The MA in Consumption, Culture and Marketing is an interdisciplinary masters programme that draws together content and teaching from both marketing and sociology. It is aimed at individuals who want to think intellectually about the world, enjoy being challenged and are curious about business practice. The knowledge and skills gained could help develop a range of professions including policy development, publishing, academia and, of course, marketing and commercial management.
This course looks in-depth at our consumer culture and seeks to understand it and will engage in a number of theoretical areas: branding, marketing, bio-power and neoliberalism. You will explore claims that our contemporary world can be best understood as a consumer society and a brand culture, as well as how marketing and consumerism increasingly define our experiences, social relationships and civic infrastructure. As such we seek to analyse marketing behaviour and consumption practices with a view to better understand how marketing connects with society and culture.
You will join an intellectually stimulating, friendly and supportive research environment and work closely with our expert and experienced academic staff.
This programme is also available on our Egham Campus as a full time course. Please note optional modules on offer may differ between sites
Pre-course preparation
Core modules
Optional modules
You will select three options, with at least one from marketing and one from sociology.
In addition to these mandatory course units there are a number of optional course units available during your degree studies. The following is a selection of optional course units that are likely to be available. Please note that although the College will keep changes to a minimum, new units may be offered or existing units may be withdrawn, for example, in response to a change in staff. Applicants will be informed if any significant changes need to be made.
This part-time course will be taught via 15 learning sessions over a two year period. Sessions will be on a Friday evening and the following Saturday approximately every six weeks.
Assessment is carried out by a variety of methods including essays, projects and a dissertation.
You be supported throughout and in the sessions by our academics. An online tutor and advisor will also be assigned to you to answer any questions you may have and provide advice throughout the programme.
Graduates will have considered a wide range of theoretical issues relating to contemporary lives that form the basis of marketing practice. This knowledge may be useful to pursue a research career, or to augment and progress current careers in fields such as marketing, education, journalism, development, social policy and politics. This course equips postgraduate students with the subject knowledge and expertise required to pursue a successful career, or provides a solid foundation for continued PhD studies.
Graduates in recent years have entered a range of areas including:
The MA in Consumption, Culture & Marketing is an interdisciplinary masters programme that draws together content and teaching from both marketing and sociology. It is aimed at individuals who want to think intellectually about the world, enjoy being challenged and are curious about business practice. The knowledge and skills gained could help develop a range of professions including policy development, publishing, academia and, of course, marketing and commercial management.
This course looks in-depth at our consumer culture and seeks to understand it and will engage in a number of theoretical areas: branding, marketing, bio-power and neoliberalism. You will explore claims that our contemporary world can be best understood as a consumer society and a brand culture, as well as how marketing and consumerism increasingly define our experiences, social relationships and civic infrastructure. As such we seek to analyse marketing behaviour and consumption practices with a view to better understand how marketing connects with society and culture.
You will join an intellectually stimulating, friendly and supportive research environment and work closely with our expert and experienced academic staff.
This course is also available Part Time at our London Campus with some variations in optional modules available
Pre-course preparation
Core modules
Optional modules
Optional modules in Marketing include:
In addition to these mandatory course units there are a number of optional course units available during your degree studies. The following is a selection of optional course units that are likely to be available. Please note that although the College will keep changes to a minimum, new units may be offered or existing units may be withdrawn, for example, in response to a change in staff. Applicants will be informed if any significant changes need to be made.
Optional modules in Sociology include:
Assessment is carried out by a variety of methods including essays, group projects and a dissertation.
Graduates will have considered a wide range of theoretical issues relating to contemporary lives that form the basis of marketing practice. This knowledge may be useful to pursue a research career, or to augment and progress current careers in fields such as marketing, education, journalism, development, social policy and politics. This course equips postgraduate students with the subject knowledge and expertise required to pursue a successful career, or provides a solid foundation for continued PhD studies.
Graduates in recent years have entered different areas including Senior Associate at Bank of China International, Reporter at Xinhua News Agency, Senior Associate at PricewaterhouseCoopers, Finance Officer at Ealing Borough Council and Relationship Manager (Investments) at Barclays Bank.
