MSDM Curriculum

3 Credit Hours

Rapid technological development and the increasing transparency of information have changed the way marketers interact with current and potential customers. The rise of the ‘Internet Generation’ and the increasing popularity of social platforms such as Facebook, LinkedIn, Google+, YouTube, Foursquare, and Twitter, as well as the proliferation of customer and company blogs have forced companies to develop fundamentally new strategies and tactics for monitoring and reaching customers. In this class, we will look at what companies around the world are doing to leverage social media as a critically important marketing tool. The course will focus on the seller side of social media and depend heavily on outside experts and case examples. We will examine the dynamic strategies and tactics that leading companies are using to supplement their traditional marketing with a wide variety of social media platforms, blogs, dashboards, and the like. We will see how companies enhance their marketing by using social media to more closely monitor customers and competitors, to improve lead generation, to build more credible reference stories and contacts, to conduct low cost and quick customer surveys, to clarify market misperceptions, to guide market solution development and refinement, and many other uses.

3 Credit Hours

At its core, marketing creates value for stakeholders. This course puts you in the shoes of a Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) at a customer-centric firm, systematically exploring marketing’s role as a primary growth driver. By examining the full spectrum of customer interactions, including the interplay between, and within, digital and physical channels, MSDM students will develop a deeper understanding of how digital marketing integrates into and enhances a company’s overarching marketing strategy.

3 Credit Hours

Strategic Communication occupies a space between the writing and speaking done day-to-day by unit managers and the stratospheric communication expected of senior-level executives as they deal with various stakeholder groups. This is communication that senior managers and executives of all levels engage in as they employ specific strategies to achieve agreed-upon business goals. This is high-level communication that rises above basic tactics used to manage the company. In particular, this involves a different kind of thinking when complex or difficult objectives are involved.

3 Credit Hours

The course teaches (1) business “strategies” and (2) artificial intelligence (“AI”)-integrated techniques in advertising. It focuses on developing and deploying the central document of advertising – the “creative brief.” Students will explore advertising’s intersections with innovation, AI, the digital economy, and emerging trends. This course follows a six-step advertising framework (“RESETS”) and emphasizes practical applications, analyzing ad challenges through real-world examples. Throughout the semester, students will learn and practice: (1) How to develop research-based, strategic and actionable advertising creative briefs. (2) How to produce, test, and optimize online campaigns with AI tools, data, and regulatory considerations. (3) How to manage and guide advertising partners (e.g., agencies and engineers) who work for your innovation or new product. Students will be evaluated based on participation and presentations, short exercises, creative brief analysis, and a capstone project (including launching a small-scale social media campaign for a real product).

3 Credit Hours

The convergence of marketing and technology is rapidly reshaping how businesses operate and interact with customers. This course delves deeply into the new digital frontier, exploring the intersection of artificial intelligence, automation, and marketing. Leveraging real-world case studies, we’ll demystify machine learning, chatbots, recommendation engines, and more. You will come to understand both the capabilities and the ethical implications of AI in the world of marketing today.

1 credit hour

This hands-on, intensive course is designed to give MSDM students total, demonstrable mastery over leading enterprise platforms. Through targeted instruction and rigorous coursework, students will earn industry-standard certifications that validate their technical expertise to global employers from day one. This is the technical foundation used every single week for the rest of the MSDM program and throughout a leadership career in digital marketing.

3 Credit Hour

The course is designed to provide MSDM students with the tools to manage their career throughout their lifetime. It not only addresses the planning process necessary to start the job search, but also incorporates specific assistance in such areas as resume writing, interview preparation and skills, networking and other tactics.

2 Credit Hours

This course explores strategies for designing and managing digital interactions to enhance customer satisfaction, loyalty, and overall experience across digital touchpoints.

2 Credit Hours

This course focuses on optimizing websites for search engines and effectively utilizing search engine marketing to increase visibility and drive traffic.

2 Credit Hours

A study of the application of scientific method to the definition and solution of digital marketing problems with attention to research design, sampling theory, methods of data collection and the use of statistical techniques in the data analysis.

2 Credit Hours

In this semester-long capstone experience, MSDM students work in teams to design, launch, and manage a live digital marketing campaign for a real business client, gaining hands-on experience with campaign planning, creative development, and performance measurement.

1 Credit Hour

Grow Irish Chicago Immersion
This Midpoint Client Engagement brings students to Chicago for in-person presentations of initial findings to clients. The focus is on professional communication, receiving direct client feedback, and expanding professional networks through industry engagement.

2 Credit Hours

The overarching principles of this course are: 1) estimating customer lifetime value (CLV) and managing digital customers based on their CLV, 2) deciding on which customers to acquire and how to acquire them, 3) clarifying the importance of customer retention and developing ideas to increase retention, 4) expanding the existing customer relationships and increasing the share of wallet through cross-selling and up-selling, and 5) linking CLV to organizational-level concepts such as firm valuation.

2 Credit Hours

The aim of this course is to better understand and handle various personal and professional ethical issues arising in the lives of digital marketing professionals. Topics will include, without limitation: how to achieve a good life in marketing; marketing as a calling; independence and objectivity; misrepresentation; integrity of marketing strategies and campaigns; duties to clients and employers; and conflicts of interest.

2 Credit Hours

A brand is often the most valuable asset of a firm. In this class, students will examine the creation and building of brand equity to create long-term profit for the firm. The class will examine what we know about brand management and brand theory from years of rigorous scientific research in the area. While learning the foundations of brand management, students will develop the skills needed to examine the creation and implementation of brand strategies in the digital space to build and sustain brand equity and consumer engagement.

2 Credit Hours

In this semester-long capstone experience, MSDM students work in teams to design, launch, and manage a live digital marketing campaign for a real business client, gaining hands-on experience with campaign planning, creative development, and performance measurement.