Digital marketing is not academic.
The whole point of doing a masters in digital marketing is to be able to do real work in digital media marketing soon after completion of the degree/certification.
That’s why a good training program always includes a good amount of hands-on practice and a mandatory internship.
I have written this article to help people who are looking to do a master’s in digital marketing online.
This article is not just a list of colleges.
I have tried to answer the following questions in this article:
- Are you eligible for a master’s in digital marketing?
- Why may you consider doing a master’s in digital marketing?
- Is a master’s in digital marketing worth it?
- How to find a useful master’s training program in digital marketing?
- What are some good institutes/colleges for master’s in digital marketing?
Table of Contents
All about Masters in Digital Marketing
The good thing about learning digital marketing is that you can learn it remotely.
Why? Because all the stuff that we learn and practice here is online.
Every college or institute had to move online during the coronavirus pandemic. But it gave us an effective way to learn something like IT or digital advertising right from our homes.
I also joined a training institute to study digital marketing during the pandemic.
I was doubtful if online training would work out at all but here I am doing work in an internship right after completing my training.
I am saying all this because some of the good master’s programs offer online training.
Let’s begin with the answers.
Are you eligible for masters in digital marketing?
In most institutes, the first requirement is a related (or any) bachelor’s degree of course.
Secondly, the institutes may demand some work experience also.
Other entry requirements for master’s programs are English language requirements for foreign universities.
Such the PGDM by Simplilearn in association with Purdue University, Indiana requires both.
But there are institutes also that are open to freshers.
Such institutes do not demand any bachelor’s degree and work experience. They are trying to narrow down the skills gap among youngsters.
For example, Executive Program in Digital Marketing by Digital Vidya and Deakin University, Australia
This training program requires you to have some decent knowledge of English, computer, and the Internet.
Why you may consider doing a master’s in digital marketing?
In my case, I enrolled in a master’s course just after my graduation thinking I could start working soon after completing the course.
Well, it went just like that.
It was tough at the start though. I had never studied marketing but as I started practicing it became clearer.
Just after completing the training course, I joined an internship to do content writing.
Reasons to join Digital Marketing Masters Program :
I think you may join a masters program for the following reasons:
1. To start a career
India has the second-largest online audience. So the scope of a digital marketing career in India is looking bright.
See the number of jobs in India listed here on the Naukri portal, it’s over 1,00,000!!!
2. To upskill as a working professional
Upskilling is important for professional development.
According to a joint survey by TalentLMS, Workable and Training Journal –
After the coronavirus outbreak, 42% of companies ramped up their upskilling/reskilling efforts and 42% of employees started training on their own.
3. To start a digital business/agency or scale up an existing one.
For example, an advertising agency needs marketing communications to acquire more clients.
4. To learn with a hands-on approach
5. To learn from experts who are working professionals and even entrepreneurs.
6. To interact with mentors, other professionals and build a helpful network with these people.
For example, LinkedIn is a great professional platform to build a meaningful network.
Is a master’s in digital marketing worth it?
If you are interested in learning digital marketing, then surely the training program will be worth your time and money.
It gives you a head start in your digital marketing career.
How? With following aspects of the program:
First-hand practice
A good training program will assist you with first-hand practice in real-world projects, case studies, digital marketing strategy plans, and mandatory internships.
Learn from well-experienced faculty
The trainers or mentors in good institutes are often experienced working professionals that know the ins and outs of their niche.
Networking opportunities
You’ll get to interact with working professionals in your peer group and mentors through digital technologies.
Learning material at your fingertips
You’ll have access to curated learning content and class sessions that help you when you get stuck or have to revise the basics.
Do it from home
When you take an online training course from home you save considerable expenses, traveling time, and have more time with your family.
See advantages of online learning.
Plus, you also get accustomed to remote working. Many companies want digital marketers to work from home.
On the other hand, you can be a professional digital marketer by self-learning also.
It’s harder than a guided program/course and you have no ready learning material, mentors, classes, certifications, QnA support, an internship opportunity, and placement assistance.
If you have a knack for studying consumer behaviour, helping people, creativity, problem-solving, disrupting marketing, strategic marketing practice, brand management, etc. then this is the right path to be on.
How to find a useful master’s training program in digital marketing?
Go on Google or any search engine and there are plenty of master’s programs with everyone claiming to be the best.
Deciding on a useful program becomes difficult with so many choices.
And I’ve already mentioned that there are not only a few best training programs.
I think a good one with the following features is sufficient:
Hands-on learning approach
It’s a practical domain. There is no other way to learn it than practicing relevant skills involved.
