MA Digital Marketing

1 Year On Campus Masters Program

University of Portsmouth

Program Overview

The MA Digital Marketing at the University of Portsmouth is designed to help you become the kind of digital marketer employers actively look for — someone who understands consumers, works confidently with data, and creates campaigns that actually perform. It’s a great fit if you’re curious about how brands connect with audiences online and want a career that blends creativity, strategy, and analytics.

Curriculum Structure

Your Year of Study (1-year full-time Master's)

At the start of the course, you build a strong foundation with modules like Consumer Insight and Analytics and Research Methods for Marketing. This is where you learn how to understand customer behaviour, analyse data, and design research that gives real answers to real marketing challenges — skills every employer expects today.

As you move further into the year, the course becomes much more hands-on. In Social Media Marketing, you’ll explore how brand storytelling, influencer culture, community-building, and platform strategy all come together. You’ll plan social campaigns, measure performance, and understand the ethical and cultural responsibilities of modern marketing.

You’ll also dive deep into Digital Marketing Strategy, where you’ll learn to evaluate the digital landscape, identify opportunities for brands, and create strategies that align with both audience needs and business goals. Alongside this, the User Experience (UX) module helps you understand how people actually interact with digital products — and how to design experiences that feel intuitive and enjoyable.

One of the most memorable parts of the program is The Marketing Agency module. You’ll work as part of a team with real clients, taking on the role of a marketing consultant: managing communication, analysing data, and presenting strategies that the client can genuinely use. It’s practical, fast-paced, and incredibly valuable when you start applying for roles.

Toward the end of your studies, you’ll take on your Dissertation, a research project that lets you explore a topic in digital marketing that truly interests you — whether it’s consumer psychology, social media behaviour, digital branding, or something more niche. There’s also a module focused on ESG and Marketing, encouraging you to think about sustainability, ethics, and responsible decision-making.

Focus Areas

Digital strategy, consumer insights, marketing analytics, social media marketing, UX design, and ethical/ESG-aligned marketing.

Learning Outcomes

By the end of the course, you’ll be able to analyse consumer data, design and evaluate digital strategies, build user-centred experiences, deliver professional client projects, and produce high-quality research that tackles real marketing problems.

Professional Alignment (Accreditation)

This course is accredited by the Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM), and the Business School is AACSB accredited, placing it among the top business schools worldwide.

Reputation (Employability)

The University of Portsmouth has strong industry links, and graduates progress into roles across digital marketing, social media, e-commerce, content strategy, analytics, and mobile advertising. The combination of live-client work and practical learning gives you a portfolio employers actually respect.

Experiential Learning (Research, Projects, Internships etc.)

On the MA Digital Marketing at Portsmouth, you won’t just study theories — you’ll actually live the process of being a digital marketer. From day one, you’ll work with real data, real clients, and real marketing tools, gaining the confidence employers expect from a modern marketing professional. You’ll learn in interactive spaces designed for collaboration, get access to industry-standard research platforms, and take on projects that feel just like the work you’ll do in your future job.

Here’s how the course brings learning to life:

Work with real clients through the Marketing Agency module, where you and your team take on a genuine business brief, create a strategy, and present your recommendations just like a marketing consultancy would.
Use professional databases including Mintel, Statista, Euromonitor Passport, MarketLine and WARC — the same tools used by digital strategists, brand planners and market researchers.
Study in a modern Technology Enhanced Active Learning (TEAL) room, designed for group problem-solving, interactive workshops, and creative brainstorming.
Practise pitches and client presentations in the Business Simulation Suite, a realistic boardroom environment equipped with screens, podiums and collaborative workstations.
Build technical confidence with tools like Google Analytics and other analytical software supported through the university’s digital resources.
Make full use of the University Library — open 24/7 during term — when you’re working on your dissertation or researching for live-client projects.
Learn directly from industry voices through the Marketing Industry Advisory Board, with guest speakers and networking opportunities built into the course.

Progression & Future Opportunities

Graduates from the MA Digital Marketing usually move quickly into roles like Digital Marketing Specialist, Social Media Manager, E-commerce Executive, or Mobile Marketing Coordinator. Because the course blends creativity, data skills and real client experience, you’ll be stepping into the job market with exactly the kind of portfolio employers like to see.

Here’s what this looks like in real terms:

Career support that stays with you: You’ll have access to the University’s Careers and Employability Service not just while you study, but for five years after you graduate — including CV help, mock interviews, networking events and targeted support for Business & Law students through the Career-Ready Programme.
Real industry experience built in: Through the live-client project and collaborative work with external organisations, you’ll gain hands-on experience. Students in the Faculty of Business & Law have worked with companies like IBM, Boeing, and local councils, giving you a real insight into employer expectations and workplace dynamics.
Accredited for long-term value: The course’s accreditation from the Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM) — combined with the business school’s prestigious AACSB accreditation — gives your CV an extra layer of credibility that employers recognise globally.
Strong graduate outcomes: Portsmouth highlights that graduates from this course often go into digital marketing, social media, e-commerce, and mobile advertising roles, and the university also supports students who want to launch their own digital-focused businesses.

Further Academic Progression:
If you want to continue studying after your MA, you’re well-positioned to progress into research degrees such as an MRes or PhD in marketing, digital media, consumer behaviour, or business analytics. You can also build on your qualification through additional CIM professional certifications, which pair perfectly with the course’s accreditation.