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Start dates
Degree type

MSc

Course length

1 year full-time

Location

Durham City

Program code

N5K609

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Course details

The MSc in Marketing enables you to explore the exciting world of modern marketing and its pivotal role in helping to shape and steer corporate strategies in business and other professional sectors.

This one-year full-time course gives you an in-depth understanding of key academic marketing theories, current marketing industry issues and the opportunity to gain practical experience abroad.

We work with the leading UK professional body, the Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM), to offer you the opportunity to gain professional qualifications by taking advantage of the exemptions CIM Accredited Degree provides.

You will study core modules that include marketing management and strategy, behavioural science for marketing, marketing theory, contemporary marketing communication and business-to-business marketing. You will also select optional modules, ranging from digital marketing to the global sports business and complete a dissertation or business project.

The option also exists to take a module on the theory and practice of influencer and content marketing, which replaces the dissertation or business project and consolidates your knowledge gained from the course.

Away from taught learning, you will be able to take part in extracurricular activities such as the London marketing visit, which will give you valuable business insight and develop those vital networking opportunities.

You will also be able to enjoy marketing presentations by guest speakers, including expert academics and senior representatives from major multinationals.

Durham University Business School is one of the longest established in the UK and is also one of an elite group accredited by all three major business accreditation bodies – the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business, the Association of MBAs and the European Quality Improvement System.

World-class Business Education

  • 7th (UK) 24th (Europe) 32nd (Global) - QS World University Rankings: Masters in Marketing 2024

Course structure

Core modules:

Marketing Management and Strategy provides a comprehensive introduction to issues in marketing management and gives you the skills and ability to develop a professional strategic marketing plan.

Buyer Behaviour and Marketing Innovation provides you with insights into consumer behaviour’s role in modern marketing, including historical perspectives, neuroscience, purchase decisions, perception, memory, emotions, and more. You'll also explore how to apply these insights in product design, branding, advertising, retail, and ethical marketing.

Marketing Theory develops your understanding of marketing theory and the key debates within the field by considering the theoretical, managerial, social, economic, and political dimensions of marketing. You will look at the role of marketing within markets, organisations, and society and the assumptions underpinning marketing thinking.

Contemporary Marketing Communication will develop your understanding of contemporary marketing communication by looking at recent research studies and first-hand accounts of strategy development from leading marketing agencies. You will contribute your own experience of advertising and promotion to the module and examine ethical, critical and social issues that arise in the field of promotional and contemporary communication.

Business to Business Marketing tackles the over-emphasis found on academic courses on the study of business-to-consumer marketing and provides a comprehensive introduction to the main theoretical and managerial issues in business-to-business marketing.

Either

Research Methods and Dissertation in Marketing (International study route and business project routes available) provides you with training for advanced-level research and requires you to conduct an in-depth investigation into a relevant subject, for which you will have the opportunity to undertake research abroad at a partner university.  Alternatively, instead of a dissertation, you will produce a business project in partnership with an external host organisation or through an issue-led investigation across a range of organisations on a specific management issue.

Or 

Influencer and Content Marketing: Theory and Practice consolidates your course learning and requires you to carry out a critical analysis of the influencer marketing and content creation sectors and their impact on the traditional marketing industry. You will identify a viable business concept, carry out detailed market and customer analysis and then complete a major digital project based on your own specialist interests within influencer and content marketing.

In recent years, optional modules have included:

  • Arts, Heritage and Tourism Marketing
  • Digital Marketing
  • Global Marketing
  • Global Sport Business
  • Retail Marketing Management
  • Social Marketing
  • Designing and Marketing Services
  • Advanced Marketing Strategy
  • Consulting
  • Innovation and Technology Management
  • Science of Leadership
  • Society and Sustainability
  • A language module such as those offered by the University’s Centre for Foreign Language Study

Careers and employability

Our MSc in Marketing provides you with a firm foundation of skills and knowledge required to build a successful and rewarding career in the industry.

The course boosts your interpersonal skills including communication, leadership and team working alongside the more personal attributes such as confidence, decision-making, problem-solving, and creative and innovative thinking.

The marketing qualifications resulting from our partnership with the Chartered Institute of Marketing through their Graduate Gateway are widely recognised and highly sought after by employers around the world.

