The BA (Hons) Digital Marketing is designed to equip learners with the skills and knowledge to lead on the creation and execution of digital marketing strategies. The course team employ flexible pedagogies in acknowledging the multi-modal learning taking place in the classroom and workplace.
The course is co-produced with our employer partners and apprentices and is designed to help them all achieve their objectives
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Summary
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Fees
This programme is fully funded by your employer through the Apprenticeship Levy
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Level Of Study
Undergraduate
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Award
BA (Hons) Digital Marketing
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Apprenticeship Standard
Digital Marketer (Integrated Degree)
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Entry Requirements
2 A-level passes or equivalent Level 3 qualification
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English Language Requirements
GCSE at Grade C or above, or equivalent
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Mode Of Study
Part-Time and Work-based Learning
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Duration
48 months
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Assessment Methods
Portfolios, reports, creative brief, presentation, proposal, work-based project, essay, End Point Assessment
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Start Date
October, January, April and July
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Locations
Live online learning (face to face for closed cohorts only, dependent upon numbers and location - London, Birmingham, Manchester, Leeds)
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About this course
Course overview
This programme is delivered in partnership by QA and Solent University with the degree awarded by Solent University.
* Validated and subject to conditions
PLEASE NOTE: To be eligible for one of our Degree Apprenticeship programmes, learners must:
(1) be currently in full-time employment and based in the UK
(2) be interested in completing a Degree Apprenticeship with their current employer
The BA (Hons) Digital Marketing is designed to equip learners with the skills and knowledge to lead on the creation and execution of digital marketing strategies.
This programme aims to provide a curriculum that recognises the multi-modal learning of the classroom and the workplace. Following successful completion of the programme, learners will be equipped with a range of robust customer-focused marketing planning approaches for insight generation and decision making through academic and marketing research.
This programme links the study of modules (theory) to industry (practice) through interaction with employers through real-world scenarios including live briefs, simulations, work experience and personal development. Learners will be also prepared for registration with a professional body.
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Careers
Learners on the BA (Hons) Digital Marketing degree apprenticeship programme will be prepared for the following roles:
- Digital Marketing Executive/Officer
- Digital Marketing Account Manager
- Digital and Social Media Executive
- Digital Marketing Analyst
- Digital Marketing Campaign Manager
- Online and Digital Marketing Lead
- Online and E-commerce Marketing Specialist
- Social Media Specialist
- Content Marketing Executive
- Pay Per Click Analyst
- Search Engine Optimisation Executive
- Display Advertising Executive
- Digital Producer
- Programmatic Executive
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Modules
All modules are core and worth 20 credits unless otherwise stated.
Level 4
Marketing Principles
The interactive delivery of this module makes it an exciting and enjoyable way to learn about marketing. Understanding the principles of marketing gives you insight into everyday marketing situations so that you’ll never look at a trip to a shop or a visit to an online store in the same way again.
You will learn about the various marketing models that are evident in everyday situations. For example, you will be able to see the Marketing Mix in evidence when you go shopping and be able to identify how the various elements of the Mix are being applied. You will also be engaging in a real-life analysis of the Marketing Environment and finding out about how marketing can be affected by political, economic, technological, legal, environmental and social situations. You will also discover the importance of research, segmenting your customers into groups and then targeting them with appropriate messages.
Creative Digital Technology
Welcome to Creative Digital Technology – this is the space to learn by creatively experimenting with technology and ideas. This module offers the opportunity to think about various communication channels and practically explore the creative digital tools you will need to visualise your ideas and produce creative content.
Can you create a logo, a short video, design a simple website? Do you know how to use photo, video and sound recording equipment? Can you layout a mood board, a storyboard, design a poster, leaflet or a booklet?
With the help of your tutor and technical instructor you will work on various small tasks, you will learn ways to make and edit images, put them together with words to communicate ideas effectively.
Like within any Marketing, Advertising or PR project, to make an impact, firstly it is important to understand your target audience, know your key message and develop a creative strategy.
Professional Practice 1
In this module, you will develop new knowledge and skills in a self-identified aspect of Digital Marketing (relevant to the apprenticeship standard), apply them in your context, critically analyse the outcome and conduct reflective practice as a means of evaluation.
