BSc (Hons) Marketing

During your studies on BSc (Hons) Marketing degree, you will have the opportunity to achieve CIM professional qualifications. You can achieve the Foundation Certificate in Marketing in the first year of your degree* and the CIM Diploma in Professional Marketing after graduating. 

Exemptions

• You will be exempt from the Applied Marketing and the Marketing Campaigns modules and need to complete one elective module. Please note additional costs and work involved.
• You will need to achieve a 2:2 or above degree classification and successfully pass the specified (non-exempt) modules at the chosen level of study to be awarded the CIM Diploma in Professional Marketing. You will be exempt from the Marketing and Digital Strategy module and need to complete one mandatory module and one elective module, currently from a choice of two electives. Please note additional costs and work involved.
• If pursuing CIM qualification after graduating: you will need to start non-exempt modules within three years of graduation and complete within five years for exemptions to be valid. 

Benefits for you:

Opportunity to graduate with two highly recognised qualifications, the CIM Foundation Certificate in Marketing and the IPA Foundation Certificate, alongside your academic degree Improved placement and employability prospects, due to achievement of academic and professional qualifications whilst in higher education Membership of CIM and associated benefits.

Benefits for employers:

Graduates and placement students with proven practitioner and academic skills.

• BU will provide all assessment guidance at no additional cost. 
• We will ask you to pay the CIM Affiliate Studying Membership fee of £65 directly to the CIM on registering for the CIM programme. This covers the cost of CIM annual membership.
• If studying on a Level 4 CIM Certificate, you will need to pay the CIM assessment fee for the one unit at a cost of £150. Again, you will need to pay this fee directly to the CIM. If studying on a CIM Diploma, you will need to pay the CIM assessment fee for two units (at a cost of £190 per unit, £380 in total).

Core units:

• Fundamentals of Business & Management: This unit aims to develop your understanding of the business context across industry and sectors globally. You will cover the key issues and challenges facing businesses going forward and the essential role of people in dynamic, resilient and complex organisations. You will explore key functional business areas including marketing, finance, accounting, economics, people management, and organisational behaviour.  
• Academic & Professional Practice: You will build your confidence in both academic and professional skills. This unit will cover the academic skills which will be required at degree level study and you’ll practice them throughout the unit with support from key university services including the library and study skills team. There will also be the opportunity for you to reflect on and develop your own professional skills through interactions with employers, careers services and online resources. 
• Fusion Business Project: You will undertake a business project based on a real issue or problem. The Fundamentals of Business & Management unit will support you in understanding key issues and challenges which could form the basis for your project. Projects will be undertaken in workplaces, community settings or part of research processes related to your chosen field of study. You will be allocated an academic mentor who will support you in developing and undertaking the project.  

Core units

• Global Business Environment: An introduction to the fundamentals of the external global business context, enabling you to understand business-related political, economic, social and technological news stories and developments
• Developing Management Competencies: You'll be exposed to real-life business and management challenges, enabling you to develop interpersonal, organisational, transferable, creative and reflective learning skills, as well as a learning culture founded on mutual support, empathy and respect
• Principles of Marketing: This introductory unit covers the fundamental elements of marketing; specifically, the marketing planning process encompassing analysis, planning, implementation and control
• Fundamentals of Digital Marketing: Learn key digital marketing concepts and develop skills in data-driven marketing, online engagement, AI tools, and multi-channel campaigns, underpinned by ethical and effective practice
• Responsible Consumer Behaviour and Green Marketing: Explore how marketing can be a force for positive social and environmental change. You will explore the ethical dimensions of consumption, the impact of consumer choices on society and the planet, and the ways in which marketers can respond to these challenges through sustainable and societal marketing practices
• Customer Experience (CX) and Relationship Management: Understand how businesses create, maintain, and enhance relationships with customers through effective engagement strategies, CRM technologies, and personalised marketing techniques.

Core units

• Marketing Research in Action: This unit develops practical and analytical skills in marketing strategy, planning, and research. It focuses on using research to inform decisions, encouraging critical thinking and consumer insight. You will apply theory to real-world scenarios, preparing for the Final year and marketing roles
• Innovation in Marketing: This unit explores the link between marketing and innovation, focusing on creative strategies, technology use, and problem-solving to improve marketing effectiveness. It covers how to develop and apply innovative practices and build innovation within marketing.

