Best Digital Marketing Schools

Monday, October 29, 2012

Get Involved #1- You Meet New People

Last week I posted an overview about why you should join a student organization at your college or university. Today I will expand on the first reason I mentioned, that you get the opportunity to meet new people.

When you're in school, you really don't think that your classmates are more than friends or acquaintances. In reality, these are people who are interested in the same field as you (assuming you're in a business class, or another class specific to your major). One day you could be working with them, and they could even be potential job leads, or vice versa. Either way, business students know that connections and relationships are essential to success. You can't be a businessperson in isolation!

So where do student organizations enter this equation? They are the perfect way to meet people in your area of study, and since you won't be busy with lectures in class, you'll actually be able to have fun and get to know them. Most importantly, if you're on a commuter campus, student organizations are a great way to spend some time with your classmates. Instead of just going to school and returning home, you can get involved and make lifelong friendships!

The University of Michigan- Dearborn offers many organizations to get involved in, and they range from typical university sponsored organizations such as student government and the student newspaper, to social and professional Greek organizations, and a whole host of other recognized student organizations. Specifically in the College of Business, there are organizations for every area of interest. These include: American Marketing Association, ITM Club, Supply Chain Club, Beta Alpha Psi (Accounting, Finance, ITM), and SIFE (Students in Free Enterprise).

Tuesday, October 23, 2012

Get Involved!

Before you start your college career and when you're visiting universities, you might here some current students talk about student organizations.  You might here them say that you should get involved your first year of school, and they might say they got involved as sophomores and regret not getting involved right away.  And you, like me, might think, nah, what's the point?  I'll get involved as a sophomore or junior.  Are you thinking like that?

Don't.

I know everything that students say about getting involved in student organizations is going to sound cliche, and you still might be in a phase where involvement "isn't cool" or maybe you're just too shy to even think about joining an organization by yourself (I guess that was my problem!).  Let me tell you, most student organizations want to have as many active members as possible, and if you're willing to put in some effort, they will fully embrace you, so don't be scared!

I'm going to give you a few reasons why you should get involved, and over the next few days I'll expand on these reasons:

  1. You meet people.
  2. You get the opportunity to help others.
  3. You can explore your career options.
  4. You can get experience for your resume.
Most of what I am going to discuss is focusing on major-specific clubs.  While social clubs are a great way to get involved and meet people too, clubs that focus around business, engineering, medicine, etc. are going to provide you with more valuable experience.  Get involved in whatever you're interested in and what you can manage with your schedule, but one club should be geared toward your major.

Wednesday, October 17, 2012

An Executive Perspective

Last Friday I had the privilege of sitting at a table with some executives and managers with connections to the University of Michigan- Dearborn.  This strange and scary activity called networking, I suppose. As the only student at the table, the businessmen were all interested in what I do, my major, and other questions students should learn to expect when networking (I'll post more on that another time!).  And I told them the usual, I'm a marketing major, what student organizations I'm involved in, etc. etc.

I also mentioned that I am currently taking a digital marketing position, and that immediately interested some of the men at the table.  One went on to explain to me that the digital marketing department at his company was just starting to grow.  All of them agreed that digital was the way the world is going.  I'm sure at some point they were excited to hear that the University of Michigan- Dearborn was introducing a digital marketing degree.

I was pleasantly surprised by this conversation, because I did not expect such a positive reaction!  I used to think that digital marketing was just a niche, and a digital marketing degree was limiting.  My opinion changes daily, and while I still haven't chosen to change my major, I think students interested in digital marketing definitely have to take into account their options for their college degree.  Don't settle for an average degree!  There are great universities with digital marketing degrees out there, and if you want to be the best, a great start is with a great education.


Thursday, October 11, 2012

University of Michigan- Dearborn

Today I'll be taking a look at the University of Michigan- Dearborn's digital marketing degree program. I'll also take a look at some of the advantages offered by UMD beyond their academic program.

If you attend UMD and you decide to major in digital marketing, you'll receive guidance on how to proceed through the degree program, obtaining your B.B.A. and also taking 31 credits of Liberal Arts courses.  Some of the B.B.A. core requirements include Operations Management, Statistics, Business Economics, Organizational Behavior, and Business Communication, to name a few.  The most important courses, however, are the ones related to the digital marketing major.  The two required core courses include Digital Consumer Search and Marketing and Digital Analytics and Content.  Three other courses are required for the digital marketing major, but they integrate both traditional and digital marketing.  To complete the major, students must choose two other courses from a listing of six marketing or information technology management classes.  The College of Business recommends double majoring in ITM, especially since the ITM courses that can be chosen would count towards the major.

UMD has a very strong academic curriculum, but what is offered beyond the classroom also sets this university apart.  Even though UMD is a commuter campus, the community aspect is stressed by the availability of student organizations.  There is a club in the College of Business for every major, and these clubs are: AMA (American Marketing Association), ITM Club, Supply Chain Club, and Beta Alpha Psi (for Accounting, Finance, and ITM majors).

Finally, the opportunity to develop your career through an internship is an essential part of any university's offerings.  The College of Business has a great internship program that is looking to bring companies who are looking for top talent to hire UMD students.  The internship office has relationships with many companies who know they can find great students to hire from this school.

If you're looking to major in digital marketing, the University of Michigan- Dearborn is definitely a school to consider.


Monday, October 8, 2012

Why Digital Marketing?

Some of you might be wondering, why should I get a digital marketing degree?  Won't a marketing degree be enough?  Personally, I still intend on getting a marketing degree, but taking a digital marketing course has helped me see that there are a lot of things about digital that you won't learn in a conventional marketing course.

Take, for example, this article from the Search Engine Journal about The Top 15 Search-Related Terms All Businesses Need to Know.  Some terms, like Search Engine Optimization and Pay-Per-Click are fairly self-explanatory, but when you look at terms like Backlink, Anchor Text, and Meta Tags, you wouldn't be familiar with these terms unless you took a digital marketing course or educated yourself about digital marketing.

That is why finding the best digital marketing school is important.  The digital field is gaining popularity, and I know many business students at the University of Michigan Dearborn are switching over to this new major.  In the future, more schools are going to recognize the need for a digital marketing school.

Sunday, October 7, 2012

Want to know more about digital marketing schools?

Hi everyone!

Thank you for checking out my blog.  I hope this will be a great resource for you on your search for the best digital marketing schools available!  Digital marketing degrees are growing in popularity, and as more universities begin to add some form of digital degree to their program, finding the best school for you will become a little more complicated!

For starters, what are some schools that already have digital marketing programs? (click on the names to learn more about the programs)


Of course, this list is not complete, but just a starting point for your research.  Over the coming months, I will compare degree programs and offer any other information possible to help you find the right school for you!