Best Digital Marketing Degrees
We did mention earlier that digital marketing is one of those career paths one can get into without spending much on college tuition fees. Then ending up with student debt noose around your neck for the better part of your early working life. However, while some online tutorials and certificates can get you through the door, to sit at the high table with the rest of the industry’s heavyweights, you need to have weighty papers back you up.
You will find in most organizations, the digital marketers occupying leadership and managerial positions do have degrees to their names. That said, we are going to look at some of the best digital marketing degrees in America and you can then pick which best suits your field of interest.
So below we have listed a number of degree programs from leading universities and colleges across the United States. They include direct links to a web page where you can check out the curriculum and other details on the course.
The list below includes not just Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees, but other non-degree certifications program in digital marketing. Without further ado, they are as follows:
This is a digital marketing course provided by the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB). The course takes learners through professional leverage on social media and virtual communities online. It also covers web analytics, which will give the learners the skills on how to derive insight from statistics they get from their posts, which go into telling them where to improve on with measurable results.
2. Marketing (Digital and Integrated Marketing Communications), B.S
Designed for a student taking a Marketing Major. This course provides social media and content marketing training to the students. It also covers the best practices of digital marketing in the industry. If you want certification (degree) in matters of social media and content marketing, this course will definitely give you such recognition to any would-be employer or client.
The Azusa Pacific University offers B.A. in Management degree on digital marketing, and the course covers wide aspects of the industry including marketing and e-commerce, digital consumer behavior, global viral marketing, and analyzing and optimization of marketing campaigns online.
4. Minor in Interactive Marketing
The California State University in Northridge, Los Angeles, offers digital marketing courses including Social Media Marketing, Internet Marketing, Consumer Information in the Digital Age, Marketing Metrics and Insights.
5. MBA, Marketing Concentration, Digital Marketing, and e-Commerce Emphasis
Santa Clara University offers an MBA program with a Marketing Concentration focusing on Digital Marketing and e-commerce. The course will take learners through the following courses: Mobile Marketing, m-Commerce, Social Media Marketing, Internet Marketing, and e-Commerce.
6. Digital Marketing Graduate Program Certificate
The Sacred Heart University in Connecticut offers the Digital Marketing Graduate Program Certificate program that covers the following courses: Marketing Analysis and Digital Marketing.
The M.S. in Digital Marketing being offered at the Sacred Heart University will take learners through courses such as Marketing Analytics and Applied Topics in Digital Marketing. The learners will also be required to undertake a Capstone Thesis in Digital Marketing. Alternatively, they can take a Capstone Project in Digital Marketing.
8. Digital Marketing and Analytics Undergraduate Certificate
The University of Connecticut also offers a Digital Marketing and Analytics Undergraduate Certificate, which will take learners through courses like Marketing & Digital Analytics, Digital Marketing, and Integrated Marketing Communication in the Digital Age.
9. MBA – Marketing Communications & Digital Marketing Concentration
If you live in DC, you can take an MBA Concentration in Marketing Communications and Digital Marketing at George Washington University. The degree program covers digital marketing courses such as Electronic Marketing, Social Network Analytics, Online Advertising, and Web Analytics.
10. Digital Marketing Professional Certificate
The Georgetown University offers a Digital Marketing Professional Certificate, which takes learners through courses such as Digital Marketing Strategy, Content Marketing, Advanced Marketing Analytics and Reporting, Viral Marketing (how to Create a Buzz online), Web and Mobile Design and their usability, Search Marketing, and Advanced Digital Marketing Strategies.
Florida Atlantic University offers Digital Marketing Minor, which takes learners through the following courses: Digital Marketing on the internet, Social Media Analytics, Web Analytics, Web Technologies, and Social Media Innovation. There is also another interesting course – Social, Legal, and Ethical Issues concerning Digital Data – that takes the learners through the legality and ethical concerns surrounding data security and privacy.
12. Undergraduate Marketing Major – Digital Marketing Concentrations
The University of Georgia offers an Undergraduate Degree with a Marketing Major concentrating on Digital Marketing. The degree will take learners through courses like Social Communication Strategies, Social Media Marketing Strategy, and Internship position within the Digital Marketing industry.
13. MBA – Social Media Marketing Concentration
The Lewis University, in Illinois, offers a Master’s degree with a concentration is Social Media Marketing. The degree program will take learners through courses like Social Media Strategies, Social Media Marketing, Search Engine Optimization, and Social Media Analytics.
14. Bachelor of Science in Marketing – Interactive Marketing Concentration
Northern Illinois University offers a Bachelor of Science in Marketing with an Interactive Marketing concentration that takes learners through courses such as Interactive Marketing Technology and Internet Marketing that would be of great help to digital marketers.
15. Social Media Marketing Major
The Graceland University in Iowa takes learners through various digital marketing courses including Emerging Social Media trends, e-Commerce, and Seminar in Social Media Marketing.
16. E-Business Major Undergraduate Degree
Towson University in Maryland offers an Undergraduate Degree with an E-Business Major that takes learners through digital marketing courses such as e-Business Infrastructure, e-Business Marketing, Principles of e-Business, Advanced e-Business, and Special Topics in e-Business among others.
17. e-Business Marketing Major
Western Michigan University offers an e-Business Marketing Major degree, which takes learners through courses such as Internet Marketing and Advanced Internet Marketing.