Option units (choose four)

• Globally Responsible Business Practice: Gain the ability to critically evaluate the complex role of business practice in global systems and their understanding of management processes
• Emerging Technologies and Marketing: Learn how emerging technologies, particularly AI, big data, and immersive experiences, are reshaping marketing. Understand their impact on strategy, engagement, and digital transformation, while addressing ethical, legal, and sustainability issues
• Content Creation: This unit introduces the principles of effective marketing communication and how content shapes audience perceptions and behaviour. You will develop practical skills in creating marketing materials using industry tools, with a focus on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and integrating AI
• Consumer Behaviour and Contemporary Issues: This unit aims to extend your understanding of marketing, providing a critical understanding of the role and application of consumer behaviour within marketing and the wider organisation
• Branding & Integrated Communications: Cover strategic issues of integration and planning as well as the tactical considerations needed to execute relevant marketing communications campaigns that meet consumer’s needs
• Global Crisis and Contingency Marketing: You will develop the skills to analyse and design marketing strategies in crisis contexts, focusing on ethical communication, consumer psychology, and visual storytelling. The unit highlights inclusive, sustainable, and socially responsible approaches used by businesses and organisations during disruption and recovery
• Project Management: Provides a practical communication focused perspective of the rapidly evolving digital world.  As such it offers students practical assistance in shaping professional digital identity and footprint
• Ethnography and Cultural Intelligence in Marketing: you will critically explore and analyse the role of culture in consumer behaviour, with a focus on inclusive, context-sensitive and ethically aware consumer engagement in diverse marketing environments. You will explore the ethical implications of marketing to diverse cultural groups and use real-world data to design and critique marketing strategies.

Please note that option units require minimum numbers in order to run and may only be available on a semester by semester basis. They may also change from year to year.

You'll complete a 30-week minimum placement which can be carried out anywhere in the world. The placement year offers you a chance to gain experience and make contacts for the future.

Core units

• Business Futures: The aim of this unit is to equip you with the knowledge and skills needed to anticipate and respond to future challenges and opportunities in business, management and society. The unit will provide you with practical tools, conceptual frameworks and methodologies to explore and address real-world issues across various industries.
• ​Marketing Strategy: This unit will enable you to apply strategic thinking to real-world marketing problems and make informed decisions in competitive business environments. The unit will prepare you to analyse internal and external market contexts and develop, evaluate, and implement effective marketing strategies to achieve organisational goals.
• Marketing Impact Project: This is a final independent project offering flexibility for you to conduct academic research, create practical marketing portfolios, or address real-world organisational challenges through a consultancy approach. It supports independent learning, critical thinking, and reflection, with outcomes aligned to each student’s specialisation.

Option units (choose two)

• Digital Marketing: This unit will provide you with practical and theoretical knowledge for using and evaluating digital marketing. You'll develop a sound understanding of digital marketing principles
• International Management: Drawing on elements of international HRM and cross-cultural management, this unit is designed to develop a critical awareness of the challenges of working and managing in a dynamic, global context.   
• Fashion Business: This unit is particularly for students with a strong interest in embarking on a career that involved some element of fashion, equipping you with a broad awareness and appreciation of how the fashion industry is evident within all areas of the business.
• Societal Marketing: This unit introduces societal and non-profit marketing, covering key theories, context, and its role in modern marketing. You will learn to critically assess the impact of campaigns on consumer behaviour, reputation, and societal well-being.

Please note that option units require minimum numbers in order to run and may only be available on a semester by semester basis. They may also change from year to year.

Programme specifications provide definitive records of the University's taught degrees in line with Quality Assurance Agency requirements. Every taught course leading to a BU Award has a programme specification which describes its aims, structure, content and learning outcomes, plus the teaching, learning and assessment methods used.

Whilst every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of the programme specification, the information is liable to change to take advantage of exciting new approaches to teaching and learning as well as developments in industry.

