Best Digital Marketing Degrees Online
Updated April 6, 2023 · 5 Min Read
Online Bachelor’s Degrees in Digital Marketing
Facebook, Twitter, Instagram – these are all household names and have become central in the field of digital marketing. Digital marketing simply refers to the idea and practice of realizing marketing goals by applying digital media and technologies. Digital Marketing includes engaging a variety of digital phenomena, including technology, platforms, devices, media, and data, all the aim of bringing new and emerging technologies to bear on the age-old practice of persuasion. And if the business of digital marketing is reaching new customers or staying in touch with already established affiliates through digital platforms, then the market is booming.
According to Google, businesses utilizing digital marketing strategy today are likely to see 2.8 times more revenue moving forward. Students who pursue a degree in digital marketing or internet marketing have several career pathways open to them, including advertising and promotion manager, media buyer, marketing manager, social media specialist, and fundraising.
If you’re additionally interested in a Green Job, then you should consider the career pathway of a Green Marketer which is someone who works to sell products based on the proven or perceived environmental benefit of the product. According to the United States’ Bureau of Labor Statistics, the number of opportunities in the broad field of digital marketing is expected to grow by around 10% over the next decade, outpacing the seven percent average for occupations as a whole.
Meanwhile, the median pay for advertising, promotions, and marketing is reportedly very generous at $132,620. So, if you are considering a career in digital marketing, or you want to enhance your skills and marketability to potential employers, then check out the 5 Best Online Bachelor’s Degrees in Online Marketing.
Questions About Online Digital Marketing Degrees
What can I do with a digital marketing degree?
Digital marketing degree-holders can work as advertising, promotions, and marketing managers. They can also become social media managers.
How much does an online marketing degree cost?
On average, an online degree at public four-year schools costs over $10,000 less than an in-person degree. Online college costs vary based on degree-completion time and enrollment status.
How much can you make with a degree in digital marketing?
Marketing managers make a median annual salary of $141,490, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). The BLS projects job growth of 10% between 2020-2030 for this occupation. Salary potentials vary by employer and experience level.
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What Can I Do With a Degree in Digital Marketing?
Students who pursue a degree in digital marketing have many career options. For example, they can work as a digital marketing specialist. These professionals research marketing trends, work with clients to make ads, and choose ad placements. They also help publish or produce campaigns. According to Jan. 2022 Payscale data, digital marketing specialists earn an average annual salary of $50,700.
Students who like social media can use their digital marketing skills to become social media managers. These professionals work with clients to create social media campaigns and strengthen customer engagement. In addition, they track performance across social media platforms. According to Payscale, as of Jan. 2022, social media managers earn an average of $52,860 annually.
Types of Marketing Degrees
Marketing provides students with many specialization options. Below, we list a few examples of marketing degrees. Keep in mind that degree and concentration options vary by school.
- Digital Marketing: Students who major in digital marketing learn how to market for clients using digital platforms and online campaigns. Learners may take courses focused on entrepreneurship and business communication.
- Social Media Marketing: Social media marketing focuses on helping clients reach an audience through social media platforms. Coursework for a degree in social media marketing can include media writing and social media marketing strategy.
- Content Marketing: Pursuing a degree in content marketing teaches students how to create content for a client. Learners explore publishing content on various outlets and tracking marketing to meet goals. Students can find content marketing concentration and certificate options.
- Advertising: Advertising jobs can look different depending on the company or client. However, most advertisers watch market trends and growth, test ideas and ads for clients, and conduct market research. Many schools pair advertising degrees with marketing courses to prepare students for the job market.
Top Online Marketing Schools Rankings
Arizona State University is the largest of the ASU campuses and enrolls over 50,000 students annually. Through the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication. ASU offers a Bachelor of Arts in Mass Communications and Media Studies. The program requires 120 total credits and classes run for seven and a half weeks. The program includes lower division courses like Fundamentals of Coding, Media and Society, or Media Issues in American Pop Culture. Students are required to take 45 credits in upper division courses, which include classes like History of Mass Communications, International Mass Communication, and Audience Acquisition and Engagement.
