New Master Certificate Program Equips Professionals and Organizations With the Tools, Tactics and Best Practices of Integrated Online Marketing
TAMPA, Fla. – In today’s turbulent economy, companies require more accountability for marketing dollars than ever before – prompting a significant advertising shift from traditional media to an ever-evolving array of interactive strategies that offer immediate, quantifiable results. According to a recent study by marketing services firm Epsilon, 6 out of 10 Chief Marketing Officers plan to increase their spending on interactive marketing this year.1 Industry analysts support that move, with the Interactive Advertising Bureau and PricewaterhouseCoopers noting the online ad sector is “poised to weather the [economic] storm perhaps better than other advertising sectors due to its cost-effectiveness and measurability.”2
These dramatic changes in the media landscape have created a huge demand for professionals and organizations with digital marketing expertise and search engine marketing training. Major job sites list thousands of openings – from interactive data analyst to director of Internet marketing – for candidates with these specialized skill sets. To fill this urgent need, the University of San Francisco created the industry’s first and only Internet marketing certificate program offered 100% online. In just a matter of weeks, students will master the strategies and techniques they need to survive – and thrive – in this complex, dynamic marketing environment.
USF’s Master Certificate in Internet Marketing provides a “big picture” view of essential Internet marketing tools and techniques, including creative development, blogs, Web 2.0, search engine optimization (SEO), web analytics, A/B testing, affiliate marketing, viral video, social media and more. Developed by practicing interactive marketing experts, this unique, end-to-end program consists of three online certificate courses: Integrated Online Strategies, Search Engine Marketing and Usability, and Advanced Interactive Marketing and Measurement.
“Until now, professionals who wanted interactive marketing training had to choose between a few expensive, time-consuming degree programs and more limited, subject-specific workshops,” said Jay Berkowitz, CEO of Ten Golden Rules and one of the instructors in USF’s online faculty. “Our new Master Certificate in Internet Marketing is unique in that it covers all facets of digital marketing in a condensed and convenient online format. Students will gain the knowledge and credentials they need to land a position or promotion in interactive marketing, while entrepreneurs and marketers alike will come away with the skills to develop a successful Internet strategy and maximize e-commerce revenues.”
In addition to teaching students how to develop, implement and evolve integrated online marketing strategies, the master certificate program also prepares them for certification from two leading industry organizations. Participants will master the Google AdWords concepts along with the tracking and measurement techniques featured on the Google Advertising Professionals and Web Analytics Association certification exams.
Registration is now open for the Master Certificate in Internet Marketing program. Classes begin February 1 for the Integrated Online Strategies course, continuing with Search Engine Marketing and Usability on April 1 and Advanced Interactive Marketing and Measurement on June 1. For more information, call 800-436-1713 or visit www.USanFranOnline.com.
About the University of San Francisco
Acclaimed as one of America’s best universities by U.S. News & World Report and The Princeton Review, the University of San Francisco has earned a reputation for academic excellence that dates back to its founding in 1855. It is committed to becoming internationally recognized as a premier Jesuit Catholic, urban university with a global perspective. USF’s online programs are offered through its School of Business and Management, which includes the Masagung Graduate School of Management and the McLaren Undergraduate College of Business.
About University Alliance Online
The University Alliance (UA) facilitates the promotion and online delivery of associate’s, bachelor’s and master’s degrees as well as professional certificate programs from the nation’s leading traditional universities and institutions. Powered by UA’s technology and support services, our university partners have surpassed 300,000 online enrollments — making UA the largest facilitator of e-learning in the country. University Alliance partners include Villanova University, the University of Notre Dame’s Mendoza College of Business, Tulane University’s Freeman School of Business, Thunderbird School of Global Management, the University of San Francisco, the University of South Florida, Florida Institute of Technology, The University of Scranton, Dominican University and Jacksonville University.
1 “Marketing Spending Priorities Shift”; published on eMarketer.com, October 7, 2008.
2 “Internet Advertising Revenues in Q3 ’08 at Nearly $5.9 Billion”; published on IAB.net, November 20, 2008.
