Digital Marketing

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.

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.

Months of entry

January, September

Course content

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 and Digital Marketing Analytics). 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 two course options, one each semester. Courses reflect digital marketing skills (social media management, 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. Professor Paul Hopkinson, associate head of Edinburgh Business School for Heriot-Watt University Dubai; academic lead for Heriot-Watt Online highlights the importance of digital in the post-Covid world in this article Re-connecting with consumers in a post-Covid world.

Fees and funding

Scholarships and bursaries

See our range of degree entry, undergraduate, postgraduate taught and PhD scholarships and discounts.