Our graduates enjoy rewarding and fulfilling careers, with alumni represented across a wide range of professional sectors including government, finance and in corporate businesses, ranging from brewing to pharmaceuticals.

Learning

The course is mainly delivered through a mixture of lectures and seminar-style sessions that enable work to take place in small groups.

Lectures provide key contents of a particular topic and may be given by guest speakers who are internationally recognised academic experts or practitioners in their field. 

Outside of timetabled contact hours, you are expected to undertake a significant number of hours of independent study to prepare for teaching sessions, assignments and other assessments. Independent study also provides an opportunity for you to broaden your general knowledge of subject matters and to be able to contribute in small-group sessions.

You will complete a dissertation or a business project, which boosts your research skills through the application of the appropriate theoretical frameworks.

If you choose the influencer and content marketing module instead of a dissertation, you will attend a further 20 hours of workshops and six hours of research field visits. 

Assessment

Assessment is rigorous and applied through written assignments and exams. In addition, you will also complete either a dissertation or a business project, or for the module of influencer and content marketing, the assessment includes a scoping report, a 20-minute presentation and a digital channel prototype.

Entry requirements

Application deadline:

October 2024 start

Please note: The application process opens on 1 October for Masters programmes commencing 2024

Our application deadline dates for this programme are:

  • Applications from individuals resident in Mainland China must be received by 23:59hrs on 27 February 2024

There is a high demand for places on this programme. To maximise your chances of being offered one of these places, we recommend that you submit your application to the University as early as possible. 

We aim to have a diverse student body and recognise that we can only offer places to a finite number of applicants. To help achieve our aim, we look to ensure we offer places to applicants from all nationalities and close applications when we receive the allocated numbers.

The University is under no obligation to make any offer of a place on the programme to any applicant, nor is the University obligated to fill all spaces available on the programme.

This programme is intended for graduates in any subject or discipline; no previous study in Marketing is necessary. Please note however, Marketing undergraduate students, or students who have completed a professional Marketing qualification may find some content on this programme overlaps with their prior learning.

What do I need first?

You will need the equivalent of a UK first or upper second class honours degree. Check the full list of equivalent qualifications.

If you are an international student who does not meet the requirements for direct entry to this degree, you may be eligible to take a pre-Masters pathway programme at the Durham University International Study Centre.

NB Chinese Applicants: Applications will be accepted from students who have graduated from a prestigious university in China. Entry requirements may vary depending upon the reputation of the university you have graduated from and the academic programme you have applied for. As a guide, applicants are expected to have achieved an overall average of 85%.

How do I apply?

You will need to complete an online application form.

Fill out the online application form

To support your online application form, you will need to provide the following documents.

  • Official transcript of marks
  • Copy of degree certificate (if available)
  • Copy of English test results (if available).

You can either upload your supporting documents with your online application or email or fax them to the Postgraduate Admissions Office using the contact details below.

NoteOnly files of type .doc, .docx, .gif, .jpg, .pdf, .png, .rtf are permitted to be uploaded.The maximum file size is 5MB.

College membership

If you’re applying for a full-time programme you’ll need to become a member of one of our Colleges as well as being accepted by a department. Here’s more information about how the college system works. Once you accept your programme offer, the College Postgraduate Office will get in touch with you to arrange accommodation. Please note that demand for college accommodation usually exceeds availability, so please try to arrange it as soon as possible.

Application fee

Once we receive your online application form, you’ll get an automatic email within 48 hours asking you to pay the £60 application fee* which is required to progress your application.

You’ll need to follow the link in the email to the webpage where you can confirm your details and make the payment using a debit or credit card. This is a secure website operated by Secpay, which will send you an automatic receipt of payment.

Once we receive confirmation that your application fee has been paid, we’ll be able to progress your application. If you do not pay the application fee your application will be automatically withdrawn.

*Please note you will only be able to make a payment for one programme in each suite i.e. one MSc Finance programme, one MSc Management programme, one MSc Marketing programme, one Islamic Finance programme.

