About this course
About
This intensive programme aims to equip students with the skills they need to succeed in their choice of professional marketing career. The MSc Marketing programme will develop professional Marketing graduates who can drive business success, identify new business trends, deliver complex business solutions and build customer relationships that allow the co-creation of products and services. The programme responds to market demands through originality in the application of contemporary academic research and professional marketing practice. Students will challenge the accepted conventions of the business world by developing marketing strategies in real life business contexts and studying topics such as Strategy and Innovation, Digital Marketing Communications, Marketing Analytics, Foundations in Management, Marketing Management and Global Marketing. Real life experience will be provided by an applied project within a local business to solve a contemporary marketing problem.
Within this aim, the objectives of the programme are to:
- Provide advanced study within the Marketing discipline
- Use an enquiry based approach to develop skills suitable for today’s dynamic marketplace
- Enhance the lifelong learning capabilities of graduates
- Develop digital and analytical skills to enhance employability
- Build critical evaluation skills by using the application of marketing theories to complete live business projects\internships
- Provide a unique student experience of working in virtual international teams to develop a novel and disruptive business idea
The following modules are undertaken during the MSc programme:
Semester 1 modules
Foundations in Management (20 credits)
All business activities occur within an organisational context, and all organisations require effective and efficient management. Organisations are highly complex and dynamic goals led open social systems, comprised of numerous interdependent and inter-related variables. This module introduces students to the subject of management, organisational structures and strategy. Students will develop a critical knowledge and understanding of the structural configurations, which organisations can assume, and the environmental and strategic factors, which influence this structure. Students will explore management's role within organisations, as well as how managers can grow successful business within today global business environment.
Marketing Management (20 credits)
This module is designed for graduates to deepen their knowledge concerning the nature and character of fundamental marketing principles, their inherent inter-relationships and how marketing can be effectively managed both as a function and a philosophy. It builds on this to provide knowledge to increase understanding of the important concepts, processes and frameworks of marketing management decision making from both an operational and strategic perspective.
Strategy & Innovation (20 credits)
Strategy consists of the analysis and decisions an organisation undertakes in order to create and sustain competitive advantage. Understanding these interrelated processes is crucial for creating and developing organisations. This module explores these decision areas from a range of contemporary perspectives focusing particularly on innovation and business development using innovative business modelling techniques.
**Students are given the unique experience of working in an international virtual team to develop a new business idea and present to international business angels. Involves workshops in Finland and Germany (students are required to cover cost of travel and accommodation for these trips. Tuition is included with student fees). **
Semester 2 Modules
Marketing Analytics (20 credits)
This module will seek to provide students with an in-depth understanding of qualitative and quantitative data analysis methods. Students will use the latest analytics software packages to digitally research defined problems and develop business reports that present this data in a coherent manner. They will study their application to both business and academic contexts. Students will learn to manipulate data from a variety of industry databases and social media sites such as Facebook and LinkedIn analytics. The module will focus on the analysis and interpretation of primary and secondary data.
Digital Marketing Communications (20 credits)
Digital Marketing communications have become the central focus for entrepreneurs, enterprises and organisations seeking to reach, engage, co-create and develop deeper relationships with their consumer 'tribes'. In an age of ubiquitous connectivity and a demand
for real-time and personalised engagement, this module will give participants an understanding of what that means for those involved in delivering richer and more productive consumer experiences through digital marketing platforms. This module seeks to provide learners with practical, real-world examples of technologies meeting the demands of such connected consumers and utilises a project based approach to promote active, deeper learning of the unfolding opportunities through Digital Marketing.
Global Marketing (20 credits)
Given the importance of export-led growth, particularly in terms of a small peripheral economy such as Northern Ireland, this module examines exporting and broader forms of global marketing. The factors that impact upon internationalisation will be examined, and firm level processes and decision making will be considered within the context of the broader international marketing environment. The module covers a range of concepts, issues and practices that are relevant to the study of global marketing.
Semester 3 Optional
Advanced Practice Pathway (optional, to be completed before the Entrepreneurial Marketing module and Applied Marketing Project)
Students who have successfully completed the MSc Marketing programme’s first 6 taught modules. are eligible to select the Internship and Professional Development Project module or Applied Consulting Project module in order to undertake the pathway Advanced Practice.
Internship & Professional Development Project (60 credits)
The purpose of the Internship and Professional Development Project module is to both enable students to apply knowledge and skills acquired throughout the course to an organisational issue or problem, and, additionally, to provide students with experience of selling themselves to employers, gaining employment and acquiring and developing workplace skills, which will enhance their future career prospects. As part of the process students carry out primary or secondary research within an organisational setting; this will involve the selection of appropriate research methods to solve a "live" management problem. The results will be presented in the form of an academic internship report. They also produce a Reflective Professional Development Portfolio, which increases their awareness of their journey through their respective programme and their internship, specifically. The module is designed to enhance employability and career prospects and to build confidence through gaining experience in a business environment. It also serves as an integrating mechanism for all course content as well as developing analytical, evaluative and project management skills.
