The marketing landscape is experiencing a radical transformation. Gone are the days of solely relying on creative flair. Today’s marketers must be as comfortable analysing data as they are with creative storytelling. Businesses are actively seeking to bridge this gap within their marketing teams by recruiting professionals who possess a powerful blend of technical expertise, analytical prowess and creative vision.
Recognising this need, Purdue University‘s Mitchell E. Daniels, Jr. School of Business offers an industry-leading Master of Science in Marketing (MSM) programme with a STEM designation. STEM is an acronym that stands for science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
This forward-thinking MSM empowers students to become data-driven marketing maestros, fusing strategic vision with the power of analytics. Students are equipped with the latest marketing technologies and fundamentals, preparing them for success in consulting, product development, pricing, launch strategies, data-driven marketing research and UX/UI design.
Spanning 33 credit hours and with the option to complete within 10 or 18 months, the MSM has a robust curriculum covering analytics, communication and strategy. Notably, Purdue’s MSM is the first programme to integrate cloud computing, data visualisation and machine learning directly into the marketing curriculum and to incorporate analytics within social media marketing courses.
![Source: Purdue University, Mitchell E Daniels Jr School of Business](https://studyinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/ManjariGambheer-YouSunLee-Lafayette-3-1024x683.jpg)
Source: Purdue University, Mitchell E Daniels Jr School of Business
Whether you seek to cultivate technical proficiency in data-driven marketing or possess a strong technical foundation and yearn for a marketing career, this programme caters to you. Core courses like “Analytics for Marketing Managers” and “Marketing Analytics” can be paired with electives such as “Analytics for Social Media Marketing,” “Brand Management” and “New Product Development.” This allows you to tailor your learning to specialised careers like marketing analytics, digital marketing, social media marketing, pricing strategies and product development — something Cheng-Ying (Daniel) Shih can attest to.
Shih, who now works as a marketing specialist, believes the curriculum was instrumental in training and teaching him the necessary tools for success in the 21st century. “Coming from a background with very little analytical knowledge and seeing how much I have grown in areas like data analytics, data visualisation and marketing strategy, I think the curriculum is very helpful for preparing me for a marketing job in an increasingly digital world,” he shares.
Another student, Khushbakht Rashid, agrees. She had joined the programme to better understand the impact of new technologies in product management. “Product management requires a well-rounded approach, including branding, data analysis, user research, product testing and marketing,” she explains. “So, for me, the curriculum has done just that. I have honed my R-Studio. I learnt Tableau. I have been exposed to case studies and worked on projects that help me analyse Google Ads and set up design experiments for A/B Testing.”
The MSM offers a holistic learning experience that goes beyond textbooks. Students apply classroom knowledge to real-world scenarios through engaging case studies, market simulations and consulting projects. They also work closely with faculty and industry leaders in immersive courses or on competitive consulting projects, tackling corporate challenges and developing solutions.
![Source: Purdue University, Mitchell E Daniels Jr School of Business](https://studyinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/BP5_6762-1024x683.jpg)
Source: Purdue University, Mitchell E Daniels Jr School of Business
“There are two professors I really liked: Wreeto Kar and Daisy Dai. Kar’s case studies really boosted my critical thinking and solution orientation,” Rashid says. “And while I have good econometrics experience, I never understood the intuition behind the codes I wrote and the interventions I designed — until I joined Dai’s classes on Data Analysis and Experiment Design.”
Students like Shih and Rashid often emerge from the programme with a well-rounded skillset and a resume bolstered by valuable experiences. They’ve been to networking events to connect with industry professionals (some of which are sponsored by the school), explored the Digital Marketing Lab and taken part in paid internships offered by the Daniels School’s marketing and communications department.
Some even earn additional industry-recognised certifications such as Marketing Analytics Certification, AWS Certification, Salesforce Certification and Tableau Data Visualization Certification, all at no additional cost. These certifications demonstrate a commitment to continuous learning and add significant value to a graduate’s resume.
Armed with these and an industry-leading SM, Purdue graduates go on to thrive in key positions all over the world. The Class of 2022 has an 84% employment rate within six months of graduation, and they report an average starting salary of US$100,583.
Interested? Learn more about Purdue’s MS in Marketing, ranked sixth in North America by QS in 2023.
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