Marketing MA

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Boost your career with a CIM-accredited postgraduate qualification. Use your new knowledge and skills to make a positive difference to your organisation. Qualify for more senior marketing positions.

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Overview

MA Marketing draws on the latest marketing research to provide you with a highly practical postgraduate degree. You'll study the latest thinking in strategic marketing management and also have the option to study topics such as e-marketing, consumer research, social media, analytics, and digital research.

This degree is ideal for marketers who are ready to take the next step in their careers, or professionals in other fields who want to move into marketing.

CIM Accredited Degree logo

The Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM) is the leading professional body for marketers worldwide and exists to develop the marketing profession, maintain professional standards, and improve the skills of marketing practitioners. The University has joined forces with CIM to give students the opportunity to gain professional qualifications through the CIM Accredited Degree partnership. CIM qualifications are highly sought-after by employers and their content is reflected in our own degrees which ensures we're equipping students with the best opportunities for a successful marketing career.

This course is also offered with an optional 12-month work placement for an additional fee (24-month total course duration). See MA Marketing (Professional Practice).

Why us?

Engages with real-world practice for example, with industry competitions, real-life case studies, company visits, and the guest speakers programme

Accredited by the Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM)

Our partners, accreditations and networks

Course structure

Teaching methods include lectures, seminars, tutorials, workshops, class discussions, and case study exercises. You'll have a Peer Learning Support Group (PLSG) where you'll be able to work with other students and support each other.

Your progress will be assessed with written assignments, presentations, portfolios of evidence, and time-constrained assignments.

Compared to an undergraduate course, you'll find that this master's degree requires a higher level of independent reading and research.

Course modules

Core modules:

Integrated Marketing Strategy (30 credits)

Examine the key theories, models, and frameworks that support the identification and assessment of market opportunity, the selection of target markets and the evaluation of choices available to marketers to ensure successful and sustainable marketing mix implementation. Focus on the strategic dimension of marketing, which is a key component of long-term corporate strategy. Explore sustainable competitive advantage and how marketers are required to understand the dynamic environment to identify long-term objectives and deliver short-term tactical marketing solutions in an increasingly digital and sustainably aware world.

Digital Marketing and Analytics (30 credits)

Examine the considerations of a digital marketer in addressing the behaviour and expectations of the contemporary customer in both business-to-consumer (B2C) and business-to-business (B2B) markets, be they local, national, or global. Build digital marketing knowledge and practical skills required to deliver digital marketing in the workplace. Undertake a practical case study whereby a digital marketing consultant role is adopted.

Critical Debates in Consumer Behaviour (30 credits)

Engage critically with current controversies and debates in consumer behaviour. Explore key issues that have resulted in the transformation of consumers, leading to altered behaviours within a digital and sustainability aware environment. Select a topic from your chosen specialist marketing field and conduct in-depth research on the current issues affecting consumers.

Optional modules:

International Marketing (30 credits)

Evaluate the decisions and processes undertaken by international marketers to compete in global markets. Look at the design and development of market-responsive programmes. Enhance your understanding of global marketing, including the selling and distribution of products and services in countries around the world.

Data Driven Content and Communications (30 credits) (Option)

Develop the skills to identify, research and evaluate consumer data and make application to contemporary models that assist marketers with the segmentation and targeting of digital consumers. Design appropriate and creative communications with the aim of being heard and understood in a crowded marketplace. Enhance your skills in creating content and copy suited to the campaign tools, media, and audience.

Marketing Research Project (60 credits)

Develop analytical, evaluative, digital, and lifelong learning skills by investigating a pertinent problem in business by exploring a range of relevant literature. Work autonomously and apply research methods to design an appropriate research project, managing and carrying out the research. Gain transferable skills which can be directly applied to your future career.

12-month Marketing Placement Project (120 credits)

Some modules have prerequisites. Read more about what this means in our Help and Advice article.

