Postgraduate MSc
Marketing
Are you an innovative thinker with aspirations to become an expert in the ever-changing area of modern marketing?
Accreditation
Are you an innovative thinker with aspirations to become an expert in the ever-changing area of modern marketing?
Marketing is a rapidly evolving sector and a core part of every business and organisation. Marketers are responsible for planning and overseeing campaigns to promote brands, products and services while monitoring trends and responding to results.
The CIM-accredited MSc Marketing course at Kent Business School is delivered by academic experts using the latest research and industry experience. On the course, you learn cutting edge material on the marketing mix from the digital landscape to the foundational ideas of strategy and consumer market trends. You also develop practical skills through industry speakers, workshops, and the option to undertake an Industrial Placement. MSc Marketing also comes with an optional Industrial Placement.
You'll learn a range of vital topics to furnish expertise in marketing, including strategy, consumer behaviour, digital marketing, brand management, innovation and new product development and marketing across cultures. You will end your Master's with a detailed report, applying your expertise as a marketeer.
This course is accredited by the Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM)
I feel confident applying the knowledge that I have obtained in class in a real-life professional environment.
~ Stefan Chilingirov MSc Marketing, 2020
A minimum of a second-class UK degree in any subject, or an equivalent internationally recognised qualification, is accepted for this course.
All applicants are considered on an individual basis and those without an honours degree may also be considered on the basis of work experience, professional qualifications and the relevance of the programme to their current professional role.
All applicants are considered on an individual basis and additional qualifications, professional qualifications and relevant experience may also be taken into account when considering applications.
Please see our International Student website for entry requirements by country and other relevant information. Due to visa restrictions, students who require a student visa to study cannot study part-time unless undertaking a distance or blended-learning programme with no on-campus provision.
The University requires all non-native speakers of English to reach a minimum standard of proficiency in written and spoken English before beginning a postgraduate degree. Certain subjects require a higher level.
For detailed information see our English language requirements web pages.
Please note that if you are required to meet an English language condition, we offer a number of pre-sessional courses in English for Academic Purposes through Kent International Pathways.
The following modules are indicative of those offered on this programme. This list is based on the current curriculum and may change year to year in response to new curriculum developments and innovation. Most programmes will require you to study a combination of compulsory and optional modules. You may also have the option to take modules from other programmes so that you may customise your programme and explore other subject areas that interest you.
This module advances students' knowledge on core innovation management theories and new product development practice. It is based around understanding of the nature of sustainable innovation and ability to identify the relevance and potential for sustainable innovation in value-creating, consumer-driven businesses. Indicative topics may include:
a) Innovation Management (e.g. innovation typologies / degrees of innovation, models of innovation and innovation management)
b) Innovation Systems (e.g. people, leadership and organisation structures for innovation)
c) Innovation Performance (e.g. determining how innovative an organisation is)
d) New Product Development (e.g. how to define and quickly implement concepts for new products, services and processes)
According to the traditional marketing concept, the Consumer is at the heart of all marketing activities. Thus, how consumers and organisations buy, own, consume and dispose of products, brands, marketplace communities, and experiences is the heart of marketing. Consumption is researched by a diverse array of disciplines including economics, anthropology, psychology, sociology and cultural studies, (human) geography, history and linguistics and political science. This interdisciplinarity has brought great depth and complexity to marketing's understanding of consumption.
Although the focus of this module is consumer behaviour, organisational behaviour will also be explored. Students will develop an understanding of how theories relating to consumer and organisation decision-making, and buyer behaviour inform marketing practice. There will be an emphasis on (i) a micro-level analysis, which relates to more immediate or individual aspects of Consumer and organisational buying behaviour; and (ii) the macro-level, relating to how the broader environment and cultural issues influence consumption.
This module provides an overview of key topics within the domain of marketing research and will provide students the platform to understand the importance and use of information for making marketing decisions. While this module will cover concepts in marketing research, its focus will be on i) providing students with an understanding of how marketing research fits into the contemporary marketing framework, and ii) understanding and interpreting the use of marketing research information and tools for the purposes of understanding information use.
