General Program Information
Dr. Kelly Price-Rhea, Graduate Coordinator
127 Sam Wilson Hall
Box 70625
(423) 439-5854
e-mail: pricekb@etsu.edu
The 100% online Master of Science in Digital Marketing (MSDM) degree focuses upon the field of marketing in the digital environment with the emphasis of being current and relevant. With the growing, ever-changing, fast-paced online atmosphere, marketing has significantly changed and will continue to do so. Therefore, the degree encompasses a cutting edge, innovative curriculum and learning environment with the goal to produce dynamic, knowledgeable graduates who are prepared for the future of digital marketing. Courses cover topics such as (but are not limited to) social media, search marketing, web analytics, online metrics, digital marketing strategy, online consumer behavior, B2B/B2C digital marketing and digital marketing research.
Program Admission Requirements
In addition to requirements of the School of Graduate Studies as found in the Graduate Catalog, the Master of Science in Digital Marketing will require:
- Three letters of recommendation.
- A minimum undergraduate GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale.
- A current resume.
- A bachelor’s degree in marketing or communication is preferred. Applicants with other degrees will be considered; additional coursework (which may not be Federal Financial Aid eligible) may be required.
The graduate program coordinator and admissions committee (comprised of marketing program graduate faculty) will review all applications and accept the most qualified. Students who are admitted and/or enrolled in other graduate programs at ETSU will have the option to enroll in the MSDM courses, with approval of the MSDM graduate program coordinator. In year one, students will only be admitted in the fall semester. Starting in year two, there will be two admission groups. By year three, the program will be operating at its full capacity. A full time student could feasibly complete the degree in approximately 18 months. However, degree completion will be determined by the number of hours in which the student enrolls each semester. Retention standards are the same as used by graduate studies and are found in the graduate catalog.
Student Advisement
All students are advised by the graduate program coordinator and the Office of Graduate Studies in Business and Technology. In addition, the Online Graduate Student Liaison and the Graduate Student Success Specialist are currently in place to assist with various student services within the ETSU School of Graduate Studies.
Capstone Experience
The capstone experience, MSDM 5100 - Digital Marketing Strategic Experience , is a culminating course for all students pursuing this degree. Some students design a business plan for a new interactive enterprise. Students who are currently employed complete a strategic experience project related to their current work environment. Other students develop a strategic experience appropriate to their current situation. Students completing a business plan present their plan via videoconference to the instructor and such other appropriate entities as Small Business Administration officials, ETSU Entrepreneur’s Club, ETSU’s Marketing Association and venture capital entities. Students completing a strategic experience related to their current work situation make a videoconference presentation to their supervisor, colleagues and the assessing instructor. The Adobe Connect software program is currently used for video teleconferencing at ETSU with technical support provided by the Office of Technology Support. It offers easy, real time viewing, and it’s also very easy to record the presentations for archiving and for asynchronous viewing by students and reviewers.