Marketing Communications - MSc/Postgraduate Diploma/Postgraduate Certificate

You will study the following core modules:

• Contemporary Marketing Practice - This module introduces you to the theory and practice of marketing. It begins by looking at the traditional target marketing approach before looking at more recent developments in marketing thought. This module will also introduce the idea of thinking skills, encouraging you to take a systematic approach to the way you tackle business problems, using theory to structure your approach.
• Strategic Marketing Planning - In this module, you will learn how to analyse an organisation's environment, making decisions on how it can deploy its resources for maximum advantage. The module will review a number of different tools and techniques which aid strategic analysis, strategy development and implementation.
• Principles of Marketing Communications - This module takes an in-depth look at the tools and techniques of promotion. As well as looking at the strengths of weaknesses of different communications media, you will learn the more fundamental principles of message development, framing and delivery, ensuring that communications media are used as effectively as possible.
• Marketing Analytics - Marketing depends on good information about the organisation, its customers and its competitors. In Marketing Analytics, you will learn how to design and implement systems for monitoring marketing activities, integrating financial and non-financial information to support organisational learning.
• Research Methods for Marketing - This module builds on the learning from the Marketing Analytics module. As well as learning how to define and plan research projects, you will develop skills in gathering data, whether from focus groups, surveys or observation. The focus on this module is primarily on marketing research, but we will also look at the similarities to and differences from academic research.
• Digital Marketing - Digital marketing is integral to marketing in any context, so most modules will contain a substantial element of digital marketing. This module focuses on the planning and execution of digital marketing campaigns, focusing on the practical skills that need to be developed to maximise the benefit derived from digital marketing channels.
• Corporate Communications - This module will help you to understand the practices and processes by which an organisation communicates with its internal and external stakeholders. Building on the Principles of Marketing Communications Module, you will take a more specialist look at topics such as media relations, crisis management and building an internet presence, as well as the principles and practices of internal communications to staff.
• Dissertation Research Methods

You will choose one additional subject from the optional modules* below:

• Customer Relationship Management
• Social Marketing Principles and Policy
• Promotion and Society

* The availability of optional modules is subject to demand.

Dissertation

In addition to these modules, your dissertation gives you the chance to research an area of marketing communications that is of particular interest to you and of relevance to your career or company. You will have the choice of working on an academic-type dissertation or a work-based one, where you will work on a live communications project.

You will attend a number of dissertation workshops to provide you with the research training sufficient to produce a quality dissertation.

Previous dissertation topics include:

• A cross-cultural research: Investigating the role of Cultural Masculinity on Consumers' Buyer Behaviour of Luxury Goods
• Love at the core: the influence of brand-love on consumer outcomes
• A research of how celebrity endorsement influences on environmental behavioural intention of young people in Vietnam
• The influence of cosmetic advertising on the body image of West African students at UWE

Please also note this structure is for the full-time course delivery only. For part-time delivery, the same modules will be studied. However, the structure will differ.

The University continually enhances our offer by responding to feedback from our students and other stakeholders, ensuring the curriculum is kept up to date and our graduates are equipped with the knowledge and skills they need for the real world. This may result in changes to the course. If changes to your course are approved, we will inform you.

This is a 'conversion' Masters course, and we assume no prior study of marketing communications. You'll learn though formal classes and seminar sessions, as well as through group work and independent study. The work will include assignments, exercises, case studies and presentations with an emphasis on independent learning to develop your problem-solving skills.

You will also have access to a range of study materials online through our virtual learning environment. This includes online lectures, five-minute 'talking head' discussions and other syllabus-related material to support your learning.

For more details see our glossary of teaching and learning terms.

This is a full-time course, so you will attend the Business School for one year and submit your dissertation in September. You can, however, choose to submit your dissertation in December, therefore taking 18 months to complete the course.

Study support

If you have been out of higher education for a while, we provide skills sessions to help prepare you for studying again, as well as sessions for non-native English speakers.

Assessment is through supervised mini-projects, presentations, time-constrained assignments and examinations.

For more details, see our full glossary of assessment terms.