Master of Science in Marketing

Applicants can get a waiver from submitting GRE/GMAT test scores based on their work experience (3 years or more of relevant experience) or their undergraduate GPA (3.5 or higher). The MS Marketing uses a portfolio admissions process and test scores are only one of several inputs considered while making admission decisions. You can find more information on those at this link.

Yes, students from all undergraduate majors can be considered for admission. In fact, students from other liberal arts majors such as communications, psychology, or economics, etc. can transition into a marketing and business career with an MS in Marketing degree. If a student does not have an undergraduate marketing management course with a grade of B or better, they will have to complete a foundation course in their first semester.

Please refer to this link for admission requirements.

Please refer to this link for contact information.

Please refer to this link for more information on application deadlines.

The program offers two options for GMAT/GRE test waivers. Applicants can review the waiver options under the apply now section of this website. The applicant would need to complete the appropriate waiver form and upload it under the test section of the online application. 

The faculty director and assistant director of the program welcome queries but cannot review application materials and 'pre-admit' students to the program before the complete application is submitted and reviewed by the admissions committee.

Applications are submitted to the USF Office of Admissions and are sent to the department for evaluation when the required documents have been attached to the online application. It is ideal to submit your application after you have gathered all the required documents. Once the application is complete and the application fee paid, it is evaluated by the Muma College of Business and then by the Office of Admissions.

The institution code for USF is 5828 and applies to all tests administered by ETS (GRE and TOEFL). For the GMAT, the school/program code is VP9-M4-86.

All documents must be in a pdf format and you should attach them to the online application (do not send any hard copy documents). Once an admissions decision is made, the USF Office of Graduate Studies will contact applicants for any required hard copies.

Applicants may review admissions status online. Note that if the status reads that an application has been 'referred' to the department, this just means it has left the Office of Admissions. It is reviewed by several other departments before a final admission decision is made.

Below are some common application questions. If you have other queries concerning the online application and required documents, they can be directed to Graduate Studies Academic Program Specialist Le’Shelle Davis at: lspence3@usf.edu.

• What should I do if my GPA is not scored out of 4.0 points? Just estimate the GPA; staff evaluate transcripts for grades.
• My credits are calculated differently, as I am an international student - what should I enter? Just estimate!
• The application asks about a certification, do I need this? This refers to College of Education graduate students only. This program does not require a certification.
• The Office of Graduate Admissions website mentions sending hard copies. Should I do this? Again, please attach all required documents to the online application as a PDF. Do not send any hard copies until an admission decision has been made.

Applicants may request a deferment of up to one year by contacting Assistant Director Stacee Bender at staceebender@usf.edu.

The program will provide registration instructions once admission has been finalized. In the meantime, applicants should complete any other requirements that are outstanding with the university such as immunizations, immigration, etc.

The MS in Marketing program is 30-32 credits depending on whether the student is required to take a foundation course in marketing management. Other than the foundation course, other courses in the program are 3 credit hours each.

The MS in Marketing is a specialized master’s degree while the MBA is a more generalist degree. The MS in Marketing is well suited for a) early career marketing executives with an interest in getting more in-depth knowledge of different areas of marketing, (b) recent graduates working in other areas looking to transition to marketing, and (c) those who are completing their undergraduate degree in marketing, psychology, communications, advertising, economics and other related disciplines.

The MS in Marketing program does not have concentrations. However, we do offer the opportunity to focus your electives in either Marketing Analytics or Digital and Brand Management. Students can use their 9 credits of marketing electives to earn an individualized area of emphasis in one of those two areas.

Please refer to this list of current marketing department faculty.

The program includes 9 credits (or 3 courses) of marketing electives and 6 credits (or 2 courses) of business electives. Business electives can be chosen from other business disciplines such as management, entrepreneurship, general business, information systems, etc. Students must meet any course specific prerequisites needed for the business electives. As such, finance and accounting electives are not often used.

Students can take classes from any of the three campuses that are applicable to the degree. The majority of the courses for this program are taught by faculty from the Tampa campus.

The length of time it takes to complete the program depends on a couple of variables. The first is whether the student is required to take the foundation course. The second is how many courses the student takes each term. In general, the fastest a student could complete the program is one calendar year (all three terms- Fall, Spring, Summer). Students have up to 5 years to complete once they start. Most students who work full-time take courses on a part-time basis, two a semester.

Yes, the MS Marketing program has access to the Graduate Career Coaching within the Muma College of Business Graduate Programs Office. 

Students can choose to be full-time or part-time based on their individual schedules. The minimum credits to be considered full-time in graduate school is 9 credits. Note that international students have to maintain full-time status for their student visa. Also, some forms of financial aid require a minimum enrollment. Please refer to the Financial Aid office or the Office of Veteran Success for more information, if applicable.

Learn more about the Financial Aid office here or visit here to learn more about the Office of Veteran Success.

The 20/21 tuition rates are as follows: $467.34 per credit hour for Florida residents and $913.08 per credits hour for non-FL residents.

Graduate assistantships in the Muma College of Business are limited in number and competitive in nature. Each school within the college handles the hiring process for any openings they may have. Keep in mind that positions do not come open at a particular time, you will need to keep an eye out on the Careers@USF website for openings. You may apply to a position after you have been admitted into a degree program. The position must directly relate to your academic program. As far as the compensation package for an assistantship goes, they are paid an hourly wage and receive a health insurance subsidy from the university. At this time, master’s level assistants in the Muma College do not qualify for a tuition waiver. As such, you will need to be prepared to pay the full cost of attendance.

A limited number of scholarships are available to graduate business students. The application for these scholarships will be distributed to admitted and current students. Please note that the amounts of these scholarships typically range from $1000 to $3000. As such, we cannot provide full funding to admits.

A step-by-step guide for financial aid for graduate students and other information about financial aid can be found on USF's University Scholarships & Financial Aid Services website.

A step-by-step guide for financial aid for graduate students and other information about financial aid can be found on USF's University Scholarships & Financial Aid Services website.

Please visit this link to learn more about required test scores.

Information for International Students can be found at the Admissions Information for International Students website and the International Services website. Visit this link to learn more.

Many student organizations on campus do their best to make arrival and early days as pleasant as possible. Examples include the USF Friends of Internationals Ministry, a faith-based organization.

Co-Curricular Practical Training has very specific requirements. International students enrolled in the MS in Marketing program can participate in an internship and are eligible to complete up to 3 credits of business electives via this option. 

More information can be found at this link.