Enroll in our AACSB-accredited Master of Science in Digital Marketing (MSDM) program. Learn from industry-focused faculty about content creation, strategy and management, marketing AI integration, agentic AI and social media management and SEO strategy.
Our M.S. in Digital Marketing program prepares students to lead in a rapidly evolving field where AI in marketing is becoming essential. The program blends artificial intelligence in marketing, data-driven decision-making and core digital marketing strategy to help students develop the AI marketing skills employers are seeking today.
Rather than focusing on theory alone, our MSDM emphasizes hands-on experience with marketing tech stack tools and AI-enabled marketing strategy, ethical and responsible AI use and real-world application across channels such as SEO, paid media, content marketing and analytics. Graduates leave the program ready to apply AI in digital marketing fields, translate insights into action and drive measurable business impact in today’s fast-paced marketing roles.
NIU’s MSDM graduates set themselves apart with the unique experience and recognized specialty expertise this degree brings. Apply today to see how you can transform your digital marketing career.
MSDM graduates have gone on to work in roles that are in demand and pay well, such as:
Learn more about tuition and fees.
Please note: Some students may need to take one to three two-credit-hour Phase One courses to address deficiencies in their undergraduate course work.
Phase 1 may be waived with significant undergraduate coursework. Please contact us for a pre-evaluation of phase 1 coursework needs.
Jaclyn Crawford is the director of Digital Marketing Programs at NIU. Prior to her time as faculty, Crawford spent significant time working in content marketing and SEO, for companies such as CraftJack and the University of Chicago. She holds a B.A. in marketing from Columbia College Chicago and an M.S. in digital marketing from Northern Illinois University. In addition to leading the MSDM program, Crawford teaches MKTG 675 Content Marketing, MKTG 671 Digital Marketing and SEO and MKTG 684 Capstone courses. Jaclyn is the recipient of NIU's Excellence in Online Teaching award, 2025 and the Marketing Department Graduate Teaching award 2026.
Alex Eddy has taught in the Department of Marketing in the College of Business for over five years. He currently is the communications specialist at Boeing, where he leads global deployment of brand perception initiatives and crisis response email communications. Previously, he worked for the logistics group at RR Donnelley as a marketing analyst. Eddy holds two degrees from NIU – a B.S. in marketing and an M.S. in management information systems – and has worked as a graduate assistant and northern ambassador.
Donald Forti teaches MKTG 677, Building and Managing Responsive Websites. You'll learn best practices in website content strategy, structure, accessibility, usability and performance. Forti is a web project manager with Web and Internal Communications at NIU. He creates and maintains university websites and trains faculty/staff on website best practices. Forti's previous industry experience includes internet director and content manager for KTTC-TV/KXLT-TV in Rochester, Minnesota and content producer for WKOW-TV in Madison, Wisconsin and WAOW-TV in Wausau, Wisconsin. He has also managed websites for the Association for Black Culture Centers (ABCC). Forti holds a B.A. from Knox College and an M.S. from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where he earned a Carnegie Fellowship with ABC News in New York.
Xiaoru Gao (Ph.D., Rutgers University) is Assistant Professor of Marketing in the Department of Marketing, College of Business at Northern Illinois University. Her teaching and research focus on digital marketing, social media marketing and consumer insights. In her research, Xiaoru examines how consumers interact with brands and process marketing information in increasingly digital and AI-enabled environments. She uses social media data, consumer-generated content and data analytics to investigate how consumers respond to digital marketing communications, form brand perceptions and engage with brands online. Her research also explores how emerging technologies, including generative artificial intelligence (AI), are transforming marketing practices and the ways marketers create and communicate brand value. Across these research areas, she combines theoretical perspectives with computational and empirical methods to generate insights into consumer behavior and provide practical implications for digital marketing strategy.
Elizabeth Gavin is a digital marketing leader with more than 10 years of experience in digital strategy, demand generation, performance marketing and audience engagement. She currently serves as Senior Digital Marketing Manager at the Fabricators & Manufacturers Association, International (FMA), where she leads digital marketing initiatives across membership, events and media brands. Her work focuses on developing integrated, data-driven campaigns that grow audiences, strengthen engagement and drive measurable business results.
Elizabeth earned her B.S from Columbia College Chicago and M.S in digital marketing from Northern Illinois University and returned to NIU as an adjunct instructor, bringing real-world marketing experience into the classroom. She also serves on the college's advisory board, helping support the continued development of programs that prepare students for an evolving digital marketing landscape.
