of sem specialists earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 9% and master's degree degree at 4%.

Bachelor's, 86%

Master's, 9%

Associate, 4%

High School Diploma, 1%

Other Degrees, 0%

What should I major in to become a sem specialist?

You should major in marketing to become a sem specialist. 22% of sem specialists major in marketing. Other common majors for a sem specialist include business and communication.

Marketing, 22%

Business, 16%

Communication, 9%

Advertising, 6%

Other Majors, 47%

Most common colleges for sem specialists

Sem specialists often get their degrees at University of Central Florida, Full Sail University, and University of Missouri - Columbia. Here are the most common colleges for sem specialists in the US based on their resumes.

Sem specialist common college	Percentages
University of Central Florida	10.00%
Full Sail University	7.50%
University of Missouri - Columbia	7.50%
University of Texas at Austin	7.50%
City University of Seattle	5.00%

Show more common sem specialist colleges

Best majors for sem specialists

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Marketing	22.0%
2	Business	16.3%
3	Communication	8.9%
4	Advertising	5.7%
5	Journalism	4.9%

Show more common sem specialist majors

Best colleges for sem specialists

The best colleges for sem specialists are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Stanford University.

A sem specialist with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for sem specialists. 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 sem specialists.

1. University of Georgia

Athens, GA • Private

In-state tuition

$11,830

Enrollment

29,474

2. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

3. University of Wisconsin - Madison

Madison, WI • Private

In-state tuition

$10,555

Enrollment

30,360

4. University of Maryland - College Park

College Park, MD • Private

In-state tuition

$10,595

Enrollment

30,184

5. Ball State University

Muncie, IN • Private

In-state tuition

$9,896

Enrollment

15,529

6. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

7. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, MN • Private

In-state tuition

$14,760

Enrollment

31,451

8. University of Nebraska - Lincoln

Lincoln, NE • Private

In-state tuition

$9,242

Enrollment

20,592

9. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

10. Purdue University

West Lafayette, IN • Private

In-state tuition

$9,992

Enrollment

33,495

20 best online courses for sem specialists

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This Specialization will teach you to optimize website content for the best possible search engine ranking. You'll learn the theory behind Google search and other search engine algorithms; you'll also build practical, real-world skills that you can apply to a career in digital marketing or online content development, including on-page and off-page optimization, optimizing for local and international audiences, conducting search-focused website audits, and aligning SEO with overall business...

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18. Data Visualization

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20. SEO Training: Google SEO, Mobile SEO, Content, Wordpress SEO

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Top 10 most affordable universities for sem specialists

The most affordable schools for sem specialists are SUNY Farmingdale, fashion institute of technology, and baruch college of the city university of new york.

If the best universities for sem specialists 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 sem specialists.

1. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

2. Fashion Institute of Technology

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$5,740

Cost of attendance

17,864

3. Baruch College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,262

Cost of attendance

14,046

4. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

5. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

6. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

7. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

8. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

9. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

10. California State University - Fresno

Fresno, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,587

Cost of attendance

16,915

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for sem specialists

The hardest universities for sem specialists to get into are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Stanford University.

Some great schools for sem specialists 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 sem specialists 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

SAT average

1,508

2. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,492

3. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,497

4. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

5. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

6. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

7. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

8. Villanova University

Villanova, PA • Private

Admissions rate

29%

SAT average

1,407

9. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

17%

SAT average

1,507

10. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,506

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for sem specialists

The easiest schools for sem specialists to get into are Oklahoma Wesleyan University, lim college, and university of the incarnate word.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a sem specialist 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 sem specialists.

1. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

2. LIM College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

1,061

3. University of the Incarnate Word

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,044

4. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

5. Kean University

Union, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

991

6. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

7. Ursuline College

Pepper Pike, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

1,102

8. Iona College

New Rochelle, NY • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,089

9. San Francisco State University

San Francisco, CA • Private

Admissions rate

72%

SAT average

1,054

10. Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,031

Average sem specialist salary by education level

Sem specialists with a Doctorate degree earn more than those without, at $69,740 annually. With a Master's degree, sem specialists earn a median annual income of $69,256 compared to $62,789 for sem specialists with an Bachelor's degree.

Sem specialist education level	Sem specialist salary
Master's Degree	$69,256
Bachelor's Degree	$62,789
Doctorate Degree	$69,740

Sem specialist education FAQs

What is the best college for SEM Specialists?

Have more questions? See all answers to common business and financial questions.

Search for sem specialist jobs

Updated January 8, 2025

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.

Updated January 8, 2025

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