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Social Media Certificate Online Graduate Marketing Classes

Joanne Coffey, wearing her cap and gown and holding her diploma while standing in front of the SNHU-branded bus.

Cost per credit $637

Total courses 5

Total credits 15

Program Overview Why get a certificate in social media marketing?

Social media platforms, blogs and podcasts have become a key means of marketing communication for many organizations. The Social Media Marketing Graduate Certificate online program at Southern New Hampshire University gives you valuable tools for evaluating strategic uses of social media, developing a social media strategy and marketing campaign, and creating effective social media messaging for specific target audiences.

Skills you'll learn:

  • Developing social media campaigns
  • Executing successful social media marketing strategies
  • Conducting market research
  • Targeting messaging to audiences
Naeem Jaraysi, who earned his degree from SNHU, wearing ear pods working on his laptop with an SNHU sticker on the front in a coffee shop.

Courses & Curriculum Online social media marketing courses for developing marketers

The social media graduate certificate is a highly focused program for professionals who want to build and qualify their marketing skills quickly. From strategy and content creation to management and metrics, you'll learn advanced strategies for successfully creating and implementing your own social media marketing campaign.

As a bonus, all 15 credits of this certificate can be applied toward the full online master's in marketing with a concentration in social media marketing program.

Degree Courses

Online social media marketing courses

The graduate certificate in social media marketing program has 5 courses with 4 required topics. For your fifth course, it's up to you to decide what to take. Consider adding a class that complements your program, like:

  • Brand Management
  • Consumer Behavior and Marketing
  • Digital Story Telling and Branding
  • Ethical and Legal Issues in Marketing
  • Market Research
  • Online Marketing Channels
  • Promotions Management

As a bonus, the Social Media Marketing Strategies course prepares you to sit for the HubSpot Social Media Certification exam – another credential to add to your resume.

Upon completion of the program, you'll have a strong project for your portfolio or a plan you can replicate within your own organization.

Courses may include:

Course ID: MKT 500
This course is a study of the activity by which organizations discover consumer and other organizations' needs and wants, and then provide satisfaction through a mutually beneficial relationship. Students will explore the topics of selecting a target market, conducting marketing research, and designing product, price, promotional, and distribution strategies through the development of a marketing plan.
Course ID: MKT 555
Explore possibilities and limitations of contemporary social media platforms and tools. Construct and evaluate social media content, its impact, and practical use in marketing context. Analyze general strategic uses of social media for advertising, marketing, public relations, journalism, and civic and political participation. Gain hands-on experience with several forms of the most current social media technology.
Course ID: MKT 655
This course will develop the students' ability to effectively and successfully create, and implement a social media marketing campaign and evaluate as well as measure its success. Intensive skill building will be placed on creating, applying and integrating the appropriate social media tool that will enable marketers to build high-value relationships with their constituencies. The course will focus on key elements such as determining and matching social media tactics with the appropriate target market and developing strategies to engage those markets using relevant social media channels.
Course ID: MKT 666
This course will develop the student's ability to effectively and successfully create and implement a social media marketing campaign and evaluate as well as measure its success. Intensive skill building will be placed on creating, applying and integrating the appropriate social media tools to meet the marketing objectives of the organization. The course will focus on key elements such as a) audience, b) campaign objectives, c) strategic plan, d) tactics, e) tools, and f) metrics to measure the campaign.

Visit the course catalog to view the full Graduate Certificate in Social Media Marketing.

Apply for free in minutes

Our no-commitment application can help you decide if SNHU is the right college for you and your career goals. Apply up until 2 days before the term starts!

Upcoming term starts: March 24, 2025 | June 9, 2025

Next term starts:
Jan. 6, 2025

Online Student Experience What’s it like going to SNHU?

Attending college online at SNHU can be a life-changing experience. In fact, 93.2% of online students would recommend SNHU according to a 2023 survey with 21,000+ respondents.

What to expect:

10-week terms

Learn around your schedule

24/7 online support

Online Classroom

What does an online course look like?

