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The Ultimate Guide to Digital Marketing Degrees The Right Degrees for a Career in Digital Marketing

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Digital marketing is here to stay. More and more companies are moving away from traditional print, tv, and radio advertising in favor of digital marketing. If you’re wondering, “is a digital marketing degree worth it?” the answer is a resounding yes. Digital marketing is a hot field, and companies are on the hunt for professionals who are educated and eager to put their digital marketing skills to work. It’s also a perfect pandemic-proof career.

If you choose to go into digital marketing, you’ll need to decide whether you want a digital marketing certificate vs degree. Both of these options can prepare you well for a long career in the digital marketing field. In order to decide which option makes the most sense for you, check out the job requirements for your dream jobs. If most of the jobs that you see yourself pursuing in the future require a degree, then it’s a good idea to earn your bachelor’s. If the jobs you’re after require a combination of experience and experience-based education, it may make more sense for you to earn your certificate. 

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No matter which option you choose, be sure to talk with your employer about your education plans. When you talk with your employer about your plans further your education, it’s likely that they’ll be supportive of you learning more about an area of study that could benefit their business. Many employers offer partial or full tuition reimbursement – be sure to talk with your human resources team to find out if this is an option for you as you pursue your degree in digital marketing. 

Accreditation for Digital Marketing

When you earn your certificate, undergraduate degree, or graduate degree, it’s important to be sure that you’re taking accredited digital marketing courses online or in a traditional classroom setting. When you take accredited digital marketing courses, you’re ensuring that the classes you’re enrolled in have been through a rigorous approval process from an accreditation agency. 

Taking accredited online digital marketing courses isn’t only important for your personal education – it’s important to future employers as well. In today’s world of readily available online education, some schools don’t provide students with the education they need to be successful on the job. When you choose a school that offers accredited digital marketing courses, you can rest assured that you’re learning everything you need to be successful in a digital marketing professional position. 

There are two different important factors to consider when you look at accreditation for potential schools: regional accreditation and digital marketing specific accreditation. 

Regional Accreditation

If you’re getting started with an undergraduate program, it’s key to know that regional accreditation is heralded as the gold standard across the field of education. There are also some national accreditation agencies, but often, these accreditations are not as highly regarded as regional accreditations. The regional accreditation boards for colleges and universities in the United States are as follows: 

You should be able to clearly find out whether the schools you’re considering have regional accreditation by looking at their website. If you can’t find the information, reach out to the school’s admissions office to learn more. 

Digital Marketing Accreditation

Regional accreditation is appropriate for undergraduate, graduate, and certification programs in digital marketing. You may also find that some programs are accredited or recognized by the American Marketing Association and/or the Digital Marketing Institute. Both of these organizations are leaders in the digital marketing industry. 

Certificates In Digital Marketing

There are many people for whom earning certification through the best online digital marketing certificate programs may be a good fit. When you’re searching for the best online digital marketing certificates, it’s important to first consider whether earning a certificate is a good fit for your current educational and employment status. 

Earning a certificate can be completed in conjunction with an undergraduate or graduate degree, or can be completed on it’s own. Some of the best online digital marketing certificate programs only require a high school diploma, while other programs require that you’ve already completed your bachelor’s degree. Understanding what type of best online digital marketing certification makes the most sense for you is the right way to begin to narrow down your search. 

Digital Marketing Certifications

As you search for the best online digital marketing certificate, you’ll find that you have many options for completing your certification. It’s key that you find a certification program that makes sense for your career goals. Some programs cover social media marketing extensively, while others focus on one social media platform. Others cover website advertising, while some focus on video ads. In order to make the most of your certificate, you’ll want to be sure that you choose the best digital marketing certificate programs online for your personal career goals. 

Talking To Your Employer

As you search for the best digital marketing certificate online for your needs, you may want to talk to your current employer about the company’s advertising strategy in the coming years. If you’re not already in the marketing department, talking with your employer about what types of digital marketing skills will be most valuable to your company in the future can help to guide your decision of what certificate makes the most sense for you. 

If you’re not currently working, you’re likely more interested in the top certificates in digital marketing to get a job. In this case, take a look at the digital marketing trends in the industry you’re hoping to enter, and search for a digital marketing certificate that will allow you to thrive in your field. 

Digital Marketing Certificate Jobs

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After earning your digital marketing certificate, you’ll begin to look for entry-level digital marketing jobs. Finding an entry-level digital marketing job is likely to be easier than finding other jobs, as the career field is growing at nearly three times the growth level of other jobs in the United States. 