Indicative topics may include:
This module will combine lectures and seminars to present, transfer, discuss and summarise intercultural marketing concepts and frameworks. Indicative topics are:
Employers are in search for individuals who possess logical thinking, analytical capability, leadership, communication and the ability to work under pressure. This module develops the necessary research knowledge and skills for students to be able to successfully complete a piece of research in industry or consultancy contexts or academia. Indicative topics are:
Topics are:
The module examines the main methods of marketing communications. Strengths and weakness of marketing communications channels will be analysed as well as their suitability and effectiveness. The module systematically evaluates the principles, methods and strategies of marketing communications. The role of message content, format and source will be discussed as well as psychological processes involved in consumers' processing of and response to advertising. The module will discuss how different marketing communications platforms can be combined to reach specific objectives. Indicative topics are:
The module aims to equip students with the knowledge to participate in the digital marketing efforts of organisations. Topics are:
TBC
Business failures in the global financial sector, and the subsequent repercussions for a range of different groups, not just shareholders, have put the spotlight on the role of business and the behaviour of managers. Is business just responsible for maximising profit for its owners, or does it have responsibilities to other groups? This raises a number of difficult questions; which groups? responsible for what? And if so, how to discharge these responsibilities?
The aim of this highly practical module is to give students an intensive grounding in analytics modelling and hands-on experience in using industry-standard spreadsheet software (Microsoft Excel) to structure, analyse and solve a variety of problems encountered in business and management.
Students will learn how to build practical analytics models using descriptive analytics techniques to visualise and interpret data; predictive analytics techniques to predict future outcomes and trends; and prescriptive analytics techniques, such as optimisation and decision analysis, to support decision making in complex situations.
Students will be exposed to a variety of case studies that will prepare them to be data-driven managers and executives capable of utilising analytics for business value creation. Practical demonstrations will include examples in finance (e.g., optimal investment strategies, portfolio optimisation), human resources (e.g., staff scheduling, workforce planning, employee performance management), marketing (e.g., product development, customer classification, marketing campaigns optimisation), supply chain management (e.g., optimal transport routing, production scheduling) and project management (e.g., task scheduling, resource planning, project completion time optimisation).
This module introduces students to the area of global value chain (GVC) and its implications for different types of business enterprises (multinational enterprises (MNEs), suppliers, small, large), with a special focus on key theoretical and empirical academic publications as well as available datasets. GVCs are transforming the nature of trade, and it has brought both opportunities and challenges for business enterprises around the world. Such an understanding of GVCs is vital for managers to develop optimal relationships with their value chains partners, adapt to changing business circumstances, and make responsible decisions.
In today's competitive and global economy, companies are turning to project management to consistently deliver business results. Increased number of international and complex projects brings with it a growing demand for project management specialists, according to Project Management Institute (PMI). This module introduces the principles and practice of project management in a global context. The module aims to:
Under the guidance of a subject specialist (an allocated supervisor) this module involves the identification of a complex and substantive marketing problem which can be framed within relevant academic literature. The identified problem and subsequent research questions will enable students to collect and analyse primary and/or secondary data, to develop well thought out arguments along with supportable conclusions and recommendations. This module concludes the MSc Marketing studies and enables the acquisition of research-led skills essential for any future marketing expert.
There are two options for the marketing report: a consultancy report (which looks at a firm and/or industry problem) as well as a traditional academic report – a dissertation.
Duration: 1 year full-time
This programme consists of 9 compulsory modules and 1 optional module in Stage 1 with Stage 2 finishing with a piece of marketing research.
The MSc Marketing programme is available with an optional industrial placement, which will require you to complete the Industrial Placement Report.
Our lively and active postgraduate community is brought about in part by our strong research culture and by the close community between our staff and students. Staff publish regularly and widely in journals, conference proceedings and books and embed their research in their teaching.
Students have regular contact with their course and module conveners with staff on hand to answer any questions and to provide helpful and constructive feedback on submitted work.
You can also get involved with extra-curricular academic and social activities with guest lectures, talks and workshops organised by our academic staff, research centres and the ASPIRE team. You can catch up with our most recent Open for Business Seminar Series.
Our Canterbury campus provides a welcoming environment and a close-knit student community. Kent Business School is based within the Sibson Building which opened in 2017 and its impressive design won the RIBA Regional and National Award. It houses well-equipped lecture and seminar spaces, as well as breakout spaces for group work, Bloomberg suite, computer labs, a dedicated MBA suite, and our ASPIRE Lab Space. There is also a café on site.
The School is conveniently located at the University of Kent’s campus, close to continental Europe and with easy access to London. World-famous Canterbury Cathedral is situated in the heart of the historic city centre, just a 25-minute walk or a short bus ride.
Kent Business School has close links with: ifs (Institute of Financial Services); dunnhumby, who partners the Consumer Insight Service in the Centre for Value Chain Research; Hong Kong Baptist University, with whom we offer a joint Master’s programme in Operational Research and Finance Business Statistics; University of Castellanza (Italy); Audencia Nantes Business School (France); Aarhus School of Business and Social Sciences (Denmark); Universiti Teknologi Malaysia; University of Ingolstadt, Bayern (Germany); City University of Hong Kong; Renmin University of China, School of Business.
