MA Marketing Communications

Develop insights into the latest techniques of marketing communications research and practice. You'll be equipped with key knowledge and skills allowing you to meet the ever-changing industry challenges whilst influencing ethical and sustainable marketing

Delivery:
Full time according to Funding Council definitions, Full-time with placement, Part-Time

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Why study MA Marketing Communications at BU?

Develop, implement and critically evaluate marketing communications strategies, from both a theoretical and practical perspective
Discover new and emerging forms of marketing communications such as branded content, branded entertainment and digital storytelling
Develop insights into the latest techniques of marketing communications research and practice
Benefit from strong industry connections with relevant professional bodies in the UK
Gain professional qualifications through the CIM Graduate Gateway with exemptions once you’ve completed your course
Graduate with the skills to pursue a successful career in advertising, marketing, public relations, branding or any other marketing communications-related field.

Find out more about the content of this course.

Course accreditation

Branded Content Marketing Association (BCMA)

Students can benefit from a special member rate and free access to select Branded Content Marketing Association Accreditation (BCMA) events.

Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR)

This course is recognised by the CIPR. Students who successfully complete the course can benefit from being fast-tracked to full professional membership grade of CIPR (MCIPR) – one year after graduation rather than two. Student members can access professional networking events (you can join five regional or sectoral groups of the CIPR). As a student member, you can also benefit from substantial membership fee savings early on in your professional career.

Next start date:

January 2023, September 2023, January 2024, September 2024

Location:

Bournemouth University, Talbot Campus

Duration:

September- 1 year full-time or 2 years full-time with placement. 2 years part-time or 30 months part-time with placement. January- 16 months full-time or 2 years full-time with placement. 2 years part-time or 30 months part-time with placement

Accreditations:

Branded Content Marketing Association (BCMA)

Entry requirements:

A Bachelors Honours degree with 2:2, or equivalent. For more information check out our full entry requirements.

International entry requirements:

If English is not your first language you'll need IELTS (Academic) 6.5 with a minimum of 6.0 in each component of speaking, writing, listening and reading. For more information see our full entry requirements.

Graduate Gateway

Graduate Gateway (GG) with The Chartered Institute of Marketing

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. Bournemouth University has joined forces with CIM to give you the opportunity to gain professional qualifications through the CIM Graduate Gateway once you have completed your MA Marketing Communications course. 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.

Exemptions

Students who successfully complete the MA Marketing Communications course with a pass mark or higher will be exempt on an Accredited Prior Learning (APL) basis from:

L4 Certificate in Professional Marketing modules ‘Marketing’ & ‘Integrated Communications’. You will be required to pass one elective module to obtain the L4 Certificate in Professional Marketing qualification.

L6 Diploma in Professional Marketing module ‘Strategic Marketing’. You will be required to pass two modules, Mastering Metrics (Mandatory) plus one elective module to obtain the L6 Diploma in Professional Marketing qualification.

These exemptions are valid providing you sign up to study with CIM within three years of graduation and pass the additional units within five years of graduation.

Course details

On this course you will be taught by a range of staff with relevant expertise and knowledge appropriate to the content of the unit. This will include senior academic staff, qualified professional practitioners, demonstrators, technicians and research students. You will also benefit from regular guest lectures from industry.

Download the programme specification (pdf 354kb)

Core units

Marketing Communications: You will develop a critical understanding of the development of marketing communications as both an academic discipline and in practice. You will also learn how to apply the tools, techniques and theories of marketing communications to develop integrated marketing communications campaigns. This unit will provide you with an opportunity to experience the parameters and constraints of a client brief, where client issues, tight deadlines and the limitations of a budget call for ideas that are practical and realistic, as well as creative and original.
Consumer Insights: Through applied work, you will gain a critical appreciation of the role of theory in generating commercially consumer viable insights and in marketing communications practice. Throughout, the importance of understanding consumer culture and behaviour for the effective development and implementation of marketing communications is explored and analysed.
Digital Media Strategies: This unit covers the theoretical fundamentals of digital media and communications as well as the specific skills required to deploy efficient and effective strategies on digital platforms. By the end of the unit, you will be able to develop appropriate, effective and measurable digital media strategies within an integrated marketing communications plan. You will also be able to evaluate and assimilate new digital trends in a constantly moving arena.
Brands & Branding: This unit aims to consolidate your understanding of why a brand is a strategic asset for an organisation; how the asset is realised, protected and valued not as a cost but as a source of revenue/ value. You will also be encouraged to critically reflect upon the role and impact of brands and branding in today’s contemporary society and appreciate how branding and brand communications need to evolve in the world of 24/7/always on connected audiences. You will also be exposed to new and emerging forms of brand communication such as branded content, branded entertainment and transmedia storytelling.
Research in Action: In preparation for your final project, you will gain a broad grounding in social science research methods and the skills needed to rigorously and reflexively design, conduct, report and evaluate research. You will be exposed to a variety of cutting-edge research practices and will also be introduced to opportunities and challenges of conducting research of your own using some of the more industry-relevant data collection and analytical methods.
Corporate Communications: This unit aims to provide you with a critical understanding of the professional communicator’s role at a strategic level. It covers the complexities of communicating to internal and external audiences so as to recognise and address challenges in applied communication scenarios.
Final Project: You will have the opportunity to critically apply the principles and techniques of systematic research to produce either a piece of scholarly research or to intervene within an organisational setting to solve a practical marketing communications issue. The unit builds upon, and consolidates, knowledge and experience from all the earlier units in the course.