You’ll take your courses within SNHU’s Brightspace platform. This is where you’ll find your:

  • Schedule of weekly assignments
  • Discussion boards
  • Grades
  • Instructor announcements
How to Take an Online Class at SNHU
5 ways SNHU makes the admission process "easy-peasy" #shorts

Admission Applying to SNHU is fast and free

No application fee. No test scores. And no college essay. Just a simple form with basic information. It’s another way SNHU helps you reach your goals sooner.

All it takes is 3 simple steps

It's easy, fast and free.

Whether you're applying for an undergraduate or graduate degree, you’ll fill out a form to verify your previous education experience. As part of our admissions process, we'll help you request transcripts from your previous school(s) to see if you can transfer any credits into your SNHU program! (Also for free!)

After reviewing your official evaluation, you can decide if SNHU is right for you! If you choose to enroll, just pick your start date and get ready for classes to begin.

Talk to an admission counselor: 888.327.SNHU | enroll@snhu.edu

Accreditations

SNHU is accredited by the regional accreditor the New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE). The university also carries specialized accreditations for some programs.

This certificate is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP). Student achievement data can be found on the ACBSP accreditation page.

NECHE Logo ACBSP Global Business Acreditation Logo

Tuition Cost & Savings College can be more affordable than you think

As a nonprofit university, SNHU offers some of the lowest online tuition rates in the country. And when you work with our Financial Services team, we'll explore ways to help you save even more on your education – and customize a payment plan that works for you.

This certificate is not eligible for federal financial aid. Students seeking alternatives to federal financial aid can explore tuition assistance, grants and scholarships, as well as private loans. To learn more about private loans, visit our Funding Your Education with Student Loans page.

Online certificate tuition

Student
Cost per credit
Cost per course
Cost for 15-credit certificate
Full- and part-time students
$637
$1,911
$9,555
Active-duty military and spouses | Full- and part-time students**
$470
$1,410
$7,050

Tuition rates are subject to change and are reviewed annually.

*Note: Students receiving this rate are not eligible for additional discounts.

Additional costs: Course materials vary by course.

Career Outlook What can I do with a social media graduate certificate?

Social media isn't just about getting likes and shares. For many organizations, it's a necessary tool for marketing and the ultimate resource for connecting with consumers.

Companies today need social-savvy marketing managers to run digital advertising campaigns and connect with audiences. Whether you're looking to break into the field of social media or you're a seasoned marketer looking to expand your skill set, understanding how to leverage social media to achieve business goals can help you achieve your career goals.

Occupations

With so many organizations now making use of social media platforms, social media marketers are employed in all kinds of industries. After completing the social media marketing certificate online, you'll be ready for a variety of roles and responsibilities, including:

Create fresh, on-brand social media content that connects with a brand's intended audiences.

Build and maintain a brand's social media presence by replying to comments, answering direct messages and cultivating an online community.

Create robust social media strategies that resonate with target audiences, influencing them to take action that forwards business goals.

Use performance data to help businesses make informed decisions about their organic and paid social media marketing strategy.

6%

Increase in advertising, promotions and marketing manager positions through 2032, projected by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).1

$156,580

Median annual pay for advertising, promotions and marketing managers as of May 2023, according to the BLS.1

Understanding the numbers
When reviewing job growth and salary information, it’s important to remember that actual numbers can vary due to many different factors—like years of experience in the role, industry of employment, geographic location, worker skill and economic conditions. Cited projections do not guarantee actual salary or job growth.

What SNHU students are saying

Madeline Brydges '20
The program has certainly enhanced my skills across the marketing and social media landscape. I focus quite a lot on marketing ethics, campaign management and digital strategies throughout my day — and my confidence on those topics can be attributed to what I learned in this program.
Madeline Brydges '20

Frequently Asked Questions

The best social media courses are the ones that can immediately help you grow your business. There are so many topics – from creating strategies, to developing content, to analyzing results – that it would be hard to fit them all into one class.

That's why, at Southern New Hampshire University, we've created a Social Media Marketing Graduate Certificate, a 5-course program that can help you upskill, and give you tools to help your marketing department engage better with your audience.

