Online course
Digital Markets and Trust
- Qualification: Micro-credential
- Duration: 10 weeks
- Delivery: Online
- Workload: Total of 50 hours of learning
- Next enrolment: 7 September 2026
Introduction
Who shapes digital markets?
Digital markets influence how people buy, sell and access goods and services online. Platforms control what you see, how you choose and who you trust. These choices shape behaviour, decisions and the risks you are exposed to.
This online micro-credential, part of a postgraduate-level suite in Digital Trust and Security, explores how digital technologies shape market structures and transactions, and how these changes affect society. You will examine how trust is established, maintained and challenged in online market spaces, and how questions of competition, fairness and platform governance shape digital interactions.
The course considers how digital technologies enable both legal and illicit markets, including the Dark Web and cryptocurrencies, and the associated challenges.
By the end of the course, you will have a clearer understanding of how digital markets function, including risks, vulnerabilities and trust.
Key features
Market insight
Develop an understanding of how digital markets operate, including how platforms and technologies shape transactions, behaviour and trust.
Trusted decisions
Understand how trust is built and challenged in digital environments, and how risks, illicit activity and market dynamics influence choices and outcomes.
Applied understanding
Work through real-world examples to examine how digital markets function and build a more critical understanding of how individuals and organisations engage with them.
Part of our suite of Digital Trust and Security Micro-credentials
The micro-credentials cover the following topics:Â
- Core Issues in Digital Trust and Society
- Understanding Digital Society
- Digital Markets and Trust
- Online Harms
Key information
-
Course type
Micro-credential
-
Delivery
Online, asynchronous
-
Level
Postgraduate / FHEQ Level 7
-
Duration
10 weeks, 50 hours of learning 
-
Start dates
September 2026 cohort
Start: 7 September 2026
End: 15 November 2026
Payment deadline: 24 August 2026
January 2027 cohort
Start: 25 January 2027
End: 18 April 2027
Payment deadline: 11 January 2027
May 2027 cohort
Start: 31 May 2027
End: 8 August 2027
Payment deadline: 17 May 2027 -
Fees
£630. Discounts available
-
Certification
Upon completion and relevant assessment, you’ll receive an official electronic certificate detailing your achievement.
Fees and funding
³§³Ù²¹²Ô»å²¹°ù»å p°ù¾±³¦±ð
£630 p±ð°ù m¾±³¦°ù´Ç-³¦°ù±ð»å±ð²Ô³Ù¾±²¹±ô.
Discounts available for individuals and corporate customers.
Entry requirements
There are no formal prerequisites for this course.
The content is suitable for learners from a wide range of professional and educational backgrounds.
Course overview
Who this course is for
This course is for individuals and organisations who want to understand how digital markets shape trust, risk and decision-making online.
For individuals, the course is particularly relevant if you want to better understand how platforms, marketplaces and online services influence the way you buy, sell and make choices online. It will help you understand where risks come from, why trust matters in digital transactions and how to engage more confidently and critically in online market spaces.
For organisations, the course supports employees to better understand what shapes trust in digital markets and how online environments influence customer behaviour, confidence and outcomes. This includes examining how platform dynamics, fairness, illicit activity and changing market structures can affect the way organisations operate, compete and build trust online.
It is especially relevant for teams working in digital services, e-commerce, communication, policy, regulation or decision-making, where understanding how trust is established, challenged and maintained in digital markets directly affects results.
No prior technical knowledge is required. The course is designed to be accessible while still providing the depth needed to apply what you learn in real-world contexts.
What you will learn
You will develop a clear understanding of how digital markets function and evolve in an increasingly connected digital society.
This includes:
- how digital technologies enable and transform markets, changing how goods and services are accessed and exchanged;
- how competition, fairness and market dynamics are shaped in digital environments;
- how trust is established, maintained and challenged between market participants;
- how digital markets can facilitate both legitimate and illicit activity, including the role of the Dark Web and cryptocurrencies;
- how risks emerge in digital market environments, and what this means for regulation and policing.
You will also examine the social, economic and regulatory developments that shape digital markets, and how these influence interactions between individuals, organisations and institutions.
Access selected extracts from the micro-credentials suite and explore the ideas, challenges and technologies shaping trust in digital societies.
How it will benefit your career
You will be able to approach digital markets with greater awareness, confidence and critical understanding. This includes making more informed decisions when engaging in online transactions, and better understanding how trust, risk and market dynamics shape behaviour and outcomes.
By the end of the course, you will be able to:
- understand how digital markets function and how they are shaped by digital technologies;
- recognise how trust is built and challenged in online transactions;
- identify potential risks and vulnerabilities associated with digital market activity;
- understand how illicit activity can emerge within digital markets and how this affects trust and regulation;
- make more informed and responsible decisions when engaging with digital marketplaces and platforms.
These skills are particularly valuable for roles involving digital services, e-commerce, communication, policy or regulation. They also support better judgement when engaging in digital transactions, helping reduce exposure to risk, improve decision-making, and strengthen awareness of how trust is shaped and challenged in digital markets.
Where and when you will study
This course is delivered fully online over 10 weeks, with approximately 50 hours of learning.
You will work through structured materials at your own pace, including short lectures, case studies and guided activities. Learning is entirely self-paced, with no scheduled teaching sessions.
Course units
-
Topics you will explore in this micro-credential include:
- Week 1: Introduction to trust in the online market space
- Week 2: Digital markets and evolving business practices
- Week 3: Digital markets, competition and risks
- Week 4: Digital societies and markets: facilitating crime?
