High School

Most employers require their marketing research analysts to hold at least a bachelor's degree, so a college preparatory program is advised. Classes in English, marketing, economics, mathematics, psychology, and sociology are particularly important. Courses in computer science are especially useful, since a great deal of tabulation and statistical analysis is required in the marketing research field.

Postsecondary Training

The minimum education requirement for market research work is a bachelor's degree in marketing research, marketing, business administration, statistics, computer science, history, or economics to enter this career, but many employers seek applicants with graduate degrees. Many employers prefer that a marketing research analyst hold a master's degree as well as a bachelor's degree. A master's of business administration, for example, is frequently required on projects calling for complex statistical and business analysis. Other recommended degrees include those in marketing, statistics, communications, and related fields. Graduate work at the doctorate level is not necessary for most positions, but it is highly desirable for those who plan to become involved in advanced research studies.

Course work in sociology and psychology will be helpful for those who are leaning toward consumer demand and opinion research. Since quantitative skills are important in various types of industrial or analytic research, students interested in these areas should take statistics, econometrics, survey design, sampling theory, and other mathematics courses.

Other Education or Training

The American Marketing Association offers various online and in-classroom education and training programs in market research. The Insights Association (formerly Marketing Research Association) offers conference sessions and webinars such as "Understanding the Shopper's Dynamic Decision Making Process," and "The Results Are In: Social Media Techniques vs. Focus Groups for Qualitative Research." The American Association for Public Opinion Research, American Association of Advertising Agencies, CASRO, and the Qualitative Research Consultants Association also provide webinars, workshops, and other continuing education opportunities. Contact these organizations for more information. 

Certification or Licensing

The Marketing Research Association and the American Marketing Association offer certification for marketing research analysts. Contact these organizations for more information.

Any experience conducting marketing research, as well as the completion of at least one college internship, will be useful for those aspiring to careers in the field. Market research analysts must be intelligent, detail oriented, and accurate. They have the ability to work easily with words and numbers, and they are particularly interested in solving problems through data collection and analysis. In addition, the job requires patience and persistence, since long hours are often required when working on complex studies.

As part of the market research team, market research analysts must be able to work well with others and have an interest in people. The ability to communicate, both orally and in writing, is also important, since they are responsible for writing up detailed reports on the findings in various studies and presenting recommendations to management.