All students registered for a taught Master's programme are eligible to apply for a place on our Global Skills Award Programme. The programme is designed to broaden your understanding of global issues and current affairs as well as to develop personal skills which will enhance your employability.
Kent Business School is a research-led business school. Our research strategy is developed around the core theme of sustainable innovation which cuts across the entire School. This theme can be seen as being divided into two sub-strands of research aimed at answering these main questions:
Kent Business School advances knowledge through constant promotion and support of innovative research. We have an impact on wider society through extensive collaborations with external partners which range from other academic institutions to a variety of local, national and international businesses as well as the NHS. Within this wider context, our main strategic aim has been geared towards establishing ourselves as a leading institution for research in sustainable innovation.
Kent Business School is a global leader in research and develops a wide portfolio of research related activities including workshops, conferences and research seminar series. This has led to a large number of international collaborations and to over 200 co-authored papers with international partners.
Specialising in public-sector critical accounting and accounting history.
Looking into a wide array of financial issues from derivatives pricing to real-estate modelling.
Innovating in wide-ranging topics such as operational research and systems thinking.
Studying issues surrounding consumer behaviours, product development and maintaining value supply chains among others.
People, Management and Organisation
Specialising in improving human resource management, organisational behaviour and leadership.
Strategy and International Business
Helping in the development of innovative business strategies for business all over the world.
Centre for Logistics and Heuristic Optimisation
Helping companies to solve complex strategic, tactical and operational problems.
Centre of Productivity and Workplace Performance
Contribute to the productivity debate and drive improvements at all levels; from the national economic output, to changes in the ways SME’s operate.
Centre for Quantitative Finance
Providing quantitative analysis of issues in the financial markets for businesses and policy makers.
Helping both academics and practitioners tackle the challenges emerging from the rapid development of new digital technologies
Dynamic Publishing Culture
Staff publish regularly and widely in journals, conference proceedings and books. Among others, they have recently contributed to: Critical Perspectives on Accounting; Quantitative Finance; Human Resource Management Journal; Journal of Product Innovation Management; European Journal of Operational Research; and Psychology & Marketing.
Our Marketing graduates find work in consumer or business-to-business marketing, in a variety of marketing functions including marketing analytics, marketing communications, sales and brand management.
Companies that graduates have found work in, include:
Many of our students also stay local and find job opportunities regionally in small and medium firms or even set up their own businesses as well-equipped entrepreneurs.
You gain much more than an academic qualification when you graduate. We enhance your student experience and accelerate your career prospects to help you achieve your ambition.
From the moment you start with us, our efforts are focused on helping you gain the knowledge, skills and experience you need to thrive in an increasingly competitive workplace. As part of the course, undertake an Industrial Placement or opt for an In-Company Scheme to work on a real business case study. Go on our Business Start-up Journey and transform your idea into a business through ASPIRE. Our qualified careers practitioners provide support for up to three years after graduation.
Additionally, the Postgraduate Employability Edge programme, available to PGT students at Kent Business School takes place from Welcome Week through to the end of the academic year and is designed to enhance your career prospects further.
The 2024/25 annual tuition fees for this course are:
For details of when and how to pay fees and charges, please see our Student Finance Guide.
For students continuing on this programme fees will increase year on year by no more than RPI + 3% in each academic year of study except where regulated.* If you are uncertain about your fee status please contact information@kent.ac.uk.
The University will assess your fee status as part of the application process. If you are uncertain about your fee status you may wish to seek advice from UKCISA before applying.
For details of when and how to pay fees and charges, please see our Student Finance Guide.
For students continuing on this programme, fees will increase year on year by no more than RPI + 3% in each academic year of study except where regulated.*
The University will assess your fee status as part of the application process. If you are uncertain about your fee status you may wish to seek advice from UKCISA before applying.
Find out more about general additional costs that you may pay when studying at Kent.
We have a range of subject-specific awards and scholarships for academic, sporting and musical achievement.
Next steps
Learn more about the application process or begin your application by clicking on a link below.
You will be able to choose your preferred year of entry once you have started your application. You can also save and return to your application at any time.
Supporting your success
Kent ranked top 50 in The Complete University Guide 2024.
Fees and funding
Kent has risen 11 places in THE’s REF 2021 ranking, confirming us as a leading research university.
Accommodation