Marketing with Integrated Foundation Year BA (Hons)

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This is a four-year version of our BA (Hons) Marketing course with an integrated foundation year. Study the key trends in current marketing practice. Gain vital industry knowledge as a consultant in the Marketing Hub. Specialise in the areas of marketing that you’re passionate about.

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Overview

The need for professional marketers is more vital now than ever before. This course will give you the essential foundations to work in a diverse range of marketing roles. You will study fascinating marketing trends including digital marketing, social media, branding, and consumer behaviour.

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. University of Sunderland 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 are equipping students with the best opportunities for a successful marketing career.

Learning through practical experience is embedded throughout the course with company visits, guest speakers, and industry events. Our Marketing Hub also allows final-year students to act as marketing consultants on live projects.

Exclusive to the BA Marketing course, you’ll be able to gain an extra qualification as part of your degree. We’ll fund the cost for you to study a Professional Marketing qualification with the Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM) alongside your degree, to help further enhance your skills.

Why us?

We’ll fund the cost for you to study a Professional Marketing qualification with the Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM)
This course is accredited by The Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM)
Sunderland Marketing Hub allows you the opportunity to work as part of a functioning marketing agency

This course integrates experiential learning throughout as a core theme
This course is available as a sandwich year course where you can engage in a one-year industrial placement

Course structure

The learning and teaching methods for this course will include lectures and a series of intensive workshops focusing on a range of case studies where there will be opportunity to enhance your knowledge base and skills.

The workshops are designed to introduce you to new theoretical areas and to encourage you to participate, challenge, and debate theory within real-life scenarios.

Tutorial support sessions will be used to support teaching and learning. These sessions will link the theoretical concepts of the subject to practical implementation.

Assessment methods may include: essays, reports, exams, and projects, among others.

Foundation Year

The Business and Tourism Integrated Foundation Year includes five modules:

Core:

Contemporary Global Issues in Business and Tourism (20 credits)

Engage with the literature and current debates on some of the major current global issues and trends within Business and Tourism in general. Examples include: wireless communication and technological transformation, universal payment methods, cost of fuel, security/safety and pandemics, political conditions, food security and food waste, rising income inequality, international trade and investment. Investigate a current global issue related to your degree of study via lectures/seminars, workshops and blended learning activities.

Essential Study Skills (20 credits)

Bridge the gap between Further Education and Higher Education. Understand the level of work you will be expected to do at University, how to become an independent learner and how to find answers yourself.

Foundation Project (20 credits)

Investigate a topic area related to your degree programme. Projects will vary according to the degree programme of study but typically the formats would include: a review paper, a practical project or analysis of data for a report. Utilise the lectures and surgeries and gain specialist input into your proposed project. While the module is based around independent learning, tutors are on hand to guide the process through the use of weekly surgeries.

Foundations of Business and Tourism (40 credits)

Learn about the main functions of an organisation, its various functional areas, and the role and importance of management in the effective co-ordination of those functions. Explore the contemporary global business issues and its impact on international, regional and local market place. Engage with the relevant literature and current debates in relation to your identified areas.

Practical Numeracy Skills (20 credits)

Consolidating your numerical skills, see how these can be used in real-life applications, and consider how statistical results are presented, calculated and statistics misrepresented. See how to apply this knowledge in everyday life settings, both at work and at a personal level. Take responsibility for your own learning and ensuring you are able to manage your time and work independently.

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

Year 1 (national level 4):

Managing and Leading Marketers (30 credits)

Expand your understanding of how businesses are run and how marketing can contribute to organisational success. Gain an insight into the general operations of business locally, nationally and globally and an understanding of the principles of managing and leading marketers sustainably. Explore how the contexts in which businesses operate can affect behaviour and performance.

Business Management Skills Development (30 credits)

Develop a selection of transferable employability skills through a diverse range of experiences. Examine the importance of developing your own professional identity. Place this identity in the context of changing, challenging and dynamic organisations.

Decision Making for Marketing (60 credits)

Strengthen your understanding of the different areas of marketing and the purpose of marketing in a business context. Examine contemporary marketing research and theory and consider the relationship between organisations and their customers. Develop a global perspective of the subject by examining international case studies.

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

Year 2 (national level 5):

Delivering Projects for Organisational Success (30 credits)

Explore some of the fundamental and contemporary components necessary to plan, assess and manage successful projects. Study this in the context of organisational operations, logistics and holistic supply chains. Develop the knowledge and skills of process and human aspects of project management in delivering organisational success.

Analysis and Insights for Marketing (30 credits)

Evaluate the critical importance of contextual and environmental analysis and evaluation in marketing in order to gain real insights that guide marketing decisions and strategies. Understand the transformative forces that are changing and shaping the future of marketing and the wider business. Analyse customer characteristics and behaviour to enhance marketing value.

Digital Marketing Live (60 credits)

Consider what a digital marketer must look at when addressing the behaviour and expectations of the contemporary customer. Work as a Marketing Consultant within Sunderland Marketing Hub to advise real life organisations about marketing solutions. Draw on all your marketing knowledge and put theory into practice solving marketing problems.

Optional 48-week placement:

Applied Placement Portfolio 1 (120 credits)

Gain a strong understanding of a business including the identification and examination of an organisational issue, initiative or process. Examine areas of value to the host organisation. Develop the relevant practical knowledge and skills under the guidance and supervision of an academic mentor and host business.

Final year (national level 6):

Strategic Sustainable Marketing (30 credits)

Consider and explore new and emerging perspectives on sustainability that will shape the future of business and marketing. Acquire essential knowledge and insights into the contemporary practices shaping the future of sustainable marketing and business practices. Examine the digital developments that are directly impacting strategic marketing decisions.