- Week 5: From the dark web to dark markets
- Week 6: Cryptocurrencies and digital markets
- Week 7: Policing in digital markets
- Week 8: Conclusion and assessment preparation
- Week 9-10: Assessment
Course structure
The course is organised into weekly units, each focusing on a key aspect of digital markets and trust.
Each unit introduces core concepts and applies them through examples, case studies and structured reflection. This allows you to connect the material to real-world digital market environments and to your own experiences of buying, selling or interacting online.
The course progresses from foundational ideas about trust in online markets to more complex issues such as illicit markets, cryptocurrencies and policing in digital market spaces, before preparing you for assessment.
Course learning aims
By the end of the course, you will:
- understand how digital markets function and evolve, including the opportunities they present and the risks they introduce across different sectors;
- understand how digital markets can facilitate illicit activity, including through Darknet markets and cryptocurrencies, and the implications this has for trust and regulation.
Teaching and learning
This is a fully online, asynchronous course.
Learning materials include video and audio content, written explanations and interactive activities. The course is designed to develop applied understanding, with opportunities to reflect on how digital systems shape your own experiences and decisions.
You will receive support via email from the Course Lead and delivery team where needed.
Technical requirements
- Regular access to a computer or smart phone with internet access fast enough to stream video.
- A computer that meets the software requirements of video conferencing and other software, broadband internet connection, desktop or laptop PC with windows 10 or later, 4GB RAM, 6GB disk space for installation (administrator rights are required to install software).
- A smart phone on Android 11.0 or greater, or iOS 11.0 or greater, as you'll need to use multi-factor authentication to access your learning materials. 
Coursework and assessment
You will complete regular reflective responses based on weekly prompts, applying your learning to a real-world workplace or institutional context. These reflections will deepen your understanding throughout the course and help you prepare for assessment.
For the final assignment, you will select a specific case study relating to a digital market and critically analyse how digital technologies influence trust between market participants. You may focus on a legal marketplace, such as a workplace platform or an organisation you are familiar with, or on an illicit market, provided the case is sufficiently focused to support clear and critical analysis.
You may submit the final assignment either as a 1,000–1,200 word written piece or as a 10-minute pre-recorded presentation. Written feedback is provided within three weeks of submission.
Admissions information
Entry requirements
Academic entry qualification overview
There are no formal prerequisites for this course.
The content is suitable for learners from a wide range of professional and educational backgrounds.
Technical requirements
- Regular access to a computer or smart phone with internet access fast enough to stream video.
- A computer that meets the software requirements of video conferencing and other software, broadband internet connection, desktop or laptop PC with windows 10 or later, 4GB RAM, 6GB disk space for installation (administrator rights are required to install software).
- A smart phone on Android 11.0 or greater, or iOS 11.0 or greater, as you'll need to use multi-factor authentication to access your learning materials.
Application and selection
How to apply
- Head to our   and choose your fee level.
- Add the course to your basket and complete the registration and payment process.
- Once your payment is confirmed, you’ll receive your enrolment information two weeks before the course begins.
If you have any questions or need support, please contact:  learningsupport@manchester.ac.uk .
Corporate customers
If you are a corporate customer eligible for a discount and would like to arrange payment via invoice or make a group booking, please contact us at  learningsupport@manchester.ac.uk
Fees and funding
³§³Ù²¹²Ô»å²¹°ù»å p°ù¾±³¦±ð
£630 p±ð°ù m¾±³¦°ù´Ç-³¦°ù±ð»å±ð²Ô³Ù¾±²¹±ô.
±õ²Ô»å¾±±¹¾±»å³Ü²¹±ô‾·¾±²õ³¦´Ç³Ü²Ô³Ù²õ
- Loyalty discount: Receive 5% off when you enrol on more than one micro-credential. The discount applies to any combination of micro-credentials. If you enrol on a second or third micro-credential at a later date, you may still be eligible for the 5% loyalty discount. Email learningsupport@manchester.ac.uk to check your eligibility.
- The University of µÎµÎ´òÅÚapp alumni discount: Receive 5% off with proof of alumni status (email learningsupport@manchester.ac.uk with proof of your alumni status e.g. your degree certificate). The alumni and loyalty discounts can be combined.
°ä´Ç°ù±è´Ç°ù²¹³Ù±ð‾·¾±²õ³¦´Ç³Ü²Ô³Ù²õ
| Group size | Discount |
| 5-10 learners | 5% |
| 11-20 learners | 10% |
| 21+ learners | 15% |
To discuss corporate enrolment and payment by invoice, please contact:  learningsupport@manchester.ac.uk .
Ways to pay
Reserve your space via our . You can pay using a credit or debit card.
To discuss corporate enrolment and payment by invoice, please contact:  learningsupport@manchester.ac.uk .
Additional cost information
Policy on additional costs
All students should normally be able to complete their programme of study without incurring additional study costs over and above the tuition fee for that programme. Any unavoidable additional compulsory costs totalling more than 1% of the annual home undergraduate fee per annum, regardless of whether the programme in question is undergraduate or postgraduate taught, will be made clear to you at the point of application. Further information can be found in the University's (PDF document, 91KB).
Regulated by the Office for Students
The University of µÎµÎ´òÅÚapp is regulated by the Office for Students (OfS). The OfS aims to help students succeed in Higher Education by ensuring they receive excellent information and guidance, get high quality education that prepares them for the future and by protecting their interests. More information can be found at the .
You can find regulations and policies relating to student life at The University of µÎµÎ´òÅÚapp, including our Degree Regulations and Complaints Procedure, on our .