Digital Marketing Specialization

Marketing is an excellent choice for creative, curious, and innovative students. If you’re interested in the world of business and want to build strong digital marketing skills, learn more about Marian University’s digital marketing specialization.

Digital marketing utilizes strategic, well-coordinated tactics and promotional methods to market products through digital technologies on the internet, including website, social, mobile, display advertising and other digital channels. 

The American Marketing Association takes the concept further, discussing the value of digital marketing by noting, “Today’s marketers have to deploy a range of real-time digital marketing platforms and tools to attract, service, and retain customers. That means marketing campaigns will include more and more digital programs, and decisions to continue, enhance or terminate them must be data-driven.”

Why choose a specialization in digital marketing at Marian?

As a Byrum School of Business student, you will experience a highly interdisciplinary digital marketing curriculum with a strong focus on digital tools and techniques that enable you to gain hands-on experience in:

• Online advertising, social media management, search engine optimization, and web analytics
• Video production, photography, and graphic design
• Fully synchronized platforms, databases, and tools for customer targeting, segmentation, and relationship management
• Legal, ethical, and privacy issues related to digital advertising and social media marketing

You will complete coursework requiring you to explore consumer behavior and preferences, analyze market demand, influence product development, plan promotional campaigns, and help ensure timely, smooth distribution of products to consumers. You will learn internal, external, horizontal, and vertical digital marketing and analytics concepts and theories.

In addition, you will explore new and emerging digital communication tools. You’ll study best practices utilizing analytics software, data visualization, and other platforms to deliver compelling, carefully crafted messaging, visuals, and analysis.

With Marian University’s strong foundation in the liberal arts, you’ll develop essential communication, collaboration, and problem-solving skills that employers value. You’ll also have opportunities to engage with real Indianapolis business executives and civic leaders, participate in study-abroad courses, and serve local and global communities.

In addition you can get involved in student organizations like our American Marketing Association (AMA) student chapter.

What will you study?

Marian University’s 12-credit digital marketing specialization will give you broad perspectives and deep insights into the latest marketing tools and trends.

To earn this specialization, you’ll complete courses such as:

• MKT 202: Applications in Visual Design
• MKT 205: Digital Media
• MKT 301: New Media Marketing
• MKT 341: Promotion
• MKT 366: Strategic Communication
• MKT 445: Marketing Campaigns & Competitions

You’ll work closely with your academic advisor to choose courses that are a good fit with your personal and professional goals.

Thanks to our Indianapolis location and growing reputation as a technology hub, Marian University students have good access to internship opportunities.

According to a 2018 U.S. News & World Report article, Indianapolis had one of the nation’s largest increases in technology jobs between 2013 and 2015. Currently, Indy ranks 15^th out of 100 metropolitan areas in the U.S. for tech job growth, which is a great opportunity for Marian students.

All Byrum School of Business majors complete at least one internship. With a specialization in digital marketing, you may also choose complete a second internship before graduation.

What are your career paths?

Marketers work in every major business sector—from banking to education, healthcare, manufacturing, and technology to name a few. This means you’ll have a lots of career options from which to choose. You might work for a large global corporation, an advertising agency, or a non-profit organization.

• According to the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the job outlook for advertising, promotions and marketing managers is expected to grow by at least 10 percent, which is more quickly than average compared to other professions, through 2026.
• The median pay in 2017 was nearly $130,000, although this figure varies depending on state and geographic region.

Currently, the “advertising, promotions, and marketing manager” BLS category includes jobs like:

• Digital marketing manager
• Digital advertising manager
• SEO marketing director
• Social Media strategist
• Digital strategy director

In addition, the BLS includes jobs like social media managers, digital engagement specialists, online community managers in the public relations category. The median pay for a social media specialist in 2017 was $59,300.