These modules are an opportunity to work with the module Academic Team and your employer, where you will conduct a skills analysis to identify relevant training that can be undertaken. This training can take several forms, be it:
- Technical training delivered within the workplace or class environment
- Structured online learning
- A robust research project
- Another appropriate form approved by the academic team.
Module details are being confirmed and we will update this content as soon as possible.
Consumer Behaviour
This module will help you to understand how consumers make decisions and how they behave. This is very important in the Marketing industry and could make a huge difference to you in your future career because you will be able to create messages, products and services that people really want.
This module will develop your skills as marketers and communicators. We will do this together by thinking about how a business puts the customer at the centre of what they do, the decisions they make and the way they think. We will look at concepts such as learning, perception, the decision-making process and culture, to really understand what people think and want from the companies they buy products and services from. We will consider this from business to consumer and business to business perspectives and will reflect on industrial buyer behaviour and the Decision-Making Unit (DMU). We will also learn about behaviour and we will apply this learning to real case studies and examples each week.
Marketing Information and Customer Insight
This module is designed to equip learners with an understanding of the importance of marketing information and customer insight into decision-making. It will help learners discover the wider range of data available and seek to encourage an independent curiosity in discovering and making sense of information.
What you will be able to do after the module:
- Identify key sources of marketing information from a wide range of sources
- Evaluate their credibility and usefulness for marketing decision making
- Carry out secondary research utilising a range of marketing sources
- Present the data in a written format in a professional manner
- Effectively use data to develop customer insight
- Demonstrate the ability to communicate it in a relevant manner
- Develop academic skills, such as report writing, development and delivery of presentations, accurate Harvard referencing, and employability skills such as effective CV building and presentation
Digital Future
In this module, you will learn how digital technology has reshaped traditional business models, changed thinking and processes to gain strategic advantages and how businesses are constantly striving to keep up with the fast-paced change in this area. You will also learn how data gets collected, stored, what organisations use the data for and then how organisations are using this to drive business decisions.
You will also develop skills on how to interpret data and explain findings to varying audiences. This is a topic area that is changing at a fast pace, with new advances forging forward all of the time and in our exploration of the digital future in business a wide variety of topics will be explored, including artificial intelligence, quantum computing, big data, internet of things and machine learning.
Level 5
Managing Marketing in Business
Marketing planning can make a significant contribution to commercial success. This module offers you the opportunity to understand the different types of the plan found within organisations and why it’s important to have a formal planning process. It defines the stages in the marketing planning process and their contribution to sound integrated plans. Learners will also be taught to appreciate the various methods of estimating or forecasting both market and sales potential taking into account the external and internal environments.
Learners will also discuss the alternative ways of structuring a marketing department. Having put a plan in place it is then necessary to think about the need for evaluation and control of marketing plans and their implementation and how this can be achieved. The module also introduces learners to strategic marketing in preparation for Level 6 studies.
A special feature of this module is the use of a live client programme to enable the practical application of the theory which will be transferred into a real-life business scenario to enhance learners’ employability skills.
Integrated Marketing Communications
Integrated marketing communications theory is taught on the module. You will learn how brands communicate through advertising, promotions and other means. By understanding the consumer, you will choose appropriate media channels and develop messages to help position the product or service. You will go on to apply the theory by first applying research skills in the development of a creative brief – this is a simple two-page document that is often prepared by media planners in advertising agencies that build on the brief provided by a client. The principle is that the client rarely knows what is required in their campaign. It is the starting point in the creative process where you initially create a range of concepts and ideas that you think might help communicate the key message to the target audience. You will develop your digital skills which will help in creating an integrated marketing communications campaign using words, images and graphics. You will also learn how to follow a design process in creating a campaign.
Professional Practice 2
This module will support your self-guided learning skills and knowledge and develop your own professional development needs in the context of the Digital Marketing discipline and the context in which you are working.
This module provides an opportunity for self-reflection on your current knowledge and your ability to undertake the identified qualification, mapping this to your current professional practice, and academic modules are undertaken.
Where gaps in knowledge or reinforcement of learning are identified as required, this should be used as the basis for a structured training plan which can be undertaken throughout the module. This training can take several forms, be it:
- Technical training delivered within the workplace or class environment
- Structured online learning
- A mini project
- Another appropriate form approved by the Academic Team.