What is power? And where does it lie? What is the relationship between politics and economics and how should we understand the relationship between states and markets? How will global capitalism, and the nexus of regulatory institutions within which it is embedded, transform social, political and economic relations in the 21st century? What is the future of the state, the market and civil society in this changing world?
International political economy (IPE) is a field of enquiry concerned with the distribution of power, wealth and agency in a rapidly changing and contested global context. With such a diverse range of interest, IPE encourages a plural and often eclectic approach to study. Throughout the course, you will be introduced to the principal theoretical currents in IPE – like realism, liberalism and constructivism– as well as more critical approaches – such as Marxism, feminism and postcolonialism. You will be equipped to use these theories
to engage with a range of important issue areas in IPE, including finance, production, consumerism, and the environment.
Our MA in IPE is a truly global programme and often attracts students from all over the world. You’ll benefit from an engaging intellectual environment and ability to choose from a selection of cutting-edge options in trade, finance, development, and global governance. What’s more, our department boasts leading figures in the IPE discipline and we host regular high profile events run through our Centre for the Study of Globalisation and Regionalisation (CSGR).
With such a diverse range of interest, IPE encourages a plural and often eclectic approach to study. Throughout the course, you will be introduced to the principal theoretical currents in IPE – like Realism, Liberalism and Constructivism – as well as more critical approaches – such as Marxism, Feminism and Post-Colonialism. You will be equipped to use these theories to engage with a range of important issue areas in IPE, including finance, production, consumerism, and the environment.
This interdisciplinary programme will allow you to benefit from the expertise of both the School of Sociology and Social Policy and the School of Media and Communication, enabling you to gain an in-depth understanding of key issues, debates and theoretical perspectives, and to critically analyse the relationship between culture, media and society.
Taught by leading researchers in the field, this programme covers key issues and concepts such as: media and social media; consumerism; audiences; representation; globalisation; migration and place; tourism; creative work and material culture. Through its grounding in sociological approaches to the study of culture and media, a concern with questions of power, inequality and identity will be threaded through the course, enabling you to think critically about the relationship between gender, class, race and ethnicity, and the cultural realm.
In addition to developing a specialist knowledge in the field, you will also acquire key transferable skills in research, communication, analytical skills, self-management and group working, which will open up a range of career pathways within the media and creative industries and beyond.
Compulsory modules on Researching Society and Culture, Understanding Society and Culture, and Sociology of Media and Culture, will provide a solid grounding in key sociological theories for the study of society, culture and media, and methodological debates and approaches.
In addition to the core compulsory modules, you will have the opportunity to choose from a range of optional modules delivered by the School of Media and Communication, enabling you to tailor the programme to pursue your specialist interests.
The final dissertation project will allow you to design, develop and implement your own critical research enquiry into an aspect of culture and media.
Compulsory modules
Optional modules
Throughout the course you will be exposed to a variety of teaching methods including guest lectures, seminars, presentations, group work, blended learning and independent critical enquiry.
Assessment will include a series of short quizzes, a group project, an essay and dissertation.
The combined nature of the programme will equip you with key transferable skills and the specialist knowledge required to pursue a career in sociology or media and culture. The national and international growth of the media and creative industries has sparked greater demand for graduates who possess advanced skills and knowledge in the field, opening opportunities in communications and media policy, PR, social and digital media, media markets and audience research or other cultural and creative industries.
Additionally, the sociology element of the programme will allow you to apply your knowledge and skills in fields such as education, statutory and voluntary agencies, NGOs (non-governmental organisations), INGOs (international non-governmental agencies) and charities. The programme also provides a basis for progression onto a PhD in sociology and media studies, and a strong grounding for an interdisciplinary PhD.
We encourage you to prepare for your career from day one. That’s one of the reasons Leeds graduates are so sought after by employers.
The Careers Centre and staff in your faculty provide a range of help and advice to help you plan your career and make well-informed decisions along the way, even after you graduate. Find out more at the Careers website.
Get your ideas out there and your messages heard with a specialist degree which gives you all the skills and knowledge you need for a successful career in marketing, plus a range of options to help you specialise in your chosen field.
Enjoy a stimulating and flexible degree designed to help you develop a critical appreciation of key areas in marketing, while giving you the chance to hone your skills in a specific area, or you can pursue an academic career via subsequent doctoral work.
