Digital Marketing
BUSA-40879
Digital marketing plays a central role in how organizations communicate, compete, and grow. This course provides a structured foundation in digital marketing strategy, focusing on how core channels, data, and decision-making frameworks—supported by evolving digital tools and AI-assisted workflows—are applied in real-world business contexts.
Students will examine the development, execution, and evaluation of digital marketing efforts across key areas, including website strategy, search engine optimization (SEO), search engine marketing (SEM), AI-integrated search and social discovery environments, social and community-based platforms, email marketing, and mobile marketing. Emphasis is placed on how these channels function individually and as part of an integrated strategy aligned with organizational goals, including how technology is shaping content creation, targeting, and distribution across platforms.
The course reflects the evolving role of AI-integrated search and social discovery behaviors, including how content is surfaced across traditional search engines, generative AI tools, and social platforms. Students will evaluate how these shifts impact visibility, paid media strategies, and audience engagement. These concepts are introduced within the context of practical application, critical evaluation, and responsible use.
Students will apply key concepts through assignments such as website strategy development, SEO and SEM planning, campaign development, and performance analysis. The course culminates in a comprehensive digital marketing strategy and presentation that can be adapted for professional or portfolio use.
Additional topics include digital consumer behavior, customer experience (CX), customer relationship management (CRM), and digital brand, trust, and reputation.
Course Formats
- Online Asynchronous: Fully online format completed within the published course dates.
- In-Person (San Diego): Classroom-based experience with scheduled sessions.
- Spanish-Language Option: Equivalent curriculum delivered in Spanish.
All formats cover the same core material with variations in delivery and pacing.
Tools and Certifications
This course introduces commonly used digital marketing tools and platforms within a strategic framework. Students may choose to pursue additional certifications—such as Google Ads, Google Analytics, HubSpot, and social media marketing certifications—before, during, or after the course.
These certifications are complementary and are not required. The course focuses on the underlying strategy, analysis, and decision-making skills needed to apply tools effectively across platforms.
What you'll learn
Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:
- Explain the role of digital marketing within organizational strategy and business objectives.
- Analyze key digital marketing channels, including website, SEO, SEM, social media, email, and mobile marketing.
- Evaluate digital marketing performance using analytics, metrics, and data-driven frameworks.
- Apply digital tools and emerging technologies, including AI-assisted workflows, to support marketing strategy, content development, and campaign execution within appropriate practical and ethical considerations.
- Develop and present a comprehensive digital marketing strategy that demonstrates strategic analysis, channel integration, and implementation planning in a professional, presentation-ready format.
Course Information
Course sessions
Section ID:
Class type:
This course is entirely web-based and to be completed asynchronously between the published course start and end dates. Synchronous attendance is NOT required.
You will have access to your online course on the published start date OR 1 business day after your enrollment is confirmed if you enroll on or after the published start date.
Textbooks:
All course materials are included unless otherwise stated.
Policies:
- No refunds after: 3/31/2026
Schedule:
Instructor:
Jennifer Neeley
Current and former clients include Apigee, Castlight Health, Fiverr, LinkedIn, and Microsoft, as well as high-profile health care and technology executives who are referred to Jennifer for her discreet, strategic counsel. She is known for brining left and right brain ideas together through novel marketing and strategy.
Jennifer brought her skills to Iraq's Green Zone in 2011, where she worked with an international NGO to show them how to use practical tools like Google Analytics to identify where and how to disseminate information about voting rights. Her work coincided with the Arab Spring, which would lead to further opportunities to provide input on how to use social media to positive effect.
Jennifer earned her Master of Science (MS) from Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism and her Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree from the University of California, Berkeley. She has also completed programs at Lund University in Sweden and the American Conservatory Theater, and taught ESL (English as a Second Language) as a Peace Corps volunteer in Turkmenistan.
Jennifer a regular media fixture, routinely providing commentary on digital and social media to TV news outlets. She is also a sought-after speaker, and contributes to a number of online publications including Forbes, Social Media Today, Business2Community, and Medium.
Jennifer is passionate about giving back, and is an active participant on a number on nonprofit boards. She also maintains numerous professional memberships, and is active in the lifestyle and fitness community as a yoga teacher and health coach. She continues her personal development by studying Ayurvedic medicine.
Jennifer is currently working on research that aims to measure the impact of social media on at-risk health communities, as well as the mental health benefits of trauma-informed yoga offered to community groups who do not otherwise have access.
Section ID:
Class type:
This course is entirely web-based and to be completed asynchronously between the published course start and end dates. Synchronous attendance is NOT required.
You will have access to your online course on the published start date OR 1 business day after your enrollment is confirmed if you enroll on or after the published start date.