A good curriculum requires you to learn to promote a website like professionals, do tasks and case studies during the training.
Expert guidance and support
What’s better than learning from the professionals who have been doing it for significant years?
They’re there to help if you get stuck somewhere. You also get their feedback on your task submissions.
They even guide you regarding your career path.
A comprehensive and revised curriculum
This domain is constantly changing.
New updates to search-engines, online marketing policies, business analytics tools, and services used require professionals to stay aware of these changes.
So a good curriculum should be revised and cover new topics.
Some of the core topics are SEO, SEM, email marketing, social media marketing, global marketing analytics, content marketing, marketing automation, e-commerce marketing, mobile marketing, project management, etc.
Integrated learning platform
This comes in very handy.
One organized platform for the learning material, class recordings, certifications, chat, QnA support, friends list, etc. is very efficient.
They make the customer experience seamless.
Networking opportunities
You can make a useful professional network from your training program too.
You’ll get opportunities to interact with mentors and your peer group.
And you can even get work opportunities among your network.
See this survey result from LinkedIn.
Guaranteed internship opportunity and work placement assistance
Freshers rarely get hired in full-time jobs. An internship helps you to gain important work experience and enhances your skills.
So a guaranteed internship in a program is a must.
For example, the Executive Program by Digital Vidya provides a guaranteed paid internship.
And in the same program, you’ll get to sit in a pre-booked job interview with a few of its reputable associated companies.
I think this feature makes a training program good value for money.
Do your research
Assess your requirements, your goals, and then research about the useful institutes/colleges to choose the right one.
Research online, call customer support, or take a demo session to find if the training program is suitable for you or not.
You may even reach out to the alumni of a particular institute on LinkedIn.
Always remember, your purpose is to acquire real-work skills and be job-ready after the training.
What are some good institutes/colleges for master’s in digital marketing?
In my opinion, there are not only a few best courses/programs.
So in case, you cannot enroll in top universities or colleges for a master’s you have other useful options also.
Any good institute will give you the right knowledge and opportunity to practice the required skills in this domain.
I’ve already mentioned some points to help you choose the right institute or program for yourself.
Not all programs are like conventional master’s programs. Today things have changed and students are looking for short-duration impactful training programs.
Now, let’s take a look at some useful master’s programs:
1. Digital marketing courses by Digital Vidya
Established in 2009, they’re a professional training company that trains individuals as well as corporate employees.
They’re official training partners with Google and Microsoft India.
They offer 2 advanced courses in digital marketing.
– Executive Program in Digital Marketing in association with Deakin University, Australia.
– Certified Digital Marketing Master Course (CDMM)
Apart from that they also offer courses in Data Science, Data Analytics, and 10 other niche certifications.
A free demo class is also available here.
Training experience: 12+ years
Credentials: Deakin University, Digital Vidya, Facebook, LinkedIn, Google, and Hubspot certifications
Individuals taught: 61,000+
Eligibility: English language requirement, basic computer and internet literacy
LMS, Mode of training, and Duration: Lifetime access to LMS, online course (due to Covid-19) and 10 months for executive and 4-7 months for CDMM.
Availability: Global
Costs: INR 1,50,000 + taxes for executive program; INR 25k to 75k for master program (CDMM); Flexible payments and no-cost EMI available
Internships and placements: Guaranteed 3-month internship with a stipend of INR 20,000 from the executive program and pre-booked job interviews.
2. Post-Graduation Programme by IIDE
Indian Institute of Digital Education was established in 2016, they have 4 branches in Mumbai at Andheri, Mulund, Churchgate, and Navi Mumbai.
They offer 3 types of courses: PG in digital marketing (offline), an online course, and short-term certifications.
A free demo class is available here.
Training experience: 5 years
Credentials: IIDE certification plus other
Individuals taught: 60,000+
Eligibility: Graduate (with IIDE Admissions Test) for PG course and 12th pass for the online course.
LMS, Mode of training, and Duration: No mention of LMS, both online and offline modes and 11 months for offline while 3 months for online training.
Availability: Global
Costs: PG Course – INR 4,00,000 + Taxes; Online Course – INR 72,000 + Taxes; zero cost EMI available.
Internships and placements: 2-month internship for PG course and no internship for an online course but guaranteed placement support.
3. PGDM by Simplilearn and Purdue University, Indiana
The application process consists of 3 simple steps. After filling out an online application form, an offer of admission will be made to the selected candidates.
After enrolment, 6-credit concentration transfer for Purdue MS in Communication degree.
