Digital Marketing Degree Apprenticeship

Why choose Aston University?

Gold standard teaching

Aston University was awarded Triple Gold - the highest possible rating for the Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF, 2023)

Earn a salary while you study

Gain workplace experience as a full-time employee, as you study for your degree.

A comprehensive support structure

Apprentices are supported by a professional skills coach, an academic, and a professional supervisor

Course overview

Empowering the next generation of digital marketing professionals, the Digital Marketing Degree Apprenticeship will give apprentices the know-how to plan, execute and evaluate successful digital campaigns.

This Level 6 Degree Apprenticeship will provide the practical and theoretical training for developing digital marketers who want to gain new skills and a formal degree qualification. This course would be ideal for those in an entry-level digital marketing role, or those looking to join a digital marketing team.

Testimonial

"My Degree Apprenticeship has given me the perfect leg-up into the industry by allowing me to gain experience from day one. It's also giving me the chance to acquire a degree level education so that I'll never run the risk of losing out on future opportunities based on a lack of qualifications."

Matt Gill

Degree apprentice graduate

Course description

Digital Marketing Degree Apprenticeship BSc

This course is ideal for those early in their career and school leavers applying for Degree Apprenticeship roles.

What we will provide
We will provide you with mentorship and guidance from experienced professionals, enhancing their practical knowledge.

By successfully completing this programme, we will award you with:
• BSc in Digital Marketing
• An apprenticeship certificate.

What will you provide
As an apprentice, you will be required to balance academic work, full-time employment, and on-the-job training. You will be expected to engage with teaching materials, online lectures, and in-person sessions. You will need to submit coursework and other assessments in a timely manner.

What skills will we teach
Throughout the apprenticeship, you will learn theory and key skills and apply them straight into practice whilst you are employed as an apprentice. You will develop a diverse range of digital-oriented marketing skills from areas including communication planning, online analytics, content marketing and digital advertising.

Career prospects
A Digital marketing Degree Apprenticeship opens a route for prospective marketers that aim to acquire fresh skills and an official degree. Leading to roles like Digital Marketing Specialist, Social Media Manager, Content Marketing Manager, SEO Specialist, PPC Specialist, Email Marketing Specialist, and E-commerce Manager.

How you will learn

The course is delivered through blended learning. Most teaching is delivered through our virtual learning environment, Blackboard. This platform allows apprentices access to a comprehensive range of study materials, recorded lectures, online tutorials, e-journals and much more. Online teaching gives apprentices the flexibility to study from any location without the need to frequently travel to the Aston University campus.

Apprentices will also attend a two day session on campus once per term in the middle of each module where they will network with other apprentices, have one-to-one sessions with their apprenticeship coach and learn from their subject specialists.

What you will learn

You will gain a broad knowledge of digital marketing, covering topics such as digital advertising, content marketing online analytics and more. You will also learn communications strategy, and develop the core knowledge, skills and behaviours required to thread innovation and insight through every project.

With digital technologies constantly transforming the marketing landscape, this programme will support marketing professionals to take advantage of new opportunities for delivering creative campaigns with measurable impact.

Facilities

At Aston University, apprentices enjoy full access to all the facilities available to regular students. This inclusive approach ensures that apprentices can take advantage of the university's library, labs, study spaces, cafes and more. By providing equal access to these facilities, Aston University supports apprentices in their educational journey, enabling them to thrive in both academic and practical aspects of their chosen fields.

Course objectives

Make use of theoretically underpinned management techniques to bring about sound analysis, design, and delivery of management solutions.
Demonstrate understanding and application of core theory and knowledge in marketing within the wider business context.
Develop the personal and intercultural awareness needed to work and communicate effectively in business.
Work effectively as independent self-managed learners as well as parts of a team; demonstrate graduate-level transferable skills.
Learn to make appropriate operational and strategic decisions and to apply knowledge based on sound analysis in an international context.

Modules and learning outcomes

The apprenticeship is taught at undergraduate level (Levels 4-6) over three years, starting with a foundation of business and management topics that will underpin a specialism in digital media for marketing.

Stage 1 modules

Module title	Credits
Digital advertising	30
Marketing	30
Communication for business leaders	30
Developing digital marketing skills	30
Total	120

Stage 1 outcomes

To demonstrate of the core aspects of digital advertising and allow for an understanding and evaluation of digital advertising technologies and critically appraise existing digital practice from a quality and ethical perspective.
To be able to construct and summarise an integrated digital advertising campaign across different digital communication channels and explain how the marketing function can support organisational objectives & including broader marketing issues.
Discuss the marketing environment using appropriate tools and techniques, including how marketing interacts with the organisational environment.
Understand the regulation of marketing, in its various formats, and how this regulation influences the development of marketing strategy and tactics.
Demonstrate cooperative working in a small group to present findings and evaluate the strategic implications of the disruptive digital environment and adjust the marketing mix using data-informed decisions.
Discuss the importance of using digital technologies to build and nurture customer relationships and understand and select digital marketing channels, tools, and techniques strategically.

