Course Length: 1 Year Full-Time, 2 Years Part-Time

Start Dates: September 2020, September 2021

Department: Business School

Location: Edge Hill University

This MA will develop your understanding of marketingcommunications and branding by examining a range ofcontemporary marketing and marketing communicationstopics, while also engaging you in research methods and

the undertaking of a significant research exercise.

You will develop a clearer vision and understanding of thechanging role and perception of marketingcommunications and branding within the context ofchanging global markets, competition and shiftingsocietal values. On successful completion of theprogramme, you will be prepared to face the challengesof managing and working in organisations with a widearray of marketing communications needs.

If you want to immerse yourself in the dynamic and

Discover the ways in which marketing influences everyday life and assess thecommunications strategies and brand-building approaches which position organisationsfor success in the global marketplace.

International Students Can Apply

MA Marketing Communications andBranding

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fascinating world of marketing communications andbranding, then this is the programme for you.

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Course in Depth

What will I study?

You will study a set of modules that will broaden yourknowledge and understanding of marketing, advertising,branding and public relations. The programme alsorequires you to complete a dissertation, providing anopportunity to immerse yourself in cutting-edge researchand demonstrate an array of transferable skills.

Modules provide a contemporary perspective onstrategic marketing planning, brand psychology andmanagement, integrated marketing communications andpublic relations campaigns. You will also critically analysea range of popular, well-established marketing conceptsand discuss their relevance and suitability in the 21stcentury.

The programme adopts an international perspective,recognising that every country operates within a globaleconomy and that the barriers in world trade are beingbroken down.

A dedicated module allows you to examine the methodsand methodology of research in marketing andmanagement. This will prepare you for your researchproject in a specific topic or issue relevant to marketingor branding, chosen by yourself and agreed with theprogramme team.

How will I study?

The programme will be delivered through lectures,seminars and tutorials. For full-time students thistypically requires two days attendance per week, withone day per week the usual requirement for part-timestudents.

As well as preparing for and attending lectures, seminars,tutorials and workshops, you will spend time reading andcompleting coursework, including written assignments,portfolios and presentations.

Extensive use is made of information technology (forexample, via our Virtual Learning Environment) tosupport classroom activities.

How will I be assessed?

Throughout the programme, there is a combination ofdifferent forms of assessment to test intellectualdevelopment, vocational capability, and critical thinking.Coursework often involves both individual andgroup-based working. Case studies and problem solvingexercises are used.

Who will be teaching me?

The course is delivered by specialists in areas such asmarketing, advertising, branding, e-commerce and smalland medium sized enterprises. The team includesacademically and professionally qualified staff, as well asactive researchers who publish in academic journals. Allmembers of the programme team have an energy andenthusiasm for their subject areas and are passionateabout student learning and development.

A Great Study Environment

A stunning £8m building provides state-of-the-artteaching and learning facilities for students in Edge HillBusiness School.

The three-storey building offers a 100-seat lecturetheatre and modern seminar and meeting rooms. Thereare also social learning areas which encourage a moreinformal and interactive style of learning, in addition to anattractive roof garden and atrium.

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Edge Hill Business School is home to a thriving researchcommunity, hosts a growing international partnershipportfolio, and is a member of AACSB International (The

Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business),the world's largest management education network.

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Modules

BUS4031: Strategic Marketing Planning (20 credits)Strategic Marketing Planning is designed to provide you with an understanding of marketing planning including thesynerginistic planning process and its links with the delivery of effective and sustainable competitive advantage.Effective marketing strategy and planning is essential for all organisations. The module considers the complexities ofthe marketing environment and the impact this has on the creation of marketing plans and their successfulimplementation and execution. This will enable you to contribute along with other directors and senior managers to anorganisation's competitive strategy.

BUS4033: Strategic Brand Management (20 credits)Strategic Brand Management considers the central role of branding for today's marketers, with particular emphasison creating and managing brands in order to build customer value and brand equity and the role of branding as part ofan organisation’s marketing strategy. You will engage with a range of critical debates surrounding the concepts,theories and role of branding from both customer and organisational perspectives.

BUS4034: Marketing: A Critical Introduction (20 credits)Marketing: A Critical Introduction invites you to take a critical and reflective approach to a range of well-establishedmarketing concepts to examine their relevance and applicability for the contemporary global world in which we live.You will adopt a critical and evaluative approach to digital marketing.

BUS4036: Advertising and Marketing Communications (20 credits)Advertising and Marketing Communications develops and enhances your knowledge and critical appreciation ofmarketing communication techniques, in particular advertising. The integration of these techniques, the impact of thechanging media landscape and the increasing role of consumer generated content are some of the contemporaryissues that will be examined.

BUS4037: Public Relations and Reputation Management (20 credits)Public Relations and Reputation Management recognises the importance of public relations as a key part of themarketing mix and aims to offer an in-depth understanding of public relations practice and emerging thinking in thecontext of marketing communications. You will engage directly with current professional debates within the PRindustry and its professional bodies, critically analyse the boundaries of PR and reflect upon emerging industryspecialisms.

BUS4519: Dissertation (60 credits)Dissertation requires you to undertake a piece of independent research based upon, or linked to, a specific topic orissue related to a relevant organisational or management development matter. You will provide a theoretical rationalefor the dissertation, collect and organise research data, present it within a coherent, rigorous and analyticalframework, and reach a well-argued and integrated conclusion.

