Strategic Marketing MSc

About the course

Marketing is an exciting, popular profession and there is fierce competition for the best jobs. All organisations can benefit from top-class marketing so there is a wide range of great opportunities for talented individuals with the right skills. This degree will develop your expertise in leading-edge marketing applications and give you a competitive advantage over other job applicants and future colleagues.

This is a specialist master’s degree for students with existing qualifications in marketing or business and/or substantial marketing experience. If you have little or no previous marketing experience or qualifications you should consider our Marketing Management MSc which is a career entry course.

This expert course is designed for those who want to deepen their marketing knowledge and develop advanced skills. It aims to:

• Equip you with sufficient knowledge to develop and strengthen your career in marketing

• Develop your expertise in critical and competitive analysis and in marketing strategy development

• Help prepare you for your career with advanced communications skills

• Offer an opportunity for personal and professional development which will be useful not just for any marketing position but also in a wider, lifelong learning framework

The course is designed to enhance your abilities to develop and deliver successful marketing and competitive strategies. Focus within the core modules is on strategic and critically analytical approaches to marketing. You are expected to have a sound knowledge of marketing theory already and be committed to a marketing career as well as to deepening your understanding of strategic perspectives in the discipline.

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Key facts

Duration: One year full-time, up to six years part-time, daytime classes only

Entry and admission criteria

You should have a good honours degree, or overseas equivalent, in marketing or in business or management with substantial marketing content. Applications from mature students without the formal academic qualifications but with significant marketing management experience will be considered on an individual basis.
If English is not your first language, an IELTS score of 6.5 (including a minimum of 5.5 in each component) or equivalent is normally required. English language tuition is available both before and during the course if required.

Teaching and assessment

Teaching is delivered through formal lectures, informal seminars, tutorials, workshops, discussions and -learning packages. You will also be expected to undertake independent study and research. Assessment will usually be through a combination of individual and group work, presentations, essays, reports and exams.

Course modules

The course starts with an induction in September which introduces the course team, the modules to be studied, and the business skills required for both the course and for a career in marketing. Through exposure to strategic analysis, advanced marketing research and leading edge e-Marketing you will improve your understanding of marketing in a competitive environment.

This course is grounded in the latest theory and also has a strong practical element. There will be many chances to apply your knowledge and develop the advanced skills that will help you to enjoy a successful marketing career.

The content within the modules offered reflects the changing marketing landscape. For example, developments in social and digital media are embedded throughout the programme and are integral to certain modules such as Direct & Digital Marketing and Strategic e-Marketing.

Other key themes covered across the programme include: insight management, innovation and entrepreneurship, project management, customer management, campaign planning, Paid Owned Earned media planning, working with agencies and international marketin perspectives.

You will take a number of core (compulsory) modules. The following are indicative of these core modules:

Strategic e-Marketing focuses on impact of emerged and emerging technologies such as the Internet, social media, mobile phones and digital TV on marketing theory and practice. The module encourages critical thinking and understanding of E-Marketing theoretical developments, concepts and frameworks through application, extensive reading and real life examples

Project Management considers the scope and definition of a project, its significance as an instrument of change and the roles and responsibilities of people within it. The module incorporates a chosen strategic marketing scenario which stimulates the experience of being in a real project team. The application of a range of project management tools is critically evaluated for the execution, management and control of project management throughout all its phases

Marketing Research in Practice looks at how marketing decision making is supported by detailed marketing information, and the techniques employed to gather and assess that information

Managing Advertising and Communications gives a thorough grounding in all aspects of promotional activity, especially integrated marketing communications and the development and management of advertising campaigns

Research Methods for Marketers develops research and analysis skills for an in-depth understanding of markets in preparation for the dissertation

Management Study Support is a practical module which teaches advanced communication and study skills to support you while studying at master’s level and to equip you with essential skills for a successful career in marketing

You normally choose two further modules. The following are typical of the elective modules offered:

• Customer Relationship Management
• Applied International Marketing
• Direct and Digital Marketing
• Managing Complexity, Uncertainty and Conflict
• Consumer Culture and Behaviour
• Creative Brand Strategy

During the final semester (June–September) you will complete a dissertation on a strategic marketing topic of your choice.

Academic expertise

You will be taught by highly experienced academics who also conduct leading-edge research and commercial consultancy projects in many marketing fields. The breadth of our staff expertise means that he department can cover a wide range of marketing activities while also allowing staff to specialise in their own, particular marketing areas.

The department supervises a number of PhD research students, and marketing staff regularly publish in academic journals, and write books and industry reports.

Additionally, our £35 million Hugh Aston Building offers state-of-the-art teaching and computer lab facilities.

Industry links and professional accreditation

Additional professional qualifications

The De Montfort University Strategic Marketing MSc, Advertising and Public Relations Management MSc and Marketing Management MSc are three of a small number of marketing courses in the UK that are accredited by The Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM ) for a Dual Award. This Dual Award means that while you are studying for your qualification you also have the opportunity to work towards achieving the CIM Professional Diploma in Marketing as part of your degree programme, enabling you to graduate with an enhanced qualification that is sought after by employers.

In addition, if you successfully complete the elective Direct and Digital Marketing module you will benefit from significant exemptions for the Certificate in Direct and Digital Marketing awarded by the Institute of Direct Marketing (IDM ). Most of our students opt to take the additional exam required and leave with this professional standard certificate alongside their marketing degree. Visit theidm.com for more information on the certificate

These additional professional qualifications make you more marketable by distinguishing you from other candidates and is another important step in your career development.

Industry Links

This Masters degree has close links with industry which include guest lectures, masterclasses and industry field trips. A number of senior figures from the world of marketing, advertising and public relations are invited to deliver guest lectures. Recent contributors to the programmes include executives from: IBM, Tesco, Next, American Express, Thomas Cook, Digimind, BMW, OMD, Rabbit Agency, Big Communications, IDM and CIM. Leading experts and thinkers contributing to the programme include Drayton Bird, Merlin Stone, David Rance, Neil Woodcock, John Seddon and Liz Machtynger.

The course provides opportunities to work on live or near live projects enabling students to gain further ‘real world’ experience. Modules also incorporate materials provided by outside agencies/companies enabling students to access and experience proprietary data, models and tools not in the public domain.

Graduate careers

Marketing is a vital business function and the quality of an organisation’s marketing is often responsible for its success or failure. Employers of all types and sizes in all sectors therefore require skilled marketers for creative and senior roles worldwide. Past students of our marketing master’s degrees are now working very successfully in large multinational organisations and in medium-sized entrepreneurial businesses, typically in roles such as product development, brand management, marketing communications, market research, customer service management, e-marketing and sales.

Recent graduates from our MSc programmes are now working for a variety of UK and international companies including IBM, Candi, Schroders Investments, Saudi Industrial Development Fund, Sudan International University and Ski Cool St Moritz. Recent agency and media appointments include DDB Hong Kong, Leo Burnett Cyprus, Razorfish, The Station Agency, Big Communications, Northcliffe Media and Virgin Outdoor.

Fees and funding

Home/EU Students: For 2012/13 entry the tuition fees for this course are £6,500.
Overseas Students: For 2012/13 entry the tuition fees for this course are £11,200
A range of scholarships and early payment discounts are also available for eligible students. For the latest information on UK funding, please visit dmu.ac.uk/pgfunding and for international fee information please visit dmu.ac.uk/fees

Scholarships

Learn more about our Undergraduate scholarships and awards information here| (link through to http://www.dmu.ac.uk/study/postgraduate-study/funding-and-finance/funding-and-finance.aspx|)