Business Schools in Maryland

Maryland offers students nearly 45 schools with business programs. Programs vary from e-commerce to banking to human resources management. Two-year and four-year degree programs are available as are MBAs and other graduate programs.

Marketing Degree Programs in Maryland

State of Maryland’s Marketing Industry

Dubbed the nation’s “next boom state” by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Maryland is putting paid to any notion that the East Coast may be behind the times. Thanks in part to the general success of the D.C. area, Maryland has become a talked-about center for science, biotechnology and research.

That’s not all. The Chesapeake State plays host to six Fortune 500 companies – including Lockheed Martin, Constellation Energy and Marriott International – as well as a large financial sector. The federal government is a top employer, and businesses pay the lowest share of state and local taxes in the nation.

All of this translates to a thriving marketing industry, with in-house budgets seemingly growing by the day. Many Maryland ad agencies are also seeing their fortunes revive, post-recession. Millennial Media, a mobile advertising company, generated a revenue leap of 1,551% from 2008-2011.

Job Prospects for Maryland Marketing Graduates

Get ready to bring your “A” game. According to the 2011 U.S. Census, Maryland has the highest median household income in the nation. It also has one of the most educated workforces in the country, which means competition for the state’s lucrative marketing jobs can be tough.

Nevertheless, from 2008-2018, Maryland’s Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation projects increases in jobs for PR specialists (22%), marketing managers (11%) and market research analysts (25%). These are impressive numbers, though not as explosive as some of the western states.

Expect tech businesses to fuel demand. The state government has developed a number of initiatives to fund start-ups and bolster the state’s reputation for entrepreneurship. Over 160 Maryland names appeared on Inc.’s Top 5000 list of America’s fastest-growing private companies in 2012, many of them in the high-tech industry.

Maryland Schools for Marketing

There are 11 accredited marketing schools throughout the state of Maryland. For starters, here are two to compare:

1. University of Maryland – College Park (UMD) (http://www.rhsmith.umd.edu/marketing/)

Ranked #44 in “Best Business Schools” by U.S. News & World Report in 2013, the Robert H. Smith School of Business at UMD offers a Bachelor of Science with a major in marketing, an MBA, a Master of Science in marketing analytics and a doctorate in marketing.

Smith is one of just 31 business schools in the U.S. to host a Center for International Business Education and Research, and its MBA marketing courses have received high marks from BusinessWeek Online.

2. University of Baltimore (UB) (http://www.ubalt.edu/merrick/)

UB’s Merrick School of Business has developed a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a major in marketing and an MBA. Merrick was unranked by U.S. News & World Report in 2013 but it has been accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business.

Newbies can join the student-run Marketing Club or apply for membership in Mu Kappa Tau, the school’s business honor society for marketers.

Professional Marketing Organizations in Maryland

Just arrived on the east coast? You might want to check out a few of these Maryland marketing organizations. Along with a range of networking events, they often provide continuing education opportunities and post job openings.

• AAF Baltimore (https://baltimoreadvertising.com/): Baltimore chapter of the American Advertising Federation (AAF)
• AAF Greater Frederick (https://www.aaffrederick.org/): Greater Frederick chapter of the American Advertising Federation (AAF)
• AMA Baltimore (http://amabaltimore.org/): Baltimore chapter of the American Marketing Association (AMA)
• Refresh Baltimore (http://refreshbaltimore.org/): Interactive Marketing Organization in Baltimore
• SMEI Baltimore (http://www.smei.org/): Sales and Marketing Executives International: Baltimore
• SMPS Maryland (http://smps-maryland.org/): Society for Marketing Professional Services in Maryland

Business Degree Programs in Maryland

Led by business school graduates who hold bachelor’s degree programs and MBAs in specialized areas like finance, marketing, management, international business, accounting and more, Maryland-based companies generated a combined $321.3 billion in FY 2014 alone.

Chief technology officers, management consultants, and investment bankers are just some of the professionals that lead the multi-billion dollar industries with operations and corporate headquarters in Maryland. According to Maryland’s Department of Economic Development, the following industries are the most profitable in the state:

• Aerospace and Defense: 8,520 companies generate some $35 billion annually
• Energy and Sustainability: 1,300 businesses generate $7.72 billion in gross state product.
• Life Sciences: 2,120 organizations in the state generate nearly $17 billion annually
• Manufacturing: Companies employ over 100,000 workers and generate over $20 billion

Maryland’s Small Businesses

According to the Federal Small Business Administration (SBA), Maryland is home to 104,603 small businesses that employ roughly 1.1 million employees, representing more than half of the state’s workforce. Leading these businesses are qualified MBAs and bachelor’s degree holders who utilize their business skills to ensure the profitability and viability of the state’s small business community.