Communication and Branding in the Digital Age (30 credits)

Adopt a strategic perspective to branding and explore the role of brand strategy in communicating messages to current and potential stakeholders. Investigate why building a strong brand is a key objective for organisations in the digital age and as such how they engage with stakeholders is a significant strategic consideration for all brands. Consider some of the challenges and approaches to branding management and explore how technological transformation impacts upon consumer engagement with brands.

Marketing Consultancy Project (60 credits)

Work on real marketing problems in a simulated marketing agency environment at the Marketing Clinic. Identify a specific marketing problem and undertake research in order to make recommendations to your client. Work collaboratively in a team to communicate effectively to business audiences.

You can access free Wi-Fi throughout the University campus, so you can work from anywhere. If you don't want to carry a laptop around, just use one of the University’s PCs or Macs. We have hundreds of computers for you to use in the Murray Library, St Peter's Library, and the David Goldman Informatics Centre. If you ever have any technical problems, just ask the friendly helpdesk team.
IT provision
The St Peter’s Library contains over 31,000 books related to business, economics, management, human resources, marketing, strategy and tourism.

Added to this, you’ll benefit from a wide range of journals and periodicals in the St Peter’s Library, many of them in an online format. To help you make the most of the wealth of resources, there’s a full-time librarian who is dedicated to the Business and Tourism sections.

Further resources are available at the main Murray Library, which has a total of over 430,000 books with many more available through the inter-library loan service.
Library Services - business and tourism
Map and directions

Facilities

You’ll be based at The Reg Vardy Centre, at The Sir Tom Cowie Campus at St Peter’s. This is home to Sunderland Business School and St Peter’s Library which has thousands of books related to business, economics, management, human resources, marketing and strategy.

Entry requirements

We don’t currently display entry requirements for United States. Please contact the Student Admin team on studentadmin@sunderland.ac.uk or 0191 515 3154.

Entry requirements are provided for guidance only and we may offer you an entrance interview which will help us determine your eligibility for your chosen degree. This enables us to consider making you an offer if you are perhaps a mature student who has been out of education for a period of time, or you have gained significant knowledge and skills through employment rather than traditional education.

Eligible entry qualifications:

1. Normally a minimum of three Level 2 qualifications (NVQ, GCSE or equivalent), including Maths and English at grade C or above** and a minimum of 40 UCAS tariff points from Level 3 qualifications (e.g. A or AS Levels, BTEC certificates/diplomas, access courses or equivalent)
OR
2. Demonstrable evidence of appropriate knowledge and skills acquired from at least three years of post-school work experience.

If you are unsure of whether you think you might be suitable for the course, please contact us!

** If you have studied for a GCSE which has a numerical grade then you will need to achieve a grade 4 or above. Equivalent alternative qualifications are also accepted, such as Level 2 Key Skills in Communication and Application of Number. If you have not achieved a grade C in Maths and English we may be able to work with you to ensure that you are able to gain these in the first year of the course, depending on your experience.

If English is not your first language, please see our English language requirements.

This course is subject to approval.

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

Fees and finance

The annual fee for this course is £9,250 if you are from the UK/Ireland/EU settled/pre-settled.

If you are a full-time UK/Irish/EU settled/EU pre-settled student you may be eligible to receive financial support to cover your fees for the full four years. UK and EU settled students may also be eligible to receive a maintenance loan.

Please note, this course is not available to international students.

Learn more about settled status, pre-settled status, special discounts, visa requirements and Common Travel Area (CTA) agreements for the Republic of Ireland applicants in our Help and Advice article.

Take a look at the section to find out about the scholarships and bursaries that may be available to you.

This information was correct at the time of publication.

Career ready

This course aims to provide an appropriate combination of challenge and support to develop a range of graduate attributes, that enhance graduate authenticity, and enable individuals to achieve a greater degree of power and control concerning their careers.

Students will have access to the University Careers and Employability Service which is available to current students and graduates for up to three years after completion of their course.

Paid placements

The faculty-based employability team will support you in securing an optional paid work placement to further enhance your employability between your second and final year. It effectively becomes a third year of a four-year course, and you’ll earn an average salary of £14,000-£18,000 a year depending on your location.

Placements are an excellent opportunity to put your learning into practice and understand the context for your new knowledge. The contacts made during placements can also be valuable for future job offers.

Guest speakers

Our regular programme of guest speakers from industry allows you to listen to people who are already in the type of position that you may one day hold. Recent speakers include Maurice Duffy, CEO of Global Blackswan, Mike Johnson, CEO of Castrol and Executive Vice President of BP, Uday K. Dholakia, Senior Partner of Global Consulting, Neil Stephenson, CEO of ONYX, James Ramsbotham, CEO of the North East Chamber of Commerce, as well as other representatives from a number of our region’s largest employers.

Marketing Hub

The Sunderland Marketing Hub provides free marketing advice to businesses and offers final year students the opportunity to act as marketing consultants. Students will be assigned a dedicated supervisor who will provide guidance throughout the projects.

Related courses

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 March 2023

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.

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Marketing with Integrated Foundation Year BA (Hons)

Overview

Why us?

Course structure

Foundation Year

Core:

Year 1 (national level 4):

Year 2 (national level 5):

Optional 48-week placement:

Final year (national level 6):

Facilities

Entry requirements

Fees and finance

Career ready

Paid placements

Guest speakers

Marketing Hub

Meet the team — BA (Hons) Marketing with Integrated Foundation Year

Related courses

Contact

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