As a result of global pandemics, social justice movements and more, the needs of consumers are changing more rapidly than ever. It is essential for marketers and businesses to keep their finger on the pulse of what their customers are looking for. Market research and customer insights are a critical way to help with that. 

To ensure that students have the skills they need to thrive in an environment that updates faster than a Twitter feed, the Fox School of Business offers the Master of Science in Marketing Research and Insights. Previously named the Master of Science in Marketing, the program has evolved to meet market demand and support its students in achieving the best possible career outcomes.

The approach of the program involves unique treatment of data, analytics, optimization, modeling, gamification and data modeling tools. The program prepares students to provide the insights and stories behind the data with a curriculum that combines marketing management, research, and strategy with data and business analytics. Courses maximize peer-to-peer learning through case studies, class activities and real-world problems through experiential learning.

“In today’s fast-paced, nimble world of marketing, science and technology is the name of the game. So this is going to put a spotlight on the Fox School and shows that we are looking at marketing through a scientific lens,” says Sheri Lambert, the program’s academic advisor. 

The Master of Science in Market Research and Insights has an industry-driven curriculum, guided by an industry advisory board (IAB). The board is comprised of representatives on both the client-facing companies such as the head of consumer insights from Chick-fil-A, the director of market research at Wyndham Hotels & Resorts and members from the supplier or agency side of the industry, like Ipsos, JD Power & Associates and more. 

“The focus of the IAB is to mentor students and look at our curriculum,” says Lambert. “As a practitioner, you always want the voice of the customer to guide what you are doing. So I want the voice of the customer, or the voice of the industry, to infiltrate into our program and into our curriculum. And that’s what this industry advisory board does.”

Faculty and the IAB members continuously evaluate and develop the course curriculum to meet industry demands, as well as host events and speaker series to ensure that the students are primed for success upon graduation from the Fox School. Planning for the 2020-21 speaker series is underway. The 2019-20 academic year included sessions such as “TikTok and the Philadelphia Eagles” from the Philadelphia Eagles marketing team, “New Targets to Grow an 80-year-old Company” hosted by Dietz and Watson, “JBL and the Intersection of Sports and Music” from JBL, and much more. 

The Fox School Master of Science in Market Research and Insights is designed to allow students to acquire advanced skills and techniques that can be applied to solve complex strategic and tactical problems relating to customers and competition. The revamped program prepares graduates to produce actionable insights and analyses using quantitative, qualitative and strategic information about customers, the company, and competitors. 

Typical job titles for graduates of the program include: 

• Account Executive
• Research Manager
• Consumer Insights Analyst
• Consumer Insights Manager
• Marketing Research Analyst
• Marketing Analyst
• Research Consultant
• Manager – Market and Consumer Insights
• Senior Consumer Insights Analyst

“I’m excited about this change because I think it will attract really strong, smart candidates to Fox and Philadelphia,” says Lambert. “Philadelphia is a hub for market research, to engage in the industry itself. It is exciting to be able to train and educate the next pioneers of market research. I think that will be fantastic.”