UC Berkeley Extension Digital Marketing Sequence: Courses, Cost and Fit

What the program is

UC Berkeley Extension describes the Professional Sequence in Digital Marketing as an intensive four-course series with hands-on, practical learning. Its topic list covers the customer lifecycle, market and audience segments, social media marketing, search engine optimization (SEO), search engine marketing (SEM), Google Ads, pay-per-click models, brand awareness, product positioning and data analytics.^[1]

The credential is an Award of Completion. You earn it by completing each course for a letter grade of C or better, then emailing the department to request it. Extension says records are usually reviewed within two to three weeks, and the award is mailed to you.^[1]

UC Berkeley is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC), and Extension is accredited through the University. Extension courses carry semester units, but another school decides for itself whether to accept them toward a degree.^[8][10]

Who it suits, and who should start elsewhere

This is not an entry-level program. The sequence page requires Marketing Management (BUS ADM X460.1) or equivalent knowledge and proficiency in Excel spreadsheets, and it highly recommends a bachelor's degree.^[1]

The course pages describe their target learners. Digital Marketing is aimed at small-business owners and digital marketing professionals. Strategic Marketing Analytics is for professionals without an analytics background who need to show the impact of their marketing in numbers, and for people trying to break into the field. Marketing Data Visualization is for marketing professionals who need to present that impact.^[2][3][5]

If you are new to marketing, the prerequisite course covers marketing principles, the four Ps of the marketing mix, consumer behavior, segmentation and writing a marketing plan. Taking it first adds one more course to your plan and budget.^[6]

The four required courses

Swipe sideways to see the whole table.

Sources^{[1][2][3][4][5]}

Digital Marketing is the most hands-on course for campaign work. Its objectives include SEO through Search Console and Google Analytics, paid search and pay-per-click models, writing ad and web copy for ads and landing pages, A/B testing ad copy, measuring the return on online ads, audience segmentation and email marketing. Listed topics include impressions, clicks, conversions, cost per acquisition, bidding and ad rank, keyword research, link building and building a dashboard.^[2]

Strategic Marketing Analytics uses case studies and spreadsheet models. Topics include PESTLE and Porter's Five Forces analysis, perceptual maps, sales forecasting, predictive analytics, data mining, balanced scorecards, KPIs, price and promotion analytics, and Pareto analysis.^[3]

Social Media Marketing Strategies looks at setting realistic goals, fitting new platforms into an existing marketing plan and weighing channels such as email, SEO-optimized websites, blogs, podcasts and social networks. Marketing Data Visualization covers business intelligence, graph and table design, time series, multi-touch attribution and data-driven presentations. It suggests taking Strategic Marketing Analytics first.^[4][5]

How the classes run

Extension lists four instructional types on its course pages: Live Online sessions on Zoom (Pacific Time), Online Start Anytime courses that give you at least 90 and at most 180 days, Online Fixed Date courses with set start and end dates, and classroom sessions. The format depends on the section, so check each one.^[2][9]

The two sections open when we checked were both Live Online. Social Media Marketing Strategies met on Wednesdays from 6 to 9 p.m. Pacific Time, September 30 to December 16, 2026. Strategic Marketing Analytics met on Thursdays from 6 to 9 p.m. Pacific Time, October 1 to December 10, 2026. Each listed 30 instructional hours and 2 semester units, with course materials in Canvas.^[3][4]

For Live Online classes, Extension says you should be prepared to attend every session and take part by webcam. The program must be finished within three years, all courses are taken for a letter grade, and you should register for the sequence before you complete your first course.^[1][9]

• Take Strategic Marketing Analytics before Marketing Data Visualization, as the visualization course suggests.
• Registering for the sequence means paying a nonrefundable registration fee; allow 3 to 5 business days for it to appear in your account.
• Spring 2027 enrollment opens on October 19, 2026, so check then which courses run and in which format.

Sources^[1][5]

Evening classes on Pacific Time run late for East Coast learners: a 6 to 9 p.m. Pacific session ends at midnight Eastern. Plan for about three hours of class a week plus homework and readings for each course.

What it costs

Each course is priced on its own, and you pay the course fee when you enroll. Extension estimates the total at $3,800, not including course materials or the registration fee, and says course fees are subject to change.^[1]

Sources^{[1][2][3][4][5]}

Drop rules matter. For Live Online and classroom courses with six or more meetings, you can drop up to the second class meeting. Refunds go only to drops made by the deadline, and a $35 processing fee applies to every drop. After the deadline you can withdraw, but the course fee is not refunded and a W goes on your record.^[10]

Extension students are not eligible for FAFSA federal financial aid, and Extension cannot currently take VA education benefits. Options it lists include private education loans, a $50 discount on eligible courses for UC alumni and alumni association members, and UC Excelerator scholarships for selected courses.^[11]

Limitations to weigh

• The Award of Completion comes from a 90-hour specialized program, not a professional certificate or a degree.
• You need Marketing Management or equivalent knowledge and Excel skills before you start.
• Two of the four required courses had no open section when we checked, so your timeline depends on the course schedule.
• The published estimate leaves out textbooks and the registration fee.

Sources^[1][2][5][8]

• No course can promise a job, promotion or raise; employers also weigh your experience and real campaign results.
• If you take one course per term, finishing all four takes several terms, and a course that is not offered in a given term stretches the timeline.
• Live evening sessions are hard to fit around shift work or late meetings.

Alternatives and next steps

• Certificate Program in Marketing: Extension's full certificate, with 3 core courses and electives for 10 semester units (150 hours). It lists no prerequisites, estimates $5,250 to $5,900 in course fees, and most students finish in 18 months to two years. Digital Marketing and Marketing Data Visualization count as electives.
• Single courses: Extension courses are open to the general public unless noted, so you can take one course, such as Digital Marketing, without committing to the whole sequence.

Sources^[7][10]

Self-paced online programs from other providers are another route. Whichever you compare, ask the same questions: is there a live instructor, are there graded projects, do you earn credit, and what is the total cost at the pace you can manage?