Best Schools by Specialty: Marketing

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SPECIAL MIX.

The well-rounded quantitative "core" skills that most MBAs take their first year really influence future specialized classes. In one of her current marketing classes, Channels Management, Jacoby says she is using economics and strategy methods that she learned in her initial first-year courses to determine how the market is shifting and how to manage channel difficulties.

So while she admits that all grads leave Stanford with a well-rounded MBA, she chose her specialization in marketing because of the balance between the creative and analytical elements. "Having a broader MBA where you've gotten a good dose of both finance and operations, I think that will serve you better in the long term," she says.

Michelle Fuhrman, a 2006 graduate from the Johnson School at Cornell, offers another example of the versatile options open to a marketing graduate. She specialized in marketing and strategy, but the technical and analytical skills she picked up in B-school have been crucial to her success as a consultant.

UNDERSTAND THE CUSTOMER.

In addition to using Excel modeling, finance, and statistics, and the best marketing practices, she said the emphasis on teamwork and leadership within the marketing and strategy specializations have helped her adjust to the corporate environment. "You're primed for being thrown into situations where any or all of these skills will be needed," she says. "You are able to add value immediately in your job."

But regardless of career path, all MBA students should have a working foundation in marketing concepts. Wharton marketing professor Dawn Iabucci says, "Students are going to be better skilled at making broader, corporate-level decisions if they're also skilled at marketing." Understanding your customer is important at all levels, and even non-marketing majors should have a basic level of proficiency in the field. "Fine, be a finance guy," Iabucci says, "but be a finance guy with an edge on marketing and be a better finance guy."

Iabucci also stresses the need for students in traditional marketing roles to be well-rounded to cope with the additional demands they face in the workplace. "CEOs nowadays don't want to dabble, they want to see a return on their marketing investment," she says. It's a serious requirement to show that a marketing plan is going to profit the company and marketing graduates should have strong finance and data analysis skills to be able to back up their proposals.

—Rupani

How to Choose a School for Marketing

Many B-schools offer a solid grounding. Keep in mind the following factors when deciding which marketing program is best for you:

•If the school you're interested in has academic departments, then your first stop is the marketing group's Web site. A strong program will do a good job of communicating its philosophy.

•Pore over the electives offered in marketing. If you're unsure of your career path, you'll be better served at a school that offers a wide range of electives.

•Review how often the best electives are offered. Remember, a great elective is only helpful if you can get a seat in the class.

•Ensure that the star faculty members you see listed in brochures actually teach in the MBA program.

•Check to make sure the school offers opportunities to test your marketing skills, either in class or through field projects involving companies that are affiliated with the B-school.

Where Do You Go With a Marketing Concentration?

“Day in the Life” features from MBAs working in marketing, plus career and recruiter interviews

Pushing the Right Buttons

Two Wheel Drive at Specialized

Peaks and Valleys

Stage-Managing the Theater of Sales

Minding Ps & Queues in London

Marketing Moves at the Mouse House

The Hard Truth About "Soft" Courses

Heeding the Call of Duty

Brushing Up on L'Oréal

Taco Bell: Careers to Go