MSc Digital Marketing
The course
- Delivery type
- Weekday evenings and Saturday
- Duration
- 1 year (full-time) / 2 years (part-time)
- Intake date
- September, January* (* part-time only)
- Location
- Dubai
The MSc Digital Marketing will equip you with the specialist digital marketing knowledge and skills that are sought-after by employers from all markets and sectors and is designed to position you as a marketing professional with digital expertise.
Contact
-
Contact
Heriot-Watt University Dubai Campus
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Telephone
+971 4 571 7000
Overview
Our MSc in Digital Marketing enables students to transition to a digital marketing career by combining an accelerated introduction to marketing with a detailed consideration of digital marketing concepts and techniques.
There are eight taught courses (divided equally over two semesters) and a digital marketing dissertation in semester 3. Part-time students register for 2 courses per semester and progress to the dissertation at the end of the second year. Assessment is specifically designed to develop professional career readiness and include collaborative projects with industry partners.
There are two sets of mandatory courses. The first set provides the foundations of digital marketing (Digital Customer Experience). The second set delivers core marketing knowledge (International Strategic Marketing, Contemporary Consumer Behaviour, Branding and Communications and Research Philosophy and Practice).
You can customise your degree to match your interests or career pathway by selecting three course options, one in the September semester, and two in the January semester. Courses reflect digital marketing skills (social media management, digital marketing analytics, database design, website development) and digital management competencies (strategy, entrepreneurship, consumer psychology, and project management).
In Semester 3 the digital marketing dissertation is the capstone course where students 'deep-dive' into their chosen area of digital marketing. Students will demonstrate their mastery of the subject area by developing new insight from analysis of valuable primary research.
Underpinned by academic research, students will learn to respond to changing customer attitudes, receive tips on making meaningful connections and be trained to be successful marketers in a rapidly changing environment. The programme also focuses on training students to use a range of digital tools that prepare them to better interact with consumers and stakeholders. Our faculty are actively engaged in related research and industry.
Specialist optional courses
Semester 1
Digital Customer Experience
Each online interaction between the customer and the organisation combines to form the overall digital customer experience. This course examines the components that form the basis of digital customer experience management. Upon completion students will understand the customer journey, recognise the role of customer insight, understand omni-channel marketing strategy and be aware of legal and ethical issues. The course provides knowledge that underpins Chartered Institute of Marketing accreditation.
Semester 2
Digital Marketing Analytics (option to take)
Digital analytics is the collection, measurement, analysis, visualisation, and interpretation of digital data illustrating user behaviour on social media, websites, mobile sites and mobile applications. Understanding digital analytics enables marketing managers to understand how their digital activities are being accessed and used. Students will develop an understanding of the theory and foundations of digital marketing analytics and gain experience of evaluating content marketing plans. Upon completion students gain industry recognised certification, for example, Google Analytics for Beginners. The course provides knowledge that underpins Chartered Institute of Marketing accreditation.
Note: Optional courses subject to timetable availability.
Accreditation
The MSc is accredited by the Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM) and is a CIM accredited degree. This provides graduates with a credit for prior learning upon completion of their degree or the choice of self-study for a CIM qualification during their programme of study. This would require registration of one additional CIM training course to gain a CIM certificate or two additional courses to gain a CIM diploma.
Course content
Within the degree programme there are six mandatory courses, two options and the mandatory capstone digital marketing dissertation.
| Mandatory courses | Optional Courses (Choose one) |
|---|---|
| International Strategic Marketing | Strategic Innovation Management |
| Contemporary Consumers | Entrepreneurship and Creativity |
| Digital Customer Experience | Databases and Information Systems |
| Mandatory courses | Optional Courses (Choose two) |
|---|---|
| Branding and Communications | Project Management |
| Research Philosophy and Practice | Psychology and Marketing |
| E-commerce Technology | |
| Digital Marketing Analytics | |
| Social Media Marketing |
Semester 3 (May-Aug)
- Digital Marketing Dissertation
Digital Marketing courses - in detail
Digital Customer Experience
This course explores the customer journey and teaches you to recognise the role of customer insight, understand omni-channel marketing strategy and be aware of legal and ethical issues.
Digital Marketing Skills course options
Digital Marketing Analytics
On this course you will develop an understanding of the theory and foundations of digital marketing analytics and gain practical experience of evaluating content marketing plans.
Social Media Marketing
This course provides understanding of theories and applications of social media marketing alongside a critical evaluation of the social, cultural and technological impact of social media technologies upon consumer behaviour and the business environment.
Databases and Information Systems
This course provides students with both practical experience and critical understanding of the processes and methodologies required for specification and construction of database and information systems and the inter-relationship between these systems.
e-Commerce Technology
On this course you will gain a critical understanding of different types of e-Commerce business and revenue models and business systems. You will also gain practical knowledge of the use web-related technologies for e-Commerce.
Foundational Marketing mandatory courses
International Strategic Marketing
This course identifies choices in marketing strategies for local and international brands, focusing on operating a global business.
Contemporary Consumers
On this course you will learn about the conceptual, theoretical and practical approaches to studying consumer behaviour.
Branding and Communications
This course helps you to master the key principles of brand management by learning how integrated marketing communications creates a valuable brand with strong, effective messaging.
Research Philosophy and Practice
This course provides training in a range of research skills that prepares you for the dissertation project and provides the foundation for roles in market insight and business consultancy.