Placement

Programme specification

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.

Your application

On MA Marketing Communications, we are looking for applicants who:

deploy their critical thinking and creative aptitudes to conceptualise and implement marketing communications strategies in a wide variety of contexts;
wish to sharpen their understanding of the integration of advertising, public relations, branding and digital media in order to deliver relevant, clear, and consistent messages to consumers, publics, and stakeholders;
seek to acquire cutting-edge skills in marketing communications so as to be more flexible and agile in industry as well as critiquing current industry practices and reflecting upon new industry benchmarks of the future;
want to become independent, innovative, strategic, creative, entrepreneurial, responsible and ethical marketing communications practitioners;
are interested in developing research skills suitable for research roles in the marketing communications industries and/or future PhD study.

How and when to apply

There is no application deadline for this course. However, if you will need a visa to come to the UK to study, think carefully about the length of time it will take for your visa application to be processed and make sure your visa will be ready in time for the beginning of your course.

December and January is one of our busiest application periods and therefore it may take us a little longer to process incoming applications. For courses with a January start date, we recommend submitting your application as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.

Click the green ‘Apply now’ button to submit your application free of charge online through myHub, our application portal. You will create your own myHub account so that you can track the progress of your application. Don’t forget to save your application as you go; you can return to it at as many times as you want before you submit it. For more information visit our How to apply section

Placements

An exciting and valuable part of your studies with us is the opportunity to engage in a 30-week optional placement during this degree. The placement provides you with the experience of how an organisation operates, as well as an opportunity to enhance your personal development and future employability. This means you can begin to put theory into practice.

Find out more about placements for postgraduate students

What support is available?

Entry requirements

General entry requirements

The normal requirements for embarking upon a postgraduate taught degree are:

A Bachelors Honours degree with 2:2 or equivalent

This course is open to applications from both students who have not necessarily studied marketing communications at undergraduate level, as well as those who are changing career tracks and require developing their existing knowledge and understanding of the marketing communications discipline.

If you lack the formal academic qualifications needed to enter a postgraduate or post-experience degree, there are several alternative routes to follow - some based on experience. Contact the Future Students Enquiry team for more information.

International entry requirements

You can find details of the international qualifications we accept, and what level of study they apply to, on our entry requirements for non-UK students' page.

Please see below some examples of the qualifications for entry:

India: Bachelor’s degree (4 years) from a recognised HE institution with a minimum overall result of 55%
Nigeria: Bachelor's degree from a recognised institution with a minimum classification of 2:2
Thailand: Thai Bachelor's (Honours) degree from a recognised higher education institution with a minimum GPA of 2.5/4.0
Turkey: Bachelor’s degree (Lisans Diplomasi - four years) with a minimum overall GPA of 2.3/4.0
Vietnam: Bachelor's degree/Bang tot nghiep dai hoc with an average score of 6.5/10, or a Master’s degree/Thac si.

All applications will be subject to a minimum grade and your degree may need to be in a relevant subject area.

English language requirements

If English is not your first language, you will need to provide evidence that you understand English to a satisfactory level. English language requirements for this course are normally:

IELTS (Academic) 6.5 with minimum 6.0 in writing, speaking, listening and reading or equivalent.

View further information about our English language requirements.

Bournemouth University International College offers a number of pre-sessional English and preparatory programmes to prepare international students for postgraduate study at BU. Admission to the degree is guaranteed on successful completion of your course to the required level.

Careers

This course will prepare you for a career in advertising, marketing, public relations, branding or any other marketing communications related field. As a graduate of this course you will:

Be equipped with the knowledge, skills and insights to contribute effectively as strategic practitioners or research practice
Acquire appropriate relevant transferable skills that will contribute to successful practice in the workplace
Be well-versed in a number of pervasive issues that shape and set the parameters for contemporary marketing communications practice
Be able to develop, implement and evaluate effective marketing communications programmes responsibly.

Further study

Costs and fees

You can find full information about the deposits required and how to pay your fees in our postgraduate fees and funding section, including details of the Postgraduate Loan (subject to fee status).

All fees are quoted in pounds sterling and are per year. Fees quoted are for tuition only unless stated otherwise. Your tuition fees will be the same for each year of your course.

Find out more about living expenses for postgraduate students

No hidden extras

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:

Materials for laboratory and mandatory field-based teaching activity.
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.
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.

Costs of living and other expenses you need to consider

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. Placement year funding information 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.