According to the SBA, Maryland’s small business employers are found primarily in the following sectors (small business firm employers are defined as having between 1-499 employees):

• Professional, scientific, and technical services – 17,464 employer firms
• Construction – 13,547 employer firms
• Other services (except public administration) – 12,474 employer firms
• Health care and social assistance – 12,105 employer firms
• Retail trade – 10,954 employer firms

Maryland’s Largest Companies

Qualified business professionals assume important positions in Maryland’s internationally renowned companies, including the state’s four Fortune 500 companies:

• Lockheed Martin in Bethesda:  112,000 employees, $45.6 billion in annual revenue
• Marriott International in Bethesda: 123,500 employees, $13.7 billion in annual revenue
• Discovery Communications in Silver Spring: 6,800 employees, $6.3 billion in annual revenue
• Host Hotel and Resorts in Bethesda: 251 employees, $5.4 billion in annual revenue

From HR training specialists and hiring managers, to financial controllers and corporate executives, Maryland’s largest companies require the expertise of a variety of professionals to stay afloat in the competitive world of global business.

According to the US Bureau for Labor Statistics (www.bls.gov), in FY 2014 business professionals in Maryland earned the following:

• Sales managers -$135,580 average annual income
• Marketing managers -$132,290 average annual income
• General and Operations managers – $129,160 average annual income
• Management analysts – $98,700 average annual income
• Operations research analysts – $92,190 average annual income

---

University of Maryland

The Robert H. Smith School of Business at the University of Maryland emphasizes experiential learning and international business across all its programs, making full use of its location near the capital and the business communities of Northern Virginia and Baltimore. Highlights of this school’s Master of Business Administration (MBA) program include opportunities to manage a portfolio of investments through the school’s Global Equity Fund, overseas study trips to over 15 countries and hands-on research and consulting experience in the school’s Centers of Excellence and Research. The full-time option involves 54 hours of on-campus study and experiences, delivered over a 21-month period. The part-time option offers students the choice between evening or weekend courses and can be completed in 30 to 36 months; this program allows you to learn at your own pace, taking as many as five years to complete your studies. The Executive MBA is a development experience designed for leaders in business. Classes are scheduled to allow students to work full time while pursuing the degree. One of the school’s EMBA innovations is the EMBA in China option, offered in partnership with Beijing’s University of International Business and Economics (UIBE).

Below we interview Dr. Ken White, Associate Dean of MBA & MS Programs at the University of Maryland. In this interview, Dr. White discusses the soft skills employers are looking for, innovation and why the school you select must be the right fit for you.

Loyola University Maryland

The Sellinger School of Business and Management at Loyola University Maryland offers working professionals a number of choices for earning an MBA on its Timonium or Columbia campuses, just outside of Washington, DC or Baltimore. All of this school’s nationally-ranked programs focus on values-centered decision making and are accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB). If you recently earned your bachelor’s degree, the Emerging Leaders MBA, a fast-track, one-year, full-time program, is an option. If you have a few years of work experience, the Professional MBA offers you the flexibility of evening and weekend courses. The Executive MBA is designed for senior managers and executives and meets on Saturdays. The school hosts an active recruiting program and places an emphasis on helping graduates find positions in area businesses and national and global corporations.

Johns Hopkins University

The Carey School at Johns Hopkins University grounds its MBA programs in the spirit of the entrepreneur. While all of these programs can be pursued full time, they are designed for working professionals and are scheduled to give you the option of pursuing them on a part-time basis. The Global MBA is taught in the Legg Mason building on Baltimore’s Inner Harbor. The centerpiece of this program is the Discovery to Market initiative, in which you can work in a developing market, helping inventors and entrepreneurs commercialize a scientific innovation. The Executive MBA is an 18-month program that equips you to accelerate your career to the top levels of corporate leadership. The school’s Flexible MBA option allows you to attend evening and weekend classes, and take up to six years to complete the program. Part-time students can choose from six specializations: finance, information systems, management, marketing, real estate or interdisciplinary business. You can also combine an MBA with a master’s degree in nursing, biotechnology, engineering, government, communication or public health.

Salisbury University

Earning your MBA at The Franklin P. Perdue School of Business at Salisbury is a fast-paced and interactive experience. You can complete the program in as little as a year if you meet certain foundation course qualifications and study full time; however, since classes are offered in the evening, you can study part time if you choose and take several years to complete it. The program is based on team learning with a global outlook. Using a mixture of case studies, simulations and live consulting projects, you will learn by doing, and will have the opportunity to study overseas. The program is accredited by the AACSB.

FIND SCHOOLS