Option to choose a specialist pathway to help you stand out in the job market:
You have the opportunity to apply for an international exchange to broaden your horizons and enhance your employability in the global job market. This will need to be discussed on an individual basis with the course director.
Assessment across the course units varies, and includes a combination of examinations, course work, group project and presentations, individual essay and assignments. A 15,000-25,000 word dissertation is also normally undertaken.
During the course, you will be taking 180 credits it total. The eight taught modules during semester one and two will be 120 credits and consists of both compulsory and optional taught units.
We are now offering a choice of two routes through the final stage of your Masters, which accounts for 60 credits.
There may also be an opportunity to study for one semester in an Exchange Institution (details can be found here ). This will need to be discussed on an individual basis with the programme director.
Practical support and advice for current students and applicants is available from the Disability Advisory and Support Service. Email: [email protected]
Graduates from this course are well suited to careers in both the academic and business world. Graduates have gone on to work in marketing positions in blue chip companies throughout the world and to pursue academic careers in many institutions both in the UK and overseas. Doctoral students have gone on to investigate topics including ethical consumerism and relationship marketing in professional services.
More details on our Careers Service.
Latest information on visa changes and opportunities in the UK for international students.
This Marketing MA is aimed at students who have a keen interest in developing an intellectual understanding of the theories underpinning marketing concepts and processes. You will build a sound knowledge and understanding of the contemporary issues relating to marketing, consumers and culture. It is a distinct, research-led course based on contemporary theory and case material which is challenging and innovative. It draws upon the highest level of theory and practice in this field and builds on the extensive research and teaching expertise of our academics.
On graduating you will have an in-depth and critical understanding of a world increasingly defined by a culture of consumerism and the role played by marketing activities in building strong customer relationships and business opportunities. You will cover specialist marketing subjects, especially written for this Master’s programme and chosen for their relevance to contemporary marketing practice and research and develop forms of analysis and understanding at the very cutting edge. Your studies will cover issues such as the critical and practical understandings of marketing and consumers and branding. You will also explore the new marketing and consumer environment which both challenges and builds upon traditional marketing concepts.
As a member of the School of Management you will join an intellectually stimulating, friendly and supportive research environment and, through working closely with our expert and experienced academic staff, you will be in a position to realise your full potential.
Pre-course preparation
Core modules
Optional modules
In addition to these mandatory course units there are a number of optional course units available during your degree studies. The following is a selection of optional course units that are likely to be available. Please note that although the College will keep changes to a minimum, new units may be offered or existing units may be withdrawn, for example, in response to a change in staff. Applicants will be informed if any significant changes need to be made.
Assessment is carried out by a variety of methods including coursework, examinations and a dissertation.
On graduating with a MA in marketing you will have a theoretical and empirical knowledge of marketing and employed a variety of academically based marketing techniques and practices as well as a critical awareness of current issues at the forefront of marketing in society. Our graduates are highly employable with the potential to move into variety of different marketing-related roles.
Graduates in recent years have been appointed into roles including Marketing Consultant at Viewpress TV, Sales Officer at Standard Chartered, Category Analyst at Kantar World Panel UK, Research Assistant at Maritz Research Europe and Private Banker at ICICI Bank.
“My degree from Royal Holloway helped me get this role at Microsoft, thanks to the valuable insights into the digital Marketing world I gained, it also taught me how to team work in an international environment. An experience I can only highly recommend to prospective Marketing students.” Vera Hoelscher. Sales Solutsion Specialst at Microsoft (MA Marketing, 2010)
Over the centuries French writers, philosophers and artists have shaped our ideas of freedom, citizenship and the good life, challenged our views of society, identity and cultural memory, and blazed trails of artistic expression in painting, cinema and literature. This is reflected in the interdisciplinary scope of our French studies, making Royal Holloway an ideal place to study for a postgraduate degree in French.
This degree enables you to independently explore your area of interest in real depth, it can also provide you with the chance to test or try out an area of study in preparation for doctoral study. Whilst you will be working independently, you won’t be alone, you will receive specialist one-to-one tuition throughout your degree. You will work closely with your specialist supervisor, or supervisors, to develop a clearly defined research topic and complete a 30,000-40,000 word dissertation.
