One of the impacts that artificial intelligence is having on the digital marketing industry is that marketers are realizing anew the value of continuous learning. The writing is on the (social media) wall: those that fail to leverage AI will be the ones that will fall behind.
The best advice for digital marketing professionals feeling threatened by AI is to learn more about it. According to our AI Marketing Benchmark Report, the main reason for not using it yet is a lack of understanding. More than 40% feel that they lack the knowledge.
With all the online resources available, this doesn’t have to be the case. Plus, with increasingly more digital marketing schools offering remote learning, you can even enroll for a formal marketing qualification that covers digital marketing trends and other tools too.
We’ve done some of the preliminary research to offer a list of possible options. Whether you want to explore the social scene offline too or you’re later in your career and want to get on with it, you’ll find a digital marketing program to meet your needs.
Undergraduate Degrees and Options
1. University of Michigan-Dearborn
Location: Dearborn, Michigan, USA
Faculty/school: College of Business
Level: Undergraduate program with a major in Digital Marketing
Best for: Beginners
The University of Michigan’s business school offers an undergraduate program with the option to major in digital marketing. It will teach you how to use social media tracking, marketing data, and web analytics to make data-informed decisions.
Students get to select any two of the following courses:
- Data Mining for Business Intelligence
- Understanding Consumers
- Marketing Management
- Global Marketing and Consumer Culture
- Digital Communication Strategy
- Database Systems I
- IT Strategy
- Advanced Computer Applications
Those who are feeling especially ambitious can also major in Information Systems Management.
Topics covered:
- Social media marketing
- Email marketing
- Mobile strategies
2. Fashion Institute of Technology
Location: New York City, New York, USA
Faculty/school: School of Business and Technology
Level: Bachelor’s degree
Best for: Beginner marketers looking to work in the fashion industry
For those looking to enter the fashion industry specifically and work at one of the top fashion marketing agencies one day, there’s the Fashion Institute of Technology at the State University of New York. It offers a number of baccalaureate degree programs that incorporate an element of marketing.
You can, for example, major in Direct and Interactive Marketing which will teach you more about:
- Internet marketing
- Media planning
- Direct marketing communications
Aspiring fashion marketers will also have the chance to create multifaceted campaigns for real products.
After successful completion, you’ll be equipped to deal with creative matters, like writing ad copy, and have the skills to prepare financial plans.
Topics covered:
- Marketing for fashion industries
- Marketing communication
- Digital design
- Advertising
- Interactive marketing
3. Pace University
Location: New York City and Westchester, New York, USA
Faculty/school: Lubin School of Business
Level: Bachelor’s degree
Best for: Best for students looking for a hands-on learning experience
If you’re keen to explore areas like cybersecurity and emerging tech, this program will fancy your interests. Designed in partnership with the Seidenberg School of Computer Science and Information Systems, you’ll be able to tailor your marketing degree to these specialized fields.
All in all, the program also strikes a good balance between theory and practicality. Students will have a conceptual background, but also get introduced to tools to translate this knowledge into actionable strategies. What’s more, real-world projects are integrated and students have the opportunity to join an in-house consulting agency, Interactive and Direct Marketing Lab, to apply their knowledge further.
According to Pace University Career Services, 95% of 2022’s class are employed or studying further. From being a community manager to chief marketing officer (CMO), their Bachelor in Business Administration (BBA) in Digital Marketing will prepare you for various career options.
Topics covered:
- Online marketing strategy
- Visual analytics
- Information technology
4. University of Northern Iowa
Location: Cedar Falls, Iowa, USA
Faculty/school: David W. Wilson College of Business
Level: Undergraduate program with a major in Advertising & Digital Media
Best for: Students who want to combine marketing with management
One of the unique selling points of enrolling for this major is that you’ll also develop a solid skill set in management, economics, and accounting. Inclusion of these areas make their students more valuable marketers which have helped them to boast a career placement rate of over 95%. And, not just at any companies… Alumni are employed by the likes of Wells Fargo, Coca-Cola, and Target.
