Digital marketing has become an everyday part of life. Social media platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and Snapchat, search engines like Google and Bing, and even home devices like Alexa and Google Home are constantly serving digital advertisements. The digital marketing field was valued at just over $363 billion in 2023. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, marketing managers are highly paid professionals with a median salary of $156,580, and the demand for digital marketers is only expected to grow over the next decade.
Students are more interested than ever in careers in the field. In the last year, there’s been a 160% increase in new undergraduate enrollments in Digital Marketing and nearly all of the degree conferrals last year were from a program powered by Rize. Our leading Digital Marketing curriculum was designed to ensure graduates are prepared for successful careers in the field. Below we share what makes our program unique and highlight the recent changes we’ve made.
Despite the strong career prospects of people with digital marketing skills, very few colleges offer robust programs in the subject area. The primary reason for this is the significant challenge of keeping curricula current with the continuously evolving trends and technological innovations within digital marketing. As a result, most colleges instead offer traditional marketing curricula. While this is an excellent base for graduates, these curricula generally overlook the knowledge and skills required to deliver new digital marketing strategies, which are highly in demand by employers, especially for a student to differentiate at the entry level.
Our major in Digital Marketing is intended to integrate with existing college marketing curricula and provide students with the most vital and in-demand skills in the field. The program was developed in collaboration with Mala Chandra, who developed multiple core Java technologies, including J2EE, J2ME and Java Beans. In 2004, she was named one of the 25 most influential women in the development of the internet. She has developed courses in gamification, social media and other subjects for the University of Washington. The program has been continuously revised and updated with feedback from industry experts working at places such as Coca-Cola, Google, and McKinsey, to ensure the program is as relevant to the real world as possible.
In our courses, students learn about essential digital platforms for marketing including social media platforms, email, SMS, and search engines. Through hands-on projects designed with feedback from industry experts, students practice using the backend tools used for each platform, develop data analytics skills to interpret results for informed decision-making, and gain experience presenting their findings clearly and effectively. This program is also reviewed and revised every year to ensure that graduates achieve the most valuable skills possible and that the curriculum incorporates the most cutting-edge technologies and tools, such as Large Language Models and Generative AI tools.
Given the extensive range of career opportunities for Digital Marketing graduates, the following Program Learning Outcomes (PLOs) have been defined by the program Curriculum Committee.
By the end of this program, students will be able to:
Digital Marketing is a highly competency-based domain. The ability to show prospective employers that you have mastered particular skills - as verified by respected observers - provides graduates of our program with a distinct advantage in the hiring process. Upon completion of this major, students attain certifications from Hubspot and Google.
Hubspot is a widely-used marketing software, and their digital marketing certifications are an industry standard in showing competency in foundational digital marketing concepts, as well as basic exposure to their popular tools. Students will have the opportunity to earn Hubspot certificates in Social Media Marketing Strategy, Email Marketing, Content Marketing, and Search Engine Optimization that are embedded in the course curriculum.
Google Analytics and Google Ads are essential for digital marketing analytics, growth marketing, and Search Engine Strategy (SEM). Students will have the opportunity to earn certificates in Google Analytics 4 Certification and Google Ads Search Certification. All of these certificates are industry standards and their completion signals to employers that students have hands-on experience.
Our Digital Marketing program was developed to be outcomes focused by leveraging our unique approach to curriculum development and course design, bringing together academic experts and industry leaders to form curriculum committees alongside instructional designers and instructors specializing in the online modality. Leveraging this collaborative approach, our Digital Marketing program was designed by:
In light of current industry trends, the curriculum committee recommended increasing focus on several topics, including CRM management, content marketing, and paid search channels across courses. Additionally, the curriculum committee proposed integrating AI tools into the program, as they are increasingly relevant to marketing careers.
In the long term, the committee recommended creating more opportunities for peer learning and communal activities, noting that the Digital Marketing program has the potential for such opportunities both within and between the different courses of the program.
Digital marketing is a field that constantly changes according to new trends in technologies, tools, and platforms. With our leading academic and industry experts and instructional design team, we can continuously update the program to ensure that it stays current with these developments. In our courses, students learn about digital marketing through hands-on projects that are relevant to real-world scenarios using industry standard tools. Students also learn how digital marketing connects to the overall sales and revenue goals of a business, and practice integrating that knowledge into the projects they do. By the end of the program, students have a portfolio of work, which provides a strong advantage during the job application process. Throughout the program, students are also guided on professional development actions to take and advised on job application goals and interview skills to further ensure they’re set up for career success.
If you’re interested in learning more about our practical, career-focused Digital Marketing program, request a call with our Academic Partnerships team.
