MSc Marketing & User Experience

• Digital Marketing: You will be introduced to a range of digital marketing concepts underpinned by the digital marketing planning process including analysis, planning, implementation and control. Emphasis will also be placed on evaluating the effectiveness of various digital marketing tools
• Human Centred Design: Computer-based interactive systems refers to as a spectrum of digital products, services and solutions that interact with human users in business, social and global contexts. This unit will help you learn how to design and develop systems by applying human centred design principles and techniques and carrying out relevant activities in the planning and management to satisfy both business needs and its user requirements.
• Integrated Marketing Communication: Integrated marketing communications aim to create a seamless customers’ experience to interact with the brand/organisation. You will develop the practical skills to plan and implement an integrated marketing communication campaign - the conceptual framework for planning, determining marketing communication options, developing realistic digital marketing objectives, budgeting and allocating resources, evaluating the effectiveness and the strategic use of media channels.
• Omnichannel Strategy & Supply Chain management: In this unit you will apply the operational, managerial and strategic uses of technology and strategic management information systems to a global omnichannel business environment, considering the end-to-end process of product development and marketing/selling business-to-business and business-to-consumer.
• Persuasive Technology & Behaviour Change: The unit will cover the mainstream psychological theories of persuasion, influence, decision making and behaviour change besides their application on a wide range of domains including health, business and e-learning. Analysis and design methods for persuasive technology solutions will also be studied.
• Research Methods & Professional Issues: Research requires a structured and disciplined approach at all stages, from the initial literature search through investigation and experimentation to dissemination of findings. This unit will develop your research skills in areas such as planning, literature review, qualitative research, quantitative research, mixed methods, design science research, critical analysis of research findings, academic writing, and dissemination.
• Dissertation: The dissertation unit aims to provide you with an opportunity to undertake a significant piece of self-managed research in a relevant area of particular interest.

You have the option to undertake a 30-week placement at the end of the course, providing an opportunity to apply your acquired knowledge and skills in the workplace. You are required to find your own placement; however, our Careers & Employability Service and your faculty placements office are on hand to support you.

The placement is intended to foster personal and professional development, and to help you to make a connection between academic learning and the working world.

You should consider how a range of management theories can be used, and if management in industry could be improved. The transferable skills developed will improve your performance in your future career, both as employee and manager.

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.

We provide a lot of support for you to help you find work, including a block of seminars, covering topics such as writing a CV and a cover letter, completing an application form, performing well in interviews, and we also provide language support to assist you with the written elements of your applications. 

 However, it is ultimately your responsibility to find work. The university does not guarantee that you will find a place. Some students may choose to opt for a taught unit instead of placement.  

 During your time on placement, you will be supported by a unit tutor and a placement development advisor who will visit you on placement and keep in touch by phone and email. 

If you choose to do a placement as part of your course:

If you have previously studied in the UK, we will consider any study limit that may apply. We will issue your CAS according to the length of time you are entitled to under UKVI regulations (if you do not have enough time left for a work placement year, we will issue your CAS to cover your course dates only).

If you decide after you have enrolled on your course that you do not want to do a placement, this will be reported to the UKVI when you have successfully completed your course.

If you choose not to do a placement as part of your course:

We will note this on your CAS and your visa will only be granted long enough to cover your taught course, excluding placement.

If you change your mind while you are here and decide you want to do a placement, you will need to leave the UK to make a new Tier 4 visa application for the additional year of study. You would need to pay for your return travel back to your home country, as well as the cost of a new Tier 4 student visa application.

We expect our students to be hard working and enthusiastic, open to new ideas and prepared to work with others to achieve the high standard of industry professionals that BU is renowned for.

You should have a strong interest and passion for extending your skills and knowledge, especially during the final stage of the course when you must research one topic of interest and write a 15,000 word dissertation on this subject.

This course selects candidates by looking at their applications. There are no interviews or additional selection activities and therefore we suggest that you make your application stand out from the crowd. For more information take a look at our how to apply pages.

Please see our website for the application deadlines. You should apply as early as possible to be considered for your course of choice. If you require a student visa, apply for the visa as soon as you have an unconditional offer and receive your CAS. There may be delays in visa processing in your country and you need to be in Bournemouth ready to study for the start of term.

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.

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

• A Bachelors Honours degree with 2:2 in any subject or equivalent.  

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.

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 (three 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 2:4
• China:  Chinese Bachelor's (Honours) degree from a recognised higher education institution with 65% or above 
• Turkey: Bachelor’s degree (Lisans Diplomasi - four years) with a minimum overall GPA of 2.3/4.0
• Ghana: Bachelor's degrees from University of Ghana or Legon with a grade of 2.00 or above, or from Cape Coast with a grade 2.5 or above  
• USA: US Bachelor’s degree (four years), with a 2.5 GPA or above 
• Vietnam:  Bachelor's degree/Bang tot nghiep dai hoc with an average score of 6.5/10, or 2.25/4, 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) 6.0 with minimum 5.5 in each component, 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. 