When you’re looking for entry-level digital marketing jobs, it’s important to consider the size of the company to which you’re applying. A smaller startup company will likely be more willing to take a chance on someone who is new to the field than a larger, well-established company. Starting with a small company when you’re looking for digital marketing entry-level jobs also is likely to give you more creative wiggle room to determine how you’d like to do the job. When you get your foot in the door on the ground level of a new company, you also get the chance to set the standard when it comes to their social media and other digital marketing, allowing you to create your own voice. This can be used as leverage down the line as you apply for other jobs in your professional future. 

Getting started with digital marketing entry level jobs after you earn your digital marketing certificate can be the perfect bridge professionally while you’re working to complete your bachelor’s degree. You’ll get hands-on experience at work that you can apply to your studies, and vice versa – you can apply what you’re learning in class to your professional career. This allows you to stay on top of the latest trends in the digital marketing industry, making you an invaluable contributor to the success of your company, even though you’re just getting started with entry level jobs in digital marketing. 

When you’re searching for entry-level jobs in digital marketing, remember that your career has potential to grow, and there’s no reason that you need to stay at the first digital marketing certificate jobs that you find. An entry-level digital marketing job is the perfect way to get the experience that you need to succeed professionally. Use your entry-level digital marketing job as leverage later in your professional career to show that you know how to jump into a digital marketing opening and help a company thrive. 

Bachelor’s In Digital Marketing

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Whether you’ve earned your digital marketing certificate or you’re just beginning to explore educational options in the field of digital marketing, starting your search for the best online digital marketing degrees is an exciting time. As you search for the best digital marketing degree programs, you’ll want to consider several factors as you find the school and program that are a good fit for your needs, including:

Let’s take a look at each of these factors that are important to consider as you search for the best digital marketing degrees. 

Program Structure

After you answer the question, “what is a digital marketing degree?” and decide that it’s indeed a good fit for your career goals, your next step is to figure out what type of digital marketing degree program structure makes the most sense for your needs. A fully online program may be ideal if you’re a nontraditional student who is already working a full time job, and need to take classes that allow you to work on your own time. Be sure to talk to your program advisor about scheduling, as some online programs require that you’re online at the same time as your professor and classmates, in order to engage in discussion and participate in virtual classes. A hybrid program can also be a great fit for students who require flexible scheduling. 

Alumni Statistics

One of the best ways to decide if a program is a good fit for you is to learn how the alumni are progressing in their career fields after graduation. Many schools feature alumni on their websites to give you an idea of the kind of career you can expect after you complete the program. You can also ask the admissions office for contact information of program alums who would be willing to speak to you about their experience in the program and how it helped their career. 

Accreditation

As mentioned earlier, it’s key that you consider accreditation as you search for the best digital marketing degree at the bachelor’s level. Ensure that the program(s) you’re considering have regional accreditation. This ensures that your program has been approved by an agency that’s known for educational excellence, and that your degree will hold weight when you begin to interview for jobs in the digital marketing field. 

Digital Marketing Degree Jobs 

As you’re wondering, “what can you do with a digital marketing degree?” it’s key to consider that your experience and education will be a key factor in what type of digital marketing degree jobs make sense for you. Let’s take a look at some of the jobs you can get with a digital marketing degree. 

Jobs With Digital Marketing Degree

  • Content strategist – As a content strategist, you’ll work with your company to develop and create content that drives customers to your company’s website and encourages them to partake in the company’s services. A digital marketing degree salary in this position can expect to earn around $80,000 per year. 
  • Virtual reality developer – If you’re wondering what jobs can you get with a digital marketing degree and you want to combine your creativity with your love for technology, working as a virtual reality developer may be a great fit for you. This high tech job allows you to draw on real world experiences and translate them to a digital world. Professionals in this position can expect to earn about $65,000 per year. 
  • SEO specialist – SEO stands for search engine optimization, and for companies that use digital marketing, SEO is worth it’s weight in gold. As an SEO specialist, you’ll work to create create content that makes your company pop up in the top results of search engines when potential customers search for related terms. Most professionals in this position earn around $62,000 per year. 
  • UX designer – A UX (user experience) designer works to ensure that each customer has a seamless experience when using a company’s technology. This job can include app development, website design, and more. The salary range for UX designers varies widely depending on experience, and can range from $50,000 to $150,000 per year. 
  • Email marketing specialist – You know that there are certain subject lines that can cause you to click on an email – but it can be tough to put your finger on exactly what makes you want to read more. As an email marketing specialist, you’ll be in charge of creating emails that interest customers and make them decide to click on your company’s emails. People in this position typically earn about $50,000 per year. 
  • Digital marketing manager – A digital marketing manager is in charge of all things related to getting customers to use the company’s product or service. People in this field need solid leadership and communication skills. This may not be an entry level position, depending on the company. A digital marketing degree salary in this position can reach $100,000 per year or more. 

