CIM Diploma in professional & digital marketing

Level 6 | BA (Hons) Degree | 9/10 SQA
Lead with confidence, deliver with impact
Build expertise to shape strategy, inspire teams, and achieve measurable results with a globally recognised CIM Diploma.

Special offer: Dual SOSTAC® Planner award or DMI Track*

and more ...

* DMI Track to the value of £430 for anyone who enrols by 12 September.

Accredited qualification

Digital Marketing Institute
Format
Live online
Start anytime
Live cohort start dates
January, April
June, September
Duration
18 weeks
CIM Membership
Required (£65)
Course fee

£2,745 +VAT
Plus Institutional fees
Course Lead
Veronica Swindale
*Team discounts and payment options available

Get a recognised qualification

Join a 300,000 strong digital marketing community!

Over 75,000

Learners

5.0 (62 reviews) 

Why learn with nesma ?

We offer personalised learning that adapts to your changing situation at work and home, and more tutor hours to make sure you achieve your learning goals faster! 

Plus using our exclusive SkillsView™ and dedicated advisors, we work with you to help you build learning pathways to help you get that promotion! 

To learn more about the nesma Way!  ...watch our video!


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Unique offers for this programme: 

We provide a unique range of offers to support your learning experience when completing this qualification:
  • SOSTAC® Planner dual award to enhance your qualification portfolio
  • Free access to the Skills Lounge for revision sessions and networking.
  • Earn nesma credits for smoother progression to other programmes.
  • Dedicated expert support available throughout your learning journey.

Course description

Supercharge your marketing career with a flexible programme designed to let you specialise and build powerful expertise that matches your ambitions.

With nesma’s expert guidance and interactive learning, you’ll master the skills to lead bold strategies, drive digital innovation, and deliver real business impact.

Perfect for marketers ready to step up, customise their journey, and make waves in senior roles.
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What you'll learn

No matter which modules you choose, you’ll gain core skills to plan, execute, and evaluate effective marketing campaigns that deliver business impact.
Build a tailored marketing plan aligned with your business goals
Develop strategic, integrated campaigns to drive growth
Embed ethical and sustainable marketing practices
Measure and adapt plans for lasting success and impact

Your course includes

  • 18 weeks of expert-led live online classroom sessions
  • Interactive quizzes and practical assignments
  • Revision and 121 sessions with tutors. 
  • Building a 3 year marketing plan tailored to your organisation. 
  • Live online learning with lifetime access 
  • Qualification Certificate

Your pathway to senior marketing success!

This course is ideal for marketing assistants, coordinators, executives, and professionals looking to specialise or step up.

Choose the modules that best fit your career ambitions and develop skills to understand customers, plan campaigns, select the right channels, and apply marketing principles in real-world scenarios.

By the end, you’ll confidently contribute to marketing teams or manage your own campaigns, earning a globally recognised qualification.

With nesma, you’ll qualify faster and get expert support every step of the way—better than any other study centre.

Modules

4 Modules are required to gain this qualification:
  • Strategy & planning and
  • Societal impact and
  • Brand proposition or
  • Content strategy or
  • Customer journey optimisation or
  • AI Marketing or
  • Social media management or
  • Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) & Paid Search Management (PSM)
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All of our learners gain access to the nesma learning hub via your own homepage.

From here you can access all of your courses, materials and activities, see your progress and work with other students. 

The platform provides broader benefits including skills passport, activity badges, and access to skills intelligence, offers and news!

Aims

You’ll gain advanced marketing knowledge, strategic insight, and leadership skills to excel in senior roles and drive business success.

In short, you’ll hold a CIM Diploma in Professional Marketing, proving you’re ready to shape strategy, inspire teams, and deliver measurable growth.

Certification exam 

To complete the course, you’ll take four assessments—one for each module. The Strategy & Planning module includes a written assignment alongside a two-hour exam.

All other modules are assessed online with 45 questions in 90 minutes, featuring multiple choice, scenario-based, and single best answer formats.

Score 60% or higher in each assessment to pass and earn a CIM Award for every module—working towards your full Diploma.


We’ll set you up with a sample test and provide a focused revision session shaped around the topics you and your cohort want to revisit. By the end, you’ll be confident, exam-ready, and on your way to becoming a certified marketing professional.

CIM Membership  & Assessment Fees

We handle all the admin – you focus on learning
We’ll arrange your CIM membership (£65) , register you for assessments (£165 per module), and help you prepare with practice tests and revision sessions.
Plus, as a CIM member, you gain exclusive access to industry insights, practical toolkits, expert webinars, networking events, and career support resources—all designed to accelerate your marketing career and keep you connected to a global community of marketing professionals.

Who is it for?

This course is designed for experienced marketers and professionals ready to shape strategy, lead transformative campaigns, and advance into senior roles with strong digital expertise.

