
Victoria Ellis-Vowles - Programme Leader
Victoria Ellis-Vowles is a Senior Lecturer in Marketing. Joining the University in 2012 after a professional music career and then moving into marketing consultancy, her teaching is centred around the marketing discipline. She maintains close ties with industry to maintain currency in her teaching. Her research is set within the pub, beer, and music industries and focuses on services marketing with a special interest in deviant customer behaviours, rural embedded behaviours, female entrepreneurship, and gender.
Academic Staff List Make an EnquiryWelcome to MSc Digital Marketing
The evolution of the internet and the way technology is forever revolutionising the way products and services are consumed in both their ideology and their functionality has fundamentally changed the strategies and tactics used within marketing. The connected consumer is the new norm where people constantly split their attention between devices and the world around them. Human attention is now at a premium as advertisements vie for visibility in a landscape populated by an expanse of everyday people passing on their own ideas and persuading others to think the same way. Building and growing a brand is not just a challenge of visibility, it is also creating something that resonates with the consumer.
Digital marketing is a component of marketing that applies digital mediums to realise marketing goals. The fundamental shift in consumption habits has expanded the ways marketers can understand consumer behaviour and they ways in which they can reach customers and build relationships. The strategies and tactics used within digital marketing is always changing and evolving with the advent of new technologies and the impact they have on consumer behaviour and consumption habits.
The role of the digital marketer is diverse. They develop, implement, and manage digital marketing campaigns which play a major role in enhancing brand awareness. They harness different digital mediums for advertising and build relationships with customers digitally while evaluating their campaigns using analytics and metrics. The skills required to enter the marketing industry are specialist where in many instances, the digital marketer is expected to be proficient at them all.
MSc Digital Marketing is a specialist programme designed for graduates wanting to practice digital marketing and move into future leadership roles. It has been developed to meet the needs of employers seeking candidates with digital marketing skills that add immediate value to both the workplace and to your own entrepreneurial activities.
How You Study
The programme is composed of nine core modules plus a final professional inquiry project. There is the option to undertake a Professional Practice year. The module order is as follows;
Semester A:
Digital Marketing Strategy, Planning and Budgeting
Leadership Development
Databases and Email Marketing AI
Developing Digital Brands
Semester B:
Developing Entrepreneurial Capacity and Mindset
Social Media Marketing and Digital Advertising
Big Data and Artificial Intelligence
Ecommerce, Website Design and SEO
Semester C:
Personal Professional Development
Professional Inquiry Project
Optional Second Year:
Professional Practice (optional) (non-credit bearing)
Professional Practice
Students must enrol for one of these options:
- the one-year option without placement, or
- the two-year option which includes a placement.
Students will not be able to change from the one-year option to the two-year option after enrolment. For the two-year option, students must choose the course title that states 'With Professional Practice' when they enrol.
The Professional Practice pathway provides the opportunity to undertake a period of professional practice at the end of the first year to gain hands-on experience through a paid placement. Students will be responsible for sourcing their own paid placements but will be supported by academic staff. Students who are accepted onto the Professional Practice programme will attend a consultation with a Programme Leader and Placement Coordinator early in their first term to discuss timelines, processes, and requirements.
The Professional Practice period is not assessed, however students will be required to present a placement project linked to their experience. Students who successfully complete their degree with a year in Professional Practice will receive the award title MSc Digital Marketing (with Professional Practice). Those who do not will receive the MSc Digital Marketing award, or equivalent exit award. There are no tuition fees for the Professional Practice year, but students will need to cover their own travel, accommodation, and general living costs.
The programme is delivered using a combination of lectures, seminars, and Professional Skills Workshops.
Lectures: The lectures are used to introduce topics and explore a range of module specific theories, models, and concepts.
Seminars: The seminars are used to contextualise the module specific theories, models, and concepts discussed in the lectures. Students can participate in activities such as case studies, group work, and presentations.
Professional Skills Workshops: These workshops are designed to develop practical digital marketing skills through learning-by-doing approach. Students will be introduced to commonly used industry platforms including but not limited to Google Analytics, Wordpress, and sentiment analysis and trend software. Where possible digital marketing and business experts will also be invited to the workshops to deliver interactive support and guidance in addition to imparting industry insights and good practice.
Contact Hours and Independent Study
Weekly contact hours on this programme may vary depending on the module options chosen and the stage of study. Postgraduate level study involves a significant proportion of independent study, exploring the material covered in lectures, seminars and Professional Skills Workshops. As a general guide, for every hour spent in class, students are expected to spend at least four to five hours in independent study. For more detailed information please contact the Programme Leader.
An Introduction to Your Modules
† Some courses may offer optional modules. The availability of optional modules may vary from year to year and will be subject to minimum student numbers being achieved. This means that the availability of specific optional modules cannot be guaranteed. Optional module selection may also be affected by staff availability.
How you are assessed
A range of assessments methods are used in this programme, including presentations, reports, essays, business proposals, reflective commentaries, and portfolios which may include brief writing, pitch presentation, video creation, and content writing.
All modules are mapped to programme-level outcomes and assessment activities are designed to be relevant, inclusive, and diverse. These prioritise authentic real-world, live challenges, and experiential learning, fostering global mindsets and problem-solving skills, active learning, critical thinking, effective communication, and independence in learning.
The assessment activities include measurement of student performance and retained learning, enabling compliance with AACSBs Assurance of Learning.
Formative assessment is embedded within all modules with the aim of providing students with feedback on how to improve and develop their assessments and other activities. It is designed to support the student's learning journey in becoming more self-directed and self-evaluative, capable of setting their own goals and overseeing their own progress.
The University of Lincoln's policy on assessment feedback aims to ensure that academics will return in-course assessments to students promptly usually within 15 working days of the submission date.
Fees and Funding
For eligible students, there are more ways than ever before to fund your postgraduate study, whether you want to do a taught or research course. For those wishing to undertake a Master's course, UK students can apply for a loan as a contribution towards the course and living costs. Loans are also available to those who wish to undertake doctoral study. The University offers a number of scholarships and funded studentships for those interested in postgraduate study. Learn how Master's and PhD loans, scholarships, and studentships can help you fund your studies on our Postgraduate Fees and Funding pages.
Entry Requirements 2023-24
Applicants would be expected to have a minimum 2:2 honours degree in marketing, business, or management. Accredited prior learning (APL) with significant marketing experience will also be considered.
Applications from individuals with alternative UG study area degrees who have least 2-3 years' experience in a marketing role and/or a professional marketing qualification will be considered on an application by application bases, and interviews will be held where appropriate.
If you have studied outside of the UK, and are unsure whether your qualification meets the above requirements, please visit our country pages:
https://www.lincoln.ac.uk/home/studywithus/internationalstudents/entryrequirementsandyourcountry/ for information on equivalent qualifications.
Overseas students will be required to demonstrate English language proficiency equivalent to IELTS 6.0 overall, with a minimum of 5.5 in each element. For information regarding other English language qualifications we accept, please visit the English Requirements page:
https://www.lincoln.ac.uk/home/studywithus/internationalstudents/englishlanguagerequirementsandsupport/englishlanguagerequirements/.
If you do not meet the above IELTS requirements, you may be able to take part in one of our Pre-session English and Academic Study Skills courses.
https://www.lincoln.ac.uk/home/studywithus/internationalstudents/englishlanguagerequirementsandsupport/pre-sessionalenglishandacademicstudyskills/
These specialist courses are designed to help students meet the English language requirements for their intended programme of study.
How to Apply
To apply for this course you will need to submit an application through our online application system:
Industry Expertise
Where possible, industry professionals will form an essential part of the delivery of the programme through the Digital Marketing Professional Skills Workshops.
Key industry research topics may include digital marketing strategies, digital retailing, AI-powered marketing, data analytics, influencer marketing, and social media.
Broaden Your Horizons
Lincoln International Business School students can expand their horizons, visit our partner universities, and see international business in action by joining funded international trips to exciting overseas destinations. Places are awarded competitively to eligible students each academic year.
Find out more about our funded field trip places for students.

