You will learn how states and their governments communicate in international politics and how they shape long term strategies in a range of fields from military to diplomatic to aid and development. This includes preparing for conflict between states or with insurgent groups, communicating a path during hostilities, transitioning through post-conflict situations and also how states use diplomacy, culture and economics to avoid conflict and engage in treaty and trade negotiations. You will also encounter crisis communications: how to shape strategic responses to natural disasters, terror attacks, and military invasions. To appreciate this complex field from multiple perspectives, students will further discover how insurgent and revolutionary movements think about and put into practice their communications strategies with populations and states.
Along with subject matter expertise, students will develop transferable analytic, research and practical skills in a dynamic and rigorous intellectual environment.
The course is associated with the King's Centre for Strategic Communications (KCSC) - a global network of universities, government agencies and alumni.
The aim of this course is to enhance knowledge of a broad range of subjects and approaches to engaging with international politics today.
The course is available to both full- and part-time students, and is available as an MA, Postgraduate Diploma, or Postgraduate Certificate.
The MA course comprises modules that total 180 credits. You will take two 40 credits worth of required modules, and a further 40 credits of optional modules. These credits may be chosen from a wide range of modules available in the Department of War Studies. MA students are also required to take a 15,000-word research dissertation on a topic of Strategic Communications (60 credits).
Teaching
Per 40-credit required module, you will typically receive two hours per week over two ten week terms. This can be split into one lecture and one seminar or combinations thereof or one lecture followed by a case study. In addition to this you can expect 360 hours of self-study.
Per 20-credit module optional module, you will typically receive two hours per week over one ten week term. This can be split into one lecture and one seminar or combinations thereof. A few options are formatted to run as intensive weekend sessions. In addition to this you can expect 180 hours of self-study.
Per 40-credit optional module, you will typically receive two hours per week over two ten week terms. This can be split into one lecture and one seminar or one lecture and one case study or combinations thereof. Some options are formatted to run as intensive weekend sessions. In addition to this you can expect 360 hours of self-study.
For the Dissertation module, you will typically receive 12 hours worth of traning workshops and/or supervision. In addition to this you can expect 588 hours of self-study.
Typically 1 credit equals 10 hours of work.
Assessments
Assessment methods will depend on the modules selected. The primary method of assessment for this course is a combination of essays, project work, class participation, and/or exams. The dissertation module assessment will be assessed solely on the dissertation (100%).
The MSc Strategic Communications moves beyond a purely vocational approach to the making of messages to offer you an approach to strategic communication that reflects: the changing means of communication, image making and storytelling in the organisational environment today; the expanding strategic ends of selling not only products and ideas/ideals but also places and experiences in an increasingly mediated and networked world, especially through branding; and the increasingly complex consequences for all types of organisation of the interaction of these changes.
The programme will focus on the study of organisations as communicators across the governmental, non-governmental and corporate sectors, especially in the context of change associated with digitalisation and globalisation. In particular, it will examine the ways organisations communicate strategically, both internally and externally; and how communication contributes to shaping discourses and practices associated with leadership within organisations and across them.
It will also consider the role of digital technologies, the links between discourse and power, and how these relate to the way public discourse and symbolic resources are unevenly distributed and controlled, privileging certain institutions and ideologies
On graduating, our students enter a variety of careers in the UK and abroad, including broadcasting, journalism, advertising, new media industries, political marketing, market research, regulation and policy, media management and research in both the public and private sectors.
Further information on graduate destinations for this programme
We were the first UK university to offer a specialist degree in marketing communications and we have continued to develop our portfolio since then.
This Master's has been created to enable graduates and professionally qualified managers to gain a greater understanding of marketing communications.
Our programme will build your understanding of communications planning, consumer decision-making and behaviour, traditional and new media to help you better meet the competitive challenges of a changing marketplace.
You will study advertising and promotional strategies, marketing, branding, how to manage direct and digital marketing relationships, and ways to get inside the customer's mind.
This degree will develop your management skills which are central to the relationship between organisations and customers. You will develop an understanding of ethical, global and cultural issues and the impact they have on marketing.
This full-time programme is designed for students who wish to develop a management career in marketing with a particular emphasis on strategic communications.
Our marketing programmes are ranked top five for student satisfaction and second overall in London by the Complete University Guide 2017.
Greenwich is one of the top two most globally diverse universities in the UK, US, Australia and New Zealand, by Hotcourses Diversity Index.
