Digital Marketing (MSc Business Administration)
In the Digital Marketing track, you explore the impact of the digitised business environment on marketing processes and customer value creation. This track is one of 9 tracks you can opt for in our Master's in Business Administration.
Help organisations benefit from digital technology
The rapidly changing and digitised marketing environment creates new challenges and opportunities for the creation of customer value. In the Digital Marketing track, you explore a wide variety of phenomena related to the link between digitisation and marketing, from multichannel marketing and online customer journeys to social media and marketing analytics.
The Digital Marketing track has a strategic focus, in the sense that it analyses how current technologies affect the development and implementation of marketing strategy. Furthermore, it explores how digital data and marketing analytics can serve as instruments to improve marketing decision-making.
'We have an approach that is more strategic than purely tactical in nature.' Track coordinator Roger Pruppers will tell you more about the four pillars of this track.
Why choose the Digital Marketing track?
- You are interested in the impact of digitisation of the business environment on marketing processes and outcomes. In this track you will combine academic concepts and the real-life business environment.
- A digital world provides opportunities for using data as input for improved marketing decision making. This track incorporates the role of such analytics and metrics in the broader function of marketing.
- The track offers opportunities for cross pollination and collaboration with students from the complementary Consumer Marketing track, via shared course work and assignments.
Hi, I'm Hong! I'm a Master’s student in Business Administration from China. Got questions about studying at the UvA? Get in touch!Chat with Hong
Theory and practice
Virtually every organisation faces the challenges and benefits of digital developments on a daily basis, so you will explore the links between academic concepts and the real-life business environment throughout the track. Business partners like Google, ING and Starbucks offer guest lectures and business cases, which you will tackle with your fellow students.
Track-specific courses
Apart from the general courses of the full programme, you will follow 3 track-specific courses.
-
Theories of Marketing
Focuses on the key and emerging theories that shape marketing management and marketing thought today. Core themes are the historical development of marketing thought, marketing strategy and consumer behaviour as the fundamental disciplines that marketing is built on, and the impact of current trends and digitisation on the function of marketing.
-
Digital Marketing and Analytics
Establishes the importance of recent approaches and marketing analytics as key elements in understanding digital marketing in today’s world. Core themes are e.g. touchpoints and customer journeys on digital marketing platforms, search marketing and SEO, omni-channel customer management, and social media marketing and analytics.
-
Consumer Behaviour
Provides insight into how people behave as consumers and discusses the theoretical and managerial implications of such behaviour for businesses. Core themes are the roots of consumer behaviour in consumer psychology, the role of environmental factors (social, media, technological), and contemporary developments, such as the impact of ethics and innovations on consumer perceptions and behaviour.
Starbucks plans to make use of information derived from social media posts (Twitter, Instagram, Facebook etc.) to make better decisions about locations and design for new coffee stores in the Amsterdam region. It is your task to collect the relevant information, run the appropriate analyses, and develop sound recommendations to Starbucks management.
Contemporary issues
Examples of current and relevant digital marketing issues that could be discussed in class:
- How does Netflix use digital marketing metrics to determine which shows to recommend?
- How can online shopping giants like Alibaba use virtual reality to improve the shopping experience by creating a virtual shopping mall?
- How do brands like Facebook balance their need for detailed consumer data with consumers’ privacy concerns?
- How can Google use marketing analytics to increase traffic and conversion at its own Google merchandise store?
- How does L’Oréal use artificial intelligence for skin diagnostics to provide personalised skin treatment advice?
The professors are really approachableDennis Oostindie, track Digital Marketing Read about Dennis' experiences with this Master's
Career prospects
Graduates of the Master's in Business Administration/Digital Marketing track have excellent job prospects for positions in a wide variety of companies related to (digital) marketing and analytics, e.g.:
- online customer experience managers
- market analysts
- online retail managers
- social media analysts
- content/website marketers
'I like the flexibility the UvA gives you. You can put together a Master's programme with the courses that you find interesting. By focusing on a specific company case, you use your academic knowledge and apply it to real life. In the business seminars great speakers are invited and you get a taste of how it all works in the real world.'
| Degree programme | MSc |
|---|---|
| Type | Regular study programme |
| Mode | Full-time |
| Credits | 60 ECTS, 12 months |
| Language of instruction | English |
| Starts in | February, September |
| CROHO code | 60644 |
| Location | Roeterseiland campus |