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Studies & Degrees in Community Manager

A community manager looks after an organisation's presence on social networks and its conversation with the people who follow it. In Spain the English term "community manager" is the usual job title; in the United Kingdom and the United States the same work is more often advertised as social media manager. England's apprenticeship standard for the digital community manager describes the role as facilitating and instigating direct communication online between the end user or customer and the organisation.

The daily work is varied. According to the UK National Careers Service, social media managers co-ordinate online content and communications strategies. They develop campaigns, create and edit articles, blogs, video clips and reels, respond to posts, discussions and customer feedback, and analyse data to check the effectiveness of campaigns and to spot trends. Courses therefore mix writing and content creation with social media advertising, search engine positioning (SEO and SEM) and analytics.

Qualifications and levels

No specific degree is required by law to work as a community manager, so the routes are many and differ in length and recognition.

  • University degrees. The National Careers Service notes that some employers expect a degree in a relevant subject such as advertising, marketing and public relations, digital and social media marketing, digital content creation, journalism or business management.
  • Vocational training (FP) in Spain. The higher-level qualification Técnico Superior en Marketing y Publicidad lasts 2,000 hours and includes a module on digital marketing. Holders of this and other related higher-level qualifications can continue with the Curso de Especialización en Posicionamiento en buscadores (SEO/SEM) y comunicación en redes sociales, an official 710-hour specialisation course that covers search positioning and communication on social networks.
  • Master's programmes at business schools. Community management is usually one part of a digital marketing master's. The Máster en Marketing Digital & IA Aplicada of ESDEN Business School lasts one academic year with 12 modules and 60 ECTS credits, one of them on social networks, social ads and content. The online Máster en Marketing Digital e Inteligencia Artificial Generativa of Inesdi Business Techschool lasts 10 months (60 ECTS), starts in September 2027 and has a listed price of €7,500. INSA Business, Marketing & Communication School in Barcelona lists a Master en Marketing Digital y Social Media and a Carrera Superior en Marketing Digital y Social Media. EIG Education offers a digital marketing master's with ESIC in Granada, Seville, Málaga and online.
  • Short and online courses. Many training centres teach community management as a short course, sometimes for one sector: Innovtur, for example, offers online courses in digital marketing for tourism and hotels.
  • Apprenticeship (England). The Digital Community Manager apprenticeship is a level 4 standard with a typical duration of 24 months.

Recognition varies. In Spain, a master's degree can be an official university degree or a school's or university's own lifelong-learning qualification; universities must state expressly when a title is formación permanente. ESDEN, for instance, states that its programme leads to "títulos propios y oficiales". Before enrolling, ask each school which qualification it awards and what recognition it has.

Where to study it

The directory lists 22 active schools for this subject. Spain has 14, the United Kingdom three and the United States two; Australia, Canada and the Philippines have one each. The Spanish schools are mostly business schools and training centres in Madrid, Barcelona, Granada, Málaga and Vigo, and several teach online. Programmes in Spain are taught mainly in Spanish, which suits students who plan to manage Spanish-language communities.

Careers

Community managers work in marketing and communication departments, in agencies and as freelancers. The National Careers Service describes a typical start as an assistant, digital content creator or SEO specialist in a social media or marketing company, moving into management with experience. It adds that video, sound and image editing, copywriting for a target audience and an understanding of search engine analytics help candidates. A portfolio counts: managing the channels of a charity, a student group or one's own project is a recognised way to gain experience.

Official statistics do not treat community management as a separate occupation. The closest group in the US Bureau of Labor Statistics handbook is public relations specialists, who are usually in charge of monitoring and responding to social media questions and concerns; their employment is projected to grow 2% from 2025 to 2035.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a degree to become a community manager?

No specific degree is required. Some employers expect a degree in marketing, communication or a related subject; others value a specialised course and proven experience with real accounts.

How long does a community manager course take?

It depends on the route. The Spanish FP specialisation course lasts 710 hours, the digital marketing master's programmes described here last 10 months to one academic year, and the English apprenticeship typically takes 24 months.

Is a master's in digital marketing in Spain an official degree?

Some are and some are not. Ask the school whether the programme is an official university master's degree or its own qualification, and which university awards it.

What is the difference between a community manager and a social media manager?

The titles overlap and are often used for the same job. Where a company separates them, the community manager handles day-to-day conversation with users and the social media manager plans strategy and campaigns.