MSc Marketing

BEMM103: Advanced Marketing Seminars

This module provides exposure to contemporary marketing thinking through a series of seminars led by both industry practitioners and academic researchers. You will engage with real-world marketing challenges, emerging trends, and diverse perspectives, developing your ability to critically evaluate and connect theory with practice. The module emphasises active participation, discussion, and reflection to support deeper understanding of how marketing ideas are developed and applied in professional contexts.

The module aims to:

• explore current marketing issues, debates and practices through engagement with practitioner and academic speakers; develop the ability to critically assess and synthesise different perspectives on marketing challenges;support the integration of theory and practice through reflection on seminar content and discussions.
  

Additional Information:

External Engagement

This module consists of a series seminars given by external speakers. Previously, these have included speakers from: University of Oxford, University of Edinburgh, University of Manchester and the University of Southampton. Representatives from companies such as Diageo, The Guardian, IDEO, and Mercedes-Benz have previously presented seminars on this module.

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BEMM115: Marketing Analysis and Research

This module aims to provide you with knowledge on the qualitative and quantitative methodologies used in market research, which provides a foundation to understand markets and consumers. A variety of qualitative and quantitative data collection and data analysis methods for descriptive, causal, and exploratory research designs will be discussed and compared, alongside the utilisation of these techniques in market research. The research design process (problem identification, proposal writing) will also be taught.

Additional Information:

• Internationalisation
• This is a research methodology course which covers quantitative and qualitative research which is relevant across countries. You will be taught methodologies like interviews, experiments, and quantitative research and how these methods are used in countries with different cultures.
• All of the resources for this module are available on the ELE (Exeter Learning Environment).
• Employability
• You will develop skills that will help you perform data collection for organisations and will equip you to work for market research organisations using the methodologies taught in this module.
• The aim of this module is to provide knowledge of research methodologies used in market research, which provides a foundation for understanding consumers and marketplace behaviours. In addition to methodological approaches; an emphasis will be placed upon the research design process (problem identification, research question development, proposal writing), as well as the ethical aspects of market research.

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BEMM148: Marketing Strategy

The aim of this module is to introduce marketing as a central feature of the strategic planning process. The American Marketing Association defines marketing as the activity, set of institutions, and processes for creating, communicating, delivering, and exchanging offerings that have value for customers, clients, partners, and society at large. A marketing perspective focuses on an in-depth and critical understanding of desires and decision processes of customers and businesses. This module will introduce the stages of an organisation's marketing strategy as: strategic analysis; strategic choice; strategic implementation; and monitoring and control. Understanding the processes involved in these stages, from both theoretical and practical perspectives will develop participant's awareness of the changing role of marketing in today's organisations. The module content is structured around practical examples and case studies that aim to help you develop skills of critical analysis and problem-solving.

NB: This module is only available to students who have the module listed on their programme specification

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BEMM166: Integrated Marketing Communications

Summary:

Consumers find themselves increasingly surrounded by media and marketing-related messages and the impact of technology, and digital communication are transforming the way consumers interact with each other and organisations. Consumers are active and engaged, often generating their own content and co-creating communications with producers and other consumers. This raises both opportunities and challenges for organisations. This module will give you an in-depth understanding of the marketing communication mix both from a theoretical and practical perspective, exploring how different forms of communication work together, acknowledging the development of the new mediums by which organisations may communicate with stakeholder and influencer groups and how such communications affect business and society.

Additional Information:

Internationalisation
Marketing communications has a global perspective and there are implications in creating, developing, and implementing a marketing communications programme on a global scale or in different countries. This module draws extensively on international communication examples and encourages you to examine marketing communications in tutorials.

Employability
In gaining an understanding of creating a communications campaign, you are equipped with knowledge that would help you work either with clients or agencies.

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BEMM869: Consumer Behaviour in Contemporary Markets

This module critically explores contemporary consumer behaviour by integrating psychological, sociocultural, and digital perspectives to understand how consumers think, feel, interact, and behave in modern marketplaces. Drawing upon concepts from marketing, psychology, sociology, and consumer culture theory, the module examines the evolving nature of consumption within increasingly digitalised and interconnected environments.

