Marketing MSc

The MSc Marketing gives you a strong foundation in marketing theory and practice. With live case-studies, consultancy projects and skills workshops, we encourage an innovative and creative approach to your learning. You will combine theory and practice to develop the key transferable skills that employers are looking for. If you begin your course in September you have the choice to apply for 1 year of paid work experience (placement). By gaining this professional experience you will be well prepared for your future career.

We aim to and give you a wealth of knowledge in marketing management so you gain an understanding of:

• customer behaviours and expectations, and the variety of channels used to interact with customers
• analysing marketing data
• devising marketing strategy for global brands and organisations.

We help you develop the decision-making skills and rationale to devise marketing plans and communications. With a range of specialist modules to choose from you can develop an area of marketing expertise, giving you even further career options.

Course content

You will study six compulsory modules and a module which helps develop your professional and academic skills. In addition, you will choose two optional modules and complete a final project. The final project is either a dissertation or client project, if you start in September, you can choose the sandwich mode, which gives you the opportunity to apply for a one year paid work placement in a marketing role. 

You will also have the opportunity to study for and sit the professional certificate exam from the Institute of Direct and Digital Marketing (IDM) in addition to gaining exemptions from the Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM) diploma, thus enhancing your professional profile.

Compulsory Modules   

• Introduction to the Principles of Marketing
• Understanding Customer Behaviour
• Professional and Academic Development
• Research Methods for Events and Marketing
• Global Marketing Strategy
• Digital and Social Media Marketing Strategy

Optional Modules

• Digital Marketing and Analytics
• Customer Insight and Engagement
• Brand and Marketing Communications
• Strategic Brand Management
• International Luxury Marketing
• Managing the Luxury Experience
• Dissertation or Client Project

You may choose:

• Marketing Practice (1 year work experience)

*Work placement module is only available for September start students.

Teaching and learning

Much of the teaching on the course takes the form of interactive workshops, but there are also lectures from staff and visiting speakers. Lectures, discussions, role-play exercises and seminars are linked with selected case studies and assessments to strengthen your practical analysis and decision-making skills. You will develop your skills in working as part of a team through structured group assignments and online group-based marketing simulation.

You will gain practical experience and put your knowledge of marketing approaches and theory into practice during live research projects for an organisation. Teaching staff at the Business School are engaged in academic research and/or come from an industry background with in-depth practical experience of business and management issues. Visiting speakers from the world of business, consultancies and research bodies augment the programme through leading edge discussions and specialist events.

Specialist facilities

All teaching takes place in our newly redeveloped Headington Campus in the Clerici Building (the new home of Oxford Brookes Business School completed in 2017) and the John Henry Brookes Building (completed in 2014). The Clerici Building has undergone a huge redevelopment creating a new home for the Business School, including a lecture theatre, teaching rooms, social learning spaces and a café.

Our library provides specialist business resources (both hard copy and via online access) to UK and overseas companies' annual reports, statistics on all aspects of business and management, a wide range of constantly updated key texts, and postgraduate MA, MBA, MSc and PhD theses.

Teaching Location

At Headington we have developed outstanding facilities. Our John Henry Brookes Building is the most significant project in the history of Oxford Brookes University. . Find out more about the John Henry Brookes Building.

We have invested over £30m to create modern teaching and learning facilities and created a new home at Headington for the Business School.

Completed in 2017 it contains:

• 30 teaching rooms and a collaborative lecture theatre.
• A new Main Hall with soundproof wall, perfect for teaching and events like graduations.
• Social learning spaces and a cafe.
• A new gateway into the Headington Campus.

Field trips

We offer an International Business in Practice Study Trip module. The purpose of this study trip is to give postgraduate students a hands-on, intensive experience with the ideas and practices of global business. The programme will include presentations from local management executives and experts. Students will have direct interaction with management executives and practices through site visits to major corporations and agencies.

This study trip is voluntary and all costs associated with the trip will need to be funded by you. It is not linked to university assessments in any way. If you successfully complete this module you will have the following non-credit bearing module recorded on your transcript: P58335 International Business in Practice: Study Trip.

Visit the Marketing MSc page on the Oxford Brookes University website for more details!