MA (Hons) Marketing

Overview

The Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM) accredited MA (Hons) Marketing degree at Heriot-Watt University’s Edinburgh Business School is designed to equip you with the knowledge and skills that you’ll need to thrive in both academic study and professional practice in the exciting and dynamic field of marketing.

Your learning will focus on three central themes that we believe will be key for future marketing professionals: 
•    Global marketing
•    Digital marketing 
•    Sustainable marketing

The programme is led by our internationally respected faculty, known to bring marketing theory to life by drawing on their own research and industry experience, while also sharing best practice from business case studies. This approach ensures that everything learnt reflects the current marketing landscape in both business-to-consumer and business-to-business marketing contexts.

In Year 1, applicants will study courses from Edinburgh Business School’s common first year and gain an understanding of important areas of modern business, including Management, Accounting and Finance, and Economics and Marketing. 

As studies progress through Years 2, 3 and 4, students may pursue an increasing number of specialist marketing courses.

Three-year option

We also have an accelerated, three-year MA Marketing degree, suitable for A-Level students.
 

Specialist marketing courses

Leading academics from Edinburgh Business School have worked with business leaders to craft six exciting new marketing courses, aligning with the Chartered Institute of Marketing to ensure optimal learning.

Global Strategic Marketing

This course teaches strategic marketing techniques for a global context. Students will learn how to conduct competitor analysis, market segmentation, forecasting, and product portfolio analysis.

Marketing Insights

This course will teach students to conduct and analyse market research, and gain useful insights for specific business situations.They will explore the processes and methods of data collection and understand the techniques and applications used to analyse data and gain insights.

Responsible Marketing

Students will assess the tensions and complexities in marketing and consumer behaviour, and examine the current debates around the benefits, harms and unintentional consequences of marketing and consumer actions today, with a core focus on sustainability.

Branding

Students will explore the theory of brands and branding and assess how branding theories are applied in marketing strategies and learn thestrategic approach to branding. 

Future Issues in Marketing

Students will learn to assess and identify emerging global market trends and utilise a toolkit of marketing theory and principles to scrutinise these trends.

Digital Analytics for Marketing

As part of this course, students will examine how digital analytics inform search engine marketing strategy and website design. Understanding how analytics tools work and their application to monitor marketing performance will be reviewed 

Marketing Project

As part of this degree, students will spend time working in the marketing industry and put their knowledge into practice to gain further understanding beneficial to their careers.

We have designed the MA Marketing at Edinburgh Business School with your future marketing or business career in mind. Our degree features several innovative marketing courses that tackle topics and trends faced by marketing professionals right now as well as prepare you for future challenges.

"Contemporary subjects such as responsible marketing, marketing insights, and data analytics for marketing are taught alongside core marketing essentials such as branding and consumer behaviour, intrinsic to the learning of any professional marketer.

"When I teach responsible marketing I draw on my global research into marketing and sustainability. I will be looking forward to talking with you about the complexities and tensions that businesses and consumers face as they navigate challenges such as climate change, digital landscapes and fast-evolving business models.

"My approach is to help you understand the importance of this topic, whilst equipping you with the practical skills to deliver responsible marketing in practice.

Marylyn Carrigan, Professor of Marketing and Sustainability

Accreditation

MA Marketing is part of the CIM Graduate Gateway Programme. This degree was developed in line with the CIM professional award criteria and upon completion students will gain a professional CIM accreditation. Students can choose to study for the Certificate and/or Diploma in Professional Marketing or Professional Digital Marketing alongside their degree, and study for five years after graduating.