What are the Eligibility Requirements for a Digital Marketing Course?

It’s easy to enroll in a digital marketing course in the Philippines. The eligibility for a digital marketing course can vary depending on the specific course and institution offering it. However, some common eligibility criteria include:

Education: Most digital marketing courses require a high school diploma or equivalent, although some may require a college degree or specific field of study.
Work Experience: Some digital marketing courses may require a certain level of work experience, particularly for more advanced or specialized courses.
Technical Knowledge: Some courses may require a certain level of technical knowledge, such as experience with specific software or programming languages.
English Language: A good command of English language is usually required, as digital marketing courses are often taught in English.
Age: some course providers may have specific age requirement.

It’s important to check the specific requirements for the course you’re interested in, as well as any prerequisites that may be required. Some institutions or course providers may have an admission process and you may be required to submit an application and meet certain criteria before being accepted. Additionally, some online course providers may have an open enrollment policy, which means that anyone can register for the course at any time.

In the Philippines, however, the eligibility for a digital marketing course is now strict. However, there are certain qualifications that give you an advantage.

For example, having a business or marketing background will help. So, if you are working as a marketing professional or graduated with a college degree in business or marketing, the marketing concepts you will learn in a digital marketing course will already be familiar.

It’s also worth noting that some digital marketing courses may be designed for people with no previous experience in the field, while others may be geared towards more experienced professionals looking to expand their skills.

Do You Need a Marketing Background or College Degree?

A marketing background will help but is not necessary. A college degree is also not required. Why? Unlike other professions such as accounting, engineering, or nursing, digital marketing is something you encounter every day as an Internet user and consumer. This means you already have a level of familiarity and exposure to digital advertising, emails, websites, search engine results, and social media posts. In a way, you know what they are and how they work.

What a digital marketing course will train you from the perspective of a marketer, not a consumer. You will learn how to create and run a digital advertising campaign, automate marketing emails, optimize websites for engagement and conversion, rank higher in search engine results, and make effective social media posts.

So, more than a college degree or marketing work experience, what is more important is a serious interest in digital marketing.

Eligibility for Digital Marketing Course

There are two general categories of digital marketing course providers in the Philippines: educational institutions and training companies.

Educational Institutions

Educational institutions are colleges, universities, and graduate schools that are recognized and regulated by the Commission on Higher Education (CHED). Those that offer a digital marketing course are:

Asian Institute of Management
Ateneo de Manila University Center of Continuing Education
CIIT College of Arts and Technology
De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde

Take note that these are not college or post-graduate degree programs, meaning you’re not getting a BS, BA, Masters, or PhD degree in digital marketing. What they offer are certificate programs, not diploma courses. As such, they are no different from what training companies offer.

Since their digital marketing course is open to all and is not a degree program, there is no eligibility for a digital marketing course, except being a high school or college graduate.

Training Providers

Training companies are corporations licensed by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to operate as training providers. They do not offer degree programs. In the Philippines, these include:

DMHQ
CDM
Inventive Media
Neo Trade
Six Sigma PH

These digital marketing training providers in the Philippines issue either a certificate or a certification in digital marketing.

A certificate is simply evidence of completing a course. It is not recognized by the industry. A certification, on the other hand, is evidence of completing a course and passing a certification exam. Because there are standards that must be met and these standards are recognized by the industry, they carry more weight.

Only CDM and DMHQ offer digital marketing certification. However, CDM is recognized locally only. DMHQ, which is the education partner of the Digital Marketing Institute (DMI), offers certification programs including CDMP that are recognized internationally.

In addition, the CDMP program is an academic credential. It is mapped to the Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework (SCQF) Level 5. That makes it a professional diploma, which is equivalent to two years of college. This means when you complete and pass the CDMP course, you also earn a Professional Diploma in Digital Marketing, earning credits that are recognized by employers and universities in Europe and other regions that are aligned to the SCQF.

In terms of the eligibility for a digital marketing course, all these training providers keep their programs open to all.

However, DMI also has an advanced Postgraduate in Digital Marketing called DMI Expert. This certification is credit rated at level 11 on the SCQF and awarded 120 credit points by the SQA (Scottish Qualifications Authority). This is comparable to a postgraduate diploma awarded by a UK university. So, unlike the postgraduate certificate offered by AIM, DMI’s program is an actual diploma, not just a certificate.

The eligibility requirements for DMI Expert are:

Minimum second class honors Bachelor’s degree in business/commerce/marketing plus a minimum of 1 year’s digital marketing experience
Minimum second class honors Bachelor’s degree in any discipline plus a minimum of significant and rich 2 years’ digital marketing experience (to make up for the lack of a degree in the area)
If no formal third-level education, must have significant digital marketing work experience (minimum 4 years) and an acceptable level of responsibility would suffice for entry into the DMI Expert program

So, if you want to have an edge by earning real academic credentials, enroll in the DMI CDMP program, equivalent to a Professional Diploma in Digital Marketing. Or for an advanced degree, apply for the DMI Expert program, equivalent to a Postgraduate Diploma in Digital Marketing.