Marketing Management (with optional Placement/Project year) MSc

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Our MSc Marketing Management course offers aspiring and developing managers the opportunity to gain valuable knowledge, skills and understanding of marketing management that can help you make a positive difference for future employers.

The effective marketing of an organisation's products and services is critical to its success. Our MSc Marketing Management course aims to help you develop your skills, knowledge and competencies in international marketing management and planning digital marketing communications, thereby enabling you to effectively contribute to the success of the business.

Our course will help you to achieve your management aspirations by being relevant to the modern marketing-focused business. The combination of academic study with workplace application provides many opportunities to better understand how to manage and make the right marketing management decisions that impact on the organisation’s success.

Our tutors encourage class discussions, helping you to learn to build, express and defend your own informed thoughts. Our modules have been carefully designed to provide you with relevant skills, knowledge and understanding that will enable you to perform successfully, and this course has the potential to offer you a springboard to a new career.

There is an option to choose a Project/Placement year for this course, at an additional cost. 


MSc Marketing Management video

MSc Marketing Management

What You'll Study

Our modules provide insights into industry thinking, marketing products and services in both a domestic and international environment. Modules focus on concepts such as digital marketing planning, international marketing, marketing communications, and brand management. You will learn to create marketing strategies and digital communication plans that will contribute to the effectiveness of the organisation. This will be set in the context of building a good understanding of contemporary management techniques to help you develop effective marketing leadership skills and thus build your expertise to successfully manage marketing activities for a marketing organisation.

If you choose a placement or project year, the Marketing Project module will be replaced by a placement or project module. 

Core Modules

This module guides students in the design and completion of a research proposal in preparation for the research project in marketing. It will cover how to develop the skills to critically analyse and report findings, aligning with academic and industry standards.

Key topics include research paradigms, research methods, data collection and analysis.

The module equips students with the skills to plan, execute, and interpret research effectively, preparing them for advanced academic work or professional marketing projects.

This module covers the leadership skills and knowledge for students seeking to enter management roles in marketing. It explores leadership theories, styles, and their application in managing teams and driving change.

Key topics include transformational and transactional leadership, group dynamics, emotional intelligence, handling conflict in marketing teams and navigate the challenges of marketing leadership.

Students will critically evaluate leadership approaches and reflect on their personal and professional development as future marketing leaders.

This module explores the development and management of innovation in marketing. Students will evaluate key factors that drive innovation, assess different approaches and processes, and examine the role of culture, teams, and partnerships. Topics include sources of innovation, management strategies, team dynamics, network collaboration, and measuring innovation success. Students will learn how to propose justified strategies for organisations to initiate and develop innovations, as well as to understand the principles of how to effectively manage the innovation process from concept to launch.

This module offers a comprehensive understanding of international marketing, emphasising the development of cohesive marketing strategies that adapt to cultural differences. Students will develop a strategic appreciation of international marketing challenges and opportunities, enhancing their understanding of how organisations enter international markets.

Students will explore the international marketing environment, buyer behaviour, evaluation of and developing marketing strategies and actions to account for international cultures, traits and behaviours.

This module examines the preparation of a Digital Marketing Communications Plan that enhances customer engagement and drive marketing success.

Integrating digital marketing communications theory and practice, this module explores marketing frameworks, the role of data analytics in marketing communications, the influence of customer-focused digital technology on marketing communications, customer journey with the decision-making process, the role of search marketing, digital marketing communications methods and media, and performance metrics.

Optional Modules

This module equips students with the skills to identify and solve marketing problems through research-driven projects. It enhances their ability to collect, analyse, and interpret data while applying existing knowledge to real-world scenarios. Students will develop critical research and communication skills, learning to design, implement, and evaluate marketing studies. Key topics include literature reviews, research methods, research data analysis and presentation techniques. By completing a comprehensive marketing management project, students will refine their ability to justify decisions, draw conclusions, and provide clear outcomes based on their research findings.

The information listed in this section is an overview of the academic content of the course that will take the form of either core or option modules and should be used as a guide. We review the content of our courses regularly, making changes where necessary to improve your experience and graduate prospects. If during a review process, course content is significantly changed, we will contact you to notify you of these changes if you receive an offer from us.

If chosen, your second year of study will consist of your Project or Professional Placement

This module forms part of the 2 year pathway along with a preparation module - WB7102 Advance Professional Practice. The preparation module forms part of year 1 study and is completed before this module commences.

Students studying the 2 year full time course will not undertake a traditional dissertation module this module replaces that option instead, this module is completed in Year 2, starting at the beginning of year 2, for a minimum of 30 weeks over 3 terms on a full time basis with the exception of university scheduled vacations which equates to a minimum of 1000 work based project hours. 

This module forms part of the 2 year pathway along with a preparation module - WB7102 Advance Professional Practice. The preparation module forms part of year 1 study and is completed before this module commences.

