Elizabeth, from the USA, was studying business and marketing before deciding to join our MSc in Digital Marketing Management. Here she talks about her experience...
What made you take the programme and choose Strathclyde?
During my undergraduate degree, lecturers often discussed the importance of digital marketing and how it is rapidly changing the way marketers work. This made me to want to learn more about the area and I wanted to feel more ready to go into a sector that is increasingly demanding marketers who have an up to date knowledge and are ready to be a part of a competitive and evolving sector.
When researching digital marketing Master courses in the UK, I found that there was a lack of programmes in this subject. Some programmes had individual modules on the subject but nothing came close to the number of relevant modules that Strathclyde’s digital marketing course offered. Rather than just having pure academic work, the programme also incorporates hands-on work which is very beneficial for students’ future in the sector. It seemed to be one of the only programmes in the UK that had up to date materials and information on the subject. As for the University of Strathclyde, it’s an award-winning university that is also ranked high for its marketing department, so it was an easy choice.
What has been your experience of the classes to date?
This course has really developed my academic and analytical skills. It has taught me so much in the world of business and has improved and given me a range of new skills. Dr. Graeme McLean, the director of the programme, is an extremely helpful lecturer that has so much knowledge in the field of digital marketing, I was able to learn a lot from his lectures.
Working with the digital agency Equator in semester 2 was really a special experience as we got a glimpse as to what it’s like to work in an agency within the digital marketing field. It had also made me realise what specific branch of digital marketing that I am interested in.
The cross-cultural buyer behaviour class with Dr. Hamilton and Dr. Jafari was one of my favourites as the lecturers provided deeper insights into consumer behaviour that has made me more aware as a marketer. They really push you to learn and understand why consumers act the way they do in the modern marketplace. All of the lecturers had a wealth of knowledge that made studying the subject very interesting.
What are you looking forward to over the rest of your studies?
Part of the reason that I took this course was because rather than completing a traditional dissertation, we were given the digital transformative project. This gave us the opportunity to work with an actual company and learn what aspect of digital marketing they’re struggling with. So I’m really looking forward to working on my research project this summer as I get to work with a company that I am really interested in and I will be researching how social media sites should be used to drive traffic to the company’s website.
Where do you see the course in fitting into your longer aspirations for study/career in the future?
With the current tough labour market, having Strathclyde’s name on my CV and in a programme that is extremely relevant for today’s marketer will be an immense help in getting a job, as the University is well-known for its marketing programme. I know I want to be within a digital marketing role and I can’t wait to begin applying and seeing where life takes me.
What advice would you give to prospective students?
Don’t be afraid when the work starts piling up, this course is very intense and you’re required to read and complete a lot of assignments but if you take it day by day and time-manage well, you will succeed. In the end you’ll be grateful of the experience you’ve had and the amount that you’ve learned. I would also say to speak and get to know everyone in the course. This Master course was significantly smaller than my undergraduate course, so I was able to meet and work with so many new people from around the world. I have made friends for life from this course and I will always be grateful for how much I have learned from this course.
