Master of Science in Digital Marketing Program

Frequently Asked Questions

Our program covers both digital marketing and marketing analytics. Digital Marketing involves not only digital marketing execution (e.g., social media marketing, SEO, database marketing, mobile marketing) but also evaluating and tuning up the marketing programs based on data. Although the program name does not have the word “analytics,” it is inevitable for digital marketing to deal with analytics. For analytics, we cover not only the traditional research method dealing with primary data, but also secondary data generated by CRM tools using data science methods tailored for marketing. Whether you are oriented towards the creative side or analytic side, we cover both so that no matter which side you may prefer to focus in your career, you can communicate effectively to the other side and manage both sides as you move up the ladder in your organization.   

Our faculty is well-connected to the industry, bringing practical, hands-on projects to the classroom. Our curriculum is responsive to changing industry development, offering networking opportunities and industry expert series. Plus, the Center for Customer Insights and Digital Marketing provide students with infrastructure for research and internship opportunities. 

While job decisions are a personal choice, graduates of this program will be trained for entry-level jobs or managerial positions for brands as well as suppliers. Example positions that graduates of the program would be prepared for include:

  • Digital Marketing Specialist / Manager / Director
  • Marketing Data Scientist
  • Customer Analytics Director
  • Social Media Marketing Specialist
  • Web Analytics Specialist
  • Consumer Insights Analyst
  • Search Engine Marketing Specialist
  • Database Marketing Specialist
  • Social media and text analyst
  • Research Associate / Research Director
  • Web Design and Media Analytics Specialist

No, the standardized test score is not required.

University requires all master’s programs to have a culminating experience before students graduate. Most of the time, it means completing a thesis or project. In the MSDM program, instead of an individual thesis project, we will adopt a group project that will be conducted over three semesters. In the first (for 1-year cohort group) or second (2-year cohort group) fall, 4-6 students will be matched with a professor based on the students’ topic of interest and the faculty’s expertise. Throughout the three semesters, they will identify the problem, determine research objectives, do a background research client company, industry, customers, and relevant customer behaviors, determine research methods, collect data, wrangle and visualize data, model data, interpret data in light of the research objectives, make actionable recommendations for the client’s marketing program, and potentially execute some of the recommendations. The project can be application-based (applicable only for the client company) or basic (applicable widely across industry or countries). Detailed information will be provided in orientation.

In both tracks, students need to take a total of 34 credit hours to finish the program. The one year track is ideal for students who do not work full-time as they are expected to take 12/12/10 credit hours for three terms. If you intend to work full time, we strongly advise you to follow the 2-year track as the course workload will be about six credits in each of the six terms until you graduate.

For graduate students, taking six credits is considered full-time. This is good for students who want to have a part-time job on campus as an RA or TA as on-campus jobs usually require you to have full-time student status.

Yes! The program’s CIP code is CIP 52.1399, which makes MSDM a STEM designated program by DHS.

Refer to the Application tab.

No. The M.S. in Digital Marketing program is open to students with a baccalaureate degree in any academic disciplines such as liberal arts and/or STEM from a regionally accredited college or university.

Currently, we do not require work experience. Admission to this program is based on the holistic view of the submitted package. Weakness in one area can be made up by strengths in other areas.

Students need solid written and oral communication skills and algebra and basic statistics knowledge. Students who have not taken College Algebra can apply as long as they passed a statistics course. While there is no requirement for formal coursework on programming languages, undergraduate students are encouraged to learn R or Python, a data science tool. We will offer admitted students a boot camp, where students will learn some basic skills and concepts such as Excel functions and R programming. The topics covered in the boot camp will be similar to those in the DWV 100 (Data Wrangling and Visualization Certificate Program).

R was initially developed as statistical programming open-source software in the 1990s and has gained popularity in research methods or statistics classes across disciplines. When data science and big data emerged as major forces in businesses in the 2010s, the R community developed the Tidyverse ecosystem, which is optimized for modern data science. R has been best known for its ability to create an aesthetically appealing and exceptionally-well customizable data visualization with the use of the ggplot2 package, which is part of the Tidyverse mega package. R is made up of tens of thousands of packages that experts across scientific fields created to share with the scientific community. There is a committee that evaluates new packages submitted for use in the R community. There are conferences of R users to push the envelope for the love of science. There are many websites, blogs, and Youtube videos that teach R and provide support to R users. Due to vibrant community efforts, innovations and advancements in methods are instantly added to R. There is nothing you cannot do with R that you can do with proprietary commercial statistical packages such as SAS, SPSS, and STATA.

For this reason, many professors use R in their courses. Just like any programming language, there is a learning curve. You might have learned R in an undergraduate statistics class often time with the original base R. However, you are most likely to have not learned modern data science skills in R.  Check out the DWV 100 (Data Wrangling and Visualization Certificate Program) that the CCIDM offers.

For international applicants, the same general admissions requirements, as stated above, will apply. However, international applicants are also required to provide the following information, in addition to the CSU application: 
  • Affidavit of Financial Support
  • Agreement to Purchase Cal Poly Pomona Group Health Insurance
  • Supplementary Information of International (VISA) applicants

Please contact Admissions & Enrollment for more information about international admissions.

Unfortunately, BroncoDirect does not indicate if our offices have received your supporting documentation. Therefore, you should call our office at +1 909-869-2288 or email us at msdm@cpp.edu if you have any questions. Please note, if we are missing one or all of your supporting documents, we will inform you which items are missing via email.

Your official transcripts and English Proficiency exam scores are to be sent to the Admissions & Enrollment Planning at:  

Admissions & Enrollment Planning
California State Polytechnic University, Pomona
3801 West Temple Ave.
Pomona, CA 91768
All other application items should be uploaded to your Cal State Apply application.

When you complete your application for admission, you are given access to information on BroncoDirect where you can log into our system. You will need to claim your account in order to have access to BroncoDirect. Once you are logged in, on the right hand side, there is a link under Admissions called “View my Application Status.” This link will enable you to view where your application is currently standing in the admissions process.

All of our courses are offered one night a week, Monday through Thursday. For 3-unit courses, classes will meet from 7:00 p.m. to 9:45 p.m. For 2-unit courses, classes will meet from 7:00 p.m. to 8:50 p.m.

For more information about scholarships, FAFSA, and different types of financial aid, please visit the Office of Financial Aid website.

MSDM tuition is competitive and the same for in-state students and out-of-state students, a huge savings for students from overseas and other states. Please visit the Finanical Aid and Scholarship website for the current costs of tuition.

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