Students studying the 2 year full time course will not undertake a traditional dissertation module this Project module replaces that option instead, this module is completed in Year 2, starting at the beginning of year 2, for a minimum of 30 weeks over 3 terms on a full time basis with the exception of university scheduled vacations which equates to a minimum of 1000 work based project hours.

The information listed in this section is an overview of the academic content of the course that will take the form of either core or option modules and should be used as a guide. We review the content of our courses regularly, making changes where necessary to improve your experience and graduate prospects. If during a review process, course content is significantly changed, we will contact you to notify you of these changes if you receive an offer from us.

How You'll Learn

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How we teach at the University of Chester

You will learn by attending regular, scheduled sessions, which could be lectures, project work, presentations, discussions or case studies, as well as one-to-one sessions with your tutors. The course includes six taught modules, after which you complete the Marketing Project.

The lecturers possess a range of marketing experience from different roles across various industries which is supplemented by their proficiency in delivering marketing subjects at a postgraduate level.

Assessment of your learning is 100% coursework. There are no exams. The coursework may include written assignments, marketing reports or other business-related formats, presentations, as well as completion of an individual marketing project. The focus of the assessment will be to develop your capabilities to critique academic theory and use this learning to make informed marketing decisions relating to specific marketing problems and contexts related to the module.

Your Future Career

Job Prospects

The course has helped build students skills knowledge and confidence to pursue a range of careers in marketing across a range of industries such as retailing, manufacturing pharmaceuticals and construction in different parts of the world including Europe, Middle East and the Far East. 

Careers Service

The University has an award-winning Careers and Employability service which provides a variety of employability-enhancing experiences; through the curriculum, through employer contact, tailored group sessions, individual information, advice and guidance.

Careers and Employability aims to deliver a service which is inclusive, impartial, welcoming, informed and tailored to your personal goals and aspirations, to enable you to develop as an individual and contribute to the business and community in which you will live and work.

We are here to help you plan your future, make the most of your time at University and to enhance your employability. We provide access to part-time jobs, extra-curricular employability-enhancing workshops and offer practical one-to-one help with career planning, including help with CVs, applications and mock interviews. We also deliver group sessions on career planning within each course and we have a wide range of extensive information covering graduate jobs .

Entry Requirements

Honours Degree

2:2 undergraduate degree or equivalent.

Prior Work/ Voluntary Experience

Applicants without an undergraduate 2:2 degree or equivalent will be considered based on their existing and previous employment will be considered. Employment experience will be expected to entail significant marketing and/or management experience.

Interview

If standard entry requirements are not fulfilled, the applicant may be asked to attend an interview

IELTS

6.5 (Min 5.5 in each sub-skill)

Honours Degree

2:2 undergraduate degree or equivalent.

Prior Work/ Voluntary Experience

Applicants without an undergraduate 2:2 degree or equivalent will be considered based on their existing and previous employment will be considered. Employment experience will be expected to entail significant marketing and/or management experience.

Interview

If standard entry requirements are not fulfilled, the applicant may be asked to attend an interview

Switch combined course content

Optional 2-Year Master's To Suit Your Needs

Choosing a Professional Placement MSc is a win-win for your career, giving you the chance to get real experience, apply your cutting-edge skills in the workplace and stand out to future employers.

In the first year you will have help from the University to find a placement, whilst developing your expertise. You will then spend your second year out in industry on placement, getting the chance to work with industry professionals and grow your network of industry contacts. Bringing the latest business school insights to industry, you will get to make a difference to the workplace and make lasting links with your employer.

Students need to find and secure their own placement, supported by the University. A preparation module will also help you to get ready for your placement.

Please note, this course is available as a one-year master degree course, or as a Two-Year Master's Course with a Professional Placement or Project. Please carefully consider your options when applying for our one year or Two-year routes as successful international applicants will not be able to change between courses after a Confirmation of Acceptance of Studies (CAS) letter has been issued or after arriving in the UK.

Fees and Funding

£9,090 for a full-time course (2026/27)

The tuition fees for home students studying courses in 2026/27 are £9,090 per year.

The professional placement/project year will cost an additional £2,750, due at the start of the second year of the course.

£15,500 (2026/27)

The tuition fees for international students studying courses in 2026/27 are £15,500 per year.

For courses where a placement or project year is undertaken there will be an additional charge of £2,750 for the placement/project year (due at the start of the second year of the course).

Who You’ll Learn From

Dr Stuart Paul

Senior Lecturer
Stuart Paul

Dr Gozde Turktarhan

Senior Lecturer
Gozde Turktarhan

Sue Ollerhead

Senior Lecturer
Sue Ollerhead

Tao Chang

Senior Lecturer
Tao Chang

Dr Giselle Bate

Senior Lecturer
profile picture of Giselle Bate

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