The University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business will introduce a one-year Master of Science in Marketing (MSM) program in fall 2027, combining core marketing disciplines with practical applications of artificial intelligence. The 30-credit degree is designed for early-career professionals seeking skills in brand strategy, consumer insights, client management and AI-enabled campaign execution. The launch reflects a broader shift in marketing education as generative AI and agentic systems reshape how businesses approach customer engagement, marketing operations and strategic decision-making.

The University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business is developing a marketing degree around a question facing business schools and employers alike: how should marketing professionals use AI without surrendering human judgment?

The new Master of Science in Marketing program will run over two semesters, with coursework spanning marketing and brand strategy, consumer insights, and account and client management. Students will also work on consulting projects, executive presentations and cross-functional team assignments designed to connect classroom learning with business practice.

The curriculum will address generative AI and agentic AI alongside established marketing disciplines. Generative AI can help produce and analyse content, while agentic AI systems are designed to carry out multistep tasks with varying degrees of autonomy. For marketing teams, these capabilities can support campaign development, customer research and workflow automation, but they also introduce questions about accuracy, oversight and brand consistency.

AI Skills Meet Traditional Marketing Strategy

Judy Frels, the program’s academic director and a clinical professor of marketing, said the curriculum combines marketing fundamentals with practical AI applications. She described the program’s approach as human-centred, with professionals expected to assess AI outputs critically rather than simply accept automated recommendations.

That distinction is important as companies integrate AI into marketing operations. Familiar responsibilities such as positioning, customer segmentation and campaign planning increasingly intersect with AI-assisted analysis and content production. Marketing professionals must understand both the technology and the commercial objectives it is intended to support.

The Smith School’s program is structured for early-career professionals seeking to build those combined capabilities. Its emphasis on experiential projects also gives students opportunities to apply their learning to business problems rather than focus exclusively on theoretical AI concepts.

Graduates may pursue roles in brand development, marketing strategy, digital engagement and campaign management. The school cites employment data from its Office of Career Services showing that 81.2% of its business master’s graduates secured employment within six months of graduation. That figure provides institutional context, although it is not a program-specific employment forecast for the new marketing degree.

A Response to Changing Employer Needs

The launch comes as business schools reconsider how they prepare students for technology-driven marketing roles. AI tools are becoming part of a broader enterprise technology environment that includes customer data platforms, marketing automation software, analytics systems and customer relationship management platforms.

Professionals working with ecosystems such as Salesforce, Adobe and Google’s marketing tools increasingly need to interpret data, evaluate automated outputs and connect technology decisions to customer and business outcomes. An AI-focused marketing degree can help develop these skills, but the value of such training will depend on the depth of practical instruction and its relevance to employer requirements.

The Smith School’s two-semester format offers a concentrated alternative to longer graduate programs. Its success will depend in part on how effectively the curriculum keeps pace with changing AI capabilities and whether experiential learning translates into demonstrable workplace skills.

Market Landscape

Marketing education is moving beyond teaching digital tools as isolated capabilities. AI-assisted content creation, predictive analytics, personalisation and automated campaign workflows are increasingly connected parts of the modern marketing stack.

Universities introducing AI-focused programs face a challenge: software changes faster than conventional curricula. Students need durable skills in research, strategy, ethics and measurement alongside practical experience with emerging tools.

The Smith School’s emphasis on human-led assessment addresses one of the central concerns surrounding AI adoption: automation can accelerate execution, but marketers remain responsible for accuracy, customer trust and business outcomes.

Strategic Outlook

The new MSM program positions the Smith School to address demand for marketers who can combine strategic thinking with technical fluency. Its one-year structure and applied projects may appeal to early-career professionals looking to enter a changing field without committing to a longer degree.

The longer-term test will be whether graduates can demonstrate measurable marketing skills, adapt to new AI systems and apply sound judgment when automated recommendations conflict with business context. Those capabilities are likely to matter more than familiarity with any single platform.

Top Insights

• AI-focused marketing education: UMD’s new master’s degree combines marketing fundamentals and AI applications, preparing early-career professionals for evolving enterprise marketing responsibilities.

• Human oversight remains central: The curriculum emphasises critical assessment of AI outputs, an important capability as marketing teams adopt generative and agentic AI systems.

• Experiential learning supports application: Consulting projects and cross-functional assignments give students opportunities to apply marketing concepts to practical business challenges.

• Employment figures need context: The school reports 81.2% employment within six months for business master’s graduates, but this is not a program-specific placement forecast.

• Enterprise marketing skills are converging: Brand strategy, customer insights, analytics and AI proficiency increasingly intersect, changing the capabilities employers seek from marketing professionals.

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