Degree in market research with no math background? Quickly and cheaply?
June 24, 2013 11:35 AM Subscribe
Could I get a master's degree in market research or market analysis, even with a poor foundation in math? How long would that take? And could I qualify for any scholarships or anything to do it for cheap or free? (It might be a wild fantasy, but I have to ask.) Basically, I want to be that person that helps organizations target their advertising and campaigns in an impactful way by analyzing consumer behavior and consumer demographics. Details below:
I have a bachelor's in journalism (I know, haha) and I have almost no math background. In high school, I think algebra, geometry and trigonometry we're as far as I got -- I took remedial math one year. No calculus or statistics. I don't think it's beyond my grasp, but I was generally a poor student in high school and didn't try at anything. I got As in English, for example, because it was easy to me -- I wondered why the other kids needed to be "taught" things that were so obvious and simple to me. Math would've required work from me and I didn't work at it. I tried to take chemistry twice, but I didn't understand how the equations worked, and I also had serious issues with attendance due to depression, so I never finished the class. In college, I took the bare minimum math requirements, which as I recall involved just one class where we discussed weighted voting systems, Euler circuits, the traveling salesman problem and Fibonacci numbers. As I recall, it was dead easy, but also seemed incredibly pointless to me. (I'll admit I didn't go to a very good college as far as the sciences were concerned.)
My work experience includes working as a newspaper reporter for a while and now doing "research" that essentially involves digging around as deeply as possible, looking at all the information that exists, understanding it and turning it into narrative or persuasive arguments that are useful for my client. In other ways, it involves finding new information, like obtaining new information that no one has thought to look for or using Excel to analyze existing information and put it in terms people will understand. In looking for jobs for that kind of "research" I've been doing, which is more like a hybrid of being a private investigator and a newspaper reporter, I keep seeing job listings for research that involves quantitative and qualitative research, which I don't know how to do. But it sounds really interesting -- I'd love to move into the target and strategy side of communications.
I will admit, I am also interested in the creative side, but I feel like that is dime a dozen -- everyone I know wants to get into communications or copywriting, etc. It seems much harder to break into that side and I'm not sure if I necessarily have the right instincts for that side of things, where the skills aren't so much taught. I feel like being able to do market research would help me find a specialized niche that any company can use. It seems like as more data becomes available, there is a greater desire to understand it and use it. The reason I think I could do this is because, well, doesn't the spreadsheet or the software do the actual math calculations, and my job is figuring out what information is useful/needs to be analyzed, putting it together and making sense of what it all means? Math is not something that comes naturally to me, but I don't think it's beyond my ability to understand if I try. I want to advise organizations on their marketing strategies.
So, I apologize for sharing my life story, but what steps can I take to get a degree specializing in market research analysis, is there a way to do it quickly and affordably, and will my lack of math foundation hold me back? Thanks!
I have a bachelor's in journalism (I know, haha) and I have almost no math background. In high school, I think algebra, geometry and trigonometry we're as far as I got -- I took remedial math one year. No calculus or statistics. I don't think it's beyond my grasp, but I was generally a poor student in high school and didn't try at anything. I got As in English, for example, because it was easy to me -- I wondered why the other kids needed to be "taught" things that were so obvious and simple to me. Math would've required work from me and I didn't work at it. I tried to take chemistry twice, but I didn't understand how the equations worked, and I also had serious issues with attendance due to depression, so I never finished the class. In college, I took the bare minimum math requirements, which as I recall involved just one class where we discussed weighted voting systems, Euler circuits, the traveling salesman problem and Fibonacci numbers. As I recall, it was dead easy, but also seemed incredibly pointless to me. (I'll admit I didn't go to a very good college as far as the sciences were concerned.)
My work experience includes working as a newspaper reporter for a while and now doing "research" that essentially involves digging around as deeply as possible, looking at all the information that exists, understanding it and turning it into narrative or persuasive arguments that are useful for my client. In other ways, it involves finding new information, like obtaining new information that no one has thought to look for or using Excel to analyze existing information and put it in terms people will understand. In looking for jobs for that kind of "research" I've been doing, which is more like a hybrid of being a private investigator and a newspaper reporter, I keep seeing job listings for research that involves quantitative and qualitative research, which I don't know how to do. But it sounds really interesting -- I'd love to move into the target and strategy side of communications.
I will admit, I am also interested in the creative side, but I feel like that is dime a dozen -- everyone I know wants to get into communications or copywriting, etc. It seems much harder to break into that side and I'm not sure if I necessarily have the right instincts for that side of things, where the skills aren't so much taught. I feel like being able to do market research would help me find a specialized niche that any company can use. It seems like as more data becomes available, there is a greater desire to understand it and use it. The reason I think I could do this is because, well, doesn't the spreadsheet or the software do the actual math calculations, and my job is figuring out what information is useful/needs to be analyzed, putting it together and making sense of what it all means? Math is not something that comes naturally to me, but I don't think it's beyond my ability to understand if I try. I want to advise organizations on their marketing strategies.