Facilities

You’ll be based at The Reg Vardy Centre, on the Sir Tom Cowie Campus at St Peter’s. The Reg Vardy Centre is a modern building with views of the river, and just a short walk from both the coast and Sunderland town centre.

Entry requirements

Our typical offer is:

Qualification	Minimum grade
a Canadian bachelor's degree	GPA 2.40
a USA bachelor's degree	GPA 2.5

If you already hold a postgraduate qualification, please see our Applying for additional postgraduate degrees Help and Advice article.

If you don't meet our standard entry requirements, you can take one of the foundation pathways at our partners ONCAMPUS Sunderland. Find out more information and whether your course is eligible on our ONCAMPUS page.

If your qualification is not listed above, please contact the Student Administration team at studentadmin@sunderland.ac.uk for further advice.

To apply for this course, you'll need a 2:2 honours degree, or equivalent.

If English isn't your first language, please see our English language requirements.

Is your qualification not displaying here? For international qualifications, search our full list of international entry requirements for this course.

Fees and finance

Fees are:

£8,500 if you're from the UK/Europe
£17,000 if you're an international student

See the scholarships and bursaries that may be available to you.

This information was correct at the time of publication.

The Sir Tom Cowie Campus at St Peter's by night

Career ready

When you graduate from this MA Marketing course, you’ll be ready to step into a senior marketing role in a wide range of industries. As a marketing professional, you could work in-house for an organisation or find a role in a specialist marketing agency.

Business graduates have secured roles in organisations such as Facebook, Microsoft, Sage, HSBC, IBM, Enterprise, Nissan, Accenture, Procter & Gamble, Merck & Co, Barclays, Marriott Hotels, Viacom 18, PricewaterCoopers, and Adidas.

Optional 12-month placement

The optional MA Marketing placement route is a 12-month taught course followed by a 12-month work placement, facilitated by the University.

Following the two semesters of teaching, you'll have the opportunity to undertake a placement to utilise and demonstrate your skills and knowledge in a work environment. The University will support you in securing a paid placement or work experience. Our dedicated faculty placements team is well-connected with regional and national employers and, each year, places candidates in roles including marketing, human resources, finance, operations, and supply-chain positions. Securing a paid work placement is a competitive process and we'll help you with the selection process from application to interview.

Our students have secured placements with companies including Nissan, Caterpillar, Fujitsu, Network Rail, and White Lodging Services, as well as small entrepreneurial firms in the public, private, and not-for-profit sectors.

Extracurricular opportunities

Our guest speaker programme enables you to learn from business professionals, which can be very useful if you’re not sure what career to pursue when you graduate. If you already have a plan for your career, these events are an excellent way to start building a network of business contacts. Past guest speakers include Divine Chocolate’s Head of Sales and Marketing and Sunderland Football Club’s CEO.

In addition, you'll have the opportunity to compete against students at other universities at the annual Greggs Marketing challenge competition and get practical marketing experience working with live client briefs at Sunderland Marketing Hub, a facility that brings students, businesses, and marketing academics at the University together to work on real marketing projects.

Meet the students

My advice to prospective students would be to go for it, it is a decision that will change your life

Ahmed Hussein
The topics taught were exactly what I needed to move up my career ladder.

Ehinomen Rose Umane
The University has a friendly and family vibe and I felt like it was a home from home.

Megan Williams
The University has the close-knit, practical learning environment that I thrive in.

Sean Young

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Contact

Contact the Student Helpline for further information about studying at the University of Sunderland:

0191 515 3000

student.helpline@sunderland.ac.uk

View Programme Specifications for the Faculty of Business, Law and Tourism.

Page last updated: 03 December 2024

We aim to provide clear, accurate and timely information to prospective and current students. We continuously review and enhance course content in consultation with our students and the information provided on our website is the latest available. If you have received an offer from us to start a course, we will communicate any important changes to you in writing. We will always seek to ensure that our prospective students are fully aware of the basis on which they are accepting an offer.