Industry Certifications in Digital Marketing and Media Education: An Examination of Perceptions and Use Among Educators

Technology and media have created skill needs that modern educators are compelled to address to stay relevant. As a result, an emerging educational tool in marketing and media courses is the integration of third-party certifications that give students an industry credential for current topics or media platforms (i.e., Google, HubSpot, Hootsuite, etc.). To understand the diffusion of these certifications among educators, how they are being integrated, and current perceptions of their effectiveness, we conducted a cross-disciplinary survey of 122 college faculty who teach digital marketing and media topics. Findings revealed that certifications enjoy high awareness, with a small number receiving higher adoption rates. Users report a variety of benefits to themselves and students, along with some challenges. We also identify sources of major perception gaps between users and nonusers. These findings suggest that certifications are a permanent course fixture and are perceived as directly contributing to job and career readiness. An understanding of current perceptions and practices can guide educators in improving their use of certifications as well as industry partners looking to facilitate adoption and positive educator experiences.