We have also been named as one of the "most international" universities on the planet by Times Higher Education magazine.
This degree aims to:
Year 1
Students are required to study the following compulsory courses.
Students are required to choose 15 credits from this list of options.
You will be assessed through essays, reports, an examination, a research proposal and a dissertation.
Graduates of this programme are currently working as consultants and as marketing and marketing communications managers for companies such as PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), Co-op Group, Italian automotive technology manufacturer Magneti Marelli and Norwegian food products manufacturer Mills DA, as well as various private companies, non-profits and government organisations around the world.
We have developed strong relations with companies in the financial centres in London, including in the City, Canary Wharf, and Fenchurch Street. This offers you networking, mentoring and internship opportunities, making it a perfect location to develop your career.
You can also reach out to top employers through our dedicated Business School Employability Office (BSEO). Our team focuses on developing your employment skills through CV support, interview skills workshops and guidance through mentors to progress in industry. This includes the opportunity to network with employers and recruiters at career fairs. The BSEO team was shortlisted for the Times Higher Education Leadership and Management Awards, which shows its dedication to actively support your career development.
The student Marketing Society has over 100 members. The Society combines a mixture of academic and social activities. It's a great chance to hear about the industry from experts, previous speakers include IBM and Mediacom and an opportunity to create business contacts.
Our marketing students achieved first place in the latest national marketing competition organised by the Institute of Direct Marketing.
Marketing communications covers the selection and application of the main communication tools available to an organisation in pursuit of its marketing goals. This work is often carried out by specialist agencies, and involves both strategic thinking and the development of creative solutions. It calls for a blend of research-based knowledge with the practice of high-level, often extremely creative, skills. The course includes a study of the tools that underpin the development of a marcomms strategy and the media platforms to deliver a marcomms campaign.
As part of the course, you will have the opportunity to study digital marketing, which makes up the syllabus for the Professional Diploma in Digital Marketing. This will prepare you to take the Diploma exams after your MA if you so wish.
The course covers the main marketing communication techniques. It provides you with a sufficient foundation in marketing to enable you to work easily with people involved throughout the marketing management process. The ultimate aim of the course is to enhance individual career advancement prospects through knowledge of how to apply academic learning to best marketing communications practice.
A highlight for many students is the residential at a Cambridge college and talks from practitioners and alumni organised throughout the course which provide an opportunity for networking and extending learning in new environments.
The following modules are indicative of what you will study on this course.
Year long module
In semester one you will study the underpinning concepts and strategies for marketing communications.
Semester one modules
In semester two you will study in greater depth the tools and media platforms for marketing communications. The January cohort will begin these modules during the summer school.
Semester two modules
This course is accredited by the Digital Marketing Institute (DMI).
All students on our full-time Business Masters courses can apply to undertake the PG/MBA Internship Programme, which forms part of the Reflective Practitioner Module.
The internship allows you to test drive a career and explore one of your career interests before you complete your Postgraduate studies!
Completing an 8-12 week accredited internship helps students gain invaluable work experience. This fantastic work experience can be taken in addition to option modules. Students are responsible for finding their own internship with the support of the Business Experience Team.
To express an interest in the module, students must submit a completed application form and a copy of their updated CV. This will give students membership a dedicated website that offers exclusive access to internship vacancies, one to-one CV guidance appointments, mock interviews, employability workshops and much more.
Students can apply to London-based organisations and have the flexibility to take their internship in the summer period or alongside their studies.
Every year we receive very positive feedback from both postgraduate students and employers and expect that the internship programme will continue to remain popular amongst our students.
Find out about postgraduate internships
As a Marketing Communications postgraduate, you can look forward to excellent career prospects in both specialist agencies and within in-house marketing departments.
Past students have gone on to successful careers in advertising, public relations, brand management, direct and interactive marketing, sales promotion, market research and data manipulation.
With the MA Marketing Communications, you'll be particularly well-placed to pursue opportunities with organisations that require marketing specialists with the ability to think strategically and develop creative solutions.
The Chartered Institute of Marketing's Introductory Certificate gives you CIM membership during your MA qualification.
This Masters degree gives you the opportunity to study in two European countries and achieve two Master's awards within one year. Take advantage of the leading management and digital expertise at ESCEM School of Business and Management (France) and University of Greenwich's Business School (UK).