OR
Applied Consulting Project (60 credits)
This applied module enhances the practical and employability skills of students by requiring them to undertake consultancy projects for real life case study clients. The module requires students to draw on relevant theories from previously studied MSc International Business modules, and to apply these in international business contexts, to deliver valuable project outcomes for client companies. The core elements of the module are company and industry specific, however, the international context of the projects will enhance students' development of a strategic, global citizenship perspective.
Semester 3 modules (students who do not take advanced pracitce pathway) or Semester 4 modules (advanced practice pathway students)
Entrepreneurial Marketing (20 credits)
Rapid changes in technology, political structures and lifestyles are creating new products, new markets and opportunities for enterprise and for entrepreneurial people. On the other hand, these factors combined with the pressure of aggressive competition, create an environment full of threats to challenge the determination of such entrepreneurial people. Marketing is a core but largely undervalued component of new venture creation. The identification and evaluation of market opportunities and their strategic and tactical development are at the heart of the entrepreneurial process. As larger companies downsize in pursuit of benefits of entrepreneurial SMEs a number of questions arise. Do SMEs just practice a simplified version of "sophisticated" marketing practised in larger firms? Is the marketing practised in entrepreneurial SMEs different, even fundamentally different? Why, though, are larger firms apparently so keen to abandon "big" and "sophisticated" for "small" and "unorthodox"? Marketing and entrepreneurship determine the fate of business owners and SMEs worldwide. However if entrepreneurial SMEs do marketing in a way that is fundamentally different to those approaches presented in conventional marketing theory then we need new theories. There is a need to address these issues and to explore the challenges that exist at the interface between marketing and entrepreneurship theory, to answer these questions and to draw out the practical implications for practice in enterprising businesses.
Applied Marketing Project (40 credits)
The purpose behind the Applied Marketing Project is to enable students to apply knowledge and skills acquired throughout the course to an organisational issue or problem. This module serves as an integrating mechanism for all other modules as well as developing powers of analysis and evaluation and project management skills. This module follows on from the Marketing Analytics module that students undertook in order to develop the appropriate skills to complete an applied marketing project efficiently and effectively.
Attendance
All modules are delivered 'executive style' in a flexible three-day block format and can be paced to individual needs. These three day-blocks are usually Wed-Fri 9-5. One module is delivered every 4 weeks during semester.
The full-time MSc is completed in one year. Full-time participants can also exit with a PgCert after successful completion of one semester (four modules) or alternatively exit with a PgDip after successful completion of two semesters (eight modules).
Start dates
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September 2022
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January 2023
Teaching, Learning and Assessment
The University employs over 1,000 suitably qualified and experienced academic staff - 59% have PhDs in their subject field and many have professional body recognition.
Courses are taught by staff who are Professors (25%), Readers, Senior Lecturers (18%) or Lecturers (57%).
We require most academic staff to be qualified to teach in higher education: 82% hold either Postgraduate Certificates in Higher Education Practice or higher. Most academic staff (81%) are accredited fellows of the Higher Education Academy (HEA) - the university sector professional body for teaching and learning. Many academic and technical staff hold other professional body designations related to their subject or scholarly practice.
The profiles of many academic staff can be found on the University’s departmental websites and give a detailed insight into the range of staffing and expertise. The precise staffing for a course will depend on the department(s) involved and the availability and management of staff. This is subject to change annually and is confirmed in the timetable issued at the start of the course.
Occasionally, teaching may be supplemented by suitably qualified part-time staff (usually qualified researchers) and specialist guest lecturers. In these cases, all staff are inducted, mostly through our staff development programme ‘First Steps to Teaching’. In some cases, usually for provision in one of our out-centres, Recognised University Teachers are involved, supported by the University in suitable professional development for teaching.
Figures correct for academic year 2019-2020.
Teaching is delivered via three day interactive workshops led by leading academics and supported by industry experts. The student centred approach focuses on individual needs to deliver relevant up to date content that presents current business strategies. The interactive approach allows students to be creative and innovative with solutions and engage in new business approaches.
Learning is inspired by thought provoking workshops that immerse students in new ways of solving business problems relating to Marketing. Students will have the opportunity to work in a virtual team with students from Finland and Germany to develop a new business idea. The ideas will be presented to a panel of international business investors and academics.
Assement is 100% coursework and consists of live business cases within local businesses. Students will deliver high impact business presentations to panels of marketers and industry experts that add direct value to the local business community. The innovative assessment strategies allow students to grow professionally within the marketing realm and provide quality success examples for graduate interviews after successful completion of the MSc programme.
