Master of Arts (MA) in Business with a Specialization in Marketing, Advertising, and Mass Communications (MCA Program)

The Master of Arts in Business with a Specialization in Marketing, Advertising, and Mass Communications is an inter-disciplinary program in cooperation with the College of Journalism and Mass Communications and the Communication Studies department of the College of Arts and Sciences. This program is intended to produce practical specialists who will most likely work in advertising, promotion, integrated marketing, or some other field of applied Marketing communications. Career opportunities exist in advertising agencies and marketing communications firms, direct marketers, and large and small businesses and organizations of all types which manage relationships with customers and the public.

Thirty-six semester hours of coursework are required. Graduate-level classes in Managerial Marketing (GRBA 813) and Strategic Issues in Marketing Communication (MRKT 830) are required, as well as four more graduate-level Marketing classes. Three graduate-level Communications courses are required: Communication and Culture, Organizational Communication, and an elective. From the College of Journalism and Mass Communications, graduate courses in Advertising and Public Relations Research and Advertising Management are required, along with one elective.

The Common Body of Knowledge prerequisites for the MA in Business are waived for this program, although there are prerequisites for required courses in the program. A student should have statistics, communications studies, research methods in communications, advertising copy and strategy, and advertising media strategy in order to take the required courses, or permission of the instructor. Elective courses may have prerequisites as well.

As with the MA in Business with a Marketing Specialization, this degree should be recognized by employers as a specialist degree rather than a general business degree, and should be considered seriously by students who wish to specialize in the area of marketing communications for a large part of their careers.

Click here to find out more about the application process.

For further information on the about this program, contact:

Dr. Sanford Grossbart

University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Department of Marketing
CBA 332
P.O. Box 880492
Lincoln, NE 68588-0492, USA
Phone: (402) 472-2359
Fax: 1 (402) 472-9777

Comparing the Degree Programs

Marketing Courses:

We offer a number of Marketing courses at the Masters level:

• Marketing Management which is required in the M.B.A. program but also available in the M.A. program, and emphasizes the development of marketing plans and controlling the marketing mix for the firm. (GRBA 813)
• Applied Marketing Research covers the use of exploratory research, surveys, and experiments in marketing management decisions. (MRKT 821)
• Survey of Buyer Behavior which examines the economic, psychological and sociocultural bases of buying behavior as the basis for marketing strategy and public policy. (MRKT 822)
• Advanced Quantitative Analysis in Marketing covers state-of-the-art methodological issues in multivariate analysis of marketing research data. (MRKT 824)
• Sports Marketing covers concepts and theories unique to sports marketing, review of the basic principles of marketing in the context of sports. (MRKT 828*)
• Strategic Issues in Marketing Communication covers the analysis and application of current concepts in the formulation and evaluation of promotional strategy in both for-profit and not-for-profit organizations. (MRKT 830)
• Marketing Channels and Distribution emphasizes the marketing management issues relating to the selection of intermediaries, channel control, marketing institutions, channel power, and pricing. (MRKT 835)
• Marketing and Electronic Commerce covers strategies to deal with opportunities and challenges of evolving technology and marketing in digital networks of customers, suppliers, and employees. (MRKT 841*)
• Strategic Database Marketing covers concepts of customer relationship management, integration with electronic commerce systems, analytical techniques, ethics and practices of customer data privacy. (MRKT 850*)
• Marketing and Globalization puts emphasis on access to new consumers, new supplies, and the effect on consumer choices. Marketing strategies developed for Nebraska firms and organizations such as value-added food marketers. (MRKT 855)
  *(400-level counterpart)

Beyond the marketing courses they choose to take, Masters students are encouraged to take courses in other departments which fit their needs and goals. For example, a student interested in database marketing might take Database Organization from the Management Department, and an applied statistics course or two from the Sociology or Educational Psychology departments. A student interested in advertising might take a course or two in Mass Media from the Journalism and Mass Communications Department. A student interested in Marketing Research might take courses in statistics or research methodology from any one of several social science departments. Each student's program is tailored to him or her as an individual. We take a strong personal interest in each student, and do not put anyone in a preconceived mold.