As part of this programme, you will also undertake a work placement which will equip you with essential skills necessary for your future career.
You will strengthen your intercultural competence, learn how to develop integrated communications strategies, and benefit from both institutions' extensive networks.
This course is designed to provide graduates and professionally qualified managers with understandings of key aspects of marketing communications and the necessary skills to research, assess and evaluate aspects of the communications mix.
On completion of the requirements of both institutions, you will be awarded two degrees:
The entire programme is delivered in English and no knowledge of French is required.
The first term is located at our Greenwich Campus in London and the second is Tours Campus in France. The third term is usually in the UK or another chosen country by negotiation.
Greenwich Campus is on a World Heritage Site on the banks of the River Thames. We enjoy strong links with industry and work with employers to develop relevant programmes accredited by professional bodies. We were the first UK University to offer a specialist degree in marketing communications and continue to develop our innovative portfolio.
ESCEM puts students into real business situations, pushing them to explore new ways of learning and encourage independent thinking. Campuses are located in Tours, Orléans and Poitiers which welcome more than 65,000 students a year.
You will be taught in Tours which is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a perfect example of French art, history and excellence. It is a metropolis in the heart of the Loire chateaux valley and is host to several international competitive clusters, know as a tech hub.
Find out more about ESCEM Tours Campus: http://www.escem.fr/en
A limited number of students may be eligible for a scholarship through the Erasmus+ overseas exchange programme. Further details will be provided upon successful receipt of an unconditional/conditional offer on the programme.
This degree aims to:
Term 1 University of Greenwich courses (60 credits)
Term 2 ESCEM courses (60 credits)
Term 3 Cross sessional - Recruiting Institution
You will be assessed through a wide range of methods, including individual and group presentations, tests, reports, essays, article reviews, examinations and a project.
Students can usually gain exemptions from Chartered Institute of Marketing and Institute of Direct Marketing examinations.
You will be able to work as a marketing/marketing communications manager, brand strategist, social media strategist, corporate media executive, marketing research manager or marketing/communication consultant in a wide range of multinational companies, non-government and public sector organisations, and consultancies.
You can reach out to top employers through our dedicated Business School Employability Office (BSEO).
Our team focuses on developing your employment skills through CV support, interview skills workshops and guidance through mentors to progress in the industry.
The BSEO team was shortlisted for the Times Higher Education Leadership and Management Awards; which shows their dedication to actively support career development.
Industry experts provide guest lectures, career development advice and curriculum input. Sector professionals are involved in developing content and teaching on various courses.
As part of our continuing Big Picture guest seminar series, senior executives are invited to pass on their insights and experience.
The student Marketing Society has over 100 members. The Society combines a mixture of academic and social activities. It's a great chance to hear about the industry from experts, previous speakers include IBM and Mediacom, and an opportunity for you to create business contacts.
Our marketing students achieved first place in the latest national marketing competition organised by the Institute of Direct and Digital Marketing.
Our marketing programmes are ranked among the top five for student satisfaction and second overall in London by the Complete University Guide 2017.
Greenwich is one of the top two most globally diverse universities in the UK, US, Australia and New Zealand, by Hotcourses Diversity Index.
We have also been named as one of the "most international" universities on the planet by Times Higher Education magazine (2016).
Global organisations are realising that their corporate communications and marketing functions need to work closely to communicate with stakeholders. This growing interdependence has partly been driven by the impact of online communications on organisational reputation.
This course recognises this industry shift and explores the drivers and dynamics of modern corporate communications and its relationship with marketing and public relations. You focus on stakeholder management, global marketing, brand management, reputation management, media relations and social media.
Taught by researchers who combine their professional experience with the latest research expertise, you’ll examine key theories and concepts and gain the practical professional skills employers are looking for.
You’ll benefit from our corporate connections, as senior figures working in the sector regularly visit to offer a practitioner’s view during guest lectures. Many also provide case studies and practical projects.
Academic excellence
The Marketing division at Leeds University Business School is one the leading centres of research in marketing in Europe. As part of our research, we engage with companies, senior executives and academics across the globe.
Our research makes an important contribution to your learning on the programme; our academics bring their world-leading expertise to you in the classroom. The Global and Strategic Marketing Research Centre (GLOSMARC) is the Business School’s established and esteemed centre of excellence for scholarly research work.
The course provides you with an essential foundation in communications theory, marketing strategy and public relations practice.