After completion of this course typical job roles can include:

• User Experience Manager
• User Experience Designer
• User Experience Researcher
• Digital Marketing Manager
• Omni-channel Account Manager
• Interaction Designer 
• User Experience Architect 

If you want to continue your studies after achieving your Master’s, you can look into our range of doctoral programmes.

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, intregrated social media and advanced video features
• IT labs (some open 24/7), wireless network, AV equipment to borrow
• Free software download to your personal device of Microsoft 365 ProPlus while you are studying, as well as access to applications provided on AppsAnywhere, subject to licensing and compatibility restrictions.
• Disability and additional learning support, according to individual circumstances
• 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 text books and online resources, free of charge. The Students’ Union shop stocks a wide range of stationery supplies.
• 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 is included in your rent if you are living in halls of residence/Unilet accommodation or may be purchases 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 can be found on our website. 
•  Clothing or equipment costs required for your placement if this is part of your course of study.
• You will need to meet the cost of any Enhanced Disclosure Barring Service (DBS) check if required by your placement setting, including any Post Office or Digital ID verification charges.
• SportsBU 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 the course of your studies (with or without attendance) the pricing will be pro-rata of the full time fee.

International (not Rep. of Ireland) students need to pay a non-refundable 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.

We offer a range of scholarships and bursaries to eligible students who are beginning their studies at BU. Please visit www.bournemouth.ac.uk/funding for details on living costs, budgeting and paying your tuition fees.

Dr Iman Aghaei is a lecturer in Marketing and Strategy and Programme Leader for the MSc Marketing Suite. With over a decade of experience across various industries, his research focuses on services marketing and consumer behaviour, particularly in areas like transformative marketing, consumer decision-making, sustainable consumption, and branding.

Dr Julia Hibbert is a Principal Academic in Marketing and Programme Leader for the MSc Marketing Suite. She received her BA from the University of Lincoln and both her MA and PhD from Bournemouth University. She currently teaches across undergraduate and postgraduate programmes within the Business School. Her fascination with understanding people means that her research interests lie around consumer behaviour and the role of identity in the decision making process. Julia has worked in industry and has led successful marketing campaigns in the childcare sector. 

Elvira is the Director of Accreditation (leading portfolio of world-leading​ accreditations, i.e. AACSB, CMI, CIM, IDM etc.), Principal Academic in Marketing at the Bournemouth University Business School and and Senior Fellow of HEA and Department of Marketing Assurance of Learning (AACSB) Lead. She is Regional President (UK) of IAPNM, on editorial board of Journal of Business to Business Marketing and Deputy Chair for the Academy of Marketing B2B SIG.

Elvira has gained PhD with thesis titled 'Mobile Technology Capabilities and their role in service innovation practices in creative SMEs' and now is supervising other doctoral students in the fields of marketing and management with the focus on digital/interactive marketing.

Currently, her research focuses on social media influencing, adoption of technology by businesses, trust repair in online space and responsible online gambling. Her recent consultancy projects have covered digital marketing planning and implementation for Dr Jackson's, Kudu Clothing and Eat Pho Ltd.

Dr Guljira is welcoming PhD applicants interested in designing interventions to promote aesthetically imperfect foods, food related lifestyles, visual influence/imagery in the online environment, and destination branding. In case your research interests align, please feel free to get in touch with her for an informal discussion.

Guljira has been based in the department since moving from Australia where she completed her PhD in Marketing from Queensland University of Technology (QUT) in 2021. She previously held both teaching and research roles at QUT Business School and Creative Industries Faculty (Industrial Design). Guljira also received her MSc in International Marketing (specialising in Customer Management) from the University of Strathclyde and Bbus in Hospitality Management from James Cook University Australia. Prior to academia, Guljira worked as a Marketing Communication Specialist and Graphic Designer for Australian organisations based in both Thailand and Australia.

As a food Instagramer (@foodietheorist)/photographer turned destination marketing researcher, Guljira is passionate in her belief that images shape the way people understand and act, and this has sparked her research interests in rethinking about images utilised for creating the attractiveness of culinary places in the social media environment. In January 2022, Guljira was awarded with the ACORN Fund (Acceleration Of Research & Networking) which led her to the successful delivery of a project about exploring the role of food photos in destination attractiveness: a case of Dorset and Hampshire, UK. Guljira also has her research presented internationally and published in both tourism and medical sciences journals.