Such knowledge and skills are essential to the career that you are currently working within, attainment of relevant professional qualifications, and also your long-term goals in the Digital Marketing field.
Module details are being confirmed and we will update this content as soon as possible.
Academic & Marketing Research Skills
This module is designed to develop your understanding of the research process and how research and evaluation underpin academic research and the marketing decision-making process. The module explores the role that research plays in campaign planning, objective setting, and tactical activities. Introducing you to the broad range of different research techniques commonly used in marketing and communications, including questionnaires/surveys, focus groups, content analysis, semi-structured interviews, experiential research techniques and others. In addition, the module will consider the role of research, emphasising the importance attached to providing an evidence base to demonstrate return on investment.
You will be able to pursue your own interest in a particular topic or issue from an academic research perspective.
This exercise is directly related to and underpins, a research methodology that you will have to employ in the final year of studies as you develop and complete your final major project.
Digital Marketing
In marketing, any organisation needs to understand the changing and dynamic technological environment. Within this context, the role of the digital marketer is to identify customised tools and techniques that might be appropriate. This module is about how the emerging digital environment might be applied to developing effective digital marketing content for an organisation. It considers the opportunities of the digital landscape and the tools required to develop and enhance digital marketing activity.
On this module, you will learn about one of the disruptive technologies and apply it to an organisation as part of a digital marketing strategy. These technologies include user journeys/user experience, e-commerce, Internet of Things, location-based marketing, Big Data, crowdsourcing, artificial intelligence, virtual reality, augmented reality, programmatic, and integration.
Customer Experience
This module brings marketing to life! Customer experience is a dynamic, complex and challenging matter for marketers. Various sources of current research suggest that CEOs’ and CMOs’ biggest headache is delivering customer experience for competitive advantage. CE is the future of marketing.
What you will be able to do after the module:
- Discuss a wide range of aspects, issues and practices within the customer experience subject area, its methods, concepts and theoretical underpinning
- Command a wide range of specialised practical skills including the delivery of marketing activities to enhance the customer experience; monitoring and measurement of the customer experience and the use of metrics to improve the customer experience
- Communicate information, ideas and data effectively in a range of media and contexts to improve the customer experience
- Practice customer experience so will be prepared to work in an agile marketing role.
- Access the CIM Certificate in Professional Marketing Customer Experience module
Level 6
Work-based Project (incorporating EPA) (60 credits)
This module brings together your learning from throughout the course in a major piece of work that is equivalent to 10,000 words. This provides the basis for demonstrating your skills and knowledge of digital marketing, applied to your organisation. After you have completed your work-based project you will take part in the endpoint assessment which includes a presentation, report and interview which will mark the completion of the apprenticeship standard.
Direct and Digital Marketing
Direct and digital marketing is one of the key growth areas of the communications industry and many of our graduates will seek jobs in this field – this module will give them greater credibility and confidence to secure the jobs they want. This module is based on the syllabus provided by the Institute of Direct Marketing (IDM) and complies with the requirements of the Certificate in Direct & Digital Marketing (Cert DDM).
The Module Descriptor has been approved and endorsed by the IDM. The module will prepare learners for the IDM exam, but will also provide learners who do not want to take the exam with a solid understanding of the place direct and digital marketing occupies in the marketing communications mix.
The topic areas covered in the module include both theoretical and practical elements and meet the high standards set by the industry.
Strategic Marketing
This module builds upon your current understanding of the marketing planning process to explore the process from a strategic perspective. The module will help you to look across the business to discover the strategic marketing intent of the senior management team and their strategy for achieving stated marketing objectives.
This module demands a high level of critical evaluation and thinking using key strategic marketing theory to diagnose the impact that marketing has on the future direction of the business.
You will learn the key concepts of contemporary strategic marketing theory and how to use that theory as a diagnostic tool to evaluate the relative success and durability of marketing strategy within the business.
International Marketing
The trend in the globalisation of markets means it is increasingly important for businesses to develop an understanding of how their marketing strategies must meet the needs of the global consumer and the different markets. This module brings together the key concepts and theories of marketing and allows learners to explore and apply them to new markets and countries.