Also, students are engrossed in real-world situations. This helps them to reach data-driven decisions faster, another skill that sets them apart from fellow marketers.
Upon completion, students will not only be able to execute and analyze various types of digital campaigns, but they’ll also be up to speed with advertising trends and consumer behavior.
Topics covered:
- Search engine marketing (SEM)
- Search engine optimization (SEO)
- Web analytics
- Social media engagement
Postgraduate Options
5. Rutgers University
Location: New Brunswick, New Jersey, USA
Faculty/school: Business School Newark and New Brunswick
Level: Mini-MBA
Best for: Experienced marketers
Both experienced marketers and managers new to the industry can sign up for the mini-MBA. At the end of 10 3.5-hour modules, you’ll be able to design digital strategies, track your efforts, and analyze the numbers to evaluate the ROI.
What sets this program certificate apart from other digital marketing courses is that learning will take place in an interactive setting. This means that you can look forward to more personalized learning.
Another selling feature is that the curriculum also covers artificial intelligence. You’ll learn how to use AI as a marketing assistant to create human-centric experiences.
For those that prefer self-paced studying, it’s also available online as a 12-week program.
Topics covered:
- Paid search campaigns
- Key performance indicators (KPIs)
- Digital innovation
6. Purdue University
Location: Online
Faculty/school: Presented by Purdue University in collaboration with Meta and Simplilearn
Level: Postgraduate program
Best for: Experienced marketers that can set more than six months aside
While this course offers the flexibility of online learning, you need to be able to commit eight months. That said, you’ll still be able to complete it while you work.
What makes it one of the best courses is that it takes a hands-on approach. You’ll explore Harvard Business Publishing case studies to unlock the marketing secrets from global brands and learn the ins and outs of dozens of digital marketing tools like Hootsuite, GetResponse, and Semrush. Included in this list of tools is ChatGPT and a whole module is allocated to AI, automation and emerging technology.
Another selling point is that it offers a wide range of electives. This way, you can tailor your learning to the areas that you want to specialize in, whether that’s affiliate marketing, blogging, or B2B marketing.
Upon successful completion, you’ll earn a joint Purdue-Simplilearn Digital Marketer Certificate. Plus, you’ll also be able to join Purdue University Alumni Association, voted the seventh most innovative school in the USA.
Topics covered:
- Website creation
- SEO
- SEM
- Mobile marketing
- Content strategy
- Paid campaigns
7. Santa Clara University
Location: Online
Faculty/school: Leavey School of Business
Level: Master’s
Best for: Experienced marketers
Located in the Silicon Valley, Santa Clara University offers the right backdrop to sharpen your marketing skills. In fact, this Online Master of Science (MS) in Marketing was shaped by some of Silicon Valley’s global marketing names and industry leaders from Intuit, Google, and RSA Security giving their input.
It’s one of the most intense courses and will span across four 10-week quarters. That said, part-time enrollments are accommodated. Also, while you can complete it online, bear in mind that there will be one on-campus residency weekend during which you’ll complete the first course exploring marketing trends and tech.
After that, there are 14 courses to go before you can land that management role. With this postgrad qualification, you can apply for roles like CMO, account director, or vice president of operations.
Topics covered:
- Brand management
- Market research
- Marketing technology
- Consumer behavior and psychology
- Marketing strategies and analytics
Online Options
8. University of Washington Professional & Continuing Education
Location: Online
Faculty/school: UW Professional & Continuing Education
Level: Certificate program
Best for: Students who want to learn/refresh the foundations of digital marketing and can set aside more than six months
Whether you’re looking to switch to a career in digital marketing or already in the field and looking to advance, this certificate program will cover the foundations and more. It will explore a wide range of strategies used to generate more online traffic, website optimization, and the basics of forecasting, attribution, and budgeting.
