You Don’t Need a 4-Year Degree to Become a Qualified Marketer

Free and paid ways to learn marketing online, none of which cost five figures

Think of all the times your family gave you a piece of advice to enroll in college after obtaining your high school diploma and to spend four years living in a barely-enough-to-breathe bedroom, sleep-deprived, and sick because of the ramen you’ve eaten. How often do you read an article or watch a motivational video where an older person tells you how valuable education is? The chances are, way too often.

But the sad truth is: young people are spending dozens of thousands of dollars on an education that offers no guarantees and often can be accomplished from the comfort of their homes at a much lower cost. And sometimes there are no costs, especially with the marketing field and several other industries. Today, I would like to offer you an alternative of how to gain an education without falling asleep at a desk for four years straight. And we’ll use marketing as an example.

Forget Everything You Were Told About College

Starting from early childhood, our parents and grandparents repeated the same life advice as if it was a mantra: “You need to get a higher education.”

In hindsight, the advice itself is quite valuable. Depending on what industry you select, you can get a decent job with a high earning potential after spending between two to four years at college or university. You might as well find yourself job hunting for many years before an acceptable opportunity comes around. But generally, almost every adult wants you to go to college.

There are, however, certain career fields where formal education isn’t always a necessity. Or at least there is no need to go to school full-time while barely scraping by and then graduating with massive student debt. You have alternatives. If you want to become a doctor or a lawyer or learn a trade that requires physical work and practice, such as plumbing, you should probably apply to schools. Having that said, there is a different way.

Online Education Is Everything Nowadays

One of the best decisions I made in my life was switching to studying online. Why waste time getting ready, commuting, and then falling asleep at a lecture for three hours at a time, when you can study in the comfort of your own home? Again, if you wish to become a medical specialist or a potter, please ignore this, although even medical students and aspiring potters can take certain classes online instead of visiting campus.

In modern days, many educational institutions are offering a study-online option. But there were a few websites that pioneered that idea long before it became a common practice, and they made it possible to study at hundreds of different schools around the globe. I’m talking about Coursera and EdX.

Why Coursera and EdX Deserve Your Time and Recognition

Please don’t think I’m trying to sell you something. These organizations don’t have referral programs, and I am not benefiting from anything. Simply put, I’ve been a huge supporter of the study-online initiative for many years, approximately since 2010. Studying from home can drastically make your life easy.

The idea behind these websites is brutally simple: you register an account, find a class you like, enroll — and that’s it. You’re welcome to start learning right now, or you can come back next month if you wish. Most classes are offered on a study-at-your-own-pace basis, which means you don’t have to stick to a particular schedule or a deadline. By the end of class, you learn valuable skills and gain fruitful knowledge. If you wish to have a formal certificate of course completion, they charge you for that, but it isn’t always a full fee.

When Is It Free and When Do I Have to Pay?

Depending on which website and the program you picked, there might be a fee or full tuition. Let’s review both organizations to determine the costs.

How much does EdX cost

The regular classes on this platform, without the official certificate, are free. In case you require an actual document, such as a certificate or degree, there is a cost associated with it. Masters at EdX features a list of master’s degrees offered to potential students, and the tuition costs are quite reasonable.

Their Professional Education Courses are also paid: right now, they offer two of them, and each costs $2,500. The same applies to the Professional Certificate Programs with ranging costs: the Public Library Management costs $392, while the Risk Management in Banking and Financial Markets listed at $544. The good news is, sometimes they offer sales and discounts. When it comes to the regular courses that you took for free and then decided that an official certificate would benefit you more, those are between $50 and $300.

The best thing I love about EdX is they have financial aid. Yes, you heard it correctly. You can apply for financial assistance, and if approved, the organization will cover up to 90% of the fee. The application instructions are highlighted here: How do I apply for financial assistance?. I don’t believe they offer aid for Masters-level classes, but depending on the country of residence and other factors, a potential student may receive assistance as well.