ASU also offers a Fast Track option. This option allows students to compress their four-year degree into three years. This requires that students take classes during the summer. Students must speak with an advisor to be added to the program and will need to check to see if it impacts any financial aid for which they have qualified. The WCSJMC is regularly ranked as one of the leading schools of journalism in the country and has won numerous awards for the quality of students that they produce and the faculty who teach at the school. The school has also received recognition for student reporting. The tuition is $555 per credit hour.
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Appalachian State University is a public university that annually enrolls over 19,000 students and which is part of the University of North Carolina system. The school offers an online Bachelor of Science in Communication, Advertising degree. A unique aspect of general education is the focus on writing, and students are required to take different courses in the area. The major is composed of 45 credit, with 30 hours rooted in core courses like Thinking Through Communication, Foundations in Advertising, and Social Media Strategies. Students are then required to complete an additional nine credits in, either, a Business or Creative concentration. The BE includes classes like Media Planning, Media Sales, and Communication in Organizing, while the CE includes classes like Introduction to Media Publishing, Media Graphics, and Copywriting for Advertising.
Students are also required to pursue a minor. There are several suggested options including Psychology, Political Science, Marketing, English, and Art, though the two most strongly recommended are Business and Sociology. Students will also have additional elective credits left over, the number of which will depend on the minor that they choose. The degree costs $163 per credit hour for in-state students and $663 for out-of-state students. At least 54 credits of the degree must be taken at ASU.
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New York University’s Division of Applied Undergraduate Studies in the School of Professional Studies offers a hybrid 130-credit Bachelor of Science in Digital Communications and Media that combines online courses with traditional face-to-face instruction. All of the courses in the general education program can be taken online. The major includes 80 credits which are split between different disciplines. Students are required to take 44 credits in DCM courses which include classes like Digital Media Management, Media History: Art, Design, and Technology, Engaged and Participatory Media, and Content Strategy CX for Digital Media, as well as several design courses that deal with topics like time and space, building a website, and audio recording.
Students then take 16 credits in one of two concentrations. The Interactive Media concentration includes classes in programming, as well as additional courses that deepen skills in design and deal with topics like dynamic interfaces. The Time-Base Media concentration deepens student understanding in things like cinematography, animation, and special effects. Students also take an additional 16 credits in electives within DCM, and they have a graduation project which includes the creation of a portfolio site where students can display work already completed in the program. Rounding out the program are 16 credits in electives.
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Located in Corvallis, Oregon State University is the largest university in the state of Oregon. A public research university, the school enrolls over 30,000 students in its over 200 different degree programs. OSU offers a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a concentration in Digital Marketing. OSU operates on a quarter system, and the BSBA degree requires 180 credits for graduation. Upper division courses include classes like Managing Ethics and Corporate Social Responsibility, Operations Management, and Applied Quantitative Methods. The DM concentration includes six different courses that deepen student knowledge of concepts, technologies, and practices used in online marketing ventures. Classes include Search Engine Marketing, Consumer Behavior, and Integrated Marketing Communications.
Program cost runs at $317 per credit with additional fees, such as the matriculation fee. OSU accepts transfer, but at least 45 in upper division classes must be taken through the school. The online programs at OSU have an excellent reputation and were recently ranked No. 3 nationally for its online bachelor’s programs by U.S. News & World Report.
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California Baptist University offers a Bachelor of Arts in Graphic Design and Digital Media. The major builds on the general education curriculum which includes 40-43 credits. Students must pass three prerequisite courses to take basic courses in the major. These include Basic Drawing, Composition, and Intermediate Composition. Among the lower level requirements are courses like Fundamental Typography, Fundamental Web, and Fundamental Design. Upper division courses include History of Graphic Design, While intermediate and advanced courses include design, typography, image, and understanding the web. As a capstone experience, students are required to show the body of work they have accumulated throughout their career at CBU in the Graphic Design Senior Show.
Preparation, refinement, and participation in this experience also count within the major. Students also have around 30 credits of electives for another minor or, potentially, another major. The online program at CBU is designed for working adults and classes to start every eight weeks. CBU is a very transfer friendly institution and will accept up to 100, though classes will be reviewed for their transferability and must have been passed with a C- or better. Cost is around $589 per credit or unit, and CBU offers several scholarships to qualified students, and will also assist students in finding other grants, scholarships, or loans to help pay tuition.
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