You will be part of our research-led environment in which academic staff are working at the frontiers of their subjects. The breadth of our teaching and research expertise means that we are able to provide the latest thinking, expert support and intellectual challenges. Our cutting-edge work ranges from the medieval to the 21st century and spans literature, cinema, thought and the visual arts. Current research in French is concerned with subjects such as the representation of the body, consumerism, disability, food, the Holocaust and globalisation. Other focal points for our work include cultural memory and marginality, gender and spectatorship, philosophy and ethics, the postcolonial and the transnational, and critical theory and post-theory. Our academics would be pleased to hear from anyone interested in postgraduate research in their areas of expertise.
In addition to your dissertation you will undertake a taught course designed to equip you with an array of theoretical and historical approaches to the study of literature, art and culture. This will enable you to articulate, refine and persistently test your own approach to your chosen topic within this broader theoretical and methodological framework. You will also have access to skills training and enjoy the additional support of a dedicated Research Advisor.
Theories of Literature and Visual Culture is assessed by an essay and presentation. The dissertation is examined by a Visiting Examiner and includes a viva voce.
On graduation you will have a proven ability to undertake focused research, improved your written and oral presentation skills, and honed skills in critical analysis. In addition, you will have an understanding and a critical awareness of current problems and/or new insights in literature, film, cultural studies or the visual arts. All of the these skills will be appealing to employers and enable you to pursue your chosen career. Alternatively, you will also be in a strong position to continue onto doctoral study, having demonstrated that you have the self direction, originality and initiative required.
In recent years a number of our Modern Languages, Literature and Culture postgraduates have gone on to successful academic careers both in Britain and internationally in the fields of modern languages, critical theory and film.
Postgraduates have also embarked upon many interesting and successful careers outside academia – in the UK, continental Europe and the United States – including journalism at The Independent, work for NGOs, trade sales, publishing, professional translating, teaching, opera direction, museum curatorship, creative arts, and librarianship.
With the advancement of communication technology and growing political awareness of globalisation, the impact of transnationality on our social, cultural and economic lives has increased dramatically. This MA is a cross-disciplinary programme taught by specialists from different UCL faculties.
This MA focuses on the transnational movement of people, ideas and goods on a global scale, and the impact of such connections on our social, political and cultural worlds. Approaching transnationality as a historical and contemporary phenomenon, students will be taught by specialists in human rights, international relations, economics, health and migration.
Students undertake modules to the value of 180 credits.
The programme consists of the core module (30 credits), compulsory modern language modules (up to 30 credits), optional modules (up to 45 credits) and a research dissertation (90 credits).
Core modules
Optional modules
Students select up to three optional modules from a list that may include:
This list is indicative only; not all modules are taught every year.
Dissertation/report
All students undertake an independent research project written up as a dissertation up to 15,000 words.
Teaching and learning
The programme is delivered through a combination of lectures and discussion seminars. Assessment is through unseen examinations, oral presentations, written coursework and the research dissertation.
Further information on modules and degree structure is available on the department website: Transnational Studies MA
The programme will equip students for further academic study of transnational developments. It will also position students at an advantage for careers with international organisations, the development sector and NGOs.
Recent career destinations for this degree
Employability
The programme is strongly focused on career opportunities for students, particularly within NGOs, the charity sector, international organisations and development. Debates, small group seminars and tutorials help students to acquire strong presentation and negotiation skills for their future career. Likewise the analytical and research skills gained by students on this programme are highly valued by employers from a range of industries. There are many additional activities available, both within the department and the wider UCL community, to help students focus on employability skills whilst they are here, for example departmental careers talks and networking opportunities with history alumni.
This cross-disciplinary programme is hosted by UCL's Centre for Transnational History, one of the UK's leading hubs for transnational research. The degree draws on research and teaching expertise from across UCL, offering optional modules that are taught by social scientists, historians and geographers, together with specialists in languages and area studies, law, politics and international health.
UCL is situated in the heart of London, one of the world's leading centres of cultural exchange, and home to numerous international organisations and NGOs. Within walking distance of institutions such as the British Library and the School of Advanced Study, UCL offers excellent conditions for transnational research.