If you have been unable to locate the programme specification for the course you are interested in, it will be available as soon as the latest version is ready. Alternatively please contact us for assistance.

A placement should be a highly rewarding experience for you and the employing company and we do our best to ensure that everyone involved feels that they have got the most that they can from the experience.

Placements provide a great opportunity to make your first career steps and enhance your employability while you’re completing your studies. You’ll get the opportunity to:

• Put the theory learnt throughout the course into professional practice
• Enhance your study and help you decide on subject options (where appropriate)
• Learn a wide range of skills such as time management, problem solving and team work (all of these are important to succeed in any career)
• Make contacts, as it is not uncommon for our students to be offered permanent positions to return to after graduating
• Gain a real insight into how the industry operates in roles that would be almost impossible to achieve for an outsider
• Many of our students, during their placement, are given responsibilities normally associated with graduate trainees.

A (minimum) 30-week supervised work placement in the UK or overseas which gives you the opportunity to turn theory into practice in a business environment. 

The faculty running your course will offer the support of a Placement Co-ordinator.  

Through timetabled sessions and one-to-one appointments, they’ll help support you in your placement search including advice on finding a placement, information and advice on all aspects of job searching and job applications, as well as ensuring your proposed placement meets the requirements of your course.  

Our CareersBU service is also available throughout your time at BU, offering services like CV checking and careers fairs to meet employers.  

Placement Development Advisors will support you once you have started your sandwich placement – so you will be able to maintain contact with the university throughout.  

• L'Oreal
• Mitsubishi
• Tui Group
• Coty
• Nike
• Kia
• Apple
• IBM
• JP Morgan
• Warner Bros
• Xerox.

AccessBU: AccessBU provides you with the opportunity to tell us about your circumstances that are not always evident in your UCAS application. This widening access initiative also considers relevant criteria such as being in care or if you live in an area with a low participation rate in Higher Education - if you are eligible, your offer could be up to 16 UCAS tariff points below the published tariff.

Apprenticeships: We recognise the transferable knowledge and skills gained through apprenticeships and welcome applications from students with a Level 3 Advanced Apprenticeship recognised by the Institute for Apprenticeships. Each application will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

Deferred entry: We are happy to consider eligible applicants for deferred entry. If you have already submitted your application, please submit your deferral request through our website. 

Direct entry: We welcome applications from students who have previously studied at degree level at other institutions and wish to transfer onto a BU course. Our Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) procedure enables credit awarded from one institution to contribute to a BU award, subject to an application process. Please visit our RPL webpage for more information.

Mature applicants: We recognise that mature applicants may have a wealth of experience rather than formal qualifications, so we’ll consider your application on these merits if included in your application. You’ll need to apply to BU in the usual way through UCAS and you may be invited to an interview to discuss your suitability for the course based on the experience you tell us about in your application.

We select candidates for this course by looking at your application; there are usually no interviews or selection activities needed. For that reason, make sure your application really stands out from the crowd, and leave us in no doubt as to why you should be joining BU. You can find some handy hints about filling in your UCAS form on our how to apply web pages.

We look at individual applications and make a tailored offer based on your potential to succeed on the course considering a range of factors, including your academic achievements, work and other experience, reference and personal statement, and in some cases, your performance at an interview or a portfolio review. Typically, we make an offer at the bottom of the tariff range.

If you are unable to meet the entry requirements, we may be able to make you an offer through AccessBU if you meet certain criteria e.g. you have been in care or live in an area where fewer people typically progress to Higher Education. If you don't meet our published tariff, we will accept you at least 8 points below if your personal circumstances match our AccessBU criteria. 

Our offer-making will typically be based on your most recent qualifications, including any required subjects where applicable. We'll consider all qualifications when assessing your application, although these may not be part of our offer.

If you do not meet the criteria of your original offer, we may still offer you a place. We will review your whole application and consider all academic qualifications (including those not in the offer) to see if you have the academic potential to succeed on the course. If we feel the answer is yes, we will confirm your place.

This course has been awarded Graduate Gateway status by the Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM), which will allow you to enter the CIM qualification system at professional postgraduate diploma level once you graduate. Having CIM accreditation will also make you stand out to potential employers.