Admissions process

Here are the steps in the admissions process:

  1. We will let you know when we’ve received your application.
  2. Once we’ve received all of your supporting documents, we will email you to let you know our decision.
  3. If the decision is to make you an offer of a place on the programme we will let you know by email. Please note we do not issue hard copy offer letters as these are not required to obtain a student visa.
  4. You should confirm acceptance of your offer as soon as possible. In order to secure your place, you are required to pay a deposit within six weeks of the date of your original offer (check your offer documents for details of payment methods).
  5. International students requiring a student visa will receive a CAS (Certificate of Acceptance of Studies) via email once all offer conditions are met, acceptance and deposit have been received and you are within five months of the start date of your programme. 

Please note: You must let us know your own personal email address when applying. Please do not note use a University-linked email which may stop working once you complete your bachelor degree. 

English language requirements

Fees and funding

Full Time Fees

Tuition fees
Home students £14,500 per year
EU students £31,500 per year
Island students £14,500 per year
International students £31,500 per year

The tuition fees shown are for one complete academic year of full time study, are set according to the academic year of entry, and remain the same throughout the duration of the programme for that cohort (unless otherwise stated).

Please also check costs for colleges and accommodation.

Scholarships

We are committed to supporting the best students irrespective of financial circumstances and are delighted to offer a range of funding opportunities. 

Find Out More

Career opportunities

Business School

Our postgraduate programmes with a focus on employability fully equip you with the skills and industry insight to embark on a successful and rewarding business career.

The knowledge and understanding you develop reflect the Department’s values of sustainability, wellbeing and equality of opportunity across the globe.

You gain a combination of analytical and practical skills that employers value, such as independent thinking and problem-solving, and are able to enhance your people skills that are essential in business and much sought after by employers.

Management and Marketing

Our postgraduate programmes with a focus on employability fully equip you with the skills and industry insight to embark on a successful and rewarding business career.

The knowledge and understanding you develop reflect the Department’s values of sustainability, wellbeing and equality of opportunity across the globe.

You gain a combination of analytical and practical skills that employers value, such as independent thinking and problem-solving, and are able to enhance your people skills that are essential in business and much sought after by employers.

Department information

Business School

The School is one of the UK’s longest established business schools and one of an elite group of institutions in the UK to be accredited by all three major bodies – the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB), the Association of MBAs (AMBA) and the European Quality Improvement System (EQUIS).

We consistently rank highly in independent league tables for both the quality and reputation of our Department, with teaching delivered by a world-class academic community that includes experienced business professionals and researchers who work across a wide variety of business disciplines.

We recruit students from around the world onto our postgraduate programmes. Our students take part in live business projects, internships and placements as part of their studies, enabling them to apply their knowledge to practical challenges in the most forward thinking companies. We have an active alumni network of more than 36,000 graduates in over 140 countries.

Research Excellence Framework

Read more about our results in the recent REF 2021. 

Management and Marketing

Our Business, Management and Marketing programmes are delivered by the Department of Management and Marketing, one of four departments at Durham University Business School (alongside the Department of Accounting, Department of Economics and Department of Finance).

The School is one of the UK’s longest established business schools and one of an elite group of institutions in the UK to be accredited by all three major bodies – the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB), the Association of MBAs (AMBA) and the European Quality Improvement System (EQUIS).

We consistently rank highly in independent league tables for both the quality and reputation of our Department, with teaching delivered by a world-class academic community that includes experienced business professionals and researchers who work across a wide variety of business disciplines.

We recruit students from around the world onto our postgraduate programmes. Our students take part in live business projects, internships and placements as part of their studies, enabling them to apply their knowledge to practical challenges in the most forward thinking companies. We have an active alumni network of more than 36,000 graduates in over 140 countries.

Facilities

You’ll be taught across the university campus by world leading academics from the Business School. You’ll have access to the Business Schools modern, spacious meeting rooms and study areas.

The university campus is within walking distance of the historic centre of Durham, a city with UNESCO World Heritage Status. Resources include up-to-date financial information and online databases. In addition, you’ll have access to Durham University’s prestigious libraries and archives.

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Our Events

Join one of our virtual events, webinars, open events or recruitment fairs.

Durham Business School Postgraduate Events
  • Date: 01/09/2023 - 31/08/2024
  • Time: 09:00 - 17:00
Find out more
Self-Guided Tours
  • Date: 01/09/2023 - 31/08/2024
  • Time: 09:00 - 16:00
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