Discover Fox

It’s no secret that nearly every professional industry is evolving, but especially when it comes to one field as dynamic and critical as marketing.

Fortunately, Temple University’s Fox School of Business has a program to help industry professionals not only gain relevant knowledge and skills but also position themselves for career growth within the ever-evolving digital media environment.

The Fox School’s Master of Science in Digital Marketing program is a 30-credit, part-time curriculum designed for both established and new digital marketing professionals who seek to advance their industry skills and career credentials. The fully online, five semester program provides hands-on learning and real-world practice to equip graduates with the tools and education to develop and lead brands and companies marketing initiatives with a modern perspective.

With a curriculum centered by core digital marketing courses, cross functional electives and a capstone course, standout classes within the degree experience include Consumer and Buyer Behavior, Marketing Management Strategy and Social Media Innovation.

Jennifer Sundstrom-Fitzgerald, an associate professor of practice within Fox’s marketing department, oversees the program.

“What makes the program so special is the community of talented professionals who bring their own experiences, perspectives, and career goals into the classroom,” Sundstrom-Fitzgerald said.

“At a time when digital marketing is evolving faster than ever, our goal is to give students the knowledge, practical experience and confidence to grow as marketers, advance their careers and become leaders in an industry that continues to change.”

Both currently enrolled students and recent program graduates shared their experiences within the curriculum with us.

Timely education for career evolution

Jillian Fligge didn’t just gain an educational experience through the Fox School’s Master of Science in Digital Marketing program.

She received a propel for her career.

Particularly when she needed it the most.

“About halfway through my time in the program, I was laid off from my job as a marketing director of a small business,” Fligge said.

“I found myself job searching in an incredibly tough job market. I was so grateful that I had my grad school courses at Fox to keep me feeling motivated and excited about the work that I do.

“The program also helped me stand out as I applied for new marketing roles.”

Fligge serves today as the director of integrated marketing at Northampton Community College in Bethlehem, PA, a role she entered just months before her graduation from the program in May 2025.

“After I was hired, my boss told me that my degree caught his eye right away. I’ll be forever grateful that this program helped me land a job that I love,” Fligge said.

The benefits of the program didn’t just stop at standing out in the applicant crowd for Fligge: she found the entire degree experience to be highly rewarding.

“I had a great experience in the program and especially enjoyed how diverse my cohort was,” Fligge said.

“We had students with a range of experience levels, from recent undergrads to marketers with a decade-plus of experience in the field. I really enjoyed working with different students and getting new perspectives.”

Fligge also cited the program’s flexibility as a difference maker.

A resident of Allentown, PA, she would have found a regular commute to Temple’s Main Campus challenging. But Fligge cites the program’s convenient online learning structure as the factor that made this degree possible for her.

“The ability to take classes at night from my desk at home, while still being able to build local connections, was very appealing to me.”

Even a year-plus removed from her graduation, her time in the program still often comes to mind for Fligge, particularly when she encounters an interesting marketing campaign.

“Our professors were always updating course materials so we could study current marketing tactics. Even today, I’ll see a clever commercial or social media campaign and wish I could be back in class to talk about it!”

Though her classes may be over, Fligge appreciates the ability to keep up with her cohort and professors on LinkedIn and has eagerly recommended the program to her peers in the marketing industry.

“Even 10+ years into my career as a marketer, I found a lot of educational value in this program. I came away with real-world applications that I know I’ll use professionally for years to come.”

An added degree of knowledge

For many students at Temple University, undergraduate graduation signals completing their journey in higher education.

For Nasheem Carter-Ragan, it meant that he was officially ready to come back for more.

A native of Philadelphia, Carter-Ragan enrolled in the Fox School of Business’ Master of Science in Digital Marketing program immediately following his graduation from Temple University’s School of Theater, Film and Media Arts with his bachelor’s degree in film and media arts in the spring of 2024.

His decision to continue at Temple was driven by his desire to find the right career path.

“As I neared undergraduate graduation, I discovered the digital marketing master’s degree program through researching different career options that I had, and also what potential furthering education programs would allow me to build upon my bachelor’s degree,” Carter-Ragan said.

“I had such a great undergraduate experience at Temple that it was enticing for me to pursue another degree here, especially within a program that highly interested me.”

