MA (Hons) Marketing
The course
- UCAS code
- M1MK
- Duration
- 4 years
- Location
- Edinburgh
- Delivery type
- Full-time
Edinburgh Business School ranked 1st in Scotland and 4th in UK for marketing in the National Student Survey 2020. Our degree is characterised by three themes which will prepare you for a marketing career of the future - global, digital and sustainable.
Contact
Got questions about this programme?
Contact our enquiries team.
Overview
The Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM) accredited MA (Hons) Marketing degree at Heriot-Watt University's Edinburgh Business School is designed to develop key knowledge and skills related to professional marketing practices. Edinburgh Business School ranked 1st in Scotland and 4th in UK for marketing in the National Student Survey 2020.
The courses you take on this degree will provide you with the platform to thrive in both academic study and the professional practice 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
Teaching on MA (Hons) Marketing is led by our internationally respected faculty who bring marketing theory to life by drawing on their own cutting-edge research and industry experience, and by sharing best practice from business case studies. This approach ensures that everything you learn reflects the current marketing landscape in both business-to-consumer and business-to-business marketing contexts.
In Year 1 you will study the established suite of courses form 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 your studies progress through Years 2, 3 and 4, you will study an increasing number of specialist marketing courses.
Three-year option
We also have an accelerated, three-year MA Marketing degree which is a strong option 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 to ensure your learning is future proofed, and which align with the Chartered Institute of Marketing's accreditation criteria.
Global Strategic Marketing
This course teaches strategic marketing techniques for a global context. You will learn how to conduct competitor analysis, market segmentation, forecasting, and product portfolio analysis.
Marketing Insights
This course will teach you how to conduct and analyse market research, and gain useful insights for specific business situations. You will explore the processes and methods of data collection and understand the techniques and applications used to analyse data and gain insights.
Responsible Marketing
On this course you 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
On this course you will explore the theory of brands and branding You will assess how branding theories are applied in marketing strategies and learn to take a strategic approach to branding.
Future Issues in Marketing
On this course you 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
On this course you will examine how digital analytics inform search engine marketing strategy and website design. We will demonstrate how analytics tools work and how they can be applied to monitor marketing performance.
Marketing project
As part of this degree, you will spend time working in the marketing industry and put your developing knowledge into practice to gain further understanding that will be beneficial to your future career.
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.
Global College pathway for this degree
If you do not meet the entry requirements for this degree, have a look at Heriot-Watt Global College, where you can follow an accelerated pathway which will get you onto the second year of this degree.
Accreditation
This Programme is accredited by the Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM) indicating that our teaching and assessment meet the rigorous standards of the CIM in terms of content, scope and learning outcomes. As a result of this accreditation, all graduate on the MA in Marketing gain exemption from CIM modules. This exemption is provided at no extra charge and reduces the cost of pursuing this prestigious professional qualification by up to £400. Students can apply for student membership of the CIM which provides the opportunity to attend CIM networking events which take place on campus and in Edinburgh and Glasgow.
Go Global
This course is currently only delivered at our Edinburgh Campus and there are no current opportunities to study at exchange partner institutions.
However, other Go Global opportunities may be available. Please contact goglobal@hw.ac.uk for more information
Course content
In Year 1, you will study the established suite of courses form Edinburgh Business School's common first year and gain an understanding of important areas of modern business, including: Management, Accounting and Finance, Economics and Marketing.
As your studies progress through Years 2, 3 and 4, you will study an increasing number of specialist marketing courses, many of which are new for 2021.
Year 1
Semester 1
- Management in a Global Context
- Introduction to Marketing
- Academic Skills
- Introduction to Accounting and Finance
Semester 2
- Introductory Economics
- Discovering Business
- Becoming a Professional
- Elective choice from across the Edinburgh Business School
Year 2
Semester 1
- Quantitative Methods
- Fundamentals of Marketing
- Human Resource Management
- Consumer Behaviour
Semester 2
- Business Skills for the Second Machine Age
- Management Accounting in Organisations
- Operations and Supply Chain Management
- Elective choice from across the Edinburgh Business School
Year 3
Semester 1
- Global Strategic Marketing
- Digital Analytics for Marketing
- Responsible Marketing (new for 2021)
- Project Management or Marketing Insights
Semester 2
- Business Research methods
- Integrated Marketing Comms
- Marketing Project (new for 2021)
- Marketing and Consumer Law or Innovation Management
Year 4
Semester 1
- Dissertation/Project
- Future Issues in Marketing
- Leisure Marketing
- Retail Marketing or Elective from across the Edinburgh Business School degrees
Semester 2
- Dissertation/Project
- Branding
- Digital Marketing
- Marketing and Management of SMEs or Marketing Sustainability
Discover Uni course data
Discover Uni provides data on each university's degree courses across a range of measures including student satisfaction, graduate jobs and salaries.
