by Imed Bouchrika, Phd
Digital marketing involves promoting brands, products, and services on the Internet and other digital platforms. Students taking an online digital marketing degree will learn various promotional strategies and how to use different online marketing tools. These include email marketing software, SEO tool suites, and customer relationship management software.
An online bachelor’s degree in digital marketing also opens up plenty of opportunities with almost 3,000 entry-level job openings for professionals in the field (Indeed, 2023). Graduates can also specialize in search engine optimization (SEO), social media marketing, or search engine marketing (SEM).
To help students find the right schools that offer online degree programs in digital marketing, our researchers gathered all the valuable information they would need to achieve their academic goals.
Creative and computer-savvy students with strong communication skills can easily complete an online digital marketing degree. Similar to a face-to-face program, online degree courses in digital marketing usually require students to fulfill at least 120 credits. These include 69 credit hours in general education, 36 credit hours of online marketing courses, and 12 credit hours of electives.
Additionally, students have to complete a practicum course and a capstone course. Some companies offer 100% remote digital marketing internships. However, students can also opt to attend face-to-face internships. This can be an excellent opportunity for students to figure out their specialization.
Thus, students can take a digital marketing degree entirely online. They can even choose whether they want synchronous or self-paced online classes.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics, 2021
How employers perceive an online degree vary. For instance, employers are more likely to value students who completed their engineering degrees on campus than those who took it online. However, the reason behind this is because many subfields in engineering require practical application of theoretical lessons.
Nonetheless, 75% of hiring managers are open to hiring graduates with solely online education (FutureLearn, 2021). After all, online learners have traits that recruiters and employers value for the tech-driven landscape of modern businesses. These include working independently, being computer-savvy, and having strong technical skills.
Source: FutureLearn, 2021
Completing an online digital marketing degree allows students to earn the same qualifications as those who took a degree in marketing on campus. However, students must get their online digital marketing degree from a reputable and accredited college or university. After all, hiring managers nowadays are more concerned about where students acquired their degrees than how (FutureLearn, 2021).
To know whether an educational institution is accredited, students can check the United States Department of Education’s Database of Accredited Postsecondary Institutions and Programs (DAPIP). The database currently contains information on the 63 accredited colleges and universities and accrediting agencies that the government recognizes.
Research.com’s review experts pulled data from credible sources and created a list of colleges and universities offering an online digital marketing degree. The colleges and universities listed below were measured based on their academic rating, enrollment rate, affordability, and other key metrics.
The Southern New Hampshire University offers an Online Bachelor of Science in Marketing program. In this course, students will learn digital marketing strategies in a simulated environment. This will prepare them for a career that revolutionizes the marketing industry.
Students can learn about vital marketing functions by taking an Online Bachelor of Arts in Marketing at the American Public University. This includes product and service development, market research, strategy, and planning.
The Bellevue College offers a Bachelor of Applied Science in Digital Marketing. This program will give students a strong foundation in marketing fundamentals and digital skills like search engine optimization, display advertising, social media marketing, and more.
Taking an Online Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing from Maryville University prepares students with the skills needed to face the challenges ahead. This course will teach them about search engine marketing, content management, social media engagement, and more.
Taking an Online Bachelor of Science in Digital Marketing from Cambridge College will allow students to be digital-savvy marketers. This program will develop their creative, technical, and business talents, which they can leverage to achieve their career goals.
Similar to traditional degrees, an online digital marketing degree requires students to complete at least 120 credits. This usually takes four years to complete.
This program allows students to acquire knowledge and develop skills to promote a business, product, or service online. These include creating and managing ways to engage a target market.
What makes an online bachelor’s degree in digital marketing differ from traditional programs is that it offers the following benefits to students:
These benefits increase an online student’s level of satisfaction. The learning environment and devices can also make an impact.
The findings from a paper titled “Key Factors of Student Satisfaction with Distance Learning in the Situation of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Example of a Polish University,” published in the Journal of e-Learning and Higher Education, is instructive on this point. It states that “there are some positive features of distance learning in a crisis like the COVID-19, such as: comfortable learning environment and efficient use of time, while network instability and reduced concentration (e.g., caused by the presence of other household members) turned out to be the causes of students’ complaints, and, thus, lowered their sense of satisfaction with online classes (Shim & Lee, 2020).”
Whether online degree programs in digital marketing are more affordable than in-person tuition will depend on various factors. Colleges and universities often charge online students on a per-credit basis. Thus, an online student that pays $285 per credit will spend at least $34,200 for the entire program.
The state of residency is another factor to consider. Out-of-state students are often charged higher tuition. However, some colleges and universities charge flat tuition for online students regardless of where they live.
Depending on your college or university, you might also be charged technology fees. These fund the maintenance of a school’s network infrastructure and the implementation of new technologies within the educational institution.