BUS4522: Organisational Research (20 credits)Organisational Research develops your skills and awareness in research methodologies and techniques that arespecifically appropriate for undertaking, analysing and writing-up academic research in the form of a dissertation orpractitioner/consultancy research. You will be encouraged to explore a wide range of methodologies and develop thenecessary conceptual, methodological, practical and ethical skills necessary for management studies research.

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Timetables

You can expect to receive your timetable at enrolment. Please note that while we make every effort to ensure thattimetables are as student-friendly as possible, scheduled teaching can take place on any day or evening of the week.

Disclaimer

Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of our published course information, however our programmes aresubject to ongoing review and development. Changing circumstances may necessitate alteration to, or the cancellationof, courses.

Changes may be necessary to comply with the requirements of accrediting bodies, revisions to subject benchmarksstatements, to keep courses updated and contemporary, or as a result of student feedback. We reserve the right tomake variations if we consider such action to be necessary or in the best interests of students.

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Entry Criteria

Entry Requirements

You should have a degree equivalent to UK first-class orsecond-class honours (2:2 or above). No specific subjectsare required.

English Language Requirements

International students require IELTS 6.5, with a score nolower than 6.0 in each individual component, or anequivalent English language qualification.

If your current level of English is half a band lower, eitheroverall or in one or two elements, you may want toconsider our Pre-Sessional English course.

Recognition of Prior Learning

Edge Hill University recognises learning gained

elsewhere, whether through academic credit andqualifications acquired from other relevant courses ofstudy or through recognition of an individual'sprofessional and employment experience (also referredto as 'experiential learning'). This may include credit orlearning undertaken at another university.

Previous learning that is recognised in this way may beused towards meeting the entry requirements for aprogramme and/or for exemption from part of aprogramme. It is your responsibility to make a claim forrecognition of prior learning. For guidance, please consultthe University's academic regulations (sections C7 andF3.1) or contact the faculty in which you are interested instudying.

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Career Prospects

What are my career prospects?

This MA will equip you with the skills and knowledgerequired for a successful career in the specialist field ofmarketing. You will graduate ready to lead, or contributeto, the development of an organisation’s marketing,communications and branding strategies.

Typical career paths include marketing roles in public andprivate sector management, retailing and enterprise.However, an understanding of marketing is essential forall managers, meaning the course also provides a soundfoundation for a more general business career.

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Finance

Tuition Fees

Tuition fees for full-time study on this MA are:

• £5,400 for UK and EU students and £13,250 forinternational students enrolling on the programmein academic year 2020/21;

• £5,580 for UK and EU students and £13,500 forinternational students enrolling on the programmein academic year 2021/22.

Tuition fees for part-time study on this MA are:

• £30 per credit for UK and EU students enrolling onthe programme in academic year 2020/21, i.e. £600per 20 credit module;

• £31 per credit for UK and EU students enrolling onthe programme in academic year 2021/22, i.e. £620per 20 credit module.

180 credits are required to complete a Masters degree.

The University may administer a small inflationary rise inpart-time postgraduate tuition fees in subsequentacademic years as you progress through the course.

Financial Support

For comprehensive information about the financialsupport available to eligible UK and EU students joiningpostgraduate courses at Edge Hill University in academicyear 2020/21, together with details of how to apply forpotential funding, please view our Money Matters 2020/21 guide at www.edgehill.ac.uk/postgradfinance2020.

Financial support information for international studentscan be found at www.edgehill.ac.uk/international/fees.

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Apply

How to Apply

There is an online application process for thisprogramme.

Visit www.edgehill.ac.uk/applydirect to access therelevant online application form and to find out moreabout the application process.

Further information for international students about howto apply is available at www.edgehill.ac.uk/applyinternational.

Should you accept an offer of a place to study with us andformally enrol as a student, you will be subject to theprovisions of the regulations, rules, codes, conditions andpolicies which apply to our students. These are availableat www.edgehill.ac.uk/studentterms.

Visit Us

If you are considering applying to study at Edge HillUniversity, the best way to gain an insight into studentlife is to discover our stunning campus for yourself by

attending an open day. You can view dates and book yourplace at www.edgehill.ac.uk/opendays.

Alternatively, if you are unable to attend an open day, youcan find out more about all of our events for prospectivestudents, including monthly campus tours, atwww.edgehill.ac.uk/visitus.

Request a Prospectus

If you would like to explore our full range of taughtMasters degrees, MBA awards and our Masters byResearch (MRes) degree before you apply, you can ordera postgraduate prospectus at www.edgehill.ac.uk/postgradprospectus.

Get in Touch

If you have any questions about this programme or whatit's like to study at Edge Hill University, please contact:

• Course Enquiries

• Tel: 01695 657000

• Email: study@edgehill.ac.uk

If you would like to talk to the programme leader aboutthe course in more detail, please contact:

• Dr. Amee Yostrakul

• Tel: 01695 584476

• Email: Amee.Yostrakul@edgehill.ac.uk

International students should visit www.edgehill.ac.uk/international or email international@edgehill.ac.uk withany queries about overseas study.

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