Employability
Work and study
This is what our MA (Hons) Marketing students are doing 15 months after graduating:
- 71% are working
- 4% are studying
- 12% are working and studying.
Salary
- The average salary of students 15 months after graduating: £24000
- The average UK salary of students 15 months after graduating from a similar course: £24000
Potential career paths
- Business and public service associate professionals
- Finance professionals
Entry requirements
Year 1
- Highers AABB
- A-Levels BBC - ABB (including at least one of: Accountancy, Business, Economics, Maths)
- BTEC Extended Diploma DDM (Where BTEC is only qualification, business relevant is preferred.)
- Int. Baccalaureate 29 points
- SWAP BBB (Access to Humanities is recommended, other pathways considered on a case by case basis)
- HNC B in graded unit (HNC Marketing Communications and HNC Business are recommended, but not essential)
- HND BB in graded units (HND Business, or HND Marketing with HNC Marketing Communications or HND Advertising and PR with HNC Marketing and Communications are recommended, but not essential)
Minimum entry requirements*
- Highers BBBC
- A-Levels BCC - ABB
- BTEC Extended Diploma MMM
- Int. Baccalaureate not set
- SWAP BBB
- HNC BB in graded unit
- HND BB in graded units
* Minimum: under our Fair Access Policy, we will relax our standard entry requirements for some Scottish students depending on their circumstances. Our minimum requirements will apply if you:
- live in an area within the Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation lowest 20% (SIMD20), or
- are care experienced.
We can also make exceptions for some Scottish students with grades above minimum but below standard. Read more about our Minimum and standard entry requirements
Year 2
- Advanced Highers BB + AABB at Higher (Advanced Highers must include Accounting, Business, Economics or Maths)
- A-Levels ABB (Advanced Highers must include Accounting, Business, Economics or Maths)
- BTEC Extended Diploma DDD (BTEC must be in relevant business or Marketing subject.)
- Int. Baccalaureate 34 points (IB Diploma must include a minimum of 5 in HL Business)
- HNC A in graded unit (HNC Marketing Communications or HNC Business are required for Year 2 entry)
- HND BB in graded units (HND Business, or HND Marketing (with HNC Marketing Communications) or HND Advertising and PR (with HNC Marketing and Communications) are required for Year 2 entry.)
- Global College Successful completion of Bachelors Degree Accelerator Foundation - Accounting, Economics and Business Management
Additional information
- You must enter in year 1 to gain maximum exemptions from accountancy bodies such as ACCA and ICAS.
- If you do not see your qualifications here please contact us at studywithus@hw.ac.uk
- Please check that you meet our University-wide National 5/GCSE (or equivalent) English and Maths requirements.
- For all years, applications are welcomed from holders of non-school qualifications, mature candidates and overseas students.
English language requirements
If English is not your first language, you will have to show us that your English is good enough to succeed on your course. Please refer to our English language requirements.
Fees
| Status* | Scotland | England / Wales / N Ireland / Rep of Ireland | International** |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fee | Paid by SAAS | £9,250 | £17,320 |
* Your residency 'status' is usually defined as the country where you have been ordinarily resident for the three years before the start of your course. Find out more about tuition fees.
** 'International' includes applicants from European Union countries who do not hold Pre-Settled or Settled status in UK. (This does not include students from the Republic of Ireland - see above). Read more about the application process for EU nationals.
Additional costs
You may incur additional costs in the course of your studies at Heriot-Watt over and above tuition fees in an academic year. Depending on your programme of study, these may include: protective equipment, field trips, professional memberships, studio fees, required course texts or other study resources.
Scholarships and bursaries
Bursaries for students from England, Northern Ireland or Wales
In addition to government loans and grants towards the costs of fees and living costs, we are offering generous financial support to attract and support eligible undergraduate students from England, Northern Ireland or Wales:
- Heriot-Watt University Bursary (up to £3,100 per year)
View our full range of undergraduate scholarships.