Textbooks:
Digital Marketing 1st
by Jennifer Neeley
ISBN / ASIN: 9798219085178
You may purchase textbooks via the UC San Diego Bookstore.
Policies:
- No refunds after: 3/31/2026
Schedule:
Instructor:
Jennifer Neeley
Current and former clients include Apigee, Castlight Health, Fiverr, LinkedIn, and Microsoft, as well as high-profile health care and technology executives who are referred to Jennifer for her discreet, strategic counsel. She is known for brining left and right brain ideas together through novel marketing and strategy.
Jennifer brought her skills to Iraq's Green Zone in 2011, where she worked with an international NGO to show them how to use practical tools like Google Analytics to identify where and how to disseminate information about voting rights. Her work coincided with the Arab Spring, which would lead to further opportunities to provide input on how to use social media to positive effect.
Jennifer earned her Master of Science (MS) from Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism and her Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree from the University of California, Berkeley. She has also completed programs at Lund University in Sweden and the American Conservatory Theater, and taught ESL (English as a Second Language) as a Peace Corps volunteer in Turkmenistan.
Jennifer a regular media fixture, routinely providing commentary on digital and social media to TV news outlets. She is also a sought-after speaker, and contributes to a number of online publications including Forbes, Social Media Today, Business2Community, and Medium.
Jennifer is passionate about giving back, and is an active participant on a number on nonprofit boards. She also maintains numerous professional memberships, and is active in the lifestyle and fitness community as a yoga teacher and health coach. She continues her personal development by studying Ayurvedic medicine.
Jennifer is currently working on research that aims to measure the impact of social media on at-risk health communities, as well as the mental health benefits of trauma-informed yoga offered to community groups who do not otherwise have access.
Section ID:
Class type:
This course is entirely web-based and to be completed asynchronously between the published course start and end dates. Synchronous attendance is NOT required.
You will have access to your online course on the published start date OR 1 business day after your enrollment is confirmed if you enroll on or after the published start date.
Textbooks:
Digital Marketing 1st
by Jennifer Neeley
ISBN / ASIN: 9798219085178
You may purchase textbooks via the UC San Diego Bookstore.
Policies:
- No refunds after: 3/31/2026
Schedule:
Instructor:
Jennifer Neeley
Current and former clients include Apigee, Castlight Health, Fiverr, LinkedIn, and Microsoft, as well as high-profile health care and technology executives who are referred to Jennifer for her discreet, strategic counsel. She is known for brining left and right brain ideas together through novel marketing and strategy.
Jennifer brought her skills to Iraq's Green Zone in 2011, where she worked with an international NGO to show them how to use practical tools like Google Analytics to identify where and how to disseminate information about voting rights. Her work coincided with the Arab Spring, which would lead to further opportunities to provide input on how to use social media to positive effect.
Jennifer earned her Master of Science (MS) from Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism and her Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree from the University of California, Berkeley. She has also completed programs at Lund University in Sweden and the American Conservatory Theater, and taught ESL (English as a Second Language) as a Peace Corps volunteer in Turkmenistan.
Jennifer a regular media fixture, routinely providing commentary on digital and social media to TV news outlets. She is also a sought-after speaker, and contributes to a number of online publications including Forbes, Social Media Today, Business2Community, and Medium.
Jennifer is passionate about giving back, and is an active participant on a number on nonprofit boards. She also maintains numerous professional memberships, and is active in the lifestyle and fitness community as a yoga teacher and health coach. She continues her personal development by studying Ayurvedic medicine.
Jennifer is currently working on research that aims to measure the impact of social media on at-risk health communities, as well as the mental health benefits of trauma-informed yoga offered to community groups who do not otherwise have access.
Section ID:
Class type:
All class meetings held in-person according to published location, dates and times. Students may be expected to engage with course content online during the published course dates.
Textbooks:
All course materials are included unless otherwise stated.
