Marketing and Brand Management

Whether you want to boost your academic credentials, prepare for your first role in marketing, or progress your marketing career to the next level, the one-year full-time MSc in Strategic Marketing will help you to build the knowledge and skills you need, and will open the door to the career opportunities you want.

Because we focus on strategic marketing, you will learn to identify and evaluate the choices organisations face in establishing their market position and to undertake the analysis that underpins a market-driven strategy, as well as focusing on the tools and techniques you will need to implement an existing marketing strategy.

Is this course for me?

The Cranfield MSc in Strategic Marketing will provide you with a thorough grounding in the principles of marketing and how to apply them. As one of the best schools for marketing, we develop proactive marketing professionals who can put their practical skills straight to work in the marketplace.

This one-year full-time masters degree in marketing programme is delivered over four terms covering core modules and an optional marketing consultancy project.

This course is designed for:

• Recent graduates who want to boost their academic credentials and prepare for a first professional role in marketing
• Marketing professionals looking to enhance their knowledge and skills and progress their career.

Why choose Cranfield?

Founded in 1946, Cranfield University is the only wholly postgraduate higher education institute in the UK, specialising in science, technology and management. It has a global reputation for teaching and research, industrial scale facilities and for its links with some of the most recognised names in industry and commerce.

The University’s School of Management has been established for more than 40 years with a mission to innovate and improve the practice of management around the world. From unique cabin evacuation research to finding life on Mars, Cranfield’s focus is squarely on the application of its research. This research drives its masters, doctorate and professional development courses, which are constantly monitored and updated by industry advisory panels to ensure they meet the needs of employers.

In 2012, Cranfield was ranked in 76th in the annual list of the UK’s top 500 Business Superbrands, ahead of several other leading business schools. It consistently performs well in the major school and programme specific rankings and is one a select number of business schools to hold triple accreditation from European Quality Improvement System (EQUIS), the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) and the UK Association of MBAs (AMBA).

Your career

The Cranfield Career Development Service offers a comprehensive service to help you develop a set of career management skills that will remain with you throughout your career.

96% of the 2011/12 MSc in Strategic Marketing class were employed within three months of graduation and recruiting companies included Google, Accenture, Heinz, Bank of China, On Purpose and Omega.

During your masters degree in marketing course you will receive support and guidance to help you plan an effective strategy for your personal and professional development, whether you are looking to secure your first role in marketing, or wanting take your career to the next level.

The MSc in Strategic Marketing course has been developed to produce practical, proactive strategic marketers, and our teaching methods are specifically geared toward encouraging participation, self-development and team working.

Students will complete a series of core modules and the culmination of the learning process features an optional marketing consultancy project. You will work on a real company project in teams, competing against your class colleagues to make the strongest marketing strategy presentation to senior executives from partner firms. Previous projects have been conducted with organisations such as Nike and Cobra Beer.

2014 term dates

• Term 1: 29 September 2014 - 19 December 2014
• Term 2: 12 January 2015 - 27 March 2015
• Term 3: 13 April 2015 - 26 June 2015
• Term 4: 29 June 2015 - 11 September 2015

Teaching Methods

Our teaching methods include a diverse range of stimulating learning experiences, with a huge emphasis placed on real-world business challenges. Modules include a mix of:

• interactive lectures
• participative exercises
• group projects
• readings on articles and case studies
• sessions hosted by leading industry speakers

Assessment

Assessment of the MSc in Strategic Marketing is set to challenge you beyond the level at which you have been taught and your progress will be assessed through assignments, exams or both. This encourages you to find your own solutions to problems and breeds a level of pro-activity that ensures you are not just an intellectual, but a highly skilled marketing professional.

We welcome applications from talented candidates of all backgrounds. We consider your qualifications, work experience and test scores on an individual basis. Usually candidates must: 1. Hold a relevant, recognised qualification, either:a 1st or 2nd class UK Honours Degree (or equivalent Bachelors Degree) or a professional qualification (e.g. Diploma from the Chartered Institute of Marketing) and have 5 years' relevant work experience *Please note: having taken into consideration all your application details, the Course Director may also require you to take GMAT (minimum score 600) or GRE (75th percentile in both the verbal and quantitative reasoning sections). The GMAT course code for the Masters in Strategic Marketing is K2H-N3-79 and our GRE institution code is 3641. 2. Have a good standard of English The participative nature of the course demands a high oral ability and written work needs a strong business vocabulary. If English is not your first language, you must take one of the following:Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) - a minimum score of 92 is required. (Important: this test is not currently accepted by the UK Home Office for Tier 4 (General) visa applications). The ETS DI Code for TOEFL is 0822. Test of English for International Communication (TOEIC) – a minimum score of 800 is required (part 1). Applicants from outside the EU are also required to take part 2 of the test. (Important: this test is not currently accepted by the UK Home Office for Tier 4 (General) visa applications)International English Language Testing System (IELTS) – band 6.5 is required, with writing of 6.5. English for Speakers of other languages (ESOL) either: Certificate of Advanced English (CAE) - grade A - C Certificate of Proficiency in English (CPE) - grade C or above Pearson Test of English (Academic): an overall score of 65Students requiring a Tier 4 (General) visa will also need to meet the UK Home Office Tier 4 (General) student visa English language requirements . The UK Home Office are not currently accepting TOEFL or TOEIC tests for Tier 4 (General) visa applications. Other restrictions from the UK Home Office may apply from time to time and we will advise applicants of these restrictions where appropriate. English Language Requirements IELTS band: 6.5 CAE score: (read more) Cambridge English: Advanced (CAE) is part of the Cambridge English suite and is targeted at a high level (IETLS 6.5-8.0). It is an international English language exam set at the right level for academic and professional success. Developed by Cambridge English Language Assessment - part of the University of Cambridge - it helps you stand out from the crowd as a high achiever. 60 (Grade C) TOEFL iBT® test: 92 IMPORTANT NOTE: Since April 2014 the ETS tests (including TOEFL and TOEIC) are no longer accepted for Tier 4 visa applications to the United Kingdom. The university might still accept these tests to admit you to the university, but if you require a Tier 4 visa to enter the UK and begin your degree programme, these tests will not be sufficient to obtain your Visa. The IELTS test is most widely accepted by universities and is also accepted for Tier 4 visas to the UK- learn more.

Accreditation

Cranfield School of Management is one of an elite group of business schools worldwide to hold triple EQUIS, AACSB and AMBA accreditation. We are also proud to be a GMAC Member School.