It’s ideal for marketing managers, team leaders, career changers, and business owners focused on driving measurable business growth while earning a recognised diploma-level qualification.  If your not sure talk to us  

Entry requirements

This course is designed for experienced marketers and professionals with a solid grounding in marketing principles.
Your likely to qualify if you have:
  • A CIM Level 4 Certificate in Professional Marketing or Digital Marketing
  • A business or marketing degree (Bachelor’s or Master’s) where at least half the credits are marketing-related.
  • Relevant professional experience in marketing (typically 2+ years).
If English isn’t your first language, you’ll need an IELTS Academic score of 6.5+ (with no component below 6.0) or equivalent. Not sure if you’re eligible? Get in touch and we’ll help assess your experience and qualifications.

Your course tutors

Jo Dolezal

Marketing Strategy & Digital Communications Expert

Jo is a senior tutor for nesma and an experienced marketing consultant with expertise in strategy, digital marketing, and communications. As founder of Dolezal Consulting and a Chartered Marketer, she brings over 20 years of hands-on experience helping businesses create and deliver effective marketing strategies. Her teaching blends practical insights with academic rigour, empowering learners to apply their knowledge to real-world challenges. Jo plays a key role in guiding students through CIM qualifications, making complex marketing concepts clear and actionable.

Kris Woods

 Strategic Communications Specialist

Kris is an experienced marketing consultant and CIM tutor with over 30 years in media, advertising, and education. She brings real-world insight to her teaching, with expertise in PR, strategic planning, and multi-channel communication. Kris has taught CIM qualifications at all levels for over a decade and delivers marketing programmes at institutions including the University of Sunderland. She’s passionate about helping learners grow in confidence, build practical skills, and apply marketing theory to real business challenges.

David Colley

 Branding & marketing communications specialist 

David is a seasoned branding and marketing communications expert with a PhD and extensive academic experience. Formerly a Senior Lecturer at Manchester Metropolitan University, he combines deep theory with practical insight to help CIM students master branding strategy and deliver impactful campaigns. His background in design authenticity and community engagement enriches his teaching, making complex concepts relevant and actionable for marketers.

Joe Bell

Data-Driven Marketing Leader

Joe is a part-time CIM tutor with over 15 years of marketing experience across B2B, construction, software, engineering, and financial services. He specialises in customer marketing and CRM strategy, bringing a data-led, insight-driven approach to campaign planning and commercial decision-making. As a team leader and CIM Level 7 graduate, Joe is passionate about developing people and helping students build the confidence to apply marketing theory in fast-moving, real-world contexts.

Steven Parker

Digital marketing strategist

Steven is an experienced marketing consultant and CIM tutor specialising in strategy, digital marketing, and business growth. With over 20 years in senior marketing roles, he supports learners in developing practical skills to drive real-world results. Steven runs his own consultancy, helping organisations improve marketing performance and digital presence. He brings a wealth of knowledge across sectors and is passionate about helping businesses and individuals unlock their full potential.

Jason Yip

 Innovation & Martech Specialist

Jason is a part-time CIM tutor with over 25 years’ experience in digital marketing across both public and private sectors. Currently Head of Marketing Web, CRM, and Analytics at Newcastle University, he has led nationally recognised digital projects and is celebrated for driving marketing innovation and creativity. 

Jason brings a wealth of expertise in web, CRM, and analytics, and is a regular judge at top industry awards. He’s passionate about making complex digital concepts clear and helping learners apply their knowledge with confidence and impact.

Karen Wharton

Digital & Brand Communications Specialist

Karen is a highly experienced marketing professional, combining over 13 years as a Senior Lecturer with hands-on expertise as a consultancy owner-director. She specialises in marketing strategy, branding, SEO, website development, and integrated communications—bringing a practical, results-driven approach to every course she delivers.

With a background that includes senior roles at the Association of International Accountants and ScS, Karen blends academic insight with real-world experience to help learners apply strategic thinking that drives measurable results..

Learning outcomes


Course options

Pathway to achieving your qualification

Earn 50 credits by completing four modules. With nesma, start anytime and choose the order that suits you—flexibility to shape your own learning journey.

Strategy & Planning  (mandatory module) and

Learn to shape strategy, align teams, and deliver impactful marketing plans that drive real business growth. This module goes beyond theory with a written assessment focused on creating a practical, strategic marketing plan—something tangible you can apply directly in your organisation. You’ll gain the confidence to lead at a senior level, align supporting activities, and measure success to keep your strategy agile and effective.
Learning outcomes
  • Discover how marketing drives organisational success by supporting key goals like brand growth and revenue generation.
  • Master the art of marketing audits to uncover powerful insights that shape winning strategies..
  • Create strategic marketing plans that align with business ambitions and fuel sustainable growth.
  • Design coordinated tactical plans that work seamlessly together to achieve impactful marketing outcomes.
  • Strategically plan resources and actions to ensure smooth and effective marketing execution.
  • Analyse marketing performance with confidence and recommend smart improvements for continuous success.
Find out more about what you’ll learn in Strategy & planning→