Content
The content for each course is summarised on the relevant course page, along with an overview of the modules that make up the course.
Each course is approved by the University and meets the expectations of:
Attendance and Independent Study
As part of your course induction, you will be provided with details of the organisation and management of the course, including attendance and assessment requirements - usually in the form of a timetable. For full-time courses, the precise timetable for each semester is not confirmed until close to the start date and may be subject to some change in the early weeks as all courses settle into their planned patterns. For part-time courses which require attendance on particular days and times, an expectation of the days and periods of attendance will be included in the letter of offer. A course handbook is also made available.
Courses comprise modules for which the notional effort involved is indicated by its credit rating. Each credit point represents 10 hours of student effort. Undergraduate courses typically contain 10- or 20-credit modules (more usually 20) and postgraduate course typically 15- or 30-credit modules.
The normal study load expectation for an undergraduate full-time course of study in the standard academic year is 120 credit points. This amounts to around 36-42 hours of expected teaching and learning per week, inclusive of attendance requirements for lectures, seminars, tutorials, practical work, fieldwork or other scheduled classes, private study, and assessment. Part-time study load is the same as full-time pro-rata, with each credit point representing 10 hours of student effort.
Postgraduate Master’s courses typically comprise 180 credits, taken in three semesters when studied full-time. A Postgraduate Certificate (PGCert) comprises 60 credits and can usually be completed on a part-time basis in one year. A 120-credit Postgraduate Diploma (PGDip) can usually be completed on a part-time basis in two years.
Class contact times vary by course and type of module. Typically, for a module predominantly delivered through lectures you can expect at least 3 contact hours per week (lectures/seminars/tutorials). Laboratory classes often require a greater intensity of attendance in blocks. Some modules may combine lecture and laboratory. The precise model will depend on the course you apply for and may be subject to change from year to year for quality or enhancement reasons. Prospective students will be consulted about any significant changes.
Assessment
Assessment methods vary and are defined explicitly in each module. Assessment can be a combination of examination and coursework but may also be only one of these methods. Assessment is designed to assess your achievement of the module’s stated learning outcomes. You can expect to receive timely feedback on all coursework assessment. The precise assessment will depend on the module and may be subject to change from year to year for quality or enhancement reasons. You will be consulted about any significant changes.
Coursework can take many forms, for example: essay, report, seminar paper, test, presentation, dissertation, design, artefacts, portfolio, journal, group work. The precise form and combination of assessment will depend on the course you apply for and the module. Details will be made available in advance through induction, the course handbook, the module specification and the assessment timetable. The details are subject to change from year to year for quality or enhancement reasons. You will be consulted about any significant changes.
Normally, a module will have 4 learning outcomes, and no more than 2 items of assessment. An item of assessment can comprise more than one task. The notional workload and the equivalence across types of assessment is standardised.
Calculation of the Final Award
The class of Honours awarded in Bachelor’s degrees is usually determined by calculation of an aggregate mark based on performance across the modules at Levels 5 and 6, (which correspond to the second and third year of full-time attendance).
Level 6 modules contribute 70% of the aggregate mark and Level 5 contributes 30% to the calculation of the class of the award. Classification of integrated Master’s degrees with Honours include a Level 7 component. The calculation in this case is: 50% Level 7, 30% Level 6, 20% Level 5. At least half the Level 5 modules must be studied at the University for Level 5 to be included in the calculation of the class.
All other qualifications have an overall grade determined by results in modules from the final level of study. In Master’s degrees of more than 200 credit points the final 120 points usually determine the overall grading.
Academic profile
The University employs over 1,000 suitably qualified and experienced academic staff - 59% have PhDs in their subject field and many have professional body recognition.
Courses are taught by staff who are Professors (25%), Readers, Senior Lecturers (18%) or Lecturers (57%).
We require most academic staff to be qualified to teach in higher education: 82% hold either Postgraduate Certificates in Higher Education Practice or higher. Most academic staff (81%) are accredited fellows of the Higher Education Academy (HEA) - the university sector professional body for teaching and learning. Many academic and technical staff hold other professional body designations related to their subject or scholarly practice.
The profiles of many academic staff can be found on the University’s departmental websites and give a detailed insight into the range of staffing and expertise. The precise staffing for a course will depend on the department(s) involved and the availability and management of staff. This is subject to change annually and is confirmed in the timetable issued at the start of the course.
Occasionally, teaching may be supplemented by suitably qualified part-time staff (usually qualified researchers) and specialist guest lecturers. In these cases, all staff are inducted, mostly through our staff development programme ‘First Steps to Teaching’. In some cases, usually for provision in one of our out-centres, Recognised University Teachers are involved, supported by the University in suitable professional development for teaching.
Figures correct for academic year 2019-2020.
Additional information for students from United Kingdom