His decision to come to the Fox School would prove to be very beneficial. On top of gaining knowledge and expertise within the digital marketing field, one that appealed to Carter-Ragan because it “combines creativity, analysis and technology,” his experience in a Fox graduate program helped him achieve a major goal: become a more diversified candidate within the industry.

“This program helped me in many ways, but perhaps most notably, in its ability to broaden my skillset and help me stand out within the marketing field,” Carter-Ragan explained.

“I’m very grateful for the undergraduate education I gained at Temple, and I believe this master’s degree experience added onto that knowledge in a meaningful way.”

Carter-Ragan recounts his time in the program as an educational experience that was both modern and relevant. He was also impressed by the program’s ability to recognize and pivot the curriculum to adjust to shifting trends and strategies within the vast digital marketing field.

“It always impressed me how swift the class topics evolved to reflect the rise of companies adjusting their digital marketing strategies, like not only including search engine optimization (SEO), but fresher concepts like generative engine optimization (GEO) and answer engine optimization (AEO),” he said.

In addition to utilizing another school at Temple, Carter-Ragan credits his master’s degree experience as one that not only provided him with education for a lasting career as a digital marketer, but key connections with cohort classmates and professors. Fox’s sprawling alumni network was also an element that he took advantage of.

It didn’t take long for him to utilize his newfound skills either. Carter-Ragan began his role as a digital marketing specialist for the cloud-based software company Toast only months after obtaining his master’s degree in spring 2026. Key responsibilities of his role include using marketing strategies to help their clients revitalize their businesses and, utilizing their internal software, helping companies use their email and social platforms to foster growth.

“The skills I brought to my role at Toast are ones that I’ve been able to directly apply through all the concepts I’ve learned from this master’s program at the Fox School,” Carter-Ragan said.

“As I now embark on my career, I’m very thankful to not only have two degrees from Temple University, but that my master’s is from this specific program at Fox.”

A foundation to build her future

When Hannah Sullivan gets advice from her friends, she listens.

Particularly when it’s about pursuing a master’s degree.

Afterall, isn’t help finding the perfect program to grow your professional future what friends are for?

“I had a very close friend complete the digital marketing master’s program at Fox and they had nothing but great things to say about it,” Sullivan said.

“Now having completed the degree myself, I see why.”

Before her friend’s friendly nudge, Sullivan had spent her early career as a digital marketer within the pharmaceutical/healthcare advertising space after obtaining her undergraduate degree from the Savannah College of Art and Design.

Eventually, she found herself looking for a master’s program that would not only match her professional pursuits but offer her career credentials to promote an upward trajectory.

And that’s exactly what the Fox School offered her.

“Even from my first semester in the program, I immediately felt that this was a great addition to the career path I was building as a digital marketer,” Sullivan explained.

“I could really feel myself being drawn into the subjects and lessons we were being taught in the classroom and learning how to leverage all aspects of digital marketing to help launch and build brands.”

On top of gaining “so much industry knowledge and useful skills to apply to my professional day to day,” the Berwyn, PA native’s most impactful experience in the program was her final thesis project, an integral educational experience of the entire program.

“The thesis project was my favorite,” Sullivan said.

“We were tasked with creating a real-life marketing plan for a current company or business and to use all current trends and ideas to create a viable year-long plan for them.

“Working with two other students in my cohort, we selected the Philadelphia Premium Outlet as our client. We were briefed on what obstacles they were currently facing and what they were seeking to achieve. From there we did research on our clients and did market research on their audience to figure out where consumers stood when it came to retail shopping. We used those insights to create a plan for our client to market towards two main audience categories. It covered everything from messaging and visuals, social media plan, email program plan, and many more aspects.”

After completing her degree in May 2025, Sullivan’s proud to share that she’s already utilized her degree for career advancement.

But she won’t stop there.

“I recently just began a new job within the industry, and I truly believe my new credentials from Fox helped put me in the position to be ready for this career progression,” Sullivan said.

“While I am enjoying what I do now, I hope to one day elevate myself into a career as a digital strategy or public relations professional. I’m very thankful this degree is something I will always have and make me ready to make that jump when the opportunity is right.”