So, I apologize for sharing my life story, but what steps can I take to get a degree specializing in market research analysis, is there a way to do it quickly and affordably, and will my lack of math foundation hold me back? Thanks!
As someone who occasionally has to deal in market research I can tell you, it is going to be a very painful career experience if you do not have strong math skills. Even when the tool does the calculation for you, you still need to know with complete certainty that you selected the correct equation for the job or that the numbers are correct. You also need to be able to interpret the results and explain how the raw data influenced it. You can't just rely on the tool to get it perfectly right, to make the proper adjustments, or to know when there's something wonky in the raw data. Imagine a doctor prescribing a medication for a disease without being able to explain why it will work-- that doesn't inspire confidence in anybody.
posted by joan_holloway at 12:45 PM on June 24, 2013 [3 favorites]
posted by joan_holloway at 12:45 PM on June 24, 2013 [3 favorites]
Response by poster: But couldn't I just take the prerequisite math courses first? Saying "no, you definitely can't do it" seems not only harsh, but wrong.
posted by peachpie at 3:13 PM on June 24, 2013
posted by peachpie at 3:13 PM on June 24, 2013
If you're willing to learn the math, I don't know why you want to know whether you can get a market research degree without knowing math, you know?
But I'm not sure you need a market research degree to do what you're talking about. Do you know, or can you find someone who's doing the kind of work you want to do? If you can find such a person (or more than one person, even better!) find out how they got into their job and what their qualifications are - it might not have as much to do with their education as you are assuming. If you can't find someone doing this kind of work, that's good to know too.
I know nothing about market research, but I know a lot about wanting to change careers by getting a masters degree as quickly and cheaply as possible, and I think there are usually cheaper and quicker ways to change careers than a masters.
posted by mskyle at 5:48 PM on June 24, 2013
But I'm not sure you need a market research degree to do what you're talking about. Do you know, or can you find someone who's doing the kind of work you want to do? If you can find such a person (or more than one person, even better!) find out how they got into their job and what their qualifications are - it might not have as much to do with their education as you are assuming. If you can't find someone doing this kind of work, that's good to know too.
I know nothing about market research, but I know a lot about wanting to change careers by getting a masters degree as quickly and cheaply as possible, and I think there are usually cheaper and quicker ways to change careers than a masters.
posted by mskyle at 5:48 PM on June 24, 2013
Response by poster: If you're willing to learn the math, I don't know why you want to know whether you can get a market research degree without knowing math, you know?
My question is obviously about how that works. If I say, "I want to do x but I don't have y, what can I do?" the answer isn't "well, then you can't do x." The answer is, "you must first get y and it would work this way."
All the job descriptions I've read specify a background in qualitative and quantitative research. It seems some education is important here, although maybe a certificate or one-off class could help. I just don't know. I don't know how necessary knowing calculus, for example, is to being able to use those research methods.
posted by peachpie at 6:08 PM on June 24, 2013
My question is obviously about how that works. If I say, "I want to do x but I don't have y, what can I do?" the answer isn't "well, then you can't do x." The answer is, "you must first get y and it would work this way."
All the job descriptions I've read specify a background in qualitative and quantitative research. It seems some education is important here, although maybe a certificate or one-off class could help. I just don't know. I don't know how necessary knowing calculus, for example, is to being able to use those research methods.
posted by peachpie at 6:08 PM on June 24, 2013
have you looked up being a strategist/strategic planner in an ad agency? these folks do tons of research on the target audience, looking for insights that will inform the creative strategy.
that's different than market research, but it doesn't require that crazy math stuff.
also, i don't think jumping into a master's, expecting it to be a quick and cheap route to a different career, is something you want to do. a masters program best serves the student who knows why they want to go and what they want to get out of it. you bring some life + professional experience with you. you're focused, you've got professional (or academic) goals. maybe you could do some networking and informational interviews with people who have the kind of jobs you want.
posted by iahtl at 9:19 PM on June 24, 2013 [1 favorite]
that's different than market research, but it doesn't require that crazy math stuff.
also, i don't think jumping into a master's, expecting it to be a quick and cheap route to a different career, is something you want to do. a masters program best serves the student who knows why they want to go and what they want to get out of it. you bring some life + professional experience with you. you're focused, you've got professional (or academic) goals. maybe you could do some networking and informational interviews with people who have the kind of jobs you want.
posted by iahtl at 9:19 PM on June 24, 2013 [1 favorite]
All the job descriptions I've read specify a background in qualitative and quantitative research. It seems some education is important here, although maybe a certificate or one-off class could help. I just don't know. I don't know how necessary knowing calculus, for example, is to being able to use those research methods.
You really need to talk to someone with the title for this job. Then I think you'll see what we're getting at. These guys are 'Quants' not researchers. Being able to do this kind of mathematics is a talent, just as writing poetry is a talent and singing is a talent. You must be blessed by God to have this kind of mathematical ability.
You can't just take a class. If you could, more people would. The type of brain and the foundation for this must be laid at an early age and continually fed and watered to keep it up to date on the latest methods.