You’ll explore the history and theory of corporate communications, connecting communications to overall corporate strategy. Alongside this, you’ll study the latest thinking in important areas of marketing such as international marketing, marketing strategy and marketing research, as well as understanding how organisations manage their brands and identities, marketing communications and key priorities such as sustainability.
During the Public Relations in Practice module, you’ll work alongside classmates in interactive workshops that focus on the practical applications of some key PR tools and techniques. You’ll cover essential skills such as campaign planning, personal communication skills, influencing techniques and writing for PR.
In addition, you’ll choose from a selection of optional modules that allow you to focus on a topic that matches your interests and career plans.
In the final semester you will apply your skills and knowledge to either a research dissertation or a practical consultancy project. Our consultancy projects give you the opportunity to work with a live business situation, make links with industry and gain work experience that can be exceptionally rewarding.
Compulsory modules
You’ll study nine compulsory modules, plus either a dissertation or consultancy project.
Optional modules
You’ll also choose one optional module.
We use a range of teaching methods so you can benefit from the expertise of our academics, including lectures, workshops, seminars, simulations and tutorials. Company case studies provide an opportunity to put your learning into practice.
Independent study is also vital for this course, allowing you to prepare for taught classes and sharpen your own research and critical skills.
Assessment methods emphasise not just knowledge, but essential skills development too. You’ll be assessed using a range of techniques including exams, group projects, written assignments and essays, in-course assessment, group and individual presentations and reports.
Graduates have a rounded and reflective approach to communications strategy and practice. Many become effective communications professionals, either in internal corporate and marketing communications roles or in PR, digital and social media agencies.
Links with industry
A number of senior figures from the world of corporate communications, marketing and public relations are invited to deliver guest lectures, providing a practitioner's view of the latest industry developments.
Recent contributors include: Sainsburys, Creative Concern, Ikea UK & IE, Sustainly, Marks and Spencer, Search Laboratory, Twentysix and Brand 24.
We help you to achieve your career ambitions by providing professional development support as part of the course.
Our dedicated professional development tutor provides you with tailored academic and careers support. They help you to develop essential skills to successfully progress through the course, and also the professional skills you need to gain employment in your future career.
You can expect advice and guidance with your career choices, help in identifying and applying for jobs, as well as one-to-one coaching for interpersonal skills.
Read more about our Careers and professional development support.
Advanced communications practitioners can give companies a strong competitive edge, taking their brand into global markets through well-executed advertising campaigns, targeted communications and clear, sustainable strategies. Our MSc is designed for graduates and practising managers already familiar with basic marketing concepts. Building on your existing skills, you will develop an advanced knowledge and understanding of integrated marketing communications within a strategic marketing context and managerial framework.
Recognised by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) and accredited by the Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM), this programme will prepare you for a high-level career in marketing communications. You will develop your critical awareness of contemporary strategic marketing issues, have a clear understanding of the role of communications in marketing, and take a critical approach to planning, creating, managing and evaluating communications campaigns, incorporating both traditional and new media.
This programme is designed for recent graduates and practising managers already familiar with basic marketing concepts. It will enable you to develop advanced knowledge and understanding of the theory and practice of integrated marketing communications but within a strategic marketing context and managerial framework.
This programme is accredited by The Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM).
The programme will develop your critical awareness of contemporary strategic marketing issues, the role of communications in marketing, and a critical approach to the principles and practice involved in planning, creating, managing and evaluating communication campaigns which incorporate both traditional and new media.
Programme content
Core modules include:
These are followed by the opportunity to deepen and apply your understanding of marketing communications through a range of specialist elective modules and a major personal research dissertation or company project.
Through working on two major consultancy projects you will develop an understanding of the principles and challenges of consulting in the communications sector and develop skills in facilitation, communication, negotiation, project management, problem-solving, relationship-handling, project leadership and team work. Part of your skills training will take place off campus at the university's Priestley Centre on Lake Coniston in Cumbria.
Your projects will link to real live communication issues facing organisations – evaluating consumer reactions to recent advertising campaigns, developing media plans, evaluating approaches to branding, or developing new web designs. Your performance on your two projects (one group-based and one individual) will be evaluated not just on content but also your professionalism and client relations. Your second project will also form part of your dissertation. You will also have some media skills training as part of the programme.
There are a host of potential topics for an international marketing dissertation.
