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Senior sales and marketing manager education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a senior sales and marketing manager. Senior sales and marketing managers usually study business, marketing, or communication. 79% of senior sales and marketing managers hold a bachelor's degree, and 12% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 578 real senior sales and marketing manager resumes to see exactly what senior sales and marketing manager education sections show.

The most common colleges for senior sales and marketing managers are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.

There are also many online senior sales and marketing manager courses to help get the education required to be a senior sales and marketing manager.

There are certain senior sales and marketing manager certifications that you should consider. These senior sales and marketing manager certifications include Professional Certified Marketer (PCM) and Certified Sales Professional (CSP).

What education do you need to become a senior sales and marketing manager?

What degree do you need to be a senior sales and marketing manager?

The most common degree for senior sales and marketing managers is bachelor's degree, with 79% of senior sales and marketing managers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 12% and master's degree degree at 6%.
  • Bachelor's, 79%
  • Master's, 12%
  • Associate, 6%
  • Diploma, 1%
  • Other Degrees, 2%

What should I major in to become a senior sales and marketing manager?

You should major in business to become a senior sales and marketing manager. 33% of senior sales and marketing managers major in business. Other common majors for a senior sales and marketing manager include marketing and communication.

Most common colleges for senior sales and marketing managers

Senior sales and marketing managers often get their degrees at University of Phoenix, Texas Tech University, and Texas A&M; University. Here are the most common colleges for senior sales and marketing managers in the US based on their resumes.
Senior sales and marketing manager common collegePercentages
University of Phoenix11.84%
Texas Tech University6.58%
Texas A&M University6.58%
West Virginia University6.58%
University of Wisconsin Colleges5.26%

Best majors for senior sales and marketing managers

RankMajorPercentages
1Business32.9%
2Marketing13.6%
3Communication8.6%
4Management5.9%
5Electrical Engineering4.5%

Best colleges for senior sales and marketing managers

The best colleges for senior sales and marketing managers are Northwestern University, University of Southern California, and University of Pennsylvania.

A senior sales 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 senior sales 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 senior sales 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 senior sales and marketing managers

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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

udacity

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. Sales Training: Sales Team Management

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In this course, you will learn how to define your target market, create a scalable sales process, and build training, coaching, hiring, and onboarding programs to help your sales team grow better. Whether you're already managing a sales team, or aspire to manage one at some point in your career, this course will explain what's involved when it comes to setting up a sales process, coaching your team, hiring new team members, and getting those team members up to speed as fast as possible...

6. The Complete B2B Sales Masterclass: 6 Courses in 1

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4
(413)

1. Generate Leads, 2. Pitch, 3. Close & Handle Any Objection: Get Certified in Cutting Edge, Non-Pushy B2B Sales System...

7. The Complete Sales Skills Master Class - Sales Marketing B2B

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4.5
(741)

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

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

udacity

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. Sales Fire: B2B Sales & Business Development for Startups

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4.6
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The Ultimate Sales Methodology for Business Development & B2B Sales to Learn Sales Strategy, Sales Skills & Deal Closing...

11. Sales and Marketing For Online Businesses

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

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

udacity

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. Sales Analysis for Management Consultants

udemy
4.6
(251)

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

15. Sales Skills: 9 Sales Training Courses In 1

udemy
4.4
(994)

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

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. Sales Funnels Masterclass: Increase Sales With Sales Funnels

udemy
4.5
(599)

Learn to create highly converting sales, conduct professional email marketing & 10X your sales with sales funnel fast!...

19. Sales Training: Practical Sales Techniques

udemy
4.6
(23,968)

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

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 senior sales and marketing managers

The most affordable schools for senior sales and marketing managers are University of Florida, fashion institute of technology, and suny farmingdale.

If the best universities for senior sales 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 senior sales 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 senior sales and marketing managers

The hardest universities for senior sales and marketing managers to get into are Northwestern University, University of Southern California, and University of Pennsylvania.

Some great schools for senior sales 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 senior sales 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 senior sales and marketing managers

The easiest schools for senior sales 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 senior sales 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 senior sales 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 senior sales and marketing manager salary by education level

According to our data, senior sales and marketing managers with a Doctorate degree earn the highest average salary, at $149,156 annually. Senior sales and marketing managers with a Master's degree earn an average annual salary of $143,778.
Senior sales and marketing manager education levelSenior sales and marketing manager salary
Master's Degree$143,778
Bachelor's Degree$129,579
Doctorate Degree$149,156

Senior sales and marketing manager 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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