Certificate in Digital Marketing

Course details

According to the National Skills Bulletin (2013), the shortages arising for business skills are typically confined to niche specialist roles. Within the business skills outlined as being difficult to source, digital marketing expertise has been identified. Online digital marketing and sales roles were quoted as difficult to source. Firms have indicated that they are struggling to get hold of people with digital talent and the issue is fast becoming one of the biggest challenges for businesses in Ireland. Amarach Research predicts massive jobs growth in the sector with 18,000 new jobs in Ireland by 2016. The European Commission has predicted that a shortfall of trained digital professionals could leave up to 90,000 jobs unfilled in the next few years.

Upon completion of the programme, participants will develop specialised digital marketing skills and competencies that will enable them to pursue positions in many fields including Digital Imaging Manager, Online Database Manager, Marketing Management, Market Research, Brand Management, Advertising & Public Relations, and Marketing Consultancy.

Programme Aims and Objectives

There has been tremendous change taking place for businesses in both their e-commerce environment and in their interaction with social media. The indigenous ICT sector is also increasingly moving into areas such as social media and cloud-related platforms (Enterprise Ireland 2012). E-commerce skills and social media skills have been identified as the main technical skills required across the ICT and Enterprise to Trade Internationally sectors. This programme is designed to address such a skills gap by providing participants with an applied knowledge of digital marketing.

Digital Marketing concepts will provide participants with an appreciation of how digital marketing is part of any modern day integrated brand communications strategy. Digital Planning and Management will provide participants with both the understanding and practice of planning and managing a digital marketing campaign. Implementing Digital Media is a hands-on module that explores how digital media tools are developed, used and assessed by marketers while the E-Business module provides the context for the e-business strategy and examines the impact of technology on the supply chain.

Programme Content

• Digital Marketing concepts
• Digital Planning and Management
• Implementing Digital Media
• E-Business
• Teaching, Learning & Assessment

The proposed teaching, learning and assessment methodologies are intended to facilitate Springboard participants to take ownership of, and responsibility for, their own learning in partnership with the academic faculty.

Specific methods adopted will include:

• Conventional lectures
• Lab practical sessions
• E-Learning
• Workshops
• Tutorials
• Projects
• Seminars
• Assignments
• Analysis of case studies
• Group research and project work
• Guest lectures

Students will be actively encouraged and assisted to manage their own studies outside of lectures. This is facilitated by the teaching styles and methods adopted and by placing greater emphasis on practically focused assessment. A particular focus of this programme will be for students to work in collaborative teams with their tutors on a variety of projects. Through this process they will learn key life skills of good teamwork towards achieving a common goal. In addition, the E-learning platform, Moodle, will also provide lecturers and students with a virtual learning environment to complement and enrich the more traditional learning environment.

Assessment Methods

The programme assessment strategies have been developed to help learners acquire the transferable skills relevant to the workplace. These include working as part of a team, report writing, presentation skills etc.

• Problem solving exercises
• Practical projects incorporating a variety of competencies and skills
• Case studies
• Research based projects
• Individual assignments
• Management reports
• Group projects
• Group and Individual presentations
• Exams and other time constrained assessments (open and closed book)

Entry Requirements

To be eligible to apply for a place on this programme, applicants must:

• Hold a minimum Level 5 NFQ award or equivalent OR
• If you are over 23 years of age as on 1st January in the year of entry and do not meet the minimum course entry requirements you may apply as a Mature Student. Mature students are assessed on the basis of age, work experience, general education standard, motivation and commitment to the programme.

In addition, an IELTS score of a minimum 6.0 or equivalent is required, where full-time study has been conducted in a language other than English or for applicants whose first language is not English.