Quick Highlights
A social media manager moving toward a director title has two credible master’s routes at Arkansas State University (A-State): an AACSB-accredited MBA with a concentration in Marketing, or an M.S. in Strategic Communications with an emphasis in Social Media Management. Which one fits depends on whether you want to lead the budget table or the content team.
You already run the channels, read the dashboards and write the posts. The director role above you comes with a budget, a team and a seat with finance. It typically goes to the person who can speak both languages: marketing craft and business leadership.
A-State offers two online routes toward that title. The online Master of Business Administration (MBA) with a Concentration in Marketing program builds the business side. The Master of Science (M.S.) in Strategic Communications, Social Media Management online program goes deeper into the channel operations. Both are designed for those who are already doing the work.
Two Routes to a Director Title
Pick the MBA in Marketing if the room you want to lead is the executive team, where budget, strategy and cross-functional planning decide the conversation. Pick the Strategic Communications master’s if the goal is the agency floor or the content organization, where channel depth and measurement expertise carry the most weight. Both are real credentials built for different rooms, and a director search can go down either path depending on the employer.
The executive-team route is where budget pressure shows up most clearly. In its 2026 CMO Spend Survey, Gartner put marketing budgets at 7.8% of company revenue, up from 7.7% in 2025. In that survey of 401 CMOs and other marketing leaders, 56% said their organization lacked the budget to deliver its 2026 strategy. For a marketer aiming at that room, the numbers show that the conversation often comes down to how limited dollars are prioritized and justified, which is the finance and strategy training an MBA core provides. Most respondents worked at companies with more than $1 billion in revenue, so the figures reflect large employers.
What a Director’s Job Requires
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) groups marketing leadership work under advertising, promotions and marketing managers. Three of the duties go beyond publishing and reporting:
- Planning budgets and contracts with department heads
- Managing the hiring and daily work of marketing staff
- Collaborating with top executives, because the work affects revenue
BLS also reports that these managers typically need a bachelor’s degree and related work experience. Some employers prefer candidates with a master’s degree. BLS projects 6% employment growth for the group from 2025 to 2035, against 3% for all occupations.
Interest in marketing master’s programs rose in 2025. In the GMAC 2025 Application Trends Survey of 326 business schools worldwide, applications to marketing master’s programs grew 17%. This demonstrates that as the marketing landscape evolves, so does interest in marketing programs.
Route A: The MBA With a Concentration in Marketing
The online MBA with a Concentration in Marketing is AACSB-accredited through the Neil Griffin College of Business. It is 33 credits and $17,292 with all fees included, the same price in every state. You can finish in as few as 12 months, with 7-week courses in fall and spring and 5-week courses in summer. The program has six starts a year. This reflects published program details as of October 2026 and is subject to change; confirm current tuition, credit hours and admission requirements directly with A-State.
The 24-credit core includes accounting, managerial economics, corporate finance, business analytics, project management and strategic management. The concentration adds Seminar in Contemporary Marketing Issues and Digital Marketing, plus one elective. Digital Marketing focuses on data-driven, return-on-investment practices, the kind of evidence a budget request needs.
Christopher King, an MBA Marketing student, points to the program’s analytical coursework as the part that transferred directly to his job: “My business analytics course gave me data skills through hands-on projects. This experience was something I was able to utilize directly in my job,” he said.
Route B: The M.S. in Strategic Communications — Social Media Management
Where the MBA is built around business strategy, finance and cross-functional leadership, the M.S. in Strategic Communications with an Emphasis in Social Media Management is built around communication. It sits in the Department of Communication, College of Liberal Arts and Communication, so the coursework centers on social media management, audience engagement and measurement rather than a business core. As of October 2026, the program is 30 credits and $10,500 with all fees included, the same price in every state. You can finish in as few as 10 months.
The concentration’s coursework extends into key areas: Integrated Marketing Communications, Social Media in Strategic Communication, Interactive Advertising and Social Media Measurement. These areas are essential in understanding how to measure which social media platforms users engage the most. For example, Pew Research Center‘s 2025 survey found that 84% of U.S. adults say they use YouTube and 71% say they use Facebook. The Social Media Measurement course covers measuring and improving the investment outcomes of social media in advertising, public relations and marketing communications.
Amanda Smiley graduated from the program in December 2023. She said it “fit the bill in terms of giving me well-rounded writing skills, communication skills, marketing skills … a lot more to think about in terms of the different ways that people communicate.”
How to Choose: A Short Decision Guide
Both programs share the same baseline admission requirements, so that admission won’t separate them. The decision comes down to the role you want and what you are willing to invest in time and cost.
- If your target is the executive team, finance conversations and leading across functions, not just marketing: Choose the MBA Marketing concentration.
- If your target is a director role that still lives inside the content and channel organization, not the C-suite: Choose the Social Media Management master’s.
- If you are not sure what you want yet: The MBA’s broader core includes finance, analytics and strategy
- If you already hold a business bachelor’s and want to go deeper rather than broader: The Social Media Management master’s adds channel and measurement coursework that a business degree may not have covered.
If your answer sits between the first two bullets, ask a director or hiring manager at your target employer which background they hire for. Employers differ, and BLS notes that some prefer candidates with a master’s degree.
See the full course list and current start dates for Arkansas State University’s online MBA with a Marketing concentration and the M.S. in Strategic Communications, Social Media Management.
Frequently Asked Questions
Should a social media manager earn an MBA or a master’s in social media management to become a director?
Neither degree is required, and the better fit depends on the director role you want. The MBA builds business and budget fluency for roles on the executive team. The Social Media Management master’s builds deeper channel and measurement expertise for roles inside a content or agency organization.
Is a master’s degree required to become a social media director?
No. BLS reports that marketing managers typically need a bachelor’s degree and related work experience, and some employers prefer a master’s degree. Your years running channels count as that related experience, and a master’s adds to it.
How long does each A-State program take?
The MBA with a Concentration in Marketing takes as few as 12 months. The M.S. in Strategic Communications – Social Media Management takes as few as 10 months. Both use 7-week courses in fall and spring and 5-week courses in summer. Your own timeline depends on how many courses you take each term.
Does the MBA with a Concentration in Marketing require the GMAT?
No. A-State’s online MBA with a Concentration in Marketing requires a bachelor’s degree, a 2.5 cumulative GPA (or 2.75 over the last 60 hours), transcripts and a $30 application fee. It does not require the GMAT, GRE or letters of recommendation.
Is the Social Media Management master’s the same as an MBA?
No. It is an M.S. in Strategic Communications from the Department of Communication, not the business school. The AACSB accreditation of the Neil Griffin College of Business does not apply to the M.S. The MBA with a Concentration in Marketing is the AACSB-accredited business degree.
Can either program be completed while working full time?
Yes. A-State designs both programs for working professionals, and both are 100% online with 7-week courses in fall and spring and 5-week courses in the summer. With six starts a year, you can pick the term that fits your work calendar.
Key Takeaways
- Director roles add budgets, staff management and executive collaboration to channel work.
- Both programs share baseline admission requirements and 7-week courses in fall and spring, so the choice rests on the role you want.
- Neither degree promises a promotion, and BLS lists a bachelor’s degree and related experience as the typical path.