Andy Jeon is an assistant professor in the Department of Marketing. Generally, he teaches and researches digital marketing. Specifically, his research and teaching focus on how marketers can best utilize digital technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), virtual reality (VR) and social media for their digital marketing campaigns. Currently, he has been actively researching the roles of social artificial intelligence (AI) such as smart speakers or chatbots in various contexts including branding, retailing, health and social marketing. His research has appeared in various journals including Journal of Interactive Marketing. Before coming to the academic profession, he worked as a market researcher working with the government policymakers, the industry and the consumer groups.
Vijaykumar Krishnan is a professor in the Department of Marketing, at Northern Illinois University. He is a recipient of multiple teaching awards. He teaches digital marketing strategy, marketing management in the MBA program and the capstone course on marketing strategy.
Krishnan has widely published in academic journals including in the Journal of International Marketing, the Journal of Personal Selling and Sales Management, Journal of Consumer Marketing etc. His primary research interests include Brand identity, equity and management, particularly Sonic branding and business-to-business relationship marketing
Prior to his academic career, he worked for nearly 20 years in the Indian corporate world starting with the Tata Steel group. Some of his prior roles include being deputy general manager of marketing for Shaw Wallace in India, as well as account director for JWT in India. He was also the general manager of marketing for Usha Martin Telekom Ltd, in India. Most recently, he was a business head with Bennett & Coleman Company, publishers of leading English daily, The Times of India.
He earned his Ph.D. in marketing from the University of Cincinnati. He has a B.Tech, from the Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi and a PGDM (MBA) from the Indian Institute of Management Calcutta.
Valeria Penttinen completed her D.Sc. in economics and business administration at Hanken School of Economics (Finland) in December 2022. She joined Northern Illinois University in August 2023, following her experience as a visiting scholar at Aarhus University (Denmark) and as a postdoctoral researcher at Hanken School of Economics.
Valeria's research focuses on data-driven marketing decision-making and social media marketing. Her work has been published in prestigious academic journals, including the Journal of Business Research, Journal of Interactive Marketing and Industrial Marketing Management. She teaches MKTG 630 in the MS Digital Marketing Program.
Reza joined the College of Business as an associate professor of marketing in August 2019 after completing his Doctor of Philosophy degree in marketing at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. He received his B.S. in industrial engineering and M.S. in socio-economic system engineering. Reza's academic research interests lie at the intersection of marketing/sales and analytics. Applying various data analytics methods, Reza's primary research focuses on sales analytics, salesforce analytics and marketing/sales capabilities at early stages of startups. Since joining the College of Business, Reza has taught personal selling at the undergraduate level, data visualization and database marketing at the graduate level and sales analytics for the sales executive program at NIU Marketing Department. He is the recipient of the MSDM Golden Apple 2025.
Ursula Sullivan, Ph.D. is the Cynthia and Douglas Crocker Endowed Professor in Business and Chair of the Department of Marketing. Sullivan's research focuses on global marketing strategy with published works covering global distribution and supply chain alliances, sales channel strategy and branding. Her corporate and consulting experience is in the consumer-packaged goods, grocery wholesaling and foodservice industries. She sits on the board of the Marketing Management Association (MMA) and currently serves as the program chair for MMA's Fall Educators' Conference (through 2020). Sullivan teaches global marketing strategy at the undergraduate and graduate levels and the marketing core course to executive students.
Elina Tang, Ph.D., is an associate professor in the Department of Marketing. With a diverse educational background and a strong interest in transdisciplinary research, she has published in peer-reviewed journals in disciplines such as marketing, public health, statistics and journalism. Her work has been featured by Adweek, CBS, Marketing Science Institute, Missourian and Reynolds Journalism Institute. Tang serves on the editorial review board of the Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science and is a founding member of the Adweek Academic Council. An award-winning teacher, including the MSDM Golden Apple award in 2026, Tang has taught undergraduate and graduate-level courses.
Admission to the MSDM program is competitive. To apply, you must have successfully completed a bachelor degree from an accredited institution in the U.S. or have the equivalent level of education from a university outside the U.S.
Application materials include:
| Term | Deadline |
|---|---|
| Fall 2026 | Aug. 22 |
| Spring 2027 | Jan. 9 |
The MSDM program has had a significant impact on my professional growth. It has introduced me to a wide range of marketing platforms, systems and industry-recognized certifications that have strengthened both my skill set and my resume. These experiences have helped me stand out in the job market and demonstrate to employers that I am committed to continuous learning and willing to go above and beyond to excel in my field.