Four of the courses in our program are required:

  • Marketing Strategies
  • Social Media Marketing
  • Social Media Marketing Strategies
  • Social Media Marketing Campaigns

You'll start your program in a graduate-level marketing course, giving you a better understanding of what consumers want and how to build relationships with them.

Then, your 3 social media marketing courses will give you more of a deep dive into the topic. Create and analyze campaigns and content, target the right market, use the appropriate platforms, understand the impact of your posts, measure success – and then take your learnings into your next campaign.

HubSpot Academy LogoAs a bonus, the Social Media Marketing Strategies course prepares you to sit for the HubSpot Social Media Certification exam – another credential to add to your resume.

For your last course in your program, you have the opportunity to choose any master's-level marketing course, helping you specialize your skill set even further.

Better yet, SNHU's social media marketing classes online are affordable – another benefit you'll find when enrolling in a program here. At just $637 per graduate-level credit hour, our online tuition rates are some of the lowest in the country.

"The most important criteria when I was reviewing options were that it needed to be affordable, fully online, easy to sign up and have a flexible schedule," said Madeline Brydges '20. "SNHU’s program met all of that criteria, and once I began the sign-up process, I never looked back!"

So while "best" is subjective, the courses you take at SNHU can provide value to move you through the next phases of your marketing career.

A social media marketing certificate can either enhance your marketing skill set or give you the skills to start taking the lead, depending on what point you're at in your career.

A certificate in social media marketing is an excellent credential to add to your resume. And Southern New Hampshire University – a nonprofit, accredited institution – offers a Social Media Marketing Graduate Certificate that may be the skills boost you need to further your career.

As more organizations invest in social media, more skills are needed behind the content – so that it better connects with and informs your audience. This includes areas like:

  • Blogs
  • Content articles
  • E-books
  • How-to guides
  • Images
  • Infographics
  • Podcasts
  • Videos
  • Webinars

You can also jump into the metrics. All social media campaigns need to be measured for their effectiveness. Campaigns that meet their goals help the organization – with brand awareness, sales and loyalty.

Plus, your social media marketing classes online can position you for other certifications.

"One big step for me was taking the Google Analytics (GA) exam with my last social media marketing class," said Madeline Brydges '20. "I have been using GA for work the last couple of years but I never pushed myself to actually get qualified. Having a new certification under my belt has given me something 'official' to add to my CV and will help me advance in my current field."

What you can do with your certificate in social media marketing is up to you.

This depends on where you're starting from! If you're already familiar with some of the basics, picking up new skills won't take long at all. On the other hand, if you have no background doing social media in a business context, it could take you a bit longer.

Some may start with an undergraduate social media marketing degree. Others may build off another foundation.

Madeline Brydges '20
earned her bachelor's in biochemistry, but when she realized after a few years that the field wasn't for her, she set her eye on marketing.

While she was able to get a job in marketing, her role has expanded over the years. "I love what I do for work, and since I'm now fully involved in digital marketing, I wanted a degree to back that up," she said.

At Southern New Hampshire University, our social media certificate program has only 5 courses.

Since our graduate terms are 10 weeks long, you can definitely finish the program in a year as a part-time student – meaning you take 1 class at a time.

However, if you want to finish sooner, you could double up on classes for 2 of those terms as a full-time student, meaning you'd finish in closer to half a year.

It's up to you to decide on your timeline at SNHU. Lots of our students enroll part time – making it easier to balance with a job, family and other responsibilities. But if you don't have as many obligations in your life right now, full time may be the way to go.

Brydges says the program was worth it.

"My degree and this program are tangible proof that I chose to invest in my future, go the extra mile to verify my skill set and prove my value as I move forward with my career," she said. "I learned many new things along the way, and I was able to expand my view on things I already had some background on."

Our team of admission counselors and academic advisors can work with you on making the right decision. No matter what you choose, we want you to be successful at SNHU (and beyond).

Sources & Citations

1Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, on the internet, at https://www.bls.gov/ooh/management/advertising-promotions-and-marketing-managers.htm (viewed April 29, 2024).

Cited projections may not reflect local and/or short-term economic or job conditions and do not guarantee actual job growth.