Now that you know the answer to the question, “what can i do with a digital marketing degree?” let’s take a look at the career and education options in digital marketing after you complete your bachelor’s degree. 

Master’s In Digital Marketing

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At the master’s degree level, you’ll get a more in-depth knowledge of digital marketing skills. When you’re pursuing your online masters in digital marketing, you have the chance to dig deep into your niche, whether that’s social media, marketing leadership, email marketing, or another area of digital marketing. The best digital marketing master’s programs will depend greatly on where you’ve spent your professional experience up until this point. You’ll enjoy talking with students who have similar professional experience, and with professors who have dedicated years of their careers to becoming experts in your particular field of digital marketing. 

Many students who choose to search for the best master’s in digital marketing programs find that getting their masters in digital marketing online makes the most sense for their personal and professional lives. At the graduate school level, many students are also working full time and balancing other responsibilities outside of the classroom, making getting an online masters in digital marketing the best choice for furthering their education. 

When you’re searching for the best digital marketing master’s online, you’ll want to make many of the same considerations that you made when searching for the best bachelor’s degree programs. You’ll want to be sure that your masters in digital marketing online is accredited by a reputable source. When you earn the best online masters in digital marketing, you’ll likely find that your program is accredited by a digital marketing-specific organization, rather than by a regional accreditation board. This is normal and expected at the graduate level. 

Now, let’s take a look at some of the different career opportunities you can expect after you complete your online masters degree in digital marketing. 

Digital Marketing Master’s Jobs

When you’re thinking about getting your graduate education in digital marketing, you’re likely wondering, “what can I do with a masters in digital marketing?” There are many different options for jobs with a masters in digital marketing. Check out some of the different career options for masters in digital marketing jobs. 

  • Marketing strategist – As a marketing strategist at the master’s level, you’ll be well-respected as an expert in how to utilize digital media to promote the message of your business. You’ll work with high level executives in your company to figure out the message that you want to send to your target audience, and you’ll lead a team to develop the digital content needed to convey that message. A masters in digital marketing salary in this field is approximately $70,000 per year. 
  • Social media marketing expert – In this position, you’ll be in charge of staying on top of the latest social media platforms and trends. You’ll work to figure out how to best use social media to communicate with your customers, and you’ll develop strategies that can help increase the awareness of your brand. In this position, it’s essential to be willing to constantly learn on the job. Social media trends and platforms change constantly, and being able to switch up your strategies and platforms are a key piece of being successful in social media marketing. At the master’s level, you may be in charge of a social media marketing team, rather than working on the company’s social media on your own. It’s key to have great leadership and communication skills in this role, as miscommunications on how to present the company on social media can be disastrous to the company’s image. A masters in digital marketing salary in this field is around $50,000 per year. 
  • Web development – If you’re creative and enjoy the high tech aspect of the internet, working in web development may be a good fit for you. You’ll work to ensure that the company’s website and/ or app are streamlined with the company’s branding, and you’ll develop a user experience that makes it simple for your customers to access the services and products that your company provides. Much like a social media marketing expert, it’s key to be willing to learn on the job and change up strategies as trends come and go. You’ll also need to be willing to participate in continuing education in order to learn the latest tips and tricks of web development. A masters in digital marketing salary in this field is about $69,000 per year. 
  • Public relations – After you earn your masters in digital marketing, you may be interested in going into the field of public relations. In this field, you’re in charge of managing the image that the company has with the public. A public relations manager can work to improve a company’s image, or to maintain the good image that the company already has. Relationships, communication, and dedication to the brand are all key aspects of a successful public relations department. A masters in digital marketing salary in this field earns about $45,000 per year. 

Related Rankings:

Best Online Digital Marketing Certificates

Best Online Digital Marketing Bachelor’s Degrees

Best Online Digital Marketing Master’s

Ready to start your journey?

Ready to start your journey?