You will learn the similarities and differences between international markets, the importance of understanding cultural differences, how businesses can successfully take their products and services to a new market and how they should manage their marketing strategies to compete in a new market. Through this module, you will be better prepared to work internationally and within an international business environment.
Areas of study will include the international marketing and competitive environment, standardisation versus adaptation of marketing strategies, market entry strategies, risk factors, the local marketing environment, cross-cultural capabilities, local and global consumer behaviour, and central versus local implementation.
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Learner support
Skills Coach
Your Skills Coach will be your primary, non-academic contact, supporting you in the successful progression and completion of your apprenticeship. Your coach will support you in reviewing your progress and collecting evidence of your practice at work to integrate into your module assessments and final endpoint project/assessment. They are also a point of contact for queries, concerns, or general support.
Your Coach can help you with:
- Coaching and supporting work-based learning activities
- Reviewing your progress with your apprenticeship portfolio progress
- Help with achieving your EPA
- Advice and guidance on mitigating (extenuating) circumstances processes and potential breaks in learning.
Workplace Mentor
A Workplace Mentor will be appointed by your employer and typically would be someone you work with. Your workplace mentor will be familiar with the apprenticeship programme and its workplace requirements. They will facilitate the workplace learning opportunities to enable you to meet the requirements of the degree apprenticeship standard.
ACE Team
They are the Academic Community of Excellence (ACE) Team, and amongst the team, have many years of experience providing academic guidance to students on subjects such as how to write in an academic style, how to read smarter rather than longer and how to reference accurately.
The ACE Team will provide you with support on academic matters outside of the classroom. You can also book 1-1 meetings (mainly online) with the ACE Team and get feedback on your academic style of writing, references and critical report writing.
How can the ACE Team support you?
- “Welcome to the World of Academia” online workshops: if you wish to have an introduction to or a review of the different aspects of academic life before starting your programme, then please do join their online workshops (non-obligatory – but much to be gained from joining!).
- One-to-one tutorials: you can book a virtual 30-minute tutorial to discuss your academic development skills, such as paraphrasing, referencing and academic writing.
- Online workshops: we offer ongoing support workshops on a variety of academic subjects such as structuring an argument, academic style and criticality.
- Our own-created range of learner materials: we have also developed a wide range of ACE Team created materials based on common questions and academic needs.
QA Welfare Services
Our Student Welfare Team is on hand to assist you throughout your studies. Some degree apprenticeship learners have additional learning needs which the Welfare Team can assist with, or they might help you with personal circumstances that are affecting your studies.
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Entry requirements
Standard Entry
- To be eligible to study for a degree, typically candidates will have achieved grade C or above in at least five GCSEs, and at least two A-levels passes or any equivalent Level 3 qualifications.
- Any Level 3 Apprenticeship
Non-standard Entry with work experience
- Equivalent work experience (typically 2 years relevant experience at an appropriate level) – candidates may have previously been in a digital marketer role or be able to demonstrate a real passion and personal experience in digital marketing.
- Relevant professional qualifications and/or work experience will be taken into consideration where the applicant has the judged potential to benefit from the programme, allowing for contextualized applications. The nature of an applicant’s work experience is as important if not more so than the duration of that experience. The experience could include Digital and Marketing Analysts, Digital Marketing Executives, Digital Marketing Campaign Managers, Social Media Specialists, Content Marketing Executives, Digital Producers and Pay Per Click Analysts.
Informal Interviews
Informal interviews may be held by academic/ admissions staff where:
- The suitability of a candidate is in doubt and further evidence is sought.
- The candidate presents an unusual set of qualifications taken or pending, and an appropriate conditional offer needs to be determined.
- Candidates may need advice on the appropriateness of the programme.
Applicants invited for an informal interview will always be informed of its purpose.
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Fees & finance
There is no cost to you as a degree apprentice. Degree Apprenticeships are fully funded by the Apprenticeship Levy through your employer.
If you’re an employer, the total funding for this programme is:
- £21,000
Access to a laptop/PC, (Windows operating system), required for work on assignments.
Travel expenses to travel to QA centres should be covered by the employer.
Find out more about the Apprenticeship Levy and other funding options
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