Career and Personal Development
Graduates with Master's level awards may progress to marketing roles in a variety of industries around the world. Specialist skills are highly valued by private and public sector organisations, as well as beneficial to those running their own enterprises. Some students choose to pursue careers in research or academia.
The University Careers and Employability Team offer qualified advisors who can work with you to provide tailored, individual support and careers advice during your time at the University. As a member of our alumni we also offer one-to-one support in the first year after completing your course, including access to events, vacancy information and website resources; with access to online vacancies and virtual and website resources for the following two years.
This service can include one-to-one coaching, CV advice and interview preparation to help you maximise your future opportunities. The service works closely with local, national and international employers, acting as a gateway to the business world.
Working in Partnership
Lincoln International Business School works with students and organisations to enhance the contribution of business to society. For students, that means developing their business skills and knowledge to improve their career readiness.
The University of Lincoln is a member of AACSB, a global nonprofit association connecting educators, students, and businesses to achieve a common goal: to create the next generation of great leaders. Find out more.

Postgraduate Events
Find out more about how postgraduate study can help further your career, develop your knowledge, or even prepare you to start your own business at one of our postgraduate events.
Find out MoreRelated Courses

Marketing
Understand marketing theory and take the opportunity to acquire important skills that are necessary in today’s marketing environment.

Marketing with Luxury Brands
The programme aims to develop a thorough knowledge of marketing theory and planning for the luxury goods and experience sectors.

Tourism and Marketing
Tourism is a globally important industry that offers a wide range of career opportunities.