The world revolves around the buying and selling of goods and services, so those who wish to work in the field of advertising can put themselves front and center into all the action. People who earn online advertising degrees and work in advertising, public relations, promotions, marketing, and sales management seek get the information about those goods and services to the people who can purchase them, and with the variety of options available for earning an advertising degree online, prospective students can find a program and timeframe that works for their particular circumstances. An understanding of the field of advertising in general and the educational requirements needed to enter that field are necessary before choosing an online degree program.

Employment Outlook

Jobs in this field are expected to increase by about 12% by 2016, which is about average for job growth overall.1 This increase is a result of the amazing growth in global commerce today. However, because advertising positions are highly sought after for their income potential, high visibility, and opportunity for creativity, the competition for those jobs will increase along with the number of available positions. Within that general framework, the outlook varies according to industry. Since the field of manufacturing has seen decreases in recent decades, the advertising, marketing, and sales positions connected to that industry have likewise decreased. In contrast though, the growth of technology-based fields brings with it an increase in the need for advertising professionals in that industry.

In 2007, college graduates with an advertising degree earned an average entry-level salary of close to $34,000, and those with marketing degrees earned a little over $40,000. But the income potential in this field is great as experience increases. The median earnings in 2006 were $73,000 for advertising and promotions managers, just over $82,000 for public relations managers, $91,500 for sales managers, and close to $98,000 for marketing managers. Large computer systems companies actually paid their marketing managers nearly $120,000. The variety in salary levels is due to not only the particular industry involved but also the size of the company, its location, the educational background, and the number of years of experience that the employee has.

Educational Requirements

There are a variety of online advertising degrees available that can lead to employment in the field of advertising or marking. For entry level positions, a bachelor’s degree in advertising, marketing, public relations, journalism, or communications can get an applicant’s foot in the door. But for management level positions, previous experience in the field is necessary, and employers generally also like candidates who have master’s degrees in these fields or in business administration with a marketing emphasis. Because of this variety in degrees available in this field, it is important for prospective students to be very clear about the specific course work that is involved in any program they choose, especially if they know what area of the field they want to enter. Courses in oral and written communication, advertising theory, marketing principles, business management, economics, and finance are all important areas of study, but some are more or less important depending on the particular area of interest in the field. For instance, entry level advertising positions don’t require a great deal of background in business management, but when seeking to move from this kind of a position into a management position in an advertising department, it becomes vital. Therefore, a careful study of all of the online advertising degree options is necessary before making a final decision about which degree to pursue.