Topics have included:
The home of Birmingham Business School is University House, conveniently situated on the edge of the main campus opposite the main gate of the University. To the elegant old house of 1908, that houses staff rooms and social space, a new multi-million pound state of-the-art teaching and learning complex has been added giving a unique combination of historic elegance and cutting-edge facilities.
Our students benefit from advanced teaching technology. All fifteen lecture theatres and seminar rooms contain comprehensive audio-visual equipment and sound systems, as well as wireless connectivity and data projection. Three large PC clusters add to computing facilities already available to students across the campus. The main lecture theatre, seating 200, is often utilised outside term-time as a conference facility for local industry.
Birmingham Business School’s brand new Postgraduate Teaching Centre opened its doors to students in autumn 2016. The building is called the Alan Walters Building after the noted economist of the same name. The high quality facilities provide a dedicated space for the Business School’s postgraduate students, and includes communal areas for studying and group work, which will look out over the Green Heart when completed in 2019.
Recent graduates from our marketing programmes have gone on to work in a wide range of careers in companies such as Microsoft, Ogilvy & Mather, American Express, Accenture, Whitbread, Beiersdorf, DaimlerChrysler, AstraZeneca, Tesco, AC Nielsen, Mazda Motors, Leo Burnett, Nissan, both in the UK and in their home country for returning international students.
Strong industry links
We enjoy active and close links with industry and the financial community. Many of our programmes have input from organisations such as GE, Biersdorf and Accenture. Companies such as HSBC, BP, Unilever and Deloitte visit the School to run workshops and business games, ensuring that you have the opportunity to put the theory you have learned into practice.
Particular programmes also offer the ability to obtain first-hand experience in the form of either work placements abroad or UK based consultancy projects with companies such as Jaguar, Aston Villa Football Club and Cadbury.
Careers in Business
Careers in Business is a dedicated service for postgraduate Business School students. We’ll help you in all aspects of your career management, from planning your job-seeking strategies, applying for jobs, preparing for interviews and assessment centres and developing your essential employability skills. At the start of your programme you will receive an email from our team, giving details of how you can access Careers in Business Online. Please get in touch to find out how our Careers in Business team can support you.
Corporate communications is an increasingly important strategic issue for organisations, and expertise in this area will offer excellent opportunities for career progression.
As a communications manager or leader wanting to maximise your professional performance and career opportunities in this dynamic sector, you will develop specialist knowledge and hone your strategic skills to improve the performance of your organisation. You will learn about the latest communication trends and be kept up-to-date with the rapidly changing standards and practices in industry.
You should be able to complete this accredited course with minimal disruption to your professional schedule. The course is delivered part-time, with six core modules usually studied across six Friday and Saturday blocks in your first year. In your second year, you will research and write your dissertation.
Research Excellence Framework 2014
Research Excellence Framework 2014: twice as many of our staff - 220 - were entered into the research assessment for 2014 compared to the number entered in 2008.
Leeds Business School has been at the forefront of development in public relations education, both nationally and internationally, since 1990. Your course is delivered by lecturers within our Public Relations & Communications Subject Group which includes 15 academic staff teaching across 10 undergraduate, postgraduate and professional courses.
If you have already gained the CIPR Diploma you will be exempt from the core modules Stakeholder and Employee Communications, Corporate Social Responsibility & Communication, and Issues & Crisis Public Relations, and will follow a fast track route to a masters degree.
Academic staff within the group have contributed chapters to the best-selling textbook 'Exploring Public Relations' edited by Professor Ralph Tench and Liz Yeomans.
As a communications professional with a track record including time as the Communications Manager at Rolls-Royce, this course was a natural choice for Annalie Brown: "The course was right for me and it helped that I was exempt from some modules due to having the CIPR Diploma already."
At Leeds Business School we're dedicated to supporting your professional development - that's why we offer a guest lecture programme. Past speakers include the CEO of the London Stock Exchange, Shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury, past Chair and President of the Academy of Marketing, Chief Executive of the British Bankers Association, the Chief Economist of Yorkshire Bank and the Editor of Cosmopolitan. To see our full programme and to register for a lecture click here.
Your modules will focus on the real-life challenges practitioners face in their work and career development, ensuring you will be able to apply your learning to your work straightaway. On completion, you will be able to use your refined critical analysis and strategic thinking skills in a private, public or non-profit sector environment.
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