Digital Marketing with Placement Year

From social media platforms to smartphones and tablets, the way customers interact with brands is changing beyond all recognition. Digital marketing is now pivotal to every forward-thinking organisation - and a real opportunity for the ambitious marketer to get themselves noticed.

• This degree is accredited by the Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM), meaning if you choose specific modules, you’ll gain exemptions towards the CIM Diploma in Professional Marketing, enhancing your credibility as a marketer
• Harness your own experiences as an avid digital consumer - and transform them into a rewarding career
• Work with technologies, tools and platforms to help organisations get their message across 
• You can take a placement year between years two and three of your degree.

Boost your employability with a placement year

You’ll have the opportunity to take a placement year to put the skills you’ve learned into practice in a real-world environment. We'll support you to find your placement and throughout your year in industry. Placements allow you to gain valuable experience to add to your CV, make industry contacts and help you to narrow down what kind of role you may be interested in after graduation. 

Hands-on experience

The focus is on a genuine use of digital media in marketing. Social media engagement, viral marketing, multi-channel campaigns, content management, online advertising, search engine optimisation, mobile marketing strategies, digital analytics - it’s hands-on learning at its most inspirational.

You will learn how and when to use the differing technologies and techniques and learn to keep up with the latest opportunities. Our links with leading marketing and communications agencies will enhance your understanding of the various applications of those latest trends and technologies. You can even put your skills and ideas into practice on digital marketing placements and internships, working in a marketing or customer-facing role. Alongside the digital know-how and technical experience, you won’t lose sight of the basics. A strong grounding in marketing, business and brand management underpins every aspect of this course.

Putting theory into practice

You'll have the opportunity to take a placement year in industry to enhance your skills and employability. Marketing student Benas, took a placement year with Derby based marketing agency Think3, he was then offered a role with the company ahead of graduating. 

Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM)

The Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM) is the leading professional body for marketers worldwide and exists to develop the marketing profession, maintain professional standards and improve the skills of marketing practitioners.

We have joined forces with CIM to give students the opportunity to gain professional qualifications through the CIM. CIM qualifications are highly sought after by employers, and their content is reflected in our own degrees which ensures we are equipping students with the best opportunities for a successful marketing career. 

Please note that our modules are subject to change - we review the content of our courses regularly, making changes where necessary to improve your experience and graduate prospects.

You will be taught in a very participative way. Whilst you will enjoy learning from inspirational lecturers, you will also be able to contribute your own digital marketing experiences to the learning process from being both a consumer and user of digital technologies. You will be challenged to use various different media to convey your messages, whether it's through the use of infographics, videos or creating engaging written content, developing your creative writing skills.

Your work based projects and placement will ensure you experience how the theories are applied in the real world, to understand how to obtain global reach through the use of digital technology. You will learn the methods and benefits of sound research, enhancing your academic and practical skills, you'll understand marketing in a real business context, learning essential strategies and planning.

Guest speakers will feature as part of the course and include experts from agencies and a wide-range of businesses. 

Assessment

A wide range of assessments that deliver the academic rigour as well as providing practical experience which employers seek. In this BSc (Hons) Digital Marketing programme you will develop social media business profiles, create infographics, build presentations, write reports and more.

2025 entry

These are the typical qualification requirements for September 2025 entry.

Contextual offers may apply to students who meet certain criteria.

English language requirements

IELTS: 6.0 (with at least 5.5 in each skills area)

2025/26

Further information about our fees and support you may be entitled to.

Additional costs and optional extras

You only have to check out the job vacancies to see that digital marketing experience is now an essential attribute sought by many organisations. Roles like digital account manager, social media manager, SEO analyst and e-commerce manager offer great prospects for the savvy marketing professional.

As the digital world constantly evolves, the career scope is immense. Many employers are still grappling with the opportunities. Many want an input from the ‘born digital’ generation. With this degree on your CV, you’ll be well placed to bring the digital revolution to their marketing strategies.

Contact us

If you need any more information from us, eg on courses, accommodation, applying, car parking, fees or funding, please contact us and we will do everything we can to help you.

Additional information about your studies

Teaching hours

Like most universities, we operate extended teaching hours at the University of Derby, so contact time with your lecturers and tutors could be anytime between 9am and 9pm. Your timetable will usually be available on the website 24 hours after enrolment on to your course.

Course updates

The information provided on this page is correct at the time of publication but course content, costs and other individual course details do change from time to time and are updated as often as possible, so please do check these pages again when making your final decision to apply for a course. Any updated course details will also be confirmed to you at application, enrolment and in your offer letter.

If you are thinking about transferring onto this course (into the second year for example), you should contact the programme leader for the relevant course information as modules may vary from those shown on this page.

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