MA Marketing Communications

at Bournemouth University

Core units
 

• Marketing Communications: You will develop a critical understanding of the development of marketing communications as both an academic discipline and in practice. You will also learn how to apply the tools, techniques and theories of marketing communications to develop integrated marketing communications campaigns. This unit will provide you with an opportunity to experience the parameters and constraints of a client brief, where client issues, tight deadlines and the limitations of a budget call for ideas that are practical and realistic, as well as creative and original.

• Consumer Insights: Through applied work, you will gain a critical appreciation of the role of theory in generating commercially consumer viable insights and in marketing communications practice. Throughout, the importance of understanding consumer culture and behaviour for the effective development and implementation of marketing communications is explored and analysed.

• Digital Media Strategies: This unit covers the theoretical fundamentals of digital media and communications as well as the specific skills required to deploy efficient and effective strategies on digital platforms. By the end of the unit, you will be able to develop appropriate, effective and measurable digital media strategies within an integrated marketing communications plan. You will also be able to evaluate and assimilate new digital trends in a constantly moving arena.

• Brands & Branding: This unit aims to consolidate your understanding of why a brand is a strategic asset for an organisation; how the asset is realised, protected and valued not as a cost but as a source of revenue/ value. You will also be encouraged to critically reflect upon the role and impact of brands and branding in today’s contemporary society and appreciate how branding and brand communications need to evolve in the world of 24/7/always on connected audiences. You will also be exposed to new and emerging forms of brand communication such as branded content, branded entertainment and transmedia storytelling.

• Research in Action: In preparation for your final project, you will gain a broad grounding in social science research methods and the skills needed to rigorously and reflexively design, conduct, report and evaluate research. You will be exposed to a variety of cutting-edge research practices and will also be introduced to opportunities and challenges of conducting research of your own using some of the more industry-relevant data collection and analytical methods. 

• Corporate Communications: This unit aims to provide you with a critical understanding of the professional communicator’s role at a strategic level. It covers the complexities of communicating to internal and external audiences so as to recognise and address challenges in applied communication scenarios. 

• Final Project: You will have the opportunity to critically apply the principles and techniques of systematic research to produce either a piece of scholarly research or to intervene within an organisational setting to solve a practical marketing communications issue. The unit builds upon, and consolidates, knowledge and experience from all the earlier units in the course. 

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

• A Bachelors Honours degree with 2:2 or equivalent

This course is open to applications from both students who have not necessarily studied marketing communications at undergraduate level, as well as those who are changing career tracks and require developing their existing knowledge and understanding of the marketing communications discipline.

​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.
• Textbooks, general stationery and other supplies. Our award-winning library is stocked with a large range of textbooks and online resources, free of charge. The Students’ Union shops stock a wide range of stationery supplies on both campuses.
• Accommodation and living costs. 
• Travel costs to and from the University campus. An annual bus pass can be purchased alongside your rent if you are living in halls of residence/Unilet accommodation or may be purchased separately.
• Travel costs to and from your placement (both in the UK and overseas) if this is part of your course of study. 
• Travel costs for optional field trips, outdoor wear and footwear for mandatory and optional field trips (if applicable).
• Clothing or equipment costs required for your placement if this is part of your course of study.
• SportBU 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.

Careers

This course will prepare you for a career in advertising, marketing, public relations, branding or any other marketing communications related field. As a graduate of this course you will:
 

• Be equipped with the knowledge, skills and insights to contribute effectively as strategic practitioners or research practice
• Acquire appropriate relevant transferable skills that will contribute to successful practice in the workplace
• Be well-versed in a number of pervasive issues that shape and set the parameters for contemporary marketing communications practice
• Be able to develop, implement and evaluate effective marketing communications programmes responsibly.