Husbunny is an actuary. He has an undergrad degree in Mathematics, 36 classroom hours of Actuarial Science and he spends hours every day honing his mathematical and actuarial skills. Also, he's ABD on a Ph.D in Mathematics. Trust me, this is not something you take a class for and check it off of your list.
So..yeah, you need calculus, trig, algebra, stats, probability, linear algebra and a whole bunch of math you've never even heard of! Oh! How's your programming? You're going to need at least SQL, and Java can't hurt either.
So the answer to your question isn't, "you must first get y and it would work this way."
You are going to need to figure out another career option, because you currently have an imperfect understanding of what a Market Researcher des.
posted by Ruthless Bunny at 7:14 AM on June 25, 2013
You really need to talk to someone with the title for this job. Then I think you'll see what we're getting at. These guys are 'Quants' not researchers. Being able to do this kind of mathematics is a talent, just as writing poetry is a talent and singing is a talent. You must be blessed by God to have this kind of mathematical ability.
You can't just take a class. If you could, more people would. The type of brain and the foundation for this must be laid at an early age and continually fed and watered to keep it up to date on the latest methods.
Husbunny is an actuary. He has an undergrad degree in Mathematics, 36 classroom hours of Actuarial Science and he spends hours every day honing his mathematical and actuarial skills. Also, he's ABD on a Ph.D in Mathematics. Trust me, this is not something you take a class for and check it off of your list.
So..yeah, you need calculus, trig, algebra, stats, probability, linear algebra and a whole bunch of math you've never even heard of! Oh! How's your programming? You're going to need at least SQL, and Java can't hurt either.
So the answer to your question isn't, "you must first get y and it would work this way."
You are going to need to figure out another career option, because you currently have an imperfect understanding of what a Market Researcher des.
posted by Ruthless Bunny at 7:14 AM on June 25, 2013
First - a point about math confidence -
I think if your last math was in high school, where you weren't trying, you don't really know if you could be good at higher math. Don't sell yourself short - being an adult who is actually dedicated to doing all the homework and really learning the material can go a long way.
There is a difference between being bad at math overall (including higher math), and just being bad at arithmetic/calculation. It sounds like you may be saying that you're bad at arithmetic/calculation (which is why you feel like, if Excel will do the calculation for you, it will be ok). Higher math involves thinking about problems, knowing what methods to apply, etc -- those sound a lot like how you described your skills, right?
I think if you want to do a quantitative job, it will definitely take a good deal of math coursework (and some social science research methods classes maybe). You'd need some higher math in order to choose what calculation you want Excel to do. But if you have the discipline to do a lot of problem sets, go to tutoring, etc and really learn the material, that is more within your abilities than you may believe.
Maybe there is some way you could test out your readiness - by trying a free online course and trying to do the homework? Or by taking just one class at a community college near you? - before committing to a full degree program. You may need a lot of review of high school math before you're ready to start the university-level math, but that is okay - you can do it if you commit the hours to do the problem sets and don't get discouraged by thinking you "can't" do math.
Second - this actual job -
The separate question of whether you would like the job, and whether you need a masters (and what kind of courses) to do the job, is best answered as people above said... by finding someone who has the job you are thinking about, and asking them.
posted by LobsterMitten at 9:00 AM on June 25, 2013 [1 favorite]
I think if your last math was in high school, where you weren't trying, you don't really know if you could be good at higher math. Don't sell yourself short - being an adult who is actually dedicated to doing all the homework and really learning the material can go a long way.
There is a difference between being bad at math overall (including higher math), and just being bad at arithmetic/calculation. It sounds like you may be saying that you're bad at arithmetic/calculation (which is why you feel like, if Excel will do the calculation for you, it will be ok). Higher math involves thinking about problems, knowing what methods to apply, etc -- those sound a lot like how you described your skills, right?
I think if you want to do a quantitative job, it will definitely take a good deal of math coursework (and some social science research methods classes maybe). You'd need some higher math in order to choose what calculation you want Excel to do. But if you have the discipline to do a lot of problem sets, go to tutoring, etc and really learn the material, that is more within your abilities than you may believe.
Maybe there is some way you could test out your readiness - by trying a free online course and trying to do the homework? Or by taking just one class at a community college near you? - before committing to a full degree program. You may need a lot of review of high school math before you're ready to start the university-level math, but that is okay - you can do it if you commit the hours to do the problem sets and don't get discouraged by thinking you "can't" do math.
Second - this actual job -
The separate question of whether you would like the job, and whether you need a masters (and what kind of courses) to do the job, is best answered as people above said... by finding someone who has the job you are thinking about, and asking them.
posted by LobsterMitten at 9:00 AM on June 25, 2013 [1 favorite]
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Here's the Wikipedia entry on the Master of Market Research. At the end of the article is a list of schools offering this degree program.
There is NO WAY you can do this without math. None.
Actually it would be defeating the purpose to go back to school. You'd do better to get in on the ground floor, as a marketing assistant, and learn the trendy new software.
For example, marketo, Eloqua. It would also help to know Siebel, Salesforce.com or Oracle, since those databases often fuel the Marketing Automation software.
posted by Ruthless Bunny at 12:16 PM on June 24, 2013 [1 favorite]