How Much Does Coursera Cost

Certain courses are free, others are not. Coursera will charge you for:

• Master-Track Certificates — for example, the UX Design program, which is priced at $3,000. The cost differs from program to program.
• Professional Certificates, such as IBM Applied AI Professional Certificate, with a fee ranging from $29 to $99 per month.
• Specializations like The Art of Sales: Mastering the Selling Process Specialization. The fee is also between $29 and $99 monthly.
• Formal certificates. For example, if you want to learn about Marketing and choose Marketing Analytics, but you don’t require a certificate, it’s free. If you want to obtain an official certificate to hang on your wall, there is a $75 fee.

Similar to EdX, Coursera can sometimes ease the financial burden: see the Financial Aid Application process.

How to Become a Marketing Specialist, for Free or at a Lower Cost

Let’s face it: in comparison to how much colleges and universities charge in tuition, almost any alternative would be cheaper. But the truth is, you may not even have to pay for your education. Working in the marketing industry doesn’t always require a degree of a certificate, depending on the kind of work you’re looking for. If you’re applying for a job with those requirements, it can be tough. But if you’re seeking to become a social media specialist for a small business, your expertise is more valuable than any degree. The client won’t be searching for fancy diplomas and degrees; they will focus on knowledge and what you have to offer. Therefore, utilizing sites like EdX and Coursera to learn about marketing strategies and gaining practical skills should be the main goal.

Let’s Choose Classes in Marketing

Moving on to the practical part of this article: allow me to list the courses and diplomas you may want to consider if you wish to learn move about marketing, or maybe even pay a small fee for obtaining proof of education.

Coursera:

• Strategic Business Analytics, level: Specialization. Cost: 7-day free trial, followed by a $45 monthly fee. Self-paced learning option.
• Four more courses related to Marketing, level: Certification. Cost: 7-day free trial, followed by a $45 monthly fee. Self-paced learning option.

EdX:

• Marketing Management course. Cost: free (no certificate) or $150 (with certificate).
• Marketing Fundamentals: Who Is Your Customer? Cost: free (no certificate) or $199 (with certificate).
• Online Marketing Strategies. Cost: free (no certificate) or $199 (with certificate).
• Market Segmentation Analysis. Cost: free (no certificate) or $99 (with certificate).
• Marketing Analytics: Competitive Analysis and Market Segmentation. Cost: free (no certificate) or $249 (with certificate).
• Marketing Digital: Content & Community Manager. Cost: free (no certificate) or $49 (with certificate).

Many more classes can be found here.

There Are Other Platforms You Can Use

Despite fangirling over EdX and Coursera and suggesting them to everyone who brings up education and career advancement, I’m aware other sources exist. There are plenty of classes on the internet, including free Youtube videos, which will allow you to use others’ success stories to learn marketing tricks. You should always do research and decide what works for you.

I recently started using Udemy to learn graphic design, and I don’t have feedback yet, but you can find some interesting classes there. A lot of them cost $200 or so, but Udemy often has huge sales, I ended up paying $15 per class.

If you’re a Youtube addict like me, you may have come across Skillshare sponsoring several creators. I tested it out for a few months but didn’t have time to invest fully in learning brand new skills back then. Having said that, it’s a solid source.

My previous employer, as well as my old college, offered free access to Lynda, which is another website sprawling with classes. I remember taking them many years ago, and they are simple and short, but I can’t say I learned anything practical. The same applies to LinkedIn classes: they exist, and they are semi-useful, but I didn’t see a good “rate of return” on them.

I have no doubt there are many more sites trying to sell us online courses, but these are the ones I have a history with. If you have an opinion or know a fantastic source, share with us in the comment section!

It’s never too late to start learning; you can always learn new skills and excel in a new career. Decide what you want, do research, and start moving towards your goal. The websites I mentioned will allow you to do it comfortably at your own pace. As Dr. Seus said:

“The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.” — Dr. Seus