Digital Management Competencies course options
Entrepreneurship and Creativity
This course provides understanding of the nature and value of entrepreneurship in economies and encourages thinking about ideas including ideas development and refinement, considerations of the commercial world, creativity and innovation.
Innovation Management
With the purpose of bridging theories and practise to prepare students for employability, the course is grounded in innovation theories to examine the latest industry trends and case studies. The course provides students with current innovation management knowledge, methodology and conceptual tools to analyse the innovation challenges that organisations are facing with, and how to innovate and capture innovation value.
Psychology for Marketing
This course introduces foundational psychological theory and applies these approaches to different stages of the consumption process.
Project Management
This course provides an appreciation of required professional project manager knowledge and skills and develops competence in using a generic set of quantitative and qualitative project planning tools and techniques.
Dissertation Project
Upon successful completion of the taught courses, the master’s dissertation enables you to deepen your knowledge of digital marketing through research into a topic of your choice. You will gather and analyse data from companies or consumers which directly relates to your ambitions and interests.
Examples of topics within this discipline are:
- The impact of reviews and ratings on purchase amongst French and UK Airbnb customers
- Perceptions of international marketers of the effectiveness of Twitter Chat for branding
- International differences in online advertising trust: UK and China
- Strategy in crisis: Developing a Fairtrade organisation’s e-commerce strategy during Covid-19
- The impact of Influencer Marketing on Millennial Purchase Decision Making Towards Fashion Apparel: A Comparative Study between UK and Malaysia.
Our research: a driving force for new knowledge
The MSc Digital Marketing Programme Director is Dr. Ross Curran, and the Head of the Marketing Group globally is Dr. Kathryn Waite. The MSc Digital Marketing is part of the Marketing Group’s portfolio of programmes, which includes the MSc International Marketing, the MSc International Business Management with Marketing, and the MSc International Fashion Marketing.
Marketing Group academics have published extensively, authoring textbooks in a range of Marketing areas including Digital Marketing, Marketing Communications and Marketing Perspectives. Group members in Dubai have also contributed to textbooks on Research Methods, and articles in leading international academic journals contributing to knowledge in Digital, Tourism and Heritage Marketing, and Marketing in the Nonprofit Sector.
The selection of optional courses draw on pioneering work in research and innovation from Edinburgh Business School across our campus locations.
Career
An MSc with industry demand
Digital Marketing MSc graduates will enter a job market with a growing choice of specialist digital marketing roles, that provide job mobility and good promotion prospects. Reports identify that, during COVID-19 lockdown, digital skills enabled many businesses to continue operating and boosted online consumption behaviour. When there is a turbulent business environment, organisations need to fill managerial roles with candidates who have advanced problem solving and critical thinking ability – skills that masters-level study develop and test.
Heriot-Watt is a global university and classes are shared with students from a range of MSc programmes and nationalities providing opportunities for professional networking that will be of benefit in professional life. Students gain experience in online collaborative working, business presentation creation, report writing and business research techniques. Students also can become involved in the Heriot-Watt Marketing Society, a student-run society which hosts speakers from industry and organises social events.
The MSc is accredited by the Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM) and is a CIM Accredited Degree. This provides graduates with a credit for prior learning upon completion of their degree or the choice of self-study for a CIM qualification during their programme of study. This would require registration of one additional CIM training course to gain a CIM certificate or two additional courses to gain a CIM diploma.
Career
An MSc with industry demand
Digital Marketing MSc graduates will enter a job market with a growing choice of specialist digital marketing roles, that provide job mobility and good promotion prospects. Reports identify that, during COVID-19 lockdown, digital skills enabled many businesses to continue operating and boosted online consumption behaviour. When there is a turbulent business environment, organisations need to fill managerial roles with candidates who have advanced problem solving and critical thinking ability – skills that masters-level study develop and test.
Heriot-Watt is a global university and classes are shared with students from a range of MSc programmes and nationalities providing opportunities for professional networking that will be of benefit in professional life. Students gain experience in online collaborative working, business presentation creation, report writing and business research techniques. Students also can become involved in the Heriot-Watt Marketing Society, a student-run society which hosts speakers from industry and organises social events.
The MSc is accredited by the Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM) within the Graduate Gateway programmes. This provides graduate with a credit for prior learning upon completion of their degree or the choice of self-study for a CIM qualification during their programme of study. This would require registration on one additional CIM training course to gain a CIM certificate or two additional courses to gain a CIM diploma.
Entry requirements
Our normal entry criteria are listed below. However, please note that the final decision remains at the discretion of the course director after evaluating scores of individual relevant subjects.
A good honours degree (first or second class), or its non-UK equivalent, in a related subject.
Applicants with relevant education and work experience may also be considered.
To find out more about the specific entry requirements for your country, please refer to our International Entry Requirements.
For more information about the entry requirements for this programme, please send an email to dubaienquiries@hw.ac.uk
English language requirements
Where English was not the medium of instruction at secondary school, applicants must demonstrate English language proficiency equivalent to IELTS 6.5 (with all elements passed at 6.0 or above). Applicants who have completed secondary and tertiary education will need to provide documentary evidence. A minimum of one year full-time study in English will be required.
Fees and funding
- AED 91990*
* All tuition fees inclusive of VAT
Scholarships and bursaries
See our range of degree entry, undergraduate, postgraduate taught and PhD scholarships and discounts.