Once you have completed an undergraduate Honours degree, you can further develop your education by studying for a postgraduate degree. Please visit our postgraduate section for further details about our range of Master's degrees.

Research degrees 

If you are a BU graduate you are eligible for a 20% ‘loyalty’ discount on the published fees for further programmes with us!  

Depending on your qualifications and experiences, you can choose to undertake a MRes or PhD level research degree. Bournemouth University has a strong marketing research foundation within our Faculty of Business & Law through a number of research centres, which explores theory, education and professional practice. 

Visit our postgraduate research courses for further details about research degree options and the funding options available. 

What’s included in your tuition fee?

Your tuition fee covers expenses associated with your course, including tuition materials, access to facilities, mandatory field trips and the following:

• Support for finding placements (UK or abroad) and fieldwork, and non-financial support whilst on placement if this is part of your course of study
• A range of student services – advisors, help desks, counsellors, placement support and careers service
• The Library – access to a wide range of electronic resources (databases, e-journals and e-books), print and multimedia collections, subject librarians and study spaces
• Access to Brightspace, our virtual learning environment, which offers a responsive and personalised learning experience with powerful learning analytics capabilities, integrated social media and advanced video features
• IT labs (some open 24/7), wireless network, AV equipment to borrow
• Peer Assisted Learning (PAL) scheme
• Disability and additional learning support, according to individual circumstances
• The BU Language Centre to help you develop/improve foreign or English language skills
• 24 hours a day, 365 days a year security team

Additional costs

We are committed to offering you value for money and ensuring there are no hidden costs while you are studying with us, therefore we have listed below any additional costs you may incur that are not covered by your tuition fee:

• Laptops, tablets and mobile devices and any software used on personal devices. Access to a personal computer is strongly recommended for your study. If you are experiencing financial difficulty, visit our website for information regarding hardship funds.
• Textbooks, general stationery and other supplies. Our award-winning library is stocked with a large range of textbooks and online resources, free of charge. The Students’ Union shops stock a wide range of stationery supplies on both campuses
• Accommodation and living costs. Please visit our website for more information.
• Travel costs for optional field trips, outdoor wear and footwear for mandatory and optional field trips (if applicable).
• Travel costs to and from the University campus. An annual bus pass can be purchased alongside your rent if you are living in halls of residence/Unilet accommodation or may be purchased separately
• Travel costs to and from your placement (both in the UK and overseas) if this is part of your course of study. Information about funding your placement year can be found on our website.
• Clothing or equipment costs required for your placement if this is part of your course of study
• SportBU membership.

While all aspects of the programme, including required field trips, are included in the fee, additional, optional or extra curricula activities may be available for which a student contribution is required.

If you need to repeat one or more units during your studies (with or without attendance) the pricing will be pro-rata of the full-time fee.

The Annette D’Abreo Studentship in Business and Marketing is a £5,000 a year grant available to students enrolling on one of the following courses from September 2026:

• BA Hons Business and Management – including specialist pathways in Entrepreneurship, Marketing and Project Management
• BA Hons International Business & Management
• BSc (Hons) Marketing

It is designed to provide financial and career support to students from disadvantaged backgrounds in the UK and is open to:

• Students from Black, Asian or other minority ethnic backgrounds
• Students from a low household income (combined income of £50,000 or less)
• Care experienced students (those in the care system or care leavers)
• Mature students (those aged 21-24)

To apply, please complete the application form by 2 October 2026. 

Dr Ediz Akçay is a Senior Lecturer in Digital Marketing and the Programme Leader for the BSc (Hons) Marketing degree at the Business School. He has an MSc in International Business Management from Bournemouth University and BA in Economics from Bogazici University, Turkey. He recently finished his PhD research about brand alliances and value co-creation at Bournemouth University.

Dr Ediz Akçay has more than 10 years of professional experience working in marketing-related roles in Turkey and the UK, and received several international awards for the projects he contributed.

He is currently teaching the following units: Digital Marketing Fundamentals (UG), Digital Marketing and Communications (UG), Digital Marketing (UG).

He welcomes prospective PhD applicants interested in conducting research in the areas related to digital marketing.