Maryville University of Saint Louis in Missouri is offering a B.S. in Internet Marketing where learners are taken through various courses on Internet Marketing.
19. Business and Management Systems, Minor in Electronic and Social Commerce
The Missouri University of Science & Technology does offer a Business and Management Systems Minor in Electronic and Social Commerce. The program takes learners through digital marketing courses such as Electronic and Mobile Commerce, Digital Marketing and Promotions, and Fundamentals of Mobile Technology for Business among others.
20. Digital Media Marketing Certification
The University of Missouri is St. Louis offers a Certification program in Digital Media Marketing where learners are taken through the following courses. Effective Email Strategy, Mobile Marketing, Strategic Search Engine Marketing, Blogs to Buzz, Web Analytics, Digital Strategies, Data Analysis Interpretation and Dashboarding.
21. Integrated Marketing Communications Certificate
Offered by the DePaul University located in Chicago, Illinois. The University is also known for admitting the first-generation students from less privileged background and ranked at number 120 in the 2018 Best Colleges in National Universities ranking.
The Integrated Marketing Communications Certificate course provides learners a deep dive into digital marketing aspects including advertising, direct marketing, promotion, and digital marketing.
The course is delivered online giving students flexibility in learning, where they can learn in their own free time and at their own pace.
22. Digital Marketing Certificate Program
The University of California, Irvine in Orange County, California provides an online Digital Marketing Certificate Program designed to arm marketers with skills in creating online marketing campaigns, improve website performance, and leverage on analytics to advance the company’s marketing goals.
The course also includes mobile marketing, search engine marketing, and social media marketing all designed to equip the student-run a successful digital marketing campaign. The courses covered include Social Media and Internet Audience Profiling, Planning and Developing Strategy for Search Engine Marketing, Website Optimization, and Social Media Strategy.
Oregon State University provides a Digital Brand Management certificate. The certificate arms students with various digital skills including knowing how to rank your website on the first page of Google result pages, Social Media Marketing, and how to leverage on AdWords.
A student can take the full course within a period of 5-7 weeks. Upon completion, the student will be given a certificate and a digital badge to prove they have the necessary credentials to run a digital marketing campaign.
24. Digital Marketing Certificate Program
The University of La Verne provides a Digital Marketing Certificate Program fashioned to arm sales and marketing professionals with the necessary skills to leverage digital platforms and digital assets.
The course covers the following topics: website optimization, Mobile Channel optimization, Plan and Develop DM Channels, and Digital Marketing Channels, among other critical elements of Digital Marketing.
25. Online Mini-MBA in Digital Marketing
The Rutgers University in New Jersey offers an online Mini-MBA in Digital Marketing. Alongside that, there is the Digital Marketing Certificate program. Giving the student more than one choice in digital marketing training.
As far as the mini-MBA in Digital Marketing goes, the course has been designed to arming both newbies and experienced people in digital marketing. The course has 10 self-paced modules that cover: Most popular digital marketing techniques across the online sales funnel, SEO tips, paid search campaigns, managing organization skills.
26. Strategic Online Marketing Certificate program
The University of San Diego offers a Strategic Online Marketing Certificate program, comprising of eight core courses: Building your brand and Website Foundation, Principles of SEO and Onsite Optimization, Email Blogging and Video Marketing, Off-Site SEO Strategies: Link Building, Content Marketing and Website Authority, Online Advertising, Capstone Project Presentations, Web Analytics.
Candidates who score a GPA of 2.4 and higher graduate to the next stage of the program. Presentation of a portfolio showcasing how the student used the online marketing strategy taught in class.
Wrapping Up
The above are some of the best digital marketing degrees in America. Having one or two of the above-mentioned degrees and certificate programs will look good enough in your resume and improves your chances of scoring a job at a leading digital marketing agency. If you are running your own business, they will be good enough to impress a prospective client if you include it in your portfolio.
Getting a degree or certification in digital marketing is one of the steps towards a successful marketing journey. It is certainly desirable if you are holding a senior position in say, a digital marketing agency or in the marketing department of an established company.
However, what matters most is the ability to deliver results. Interestingly, you may find someone on the internet, especially in the freelance community, who is able to deliver the desired result. They may not even have the very basic certifications in the industry, yet their ROI on their campaign far surpasses even those with the highest level of formal education in the industry.
As we mentioned in our earlier article, digital marketing is one of the industries quite easy to get into. One also where changes happen frequently and sometimes even overnight. So, your certification and degree obtained at the start of the year might be less relevant by the time the year ends.
It is therefore critical that you keep sharpening your skills on a continuous basis. That will necessitate you keeping tabs on what’s happening in the industry. Attending workshops and symposiums related to the industry. Not forgetting that the internet is always your best bet for a quick and affordable source of learning.
There are various online forums and discussion groups, particularly related to Google bots and algorithms, AdWords, SEO tips, and Social Media Marketing among others. It will serve you well to sign up and actively check on the discussions happening in such platforms as it will enable you to share your experience with other professionals in the industry.
Should there be any changes in the industry, you are most likely to hear about it from fellow professionals active in the industry. Such discussions will take place in the above-said platforms and might be several months if not years before the school curriculum takes into account the changes happening in the digital marketing industry.
For that reason, given the inherent nature of digital marketing. It is critical that you keep an observant eye and open ears on the prevailing market situation. The certificate or degree you get from school may prove stale, with regards to the skills taught, as the market changes happen rapidly.
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