Masterclasses from Purdue faculty and Ask Me Anything sessions by Facebook.
No mention of a demo class here.
Training experience: Not mentioned
Credentials: Purdue university certification and alumni status
Individuals taught: Not mentioned
Eligibility: Graduate with at least 2 years of work experience
LMS, Mode of training and Duration: LMS by SimpliLearn, 6 months online training
Availability: Global
Costs: INR 1,10,000 plus taxes; Zero cost EMI available
Internships and placements: Internship not mentioned but live projects and Harvard business case studies; IIMJobs Pro Membership for 6 months and placement assistance.
4. MSc in Digital Marketing, Salford Business School, the University of Salford (Salford District), UK
The MSc Digital Marketing is the only route available for international students
Online open days are available for MSc Digital Marketing. These days include a range of talks, Q&A, and tours to learn more about master’s courses from this business school.
They also have representatives in India whom you can meet even online on specific days.
Credentials: University certification
Eligibility: Graduate in a business or related field, relevant work experience
Duration: Full-time – 1 year; With placement – 2 years and part-time – 2 years.
Availability: City of Salford
Costs: £15300 (per year)
Internships and work placements: You have to source your internship or placement with the full support of the University then complete your dissertation.
Other options to complete your dissertation are the Industry Collaboration Project Applied dissertation or Entrepreneurship dissertation.
Some other good universities providing this program are:
Digital Marketing Management MSc by Coventry University (Coventry), UK
It’s a 1-year program and costs around £17,900 (per academic year)
Middlesex University London (London)
1-year program and costs around £16,800 (per year.
University of Essex Colchester Campus (Colchester), UK
2-year online program and costs around £11,570 (per year)
University of Liverpool (Liverpool), UK
30-month online program and costs around £18,000 (per year)
Final thoughts
One thing I observed when I completed my master digital marketing program is that however good the curriculum, the mentors, learning material, and the certifications are, what ultimately matters is your skillset.
The list of the best or top or good institutes/universities/colleges for master’s in digital marketing may vary from blog to blog but:
Always focus on the hands-on practice you get to do in the training program.
And then the internships (they help make your skills concrete).
If I missed anything or you want to ask something, please don’t hesitate to put that in the comments, I’ll be happy to help.
Good luck!
FAQs
What are the career prospects after a master’s in digital marketing?
The demand for digital marketing professionals has been increasing and is expected to rise in the future.
It’s reasonable as the online audience and online business management activity are going up.
According to a 2018 Tech Pro Research survey, 70% of respondents told their companies either have a digital transformation strategy in place or are working on one.
Some common job prospects for freshers are:
Digital marketing manager, SEO executive, social media executive, PPC specialist, web analytics expert, email marketing manager, content writer, etc.
Other job prospects:
Artist – You may have artistic talents that you can promote using marketing.
Freelancing – Do freelancing in different sub-niches.
Business/Agency owner – E-commerce or digital marketing services
Are 1-year or lesser duration programs in digital marketing better than 2-year master’s programs?
I think 1-year or lesser duration programs are better because:
- They are more affordable.
- They save your time.
- They’re more suitable for working professionals.
- You can spend more time on practical learning rather than theoretical.
- You have the opportunity to do the real work sooner in internships or full-time jobs.
Why should someone enroll in executive programs in digital marketing?
The executive programs as the name suggests are for working professionals.
You get these benefits in them:
- They are more focused on hands-on training.
- You can widen your skillset thus get more work opportunities.
- You can even switch your career with an executive program.
- Taking this course can get you a higher-earning job.
- New knowledge and skills can also help you to start or scale up your business.
- You get networking opportunities with other similar professionals.
Which countries are good for doing master’s in digital marketing?
Right now you can access the best of the courses anywhere in the world that has the internet.
Many top universities have launched online digital marketing training programs.
Digital Marketing is a practical field and someone can be an expert in it with work experience only.
So a lot of countries have these great courses/programs.
You don’t have to, for instance, move to Canada for obtaining training in digital marketing. You can do it very well at your home.
Can I do a master’s in digital marketing online?
Absolutely. Many good universities are offering whole courses online.
The online method is more effective than offline.
Why? Here are some reasons:
- Digital marketing is all online. So you can practice and work from home.
- You save significant expenses and time.
- Flexible timings make online learning suitable for working professionals.
- Learn from the best of the trainers that otherwise are not generally available offline.
- You can learn in your environment.
- You have more time to spend with family, do hobbies, exercise and learn other skills.
