Why Should You Study Our Double-Accredited Online Course?

We’re very proud that our Digital Marketing MSc is double-accredited by the CIM and DMA. But what does this mean for students and graduates? And what difference does it actually make to your learning outcomes and career opportunities? In this article we answer all our Digital Marketing accreditation questions.  

What is an accredited Digital Marketing course? 

If you’re thinking of taking a Masters in Digital Marketing you’re probably looking to start or progress your marketing career. When undertaking vocational postgraduate study, you naturally want to know two things:  

1. Learn important and relevant digital marketing content 
2. Maximise your career prospects upon graduation 

The Digital Marketing MSc at Northumbria University sits within Northumbria’s Newcastle Business School. Our teaching faculty is made up of industry experts who have longstanding relationships with the Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM) and the Data and Marketing Association (DMA).  

We know that these bodies are internationally recognised and respected within the industry. That’s why we chose to be one of only [four] online Digital Marketing MSc courses in the country with this double accreditation.  

By partnering in this way with both organisations, our programme benefits in several ways: 

The course is designed around an industry-approved framework 

The DMA and CIM have their fingers on the pulse when it comes to the latest data and marketing developments. Their input directly influences the shape and content of the online MSc programme. 

Learning points and case studies that are relevant and valued by employers 

As leading professional bodies, case studies provide real-world examples for students to learn from. 

Course content is regularly updated – crucial in an ever-changing digital industry 

A new social network or a change in Google’s algorithm can shake up the digital marketing sphere immediately. The vast networks the CIM and DMA are tapped into mean you’re always learning the latest developments in the field.  

National and international recognition of excellence 

As global bodies our course accreditation partners have worldwide reach. Employers know and value CIM and DMA endorsements.  

MSc graduates are eligible to sit exams for further professional qualifications 

You never finish learning about Digital Marketing. Both the Chartered Institute of Marketing and the Data & Marketing Association have further professional qualifications that you become eligible to take after gaining your Masters. You earn exemptions from the CIM Certification in Professional Marketing, meaning you are only one additional assessment away from an industry-recognised badge. Equally, you can opt for the DMA Certificate in Digital Marketing which you can also achieve via a single additional assessment. Both qualifications are based on your existing course content, so no further knowledge is required. 

Two accreditations are better than one 

There are plenty of Digital Marketing courses out there of varying quality. If you consider an accredited digital marketing course as an essential stamp of approval, a double-accredited course is twice as good!  

Accreditation ensures standards are maintained and teaching staff are accountable to external bodies to provide the best possible education in Digital Marketing.  

But what or who exactly are the CIM and DMA and what do they do?  

What is the CIM? 

Our Masters course gets you ready for a successful marketing career. Owning the digital landscape with a Digital Marketing MSc means being ready to enter a fast-moving industry. And no-one has better oversight and knowledge about the industry than the CIM.  

The Chartered Institute of Marketing represents marketers all over the world. They’re committed to supporting marketing professionals and developing their skills.  

The CIM’s expertise, reach and influence effectively makes them a benchmark of professional standards for the marketing industry. Enrolling in a CIM-accredited Digital Marketing MSc therefore makes great business sense when it comes to applying for digital marketing jobs.  

The CIM also offers their own professional qualifications. Graduates from a CIM-accredited Digital Marketing MSc course can make earning one of their qualifications faster, easier, and cheaper.  

What is the DMA? 

The Data & Marketing Association is another of the world’s leading professional marketing bodies. They also exist to support the development of marketers in the UK and beyond. The DMA offers training and their own industry-recognised qualifications. 

As a professional body, the DMA research relevant subject areas and produces best practice guidance. They hold members to the standard principles of their DMA Code, and they act as a strong industry network to allow marketers to engage with each other.  

As with our CIM partnership, accreditation with the DMA allows us to follow globally-approved digital marketing trends and teaching objectives on our MSc course. 

We’re also able to support students who want to earn further qualifications from the DMA after your Digital Marketing Master’s degree through the DMA’s training institute. The IDM (Institute of Data and Marketing) offers a certificate in Digital and Data Driven Marketing. This can be earned by MSc graduates through a 2-hour exam and small fee. 

Why choose Northumbria’s accredited digital marketing course? 

We want to help you create winning marketing strategies through our Digital Marketing MSc. Regardless of our accreditation status, our experienced and industry-active faculty would always deliver a cutting-edge, expert course.  

But our double accreditation shows the industry that from graduation you’re ready to jump straight into a marketing career. The CIM and DMA also keep our course content sharp and in line with the latest developments, directly informing programme case studies and teaching elements. 

Wherever you find your first digital marketing job, an online course accredited by two industry bodies is bound to make a difference to your employability. With worldwide recognition, the CIM and DMA partnerships with Northumbria University give our MSc course a reach and authority anywhere you go.  

Graduates can add these accreditations to their CVs and feel confident that they’ll stand out amongst a pile of single- or unaccredited qualifications.  

Employer value 

Recruiters respect experience and expertise. Whether your chosen digital marketing career finds you becoming a social media manager, brand manager, working in paid search or as a content marketing executive, employers will recognise your accredited qualification.  

CIM accreditation and DMA certification are clear signs to marketing companies that your Digital Marketing MSc has entailed in-depth theory and practice of digital marketing principles that you can apply in any role.  

For example, you’ll learn vital foundational marketing principles in Year One, in modules such as The Digital Customer Journey: Data, Profiling and CRM. Later parts of the course will prepare you for critical evaluation skills that are transferrable to any digital marketing role, as in our Marketing Metrics and Analysis module.  

Want to find out more about our online Digital Marketing MSc or our industry-ready accreditations?  

Get in touch with our admissions team on 0191 276 2874 or email DLstudentenquiries@northumbria.ac.uk.