MA
Digital Marketing
Combine marketing insight with a true understanding of digital media
Course Overview
Why take this course?
Tap into the mass of developing technologies and learn to apply the knowledge and practical experience of digital media to the expanding marketing arena.
You will become aware of current practices in digital media marketing and receive first-hand experience of them. Ultimately, you will gain an in-depth understanding of digital media techniques within the marketing context.
What will I experience?
On this course you can:
- Benefit from advice and interaction with our many professional visiting speakers
- Apply live case studies to your coursework through the wide links we have with companies and organisations
- Work in our computer labs, exploring the latest marketing software systems and media application software
What opportunities might it lead to?
This programme has been approved and accredited by the Chartered Institute of Marketing to provide direct entry onto the CIM's Professional Postgraduate Diploma in Marketing.
If you are a practicing marketing executive or manager who wishes to develop their career, or you want to resume your studies at Master's level to take that first step into digital marketing – this is the ideal course. It is a rare opportunity for you to shape your career path and diversify your skills in the marketing field.
Here are some routes our graduates have pursued:
- marketing communications roles
- work in the media
- digital marketing management
- brand management
I chose this particular degree because I liked the link between the technical and the business side of the course.
Melanie Retzlaff, MA Digital Marketing student
Key Facts
- Duration
- 1 year full time
- Entry
A good honours degree or equivalent professional experience and/or qualifications. All applicants are subject to interview.
English language proficiency at a minimum of IELTS band 6.5 with a minimum score of 6.0 in all individual components, or equivalent.- Fees
UK/EU/Channel Islands and Isle of Man full-time students: £6,000
International full-time students: £11,000
*Please note that all fees are subject to annual increase.- Contact
- pbs.postgradadmissions@port.ac.uk
+44 (0)23 9284 8200 - Department
- Portsmouth Business School
Structure & Teaching
Through a careful balance of academic theory and practical experience involving the design, development and implementation of digital media marketing applications, you will not only be aware of the latest developments in this topic, but you will also be equipped with the practical skills to implement them. This will underpin your professional and career development, giving you the edge in today's increasingly competitive employment markets.
Here are the units you will study:
- Marketing Essentials: This will provide you with a solid foundation for the advanced study of marketing. No prior knowledge of marketing is assumed but you will be expected to assimilate information rapidly and reflect upon the concepts discussed.
- Digital Media – Analysis and Design: This covers the fundamentals of systems analysis and design applied to digital media development within marketing. You will apply a range of analytical and conceptual models – from the technical and creative aspects of design to digital media marketing.
- Contemporary Issues in Marketing: You will examine the impact of emerging themes and issues in marketing. We draw extensively on the expertise of industry experts and you will be expected to engage with the issues that contemporary marketing managers are dealing with.
- Digital Media – Development and Application: You will review the digital media development process, assess the potential of a range of applications and use software and multimedia-authoring tools to develop a digital media marketing campaign.
- Digital Media Marketing Development Project: Enables you to demonstrate and showcase what you have learnt during the taught programme. The project consists of a systems specification for a digital media marketing campaign, functional model/prototype developed using appropriate software tools and a critical assessment of the project in terms of design, functionality and end user interface.
Teaching and Assessment
You will be taught in a number of stimulating ways. From tutor-led presentations of material, in-class exercises to case study analysis, problem solving exercises, student presentations and in-class discussions. There is also a strong culture of support as we assign you a personal tutor who can help and guide you throughout your studies.
How are you assessed?
You will be assessed throughout the course by means of coursework assignments and examinations. Here’s how:
- group work
- presentations
- essays
- case study analysis or reports
- closed or open book exams
Facilities & Features
Guest Speakers
We organise a lively programme of visiting speakers
Flexible Learning
Benefit from web, email or phone access to many of our facilities and services
Support
Tutors are available to support your studies via online tutorials, email and telephone conferencing
University Library
Our library offers a wealth of information including thousands of online ejournals
Guest Speakers
We organise a lively programme of visiting speakers and encourage a vibrant culture of debate and industry contact. Providing you with the opportunity to attend and contribute to topical debates, receive business updates and gain a first-hand perspective on emerging technologies within the field of digital marketing.
Flexible Learning
Although you may not be campus based, you will still benefit from web, email or phone access to many of our facilities and services. Our student website, LookUP, will be your one-stop shop for all news, information and links to other services, and 24/7 online access to the University Library’s vast electronic book, journal and database collections will help you find the right resources for your studies.
Support
Due to the self-study nature of this course and the potential pressure of juggling your course alongside work life, we aim to provide you with as much support as possible. There are tutors available to support your studies via online tutorials, email and telephone conferencing. You will also be assigned a personal tutor who will offer support and guidance throughout your studies.
University Library
Modern, comfortable and a great learning environment, our library offers a wealth of information including 400,000 books, DVDs, maps and thousands of online ejournals and newspapers. Many electronic resources are available anywhere, 24/7 and our friendly staff are always on hand to help.
Careers & Opportunities
Career prospects
On graduating from this course, you will possess the knowledge and practical skills to utilise digital media in the marketing environment. Research indicates that this combination of skills is in short supply and so highly sought after by many companies and organisations. You will have a distinct marketing speciality that will enable you to differentiate yourself in the employment market.
Career planning
One of the benefits of studying at Portsmouth is the support that we provide to our Master's and Research Degrees students in career planning. Our careers and recruitment service – Purple Door – can assist you in career research and finding employment opportunities. Help is also available if you wish to find a part-time job while studying your degree. We offer our postgraduate students and alumni one-to-one appointments with a careers adviser, or an online service for those not able to travel back to the University. Our alumni can call on our career services for five years after graduation.
In addition, regular employability events offer you the chance to meet employers, find out about different career sectors and improve your applications or CV. The Graduate Summer Programme provides a range of guidance and employability seminars and workshops.
I set up a photography business as part of my final year project. I graduated from Portsmouth Business School in 2011 and now work on the business full-time - I can't believe how fast the business has grown!
Gemma Austin, MA Digital Marketing graduate