Societal impact and

Discover how marketing can lead positive social and environmental change by aligning with your organisation’s long-term goals. This module helps you understand the challenges facing society, engage key stakeholders, and build effective partnerships that inspire action and deliver sustainable impact.
Learning outcomes
  • Understand the evolving societal and environmental landscape and how it affects businesses and customers.
  • Explore how marketing supports internal and external change aligned with business, societal, and environmental objectives.
  • Develop long-term plans and measurement strategies to drive and demonstrate meaningful societal impact.
Find out more about what you’ll learn in Societal impact →

Brand proposition or

Learn how to create clear, authentic brand propositions that stand out in competitive markets. This module covers how to develop and manage brand value, build strong identities, and innovate to maintain relevance and trust in a fast-changing digital world.
Learning outcomes
  • Understand how to develop distinctive propositions that give your organisation a competitive edge.
  • Explore how brand positioning adds value to both the organisation and its customers.
  • Identify the key factors that shape successful brand identity, innovation, and management strategies.
Find out more about what you'll learn in Brand proposition →

Customer journey optimisation or

Master the art of creating seamless, personalised customer journeys using data-driven insights. This module equips you to map, analyse, and optimise every stage of the customer experience to boost satisfaction, loyalty, and advocacy.
Learning outcomes
  • Understand how to create integrated customer journey maps that deliver real value for both customers and organisations..
  • Use data and insights to identify journey pain points and design effective improvements.
  • Recommend and justify the right metrics to measure success and optimise customer experiences across multiple channels.
Find out more about what you'll learn in this module →

Content strategy or

Learn how to craft powerful content strategies that align with marketing goals and drive audience engagement. This module gives you the skills to plan, create, and distribute content that resonates with target audiences and supports business growth.
Learning outcomes
  • Develop a content strategy that aligns with wider marketing objectives and delivers measurable impact.
  • Plan the creation and distribution of effective content across paid and owned channels to maximise reach and engagement.
  • Craft audience-focused copy and select the right formats and channels to connect with diverse target groups.
Find out more about what you'll learn in this module →

AI marketing or

Explore how AI is transforming marketing and gain the skills to harness its potential. This module gives you strategic insights into AI applications, ethical considerations, and how to plan its implementation to drive innovation and business growth.
Learning outcomes
  • Identify how AI technologies can enhance marketing activities and analyse the benefits they bring to businesses.
  • Evaluate the challenges of adopting AI, including customer acceptance, ethical implications, and organisational readiness.
  • Plan the integration of AI tools into marketing strategies and assess their impact on performance and team capabilities.
Find out more about how this module develops your MarTecht skills →

SEO & Paid Search Management or

Master the strategies behind organic and paid search to boost visibility and drive customer engagement. This module equips you with practical skills to analyse search behaviour, create effective paid campaigns, and optimise websites to achieve maximum search engine impact.
Learning outcomes
  • Apply research techniques to understand customer search behaviour and use insights to inform both organic and paid search strategies.
  • Plan and manage paid search campaigns that align with marketing objectives and evaluate their effectiveness.
  • Optimise websites using on-page SEO techniques and establish authority to improve organic search performance.
Find out more about what you'll learn in this module →

Social media management

Learn how to design and manage a powerful social media strategy that builds brand presence, drives engagement, and strengthens customer relationships. This module gives you the tools to audit platforms, plan campaigns, and measure success with confidence.
Learning outcomes
  • Develop a data-led social media strategy by understanding your audiences, auditing platforms, and planning campaigns that deliver impact.
  • Manage platforms, communities, and influencers effectively to protect brand reputation and maximise audience engagement.
  • Measure success using KPIs and analytics tools to optimise social media activities and demonstrate value to the organisation.
Find out more about what you'll learn in this module here ⇒

What our learners say

The qualification has been transformative for my role!

I can now approach marketing challenges with a more strategic mindset

Step up your game!

Your commitment, passion, and delivery were really amazing. We had a great start and the speed as well as intensity with which we rolled out globally over 3 years was unbelievable.

Concise and practical content

I learned a lot and now feel ready to implement these techniques into my organisation. 

Very Professional!

It was an excellent training program, and I am very pleased. The instructors were very knowledgeable, and the content was relevant to our industry.

Simple to understand!

Armed with the knowledge and techniques obtained from your school, I feel more equipped to navigate the challenging social aspects of the real world and become a professional in my field of choice.

Excellent Training Program!

The presenters were amazing. They were engaging, timely, and knowledgeable

5% off for nesma students and alumni!

If you have registered or attended a course
with us before, copy/ use the promo code
on the right when you enrol*
*We will of course verify you have previously learnt with us
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