It also has a strong practical component. You’ll explore how to use Google Analytics and other tools to measure and optimize your efforts. Then, you’ll also be asked to create a paid media plan and a comprehensive digital marketing plan.
Students are given the option to join real-time online meetings or skip the meetings. If you prefer to interact with students and your instructors, the duration is nine months (only one month longer than the option without meeting time).
Topics covered:
- SEO
- Digital advertising
- Email marketing
- Marketing automation
- Affiliate marketing
9. Google’s Fundamentals of Digital Marketing
Location: Online
Presenter: Google
Level: Online course
Best for: Beginners
Aimed at beginners, Google offers a free, interactive online course that covers the basics of digital marketing. It’s rated as one of the best digital marketing courses and comprises 26 modules created by Google trainers. Modules range between 15 minutes to over an hour, with most averaging about 30 minutes.
The course kicks off with four modules on how to take your business online. Next, you’ll learn about how to use social media and search so that your target audience can easily find your new online business. While it focuses on targeting local audiences, it also includes a module about how you can expand your reach globally.
After taking the final assessment, you’ll receive an award that you can share on LinkedIn.
Topics covered:
- Search ads
- Content marketing
- Social media marketing
- Display advertising
- Analytics
Options Abroad
10. University College Dublin
Location: Dublin, Ireland
Faculty/school: UCD Professional Academy
Level: Diploma
Best for: Business owners or beginner digital marketers
This detailed professional course is one of the most flexible options. Aside from the flexible start dates and ability to complete it part-time or full-time, you can also choose between live online or on-campus classes.
If you prefer part-time studying, you’ll have one, weekly three-hour lecture for 12 weeks. These live online lectures will take place in the evening - another example of how the course leaders try to accommodate everyone.
For those who can afford to be a full-time digital marketing student, there’s a five-day intensive bootcamp, also available online.
It covers three main areas: strategies, channels, and skills. You’ll learn how to create a strategy from scratch, which channels to use, and the skills needed to merge your strategy with the right channel.
Students are assessed based on a practical project. They’ll be tasked to create a marketing campaign which they’ll need to present to stakeholders.
Topics covered:
- SEO
- Paid search and social
- Email marketing
- Customer experience
- Content creation
11. London South Bank University
Location: London, the UK
Faculty/school: Southwark Campus
Level: BSc (Hons)
Best for: Beginner digital marketers
For something more challenging, you can check out this three-year, full-time degree. According to a student survey, 93% of students experienced that this course challenged them to deliver their best.
Accredited by the Chartered Institute of Marketing, it applies digital marketing skills practically to an array of situations. Plus, as it also includes a few soft skills, you’ll feel prepared to enter the job market. Then, to improve your chances of landing a job at one of the leading digital marketing agencies in the UK, you can also sign up for an extra placement year.
Topics covered:
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Marketing technologies
Frequently Asked Questions
Which are some of the top digital marketing schools in the USA?
According to sources from across the web, the following universities are rated as 10 of the top places to study digital marketing:
- Fashion Institute of Technology
- University of Michigan
- Pace University
- Sacred Heart University
- Arizona State
- University of Northern Iowa
- University of Washington
- Santa Clara University
- University of Pennsylvania
- University of Wisconsin
Are there any free online digital marketing courses that are worth it?
Beginners can check out Google’s Fundamentals of Digital Marketing online course. It’s free and includes a certificate. It’s very comprehensive and covers all the foundational knowledge. You’ll need about 40 hours to watch all the on-demand video tutorials. It’s also accredited by the Interactive Advertising Bureau.
Where can you learn more about how to use AI for marketing?
Both Rutgers University and Purdue University include an AI component in their digital marketing courses. The course offered by Rutgers takes the shape of a Mini-MBA and includes a whole module that will explain complex AI terms, why it’s so valuable, and how it can be used as a marketing assistant. Purdue’s course specifically looks at ChatGPT and AI tools like BlueWillow and Well Said Labs.
