The College of Business Administration and School of Professional & Continuing Studies at the University of Missouri–St. Louis announced a new program that offers a Certificate in Digital Media Marketing. Courses will begin in June with a curriculum that offers marketers a chance to amplify their skills in the digital world, including social media, Web analytics, media buying and mobile marketing. This fall, the university will be adding social media marketing to its graduate level curriculum.

“It is imperative that universities begin to seriously change their marketing curriculums to reflect the evolution of marketing and business being driven by technology or they will be outdated and irrelevant,” said Perry D. Drake, academic director and assistant teaching professor at UMSL.

Consumers are changing the way they communicate with and research brands, and brands are changing the way they promote and engage with consumers. Attention has been shifted from traditional media marketing to Internet, wireless devices and other digital platforms.

By 2016, advertisers will spend as much on interactive marketing as they do on television advertising today, according to Forrester Research. Investment in search marketing, display advertising, email marketing, mobile marketing and social media will near $77 billion and represent 35 percent of all advertising, as interactive channels gain legitimacy in the marketing mix.

As such, today’s marketers must be well versed in many areas including:

• Social media listening techniques and tools
• Web tracking techniques, tools and dashboarding
• Mobile marketing strategies
• Content development strategies
• Email marketing techniques for customer retention and retargeting

“The curriculum is designed to prepare marketers for the changing landscape where consumers are connected to a number of devices, have an unprecedented level of information for purchase decisions, and if properly cultivated can be an ambassador for their favorite brands,” Drake said.

Due to the focus on the latest issues facing the marketing community, the certificate course curriculum will improve the skill set of a recent graduate or an established professional, and is taught by local and national industry experts.

For more information, including course descriptions, instructors, fees and registration, visit the program website or call Perry Drake at 914-299-4879.