The module is structured around four interrelated dimensions of consumer behaviour. First, students are introduced to the foundations of consumer behaviour and the changing marketplace context, including cultural influences, consumer culture, and emerging trends in digital consumption. Second, the module investigates consumer cognition, identity, and decision-making processes by examining perception, learning, attitudes, social identity, and age-related subcultures. Third, the module explores contemporary forms of consumer participation through knowledge sharing, online communities, and value co-creation, highlighting the increasingly active role consumers play in shaping brands and marketplace experiences. Finally, the module examines emotional and behavioural marketplace outcomes, including motivation, personality, lifestyle, emotional contagion on social media, and behavioural patterns of buying, using, and disposing.

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BEMM215: Marketing in Practice

This module draws upon the skills and knowledge that you have obtained across your taught modules on the MSc Marketing or MSc Digital Marketing and directs these towards a range of practical business/marketing problems. Working in small learning teams, you will act as a consulting team to tackle real company briefs/simulations that address particular marketing problems. You will work on these briefs intensively, delivering a short group pitch. You will also submit an individual report for each brief summarising your findings and key recommendations for the company.

This module is integrative and aims for students to demonstrate that they can apply marketing theory in real-life practice. Working under time pressure, and in teams, the module will allow you to demonstrate that you have acquired the key skills and knowledge required for a career in marketing. This module encompasses a range of requirements in terms of primary and secondary research, oral and written presentation skills, and an ability to apply marketing theory in complex real-life situations.

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BEMM250: Dissertation (Marketing)

Summary:

The dissertation provides students with the opportunity to undertake an independent programme of research on a marketing-related topic of their choice, subject to approval by the Programme Director. Through this module, students develop advanced research skills, including the formulation of research questions, development of a research agenda, planning and execution of a research project, analysis and evaluation of data, and the effective communication of findings within a fixed deadline.

Employability:

The dissertation serves as an important point of discussion when pursuing graduate employment opportunities. Students are encouraged to research an area aligned with their academic interests and career aspirations. The module equips students with critical and analytical writing skills, effective time management, and the ability to design and carry out an empirical or library-based research project, developing skills that are highly valued in professional marketing and research roles.

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BUSM005: Career Management Skills for "with Industrial Experience" Students

This module is designed to support the employability and personal development skills needed to explore career opportunities and to source and apply for an industrial placement. Delivery is through subject-based lectures and workshops, interactive e-learning resources and personal guidance. An understanding of the key elements of the selection and recruitment process, raising self-awareness of key skills and competencies and developing the reflective skills required for Continuous Professional Development and future career management will be provided.

Following this module, you are required to participate in an approved work placement (BUSM002/004), organised by yourself, for a minimum of 33 weeks + annual leave. Ultimate responsibility for finding and scheduling a placement lies with you; however, there will be advice and support from the Careers and Employability team, particularly on how to approach employers and identify suitable opportunities. International placements are acceptable but must be approved by the Careers and Employability Team before starting the placement. It is important that all placements are deemed at a 'degree' level, for you to gain useful experience for the future. Low-level part-time jobs will not be approved.

This non-credit-bearing module will enable you to study a dedicated career management module whilst undertaking tasks and activities related to finding and securing a suitable degree-level work placement (minimum 33 weeks).

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BUSM006: Business School Industrial Experience

This module allows you to undertake and to learn from an extended work placement as an additional year of your eligible Business School Masters programme.

To progress to this module, you will have:

• Completed the BUSM003 Postgraduate Career Management Skills for ‘With Industrial Experience' module.
• Found a suitable placement for a minimum of 33 weeks.
• Passed the academic progress checks after the January and June Exam Boards.

Having developed the careers management skills necessary for a competitive graduate labour market, this is an invaluable opportunity to put the theory learned into practice in the workplace and to focus on your professional skills development.

During your “industry” year you will be supported by an academic WIE tutor and the Employability team.

Additional Information:

Internationalisation

You can undertake a work placement in the UK, Europe or elsewhere in the world. Overseas placements will be considered on a case-by case basis

External Engagement

The placement provides the chance for you to develop professional relationships with new colleagues, and connections within your placement organisation and with other stakeholders. You will have the opportunity to research and examine the context of your placement organisation in assignment 2.

Employability

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