Policies:
- No refunds after: 4/14/2026
Note:
Schedule:
| Date | Day | Start | End | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4/6/2026 | Mon | 6:00 p.m. | 9:00 p.m. | Room 475, UCSD Division of Extended Studies 8980, 8980 Villa La Jolla Drive, San Diego |
| 4/13/2026 | Mon | 6:00 p.m. | 9:00 p.m. | Room 475, UCSD Division of Extended Studies 8980, 8980 Villa La Jolla Drive, San Diego |
| 4/20/2026 | Mon | 6:00 p.m. | 9:00 p.m. | Room 475, UCSD Division of Extended Studies 8980, 8980 Villa La Jolla Drive, San Diego |
| 4/27/2026 | Mon | 6:00 p.m. | 9:00 p.m. | Room 475, UCSD Division of Extended Studies 8980, 8980 Villa La Jolla Drive, San Diego |
| 5/4/2026 | Mon | 6:00 p.m. | 9:00 p.m. | Room 475, UCSD Division of Extended Studies 8980, 8980 Villa La Jolla Drive, San Diego |
| 5/11/2026 | Mon | 6:00 p.m. | 9:00 p.m. | Room 475, UCSD Division of Extended Studies 8980, 8980 Villa La Jolla Drive, San Diego |
| 5/18/2026 | Mon | 6:00 p.m. | 9:00 p.m. | Room 475, UCSD Division of Extended Studies 8980, 8980 Villa La Jolla Drive, San Diego |
| 6/1/2026 | Mon | 6:00 p.m. | 9:00 p.m. | Room 475, UCSD Division of Extended Studies 8980, 8980 Villa La Jolla Drive, San Diego |
| 6/8/2026 | Mon | 6:00 p.m. | 9:00 p.m. | Room 475, UCSD Division of Extended Studies 8980, 8980 Villa La Jolla Drive, San Diego |
Instructor:
Caleb Chao, MBA
Caleb Chao is the Senior Manager, Search Strategy at SportRx in San Diego, CA. He is a 15-year veteran of the internet marketing industry with agency, brand, and entrepreneurial expertise in PPC/SEM, SEO, content marketing, analytics, client management, conversion optimization, digital & business marketing, and sales/operations strategy. Caleb is passionate about the intersection of psychology, marketing, sales, behavior, technology and economics.
Caleb has worked with brands such as Blindsgalore, Smith & Noble, Budget Blinds, Oakley, Ray-Ban, Maui Jim, Nike, Under Armour, Adidas, Revo, Costa, Smith, SPY, Fox, 100%, Quiksilver, Roxy, Wiley X, Lincoln Military Housing, Ambit Energy, Medicare.com, University of Mississippi, Florida National University, Indiana Tech University, Ivy Tech University, Archie/Peyton Manning Family Charity, UC San Diego, Sony, and BTO Sports.
Client type expertise includes B2B, B2C, ecommerce, lead gen, reputation management, financial services, legal, health, creative/marketing agencies, medical, education, automotive, utilities, sports, restaurants, technology, SAAS, electronics, defense, manufacturing, rapid prototyping, apparel, eco-friendly, nonprofits, services, startups, and multinationals.
Caleb graduated from UC San Diego with a BA in Economics, then obtained an MBA from Point Loma Nazarene University. Caleb teaches Digital Marketing and PPC Paid Search at UC San Diego Division of Extended Studies, and is a badged Google Partner with multiple certifications in Google Analytics and Google Ads.
Caleb has a passion for helping students navigate their internships/careers with assessments such as MBTI, StrengthsFinder, and the Enneagram. He has coached hundreds of students and colleagues with these business and personal development tools.
Caleb believes the most gratifying reward for teaching is seeing students progress in higher education, earn their next promotion, pivot to a new field, or massively increase their entrepreneurial revenue, marketing, and sales goals.
Caleb also enjoys coaching voice, guitar, band leading, and pro audio, volunteering at his kids’ schools, exploring martial arts, and administrating several large online community groups. A child of technology, Caleb relishes trips back to the Bay Area where he grew up in the heart of Silicon Valley, and loves driving the Pacific Coast Highway from San Diego to San Francisco and beyond.
Section ID:
Class type:
This course is entirely web-based and to be completed asynchronously between the published course start and end dates. Synchronous attendance is NOT required.
You will have access to your online course on the published start date OR 1 business day after your enrollment is confirmed if you enroll on or after the published start date.
Textbooks:
All course materials are included unless otherwise stated.
Policies:
- No refunds after: 6/30/2026
Schedule:
Instructor:
Jennifer Neeley
Current and former clients include Apigee, Castlight Health, Fiverr, LinkedIn, and Microsoft, as well as high-profile health care and technology executives who are referred to Jennifer for her discreet, strategic counsel. She is known for brining left and right brain ideas together through novel marketing and strategy.
Jennifer brought her skills to Iraq's Green Zone in 2011, where she worked with an international NGO to show them how to use practical tools like Google Analytics to identify where and how to disseminate information about voting rights. Her work coincided with the Arab Spring, which would lead to further opportunities to provide input on how to use social media to positive effect.
Jennifer earned her Master of Science (MS) from Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism and her Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree from the University of California, Berkeley. She has also completed programs at Lund University in Sweden and the American Conservatory Theater, and taught ESL (English as a Second Language) as a Peace Corps volunteer in Turkmenistan.
Jennifer a regular media fixture, routinely providing commentary on digital and social media to TV news outlets. She is also a sought-after speaker, and contributes to a number of online publications including Forbes, Social Media Today, Business2Community, and Medium.
