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Earning a digital marketing degree online equips you with effective traditional marketing techniques and an in-depth understanding of the pillars of digital communication. With both essential elements, you can help grow audiences and revenue for your organization.
Learn the ins and outs of an online digital marketing degree, including what you’ll learn and possible career options.
What Is Digital Marketing?
Before diving head-on into what you can expect from an online digital marketing degree, let’s cover the bases with a definition of digital marketing.
According to the American Marketing Association, digital marketing “refers to any marketing methods conducted through electronic devices which utilize some form of a computer, including online marketing efforts conducted on the internet. In the process of conducting digital marketing, a business might leverage websites, search engines, blogs, social media, video, email and similar channels to reach customers.”
What Does a Digital Marketing Major Entail?
A digital marketing major equips you to adapt traditional marketing techniques to the digital world. It also covers aspects of communication and how to utilize each digital channel to meet key performance indicators (KPIs). In a digital marketing degree program, you’ll learn strategies to position a product and get your message to the right people, at the right place and at the right time.
While most colleges don’t outrightly offer a digital marketing degree program, you can earn a bachelor’s degree in marketing with a concentration in digital marketing.
Common Online Digital Marketing Degree Courses
A typical digital marketing degree curriculum may include the following subjects:
- Marketing principles
- Digital marketing insights, strategies and applications
- Introduction to digital marketing
- Digital marketing analytics
- Digital content creation
- Mobile marketing
- Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
- Social media marketing
Many U.S. colleges now offer online learning options and flexible schedules for digital marketing majors. Earning a bachelor’s degree in digital marketing takes three to four years and 120 college credits.
Digital Marketing Degree Admission Requirements
While every digital marketing program has specific prerequisites for admission, you will generally need the following in order to be accepted:
- High school diploma or equivalent
- Standardized test score (such as the ACT or SAT) or an acceptable substitute
- A personal essay
- Letters of recommendation
- Official transcripts from all institutions previously attended (high school or college)
Careers for Digital Marketing Majors
An online digital marketing degree can open doors to a wide variety of career paths. Below are some of the most common. All salary information courtesy of PayScale.
Advertising Manager
Average Annual Salary: $64,400
Required Education: Bachelor’s degree in marketing or communication
Job Description: An advertising manager develops advertising plans that drive interest and demand for a product or service. They also delegate duties to ensure junior staff members develop creative, brand-specific advertising campaigns.
Content Strategist
Average Annual Salary: $64,690
Required Education: Bachelor’s degree in digital marketing, journalism or English
Job Description: A content strategist develops, executes and manages a company’s content strategy across various marketing platforms. They plan content ideas that align with their organization’s business goals then analyze metrics to measure their effectiveness. Then, they help adjust strategies as needed.
Digital Marketing Manager
Average Annual Salary: $70,000
Required Education: Bachelor’s degree in marketing or business administration
Job Description: A digital marketing manager plans and manages marketing campaigns that promote a company’s brand, products or services across digital channels. They also supervise and train a team of junior digital marketers.
Email Marketing Manager
Average Annual Salary: $74,220
Required Education: Bachelor’s degree in marketing, business or communications
Job Description: An email marketing manager creates and manages email marketing campaigns. They review email marketing metrics (open rates, clickthrough rates, spam reports and unsubscribes) to identify loopholes and improve future campaigns.
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Specialist
Average Annual Salary: $49,160
Required Education: Bachelor’s degree in digital marketing or information technology
Job Description: An SEO specialist optimizes a website to improve its rankings on search engines like Google. They may work with stakeholders like editors, writers, developers and other marketing team members to help ensure pages rank highly.
Social Media Manager
Average Annual Salary: $53,220
Required Education: Bachelor’s degree in marketing, journalism or communications
Job Description: A social media manager spearheads a company’s interactions with the public via social media. Their day-to-day responsibilities include identifying and leveraging social trends, planning digital campaigns for community building and engaging with customers online.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About Digital Marketing Degrees
Which degree is best for digital marketing?
The best digital marketing degree for you really depends on your career goals. A traditional (digital) marketing degree is a great option if you want to work solely as a digital marketer. However, if you want to widen your career options, a bachelor of business administration with a concentration in digital marketing is a good pathway.
Is digital marketing a good degree?
A digital marketing major is a good degree for anyone looking to enter the field of marketing today. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects a 10% employment growth rate for advertising and marketing managers from 2021 to 2031—indicating a steady demand for marketing professionals.
How long does it take for a digital marketing degree?
It typically takes four years to complete a digital marketing major and obtain a degree.