Source: CollegeBoard, 2022
As mentioned, hiring managers pay more importance on where students acquired their online degree courses in digital marketing instead of how. One reason is that online students earn the same qualifications as those who take on-campus classes. This shows that employers take an online degree seriously.
In relation to this, having an online degree in digital marketing allows graduates to earn well. The average annual salary of a digital marketing specialist is more than $63,000 (Talent.com, 2023). This is more than quadruple the federal minimum wage.
The estimated cost of pursuing an online digital marketing degree ranges from $8,250 to $32,000 per academic year. On the other hand, on-campus tuition can cost between $10,940 and $39,400 (CollegeBoard, 2022).
| Online Learning | In-campus Learning | |
|---|---|---|
| Public In-state | $8,250 | $10,940 |
| Public Out-of-state | $18,600 | $28,240 |
| Private | $32,000 | $39,400 |
| *Values are estimates |
It is a misconception that an online degree is more affordable than on-campus tuition. Truthfully, 4 out of 10 colleges and universities price their online programs similar to their on-campus equivalents (CHLOE 4, 2020). In many cases, online programs only appear more affordable because they eliminate transportation costs as well as room and board fees.
Completing an online digital marketing degree endorsed by an accredited college or university can help graduates land well-paying jobs. They can also use it as a stepping stone to earning a graduate degree. As such, taking it up is well worth the effort.
Whether you earn your online degree from a public or private university, you can have the same opportunities as those who took up traditional programs. It might even enable you to work and earn professional experience while you are still in school due to the flexibility that online degrees offer.
Students who are dynamic, analytical, and creative can pursue an online digital marketing degree. This program discusses the online marketing strategies graduates can use to promote a business, product, or service. That said, colleges and universities impose admission requirements to ensure students can handle the demands of this course.
There are various admission requirements for online degree courses in digital marketing. Depending on the college or university, students must submit the following:
An online degree in digital marketing can help students develop their ability to connect with consumers using various digital platforms. That said, we have listed below some of the critical skills that students must develop throughout the program:
Students taking an online digital marketing degree need a personal computer or laptop and a fast internet connection. It will be helpful if their devices also have the following specifications:
Recommended Operating Systems
Hardware Specifications
A laptop or PC with the above specifications allows students to access some of the schools’ best learning management software. Other than that, it is recommended that students also have a webcam and noise-canceling headsets. This is to eliminate background noise during online class participation.
Source: Darius, Gundabattini, & Solomon, 2021
An online digital marketing degree equips students with the skills and qualifications needed to get some of the most in-demand digital marketing jobs. Below are some of the courses that students can expect when taking an online bachelor’s degree in digital marketing:
Source: Indeed, n.d.
An online digital marketing degree allows students to land a well-paying job and work in various industries. One reason is that every business thrives on sales and needs marketing to make it happen. Graduates can also choose to work within an organization or a marketing agency.
That said, students must consider the following factors to ensure that their online degree can help them achieve their career goals:
As mentioned, employers will take online degree programs in digital marketing seriously if it comes from an accredited and reputable college or university. Enrolling in an accredited school also qualifies students for federal financial aid. Thus, students can check DAPIP and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) to see if their preferred college or university is accredited.
Some schools may include online degree courses in digital marketing in their business programs. Hence, students must ensure that a program has the proper programmatic accreditations from any of these agencies:
Colleges and universities offer merit-based and talent-based scholarships. They may also offer discounts to dependents of their faculty and active and veteran U.S. military personnel.
Additionally, some organizations offer scholarships to marketing students. These include the Gucci Changemakers Scholarship Awards Program and The Floyd Mayweather Jr. Foundation.
Online degree courses in digital marketing teach students the fundamentals of various strategies like SEO, display advertising, and social media marketing. While being a generalist has its advantages, having a specialization also provides career opportunities to graduates. That said, consider enrolling in a program that has subjects focusing on different digital marketing specialization.
While professional certifications are not required, being certified increases graduates’ chances of getting the job they want. It also allows them to further their knowledge in their chosen specialization.
Some of the digital marketing certifications that students can consider are:
Source: Indeed, n.d.
Earning an online digital marketing degree will allow students to be part of the workforce, where they can help businesses connect with their target markets. As the demand for advertising, promotions, and marketing managers is expected to grow by to 10% in 2031 (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2022), it is safe to say that this career has a positive job outlook.
Completing an online bachelor’s degree in digital marketing from a reputable school is an essential first step toward a career that lets graduates help businesses to thrive. It will also teach the skills needed to promote a product or service like conducting market research, developing and implementing marketing strategies, and maintaining content management software.
That said, it is recommended that students enroll in an accredited college or university that can prepare them to pursue a digital marketing career. Doing so can help them land a well-paying job that allows them to help businesses succeed.
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by Imed Bouchrika, Phd
by Imed Bouchrika, Phd
by Imed Bouchrika, Phd
by Imed Bouchrika, Phd
by Imed Bouchrika, Phd