Repeat units

Deposits

International (not Rep. of Ireland) students need to pay a non-refundable £3,000 deposit to secure their place on a postgraduate course. You will need to pay your deposit by the date stated in your offer letter. The remainder of your fee will be payable on registration/enrolment. There are two exceptions to the non-refundable rule on the deposit:

You fail to meet the academic or English requirements of your offer
You are refused a visa to enter the UK, provided the reason for the refusal is not a fraudulent application.

Financial help available from BU

Our staff

On this course, you will be taught by staff with relevant expertise and knowledge appropriate to the content of the unit. This could include senior academic staff, qualified professional practitioners and research students, many of whom are actively engaged in research and/or professional practice which is integrated into the teaching of this course. Please note that staff can change.

Dr Tauheed A. Ramjaun – Course Leader

Dr Tauheed Ramjaun is a Senior Lecturer in Marketing Communications at Bournemouth University. He is a former UN staff member and also worked for several years within the advertising and public relations arenas holding different positions such as client service executive, account manager and strategic planner. His PhD work explored brand relationships within the non-profit context and his current research interests include brand communities, branded content and storytelling, branded litter and sustainable marketing communications.

View Dr Tauheed Ramjaun's staff profile

Prof Janice Denegri-Knott

Prof Janice Denegri-Knott is the Director of the Promotional Cultures and Communication Centre at Bournemouth University. She leads cutting-edge research in the areas of digital consumption and has helped major media brands like ITV and Hearst at a strategic level on ways to capitalise digital content. Since 2001, she has been researching and publishing in the areas of digital virtual consumption and consumer/marketing research. Her award-winning work has been published in high profile academic journals. She is also an Associate Editor for Marketing Theory and co-edits the Journal of Promotional Communications, CMC’s in-house journal showcasing outstanding student work.

View Prof Janice Denegri-Knott's staff profile

Dr Anastasios Theofilou

Tasos is currently a Principal Academic in Public Relations at the Faculty of Media and Communication at Bournemouth University and a Chief Examiner for the Chartered Institute of Public Relations. He holds a BA in Political Science and Public Administration (specialising in International Relations) awarded by the University of Athens, an MBA awarded by the National Technical University of Athens and the Athens University of Economics & Business and finally a PhD awarded by the Athens University of Business & Economics. His research interests expand on all aspects of organisational communication including crisis management, CSR, public relations and sponsorship, while his soft-spot has always been to explore the mentality, idiosyncrasies and engagement of the “simple” football fan.

View Dr Anastasios Theofilou's staff profile

Ella Onyinye Ejime

Emmanuella Ejime is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, a Chartered Management and Business Educator, and a Full-Time Lecturer in Digital Marketing Communications at the Department of Communication and Journalism, Bournemouth University, U.K.

Ella has a first degree, an LL.M, an MBA and Ph.D. in Marketing and Consumer Behaviour (in view). She has previously worked at different reputable institutions including Coventry University, London (MBA students on International Marketing, Strategic Management, International Trade and Entrepreneurship, as a teaching assistant), and University of West London where she was a lecturer and module coordinator in charge of different units. She has also worked previously at the Business School in Bournemouth University, both as dissertation supervisor and unit tutor for different units.

View Ella Onyinye Ejime's staff profile

Prof John Oliver

Prof John Oliver is a Professor of Media Management and an experienced academic who has published in international media and business journals. His research has made a demonstrable impact on UK Communications policy and regulation decisions relating to Sky Plc and influenced the public policy debate on future internet regulation. His ideas and findings have also created financial benefits for several world-class management consultancies which had resulted in direct economic impacts in terms of new jobs and multi-million-pound investments made by FTSE 100 firms. The reach and significance of his research has also extended outside the UK with a number of Middle East government agencies changing their strategy practices, operational structures and capacity-building capabilities in strategic communications.

View Prof John Oliver's staff profile

Dr Rebecca Jenkins

After reading a handful of papers about the imagination in consumer research Becky was fascinated with the notion of consumption in the imagination and conducted a study based on consumer desire for her Masters dissertation in 2005. After a couple of years working in the marketing industry, in 2007 Becky returned to academia, and embarked on her PhD in Consumer Culture, specifically Consumption in the Everyday Imagination. Becky was appointed as a Lecturer in the Corporate and Marketing Communications department of Bournemouth Media School in 2010 and became a Senior Lecturer in 2014. She teaches Consumer Culture and Behaviour, Consumer Cultures and Societies and Academic and Professional Research.

View Dr Rebecca Jenkins' staff profile

Stuart Armon

Course changes

Changes for 2023 entry

Date	Changes to this course
10/11/2022	Where the change was made: Programme specification Change: L7 Corporate Communications unit: sequencing amended for 0922 cohort onwards. Addition of PSRB information - Brand Content Marketing Association (BCMA) and Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR) accredited since 2019 Previous text: N/A
22/09/2022	Where the change was made: Programme specification Change: Final Project level 7 contact hours updated to 12 Previous text: Final Project level 7 contact hours 40

Statistics shown throughout this page are taken from Unistats and BU institutional data unless otherwise stated.

MA Marketing Communications

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Why study MA Marketing Communications at BU?

Course accreditation

Branded Content Marketing Association (BCMA)

Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR)

Key information

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