Our MSc Digital Marketing provides you with the opportunity to transition to a digital marketing career by combining an accelerated introduction to marketing with a detailed consideration of digital marketing concepts and techniques. The programme has been specifically designed to meet the current and emerging demands of the growing digital economy, to ensure you are highly sought after upon graduation.
During the masters programme, youll gain knowledge that covers and integrates the main areas of marketing and digital marketing, including their features, boundaries, terminology, and conventions. Youll gain a critical understanding of general marketing theories, principles, concepts and applications and specialist knowledge of Digital Marketing theories, concepts and principles relating to product and service marketing and consumer behaviours. Youll develop a critical awareness of developments in research and knowledge creation within Digital Marketing and cognate disciplines of sociology, geography and psychology.
Youll develop research-informed learning skills through lecture activities, independent research, coursework, and the dedicated Research Methods Philosophy and Practice course which will enable you to apply critical analysis, evaluation and synthesis to problems at the forefront of digital marketing. Youll be able to identify, conceptualise and define new and abstract problems and issues related to digital marketing and apply a range of standard and specialised instruments and techniques to mitigate such issues.
Each course will equip you with highly employable expertise and skills across digital marketing. Youll have the opportunity to choose three optional courses to customise your learning and develop your specific marketing interests. Your digital marketing dissertation will allow you to engage in an independent in-depth critical examination of a particular digital marketing topic, which is of interest to you.
Youll benefit from the industry relevance of the programme, which will set you up for life after graduation. Upon completion, youll be able to use a significant range of professional skills, techniques, practices and materials to develop original, creative and practical responses to commercial and digital marketing problems and issues. Youll gain the skills to deal with complex issues and make judgements in situations in the absence of complete or consistent data, as encountered in real-life commercial marketing environments. Beyond the subject-specific knowledge and skills, youll be given the opportunity to learn and practice transferrable skills such as presentation, communication, analytical and ICT skills.
MSc Digital Marketing has been awarded the Chartered Institute of Marketings (CIM) Employability Programme Award. Judged by the CIM and its industry partners, the award is based on the programme evidencing eight employability capabilities within the course material expected by employers in the marketing industry today. As a result, you will have a CV that is competitive and attractive to employers.
*Price shown is for indicative purposes, please
September 2025
Edinburgh Campus
Edinburgh,
Edinburgh,
EH14 4AS, Scotland, United Kingdom
*Price shown is for indicative purposes, please
January 2026
Edinburgh Campus
Edinburgh,
Edinburgh,
EH14 4AS, Scotland, United Kingdom
A minimum of honours degree at 2:2 or non-UK equivalent in any academic subject provided that it includes evidence of critical thinking. Digital experience may be helpful. The minimum English language requirement for entry to this programme is IELTS 6.0 (or equivalent) with no score lower than 5.5 except for writing which must be at 6.0 minimum.
*There may be different IELTS requirements depending on your chosen course.
Heriot-Watt University is a world-leading institution ranked 235th in the world (QS World University Rankings 2024).