Stage 2 modules

Module title	Credits
Marketing communications	30
Services and events marketing	30
Content marketing	30
The professional marketer	30
Total	120

Stage 2 outcomes

Present a range of marketing strategies and methods reflective of the services and events industry, highlighting marketing implications for practitioners.
Experiment and work effectively as part of a team to apply problem-solving tools and techniques to simulated business problems and make a case in which you identify a business situation and distinguish why the operations were/ were not excellent.
Analyse a problem situation, select, and apply the appropriate course topics to the given problem situation and plan how the application of the selected course topics will deliver improved performance to the given problem situation.
Consider the challenges proposed by project implementation and recognise the value of continuous improvement in project design, implementation, and evaluation.
Define and apply a range of services and events theoretical models and concepts, and providing marketing planning examples and documents outlining the marketing process of services and events.
Present a range of marketing strategies and methods reflective of the services and events industry, highlighting marketing implications for practitioners.
Describe and discriminate between the key concepts and theories underpinning marketing strategy development and implementation, and analyse and evaluate complex market and competitive environments.
Develop and implement annual marketing plans in a simulated marketing environment and criticality evaluate results, deploying theory in marketing problem solving.
Define and debate marketing strategy's place within the broader strategic management process, and express opinions on the ethics of marketing and the sustainability of marketing practices.

Stage 3 modules

Module title	Credits
Big data and analytics	30
Digital marketing campaign development	30
Project proposal	20
Project	40
Total	120

Entry requirements

You will need to apply for a Degree Apprenticeship role or already be employed in a job in England with responsibilities aligned with the degree content. Please see the how to apply section below for more information.

Entry requirements are set by the hiring business and not Aston University so they vary between organisations. Apprentices are selected based on their applications, an interview and an assessment process which is tailored to your apprenticeship position.

Indicative entry requirements are given below, but please note that each employer may set their own criteria.

To be considered for this programme, Aston University expects that applicants will have/are predicted to achieve three A Levels at CCC or above, or equivalent BTECs.* Other qualifications may be considered on a case by case basis.

*Please note:
Employers may specify their own entry criteria that can exceed this.
Candidates who do not have three A Levels at CCC may be considered on a case by case basis with aptitude and experience taken into consideration.

You must have a minimum of five GCSEs at Grade C/4 or above including Mathematics and English.

You will also need to meet the government's eligibility criteria:

Be employed in a job in England with responsibilities aligned with the apprenticeship.
Be a UK/EU/EAA resident for at least three years prior to starting the course.
Have left full-time education when the apprenticeship starts.
Be at least 16 years old.

Course fees

You will not have to pay tuition fees as a degree apprenticeships, as the costs are met by the UK government and your employer*. In addition to your fees being paid, you will also earn a salary while you study, so there is no need to apply for Student Finance.

The funding band for this degree apprenticeship is £22,000. This is the full cost of your apprenticeship which will be paid for using your employer's apprenticeship levy.

*Employers may require students to pay the fees for resits.

Assessment

You will be assessed through two applied assignments per module that relate directly to your role in the organisation, adding immediate value for both you and your employer. While there are no traditional examinations, assessments will give you the opportunity to demonstrate how you have implemented your learning and had a positive impact in their organisation.

In the final year, you will complete a large work-based project requiring you to apply all of the theory and skills gained throughout the apprenticeship. For example, this could take the form of a creative digital campaign brief for a marketing agency, an evaluation of a digital marketing campaign or a case study covering the development of a new customer engagement campaign.

End point assessment

The apprenticeship concludes with the end point assessment (EPA). The EPA gives you the opportunity to showcase your academic, personal and professional development achievements throughout the apprenticeship. You will present your work-based project to an interview panel explaining what was delivered, how you implemented the skills, knowledge and behaviours gained through the apprenticeship and the impact your work has had for the organisation. You will then take part in a professional discussion to demonstrate your competencies and how you have applied your learning in the workplace. After the EPA, the assessors consider what grade should be awarded for the apprenticeship – fail, pass, merit or distinction.

Career prospects

A Digital marketing Degree Apprenticeship opens a route for prospective marketers that aim to acquire fresh skills and an official degree. Leading to roles like Digital Marketing Specialist, Social Media Manager, Content Marketing Manager, SEO Specialist, PPC Specialist, Email Marketing Specialist, and E-commerce Manager.