Jennifer is passionate about giving back, and is an active participant on a number on nonprofit boards. She also maintains numerous professional memberships, and is active in the lifestyle and fitness community as a yoga teacher and health coach. She continues her personal development by studying Ayurvedic medicine.
Jennifer is currently working on research that aims to measure the impact of social media on at-risk health communities, as well as the mental health benefits of trauma-informed yoga offered to community groups who do not otherwise have access.
Section ID:
Class type:
All class meetings held in-person according to published location, dates and times. Students may be expected to engage with course content online during the published course dates.
Textbooks:
All course materials are included unless otherwise stated.
Policies:
- No refunds after: 7/14/2026
Note:
Schedule:
| Date | Day | Start | End | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7/6/2026 | Mon | 6:00 p.m. | 9:00 p.m. | Room 475, UCSD Division of Extended Studies 8980, 8980 Villa La Jolla Drive, San Diego |
| 7/13/2026 | Mon | 6:00 p.m. | 9:00 p.m. | Room 475, UCSD Division of Extended Studies 8980, 8980 Villa La Jolla Drive, San Diego |
| 7/20/2026 | Mon | 6:00 p.m. | 9:00 p.m. | Room 475, UCSD Division of Extended Studies 8980, 8980 Villa La Jolla Drive, San Diego |
| 7/27/2026 | Mon | 6:00 p.m. | 9:00 p.m. | Room 475, UCSD Division of Extended Studies 8980, 8980 Villa La Jolla Drive, San Diego |
| 8/3/2026 | Mon | 6:00 p.m. | 9:00 p.m. | Room 475, UCSD Division of Extended Studies 8980, 8980 Villa La Jolla Drive, San Diego |
| 8/10/2026 | Mon | 6:00 p.m. | 9:00 p.m. | Room 475, UCSD Division of Extended Studies 8980, 8980 Villa La Jolla Drive, San Diego |
| 8/17/2026 | Mon | 6:00 p.m. | 9:00 p.m. | Room 475, UCSD Division of Extended Studies 8980, 8980 Villa La Jolla Drive, San Diego |
| 8/24/2026 | Mon | 6:00 p.m. | 9:00 p.m. | Room 475, UCSD Division of Extended Studies 8980, 8980 Villa La Jolla Drive, San Diego |
| 8/31/2026 | Mon | 6:00 p.m. | 9:00 p.m. | Room 475, UCSD Division of Extended Studies 8980, 8980 Villa La Jolla Drive, San Diego |
Instructor:
Caleb Chao, MBA
Caleb Chao is the Senior Manager, Search Strategy at SportRx in San Diego, CA. He is a 15-year veteran of the internet marketing industry with agency, brand, and entrepreneurial expertise in PPC/SEM, SEO, content marketing, analytics, client management, conversion optimization, digital & business marketing, and sales/operations strategy. Caleb is passionate about the intersection of psychology, marketing, sales, behavior, technology and economics.
Caleb has worked with brands such as Blindsgalore, Smith & Noble, Budget Blinds, Oakley, Ray-Ban, Maui Jim, Nike, Under Armour, Adidas, Revo, Costa, Smith, SPY, Fox, 100%, Quiksilver, Roxy, Wiley X, Lincoln Military Housing, Ambit Energy, Medicare.com, University of Mississippi, Florida National University, Indiana Tech University, Ivy Tech University, Archie/Peyton Manning Family Charity, UC San Diego, Sony, and BTO Sports.
Client type expertise includes B2B, B2C, ecommerce, lead gen, reputation management, financial services, legal, health, creative/marketing agencies, medical, education, automotive, utilities, sports, restaurants, technology, SAAS, electronics, defense, manufacturing, rapid prototyping, apparel, eco-friendly, nonprofits, services, startups, and multinationals.
Caleb graduated from UC San Diego with a BA in Economics, then obtained an MBA from Point Loma Nazarene University. Caleb teaches Digital Marketing and PPC Paid Search at UC San Diego Division of Extended Studies, and is a badged Google Partner with multiple certifications in Google Analytics and Google Ads.
Caleb has a passion for helping students navigate their internships/careers with assessments such as MBTI, StrengthsFinder, and the Enneagram. He has coached hundreds of students and colleagues with these business and personal development tools.
Caleb believes the most gratifying reward for teaching is seeing students progress in higher education, earn their next promotion, pivot to a new field, or massively increase their entrepreneurial revenue, marketing, and sales goals.
Caleb also enjoys coaching voice, guitar, band leading, and pro audio, volunteering at his kids’ schools, exploring martial arts, and administrating several large online community groups. A child of technology, Caleb relishes trips back to the Bay Area where he grew up in the heart of Silicon Valley, and loves driving the Pacific Coast Highway from San Diego to San Francisco and beyond.
