Strategic Advertising and Marketing, M.S.

About the Program

The M.S. program in Strategic Advertising and Marketing (MS/STAM) is a highly specialized master’s degree jointly offered by Temple University’s Fox School of Business and Management and Klein College of Media and Communication. The curriculum is designed to bridge the gap between marketing and advertising and to remain at the front line of the changing media environment. Students are equipped with the skills necessary to build a strong brand and communicate its story to a target audience. In addition, students are empowered to think strategically about brand campaigns and hone the ability to craft multi-platform media plans, propose market research strategies, visualize data, and analyze performance metrics. The entire program is designed to provide students with hands-on, real-world experiences they can immediately apply to their current careers and/or to entrepreneurial initiatives. Students who complete this degree can:

fill a need among marketing and advertising professionals in a region where a balanced knowledge of marketing and advertising disciplines is critical for career advancement;
develop a strategic marketing and advertising plan for an organization;
evaluate consumer behavior and link it to marketing and advertising strategy; and
apply strategic marketing concepts by integrating data analysis, consumer behavior, and other advertising strategies to make decisions.

Time Limit for Degree Completion: 6 years

Campus Location: Main, Center City

Full-Time/Part-Time Status: The degree program is completed on a part-time basis through evening classes.

Affiliation(s): Research interests of Fox faculty are supported by numerous centers and institutes throughout the Fox School and Temple University.

Accreditation: The M.S. program in Strategic Advertising and Marketing (MS/STAM) is accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB International).

Job Prospects: Students in the MS/STAM degree program receive career coaching and professional development resources in support of their job search from the Fox Center for Student Professional Development (CSPD) and through the Klein College of Media and Communication Career Center. Graduates are prepared for the following roles:

Advertising Account Executive or Senior Account Executive
Brand Manager
Content Marketing Strategist
Creative Manager
Director of Marketing
Director of Mobile Strategy
In-store and OOH Merchandiser
Media Planner/Buyer or Media Planning Specialist
Multi-platform Account Director or Brand Strategist
Product Development Manager
Search, Social, and Emerging Media Specialist
SEO Account Manager/Specialist

Non-Matriculated Student Policy: Students with an undergraduate GPA of 3.25 or higher may be allowed to take classes under non-matriculated status. Non-matriculated students may take a maximum of 9 credits. Any additional courses require the student to be matriculated in a program.

Financing Opportunities: Citizens and permanent residents of the United States are considered domestic students and are typically eligible for federal student loans and alternative loans through private lenders. The Fox School grants 5% tuition scholarships to alumni who are admitted to the program. Scholarship funds are limited and available based on merit.

Admission Requirements and Deadlines

Application Deadline:

Fall:

December 15 – Early Admissions Deadline
March 1 – Scholarship Deadline and International Deadline
June 30 – Final Deadline

Spring:

August 1 – Early Admissions Deadline
November 1 – Final Deadline

Applications are reviewed as they are received and can sometimes be considered after the deadline.

APPLY ONLINE to this Fox graduate program.

Letters of Reference:
Number Required: 2

From Whom: Professional references from an immediate supervisor, current or past, are preferred. Academic references are acceptable.

Bachelor's Degree in Discipline/Related Discipline: The equivalent of a four-year U.S. baccalaureate degree from an accredited university or college is required. For three-year degrees, mark sheets must be evaluated by WES or another NACES organization.

Statement of Goals: Essay prompts can be found in the online application portal.

Standardized Test Scores:
GRE/GMAT: Scores may be requested based on the applicant's academic and/or professional background. Candidates with an undergraduate GPA below 3.0 are required to submit valid GMAT or GRE test scores. Consult an admissions advisor with any questions.

Applicants who earned their baccalaureate degree from an institution where the language of instruction was other than English, with the exception of those who subsequently earned a master’s degree in a country where the language of instruction is English, must report scores for a standardized test of English that meet these minimums:

TOEFL iBT: 90
IELTS Academic: 7.0
Duolingo: 110
PTE Academic: 68

Resume: Current resume or CV is required.

Transfer Credit: Upper-level graduate credits from an AACSB-accredited graduate business program, but not previously applied to a conferred degree, may be transferred into the MS/STAM program. The credits must be part of the required degree program at Temple University. To be transferred, the grade must be a "B" or better. The Admissions Committee makes recommendations for transferring credits to the department chair. The maximum number of credits a student may transfer is 6.

Program Requirements

General Program Requirements:
Number of Credits Required Beyond the Baccalaureate: 30

Required Courses:¹

Course List
Code	Title	Credit Hours
Core Courses
ADV 5501	Advertising Research and Strategy	3
ADV 5502	Media Planning and Analysis	3
ADV 5504	Visual Communication and Branding	3
ADV 5505	User Experience Design and Strategy	3
ADV 5506	Advanced Strategies in SEO and SEM	3
MKTG 5001	Marketing Management/Strategy ²	3
MKTG 5101	Consumer and Buyer Behavior	3
MKTG 5104	Marketing Strategy	3
STAT 5602	Visualization: The Art of Numbers and the Psychology of Persuasion	3
Capstone Course
MKTG 5118	Marketing MS Capstone ³	3
or MKTG 5182	Independent Study
Total Credit Hours		30

The MS/STAM program has a set curriculum without electives. Students may, however, seek up to two course substitutions. All course substitution requests are approved by the Academic Program Director, Fox's Graduate Division, and Temple University's Graduate School.

All students must begin the MS/STAM program taking MKTG 5001, which is offered each Fall and Spring term.

All MS/STAM students are encouraged to take MKTG 5118 in the Fall term, but MKTG 5182, the Independent Study option, can be approved on a case-by-case basis as the culminating course.

Culminating Event:
Capstone Experience:
Through MKTG 5118 Marketing MS Capstone, students collaborate on a real-world business challenge in the marketplace. Each student plays a critical role in developing a comprehensive strategic marketing plan. Collaboratively, students own responsibility for accurate segmentation, targeting, positioning, value generation, and feasibility for a brand company, product, or product line. Students in the MS/STAM degree program assess the effectiveness of the brand’s current advertising and communication strategies while guiding students in the Marketing Research and Insights M.S. program on research objectives that are actionable. In turn, those students guide MS/STAM students on sound research planning, survey development, execution, and data analysis while identifying strategic outcomes. All students work together to finalize a commercial-grade marketing strategy and plan of tactics worthy of business management approval. All students learn to apply team leadership practices while developing a strategic marketing plan and gaining hands-on experience that can help accelerate a career in their respective fields. Success in this course requires playing an active role through a field research project that facilitates knowledge, skill, and competency in developing a company’s product line and robust communication strategy and plan for implementation.

Alternately, MS/STAM students may request approval to take MKTG 5182 Independent Study as their culminating course.