Course Overview
Course summary
The expansion of new media technologies and sophisticated customer profiling – covering everything from media consumption to recreational preferences – have increased the choice and importance of creative decisions in marketing strategy. Developed with input from current ‘marcomms’ practitioners, our professionally-focused degree will equip you with the creative and specialist knowledge, skills and capabilities to select the right media channels and craft the most effective messages.
You can also boost your employability by gaining additional qualifications with the Institute of Data and Marketing (IDM) and/or the Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM). Our status as a CIM Graduate Gateway institution entitles you to apply for exemptions from modules on its professional qualifications, while you can gain IDM’s Award in Digital Marketing during the Digital Marketing Essentials module.
Since our marketing degrees share a common first year, you get to experience all the main areas in marketing whilst retaining the flexibility to change course at the start of your second year.
You will learn about consumer behaviour, customer relationships, branding and how to conduct and interpret the insight needed to inform communications and track the success of marketing campaigns. You’ll gain hands-on experience developing creative strategy by working on live client briefs from external marketers or, for example, designing an advert as part of a woke advertising campaign.
Acknowledging the importance of digital techniques and social media marketing, you’ll have access to our new digital marketing lab, Switch 23, which is set up to mimic a creative agency. It features a large touch screen and individual work stations that students can connect to, using laptops and mobile phones to present their campaigns.
You could go on to work for a marketing communications department in-house for an organisation or you could choose to specialise in advertising, public relations (PR), brand management, direct and digital marketing for a creative agency or as a freelancer.
Top reasons to study with us
- Professionally-focused course with chance to gain additional professional qualifications from the Institute of Data and Marketing (IDM) and the Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM)
- Digital Marketing Essentials module incorporates content for IDM Award in Digital Marketing and the final-year Direct and Interactive Marketing module provides opportunity to gain the IDM Diploma in Digital Marketing
- Marketing degrees share a common first year, giving greater flexibility when choosing your specialism
- Option to spend one semester or one year studying abroad at one of our partner institutions, gain valuable work experience, or a combination of both. For example, one previous student worked as a marketing executive for ICG Medical
- Opportunity to study a foreign language as an optional module in each year of study
- Hear from experts and mingle with marketing students by joining the student-run Westminster Marketing Society or gain experience working for the student-run Westminster Business Consultants
- Optional placement year to gain valuable work experience, for example, one of our previous students spent six months working as a podcast assistant for MailOnline, while another worked at IBM
- Guest lectures from industry practitioners have previously included speakers on Google analytics and from organisations such as IBM, Tableau, Coca Cola and LinkedIn
- Programmes are delivered by a multicultural and international teaching body, who come from professional practice and/or regularly publish in top international journals
Course structure
Our degrees in marketing have a shared first year which allows you to experience all the main areas in marketing before you finalise your degree to match your career choice, focusing on either international marketing, marketing management or marketing communications.
The following modules are indicative of what you will study on this course.
You are introduced to key marketing theories, concepts and emerging marketing tools and techniques. We focus on the customer, examining buyer behaviour and the factors which affect perceptions and purchase decisions.
Subjects of study include:
- Buyer Behaviour
- Digital Marketing Essentials
- Fundamentals of Marketing
- Professional Development for Marketers
- The Global Marketing Environment
You will also have the opportunity to take an option module that broadens your skills or helps you to gain more in-depth knowledge of your specialist area. Your option module may be a foreign language.
Credit Level 4
We’ll begin to look at the range of media channels at your disposal and how you can communicate effectively in a clear, concise manner and using the most appropriate medium, culture and style. This will depend on your audience, its size and profile and the desired emotional effect/outcome. In more depth, we will consider the current trends and techniques being used in advertising and how to integrate marketing communications to include PR, digital and brand management and the metrics available to measure marketing performance.
Subjects of study include:
- Advertising
- Contemporary PR Management
- Developing your Professional Brand
- Marketing B2B
- Marketing Metrics
- Marketing Research
- Marketing Services
- Social Media Marketing
Plus one option from other business areas including languages.
Credit Level 5
Professional experience or Study Abroad year
Between Years 2 and 3 you can undertake a one-year business placement. Past students have completed placements in a variety of SMEs and prestigious organisations including British Airways, Disney UK and Heinz. Alternatively you can study abroad at one of our partner institutions. You can also choose to split your year abroad into a first semester exchange and a second semester work placement, both conducted overseas, or undertake a placement year overseas.
You continue to expand your knowledge of marketing analytics and consider the diverse communications channels open to marketers. You’ll have the opportunity to act as an account manager would, working on a ‘live’ client brief, preparing digital marketing recommendations and presenting them to the client. For the dissertation, you will research a topic of your choice. For example, one previous student analysed Western European consumer perceptions of Eastern telecommunications, while another examined how user-generated content (UGC) had shaped the way fashion brands interact with consumers.
Subjects of study include:
- Contemporary Selling and Sales Management
- Digital and Direct Marketing Campaign Strategy
- Integrated Marketing Communication
- Marketing Analytics
- Market Planning and Strategy
Plus two options from: Destination, Cultural and Heritage Marketing, Dissertation, Global Marketing Management, New Product Development, Managing Brands or other areas of business including languages
Credit Level 6
Programme recognition
As a Graduate Gateway Institution with the Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM), the content of our degree has been mapped against CIM qualifications to apply exemptions for modules. This provides a unique opportunity to gain a professional qualification or award alongside your marketing degree and means that for most qualifications, you may only have to take one assessment instead of the usual three. You can also choose to gain a professional qualification from the Institute of Data and Marketing (IDM) as the content of our Digital Marketing Essentials module incorporates content for the Award in Digital Marketing and, in your final year, the Interactive and Digital Marketing module leads on to the IDM’s Diploma in Digital Marketing.
Programme Specification
For more details on course structure and modules, and how you will be taught and assessed, see the programme specification.
To request an accessible version of the programme specification, please email [email protected]
Careers
Marketing is a dynamic sector that offers the chance to pursue careers working abroad or for companies that trade all over the world. Marketers, perhaps more than in any other area of business, need to be able to work effectively in teams, solve problems, think critically and creatively, and present their ideas persuasively. Our marketing degrees are designed to develop your analytical, problem-solving and other transferable skills, providing you with a breadth of knowledge in business, along with the specialist knowledge required to carry out strategic marketing in challenging new contexts.
Past graduates of this degree have found successful employment in marketing roles such as: management trainee, retail manager, marketing trainee, market research assistant, advertising trainee, PR assistant, sales promotion executive, trainee brand manager, global brand assistant. Increasing numbers of our students progress to further study on graduation: either taking professional qualifications or staying on for postgraduate study.
The University's Careers and Employability Service has built up a network of over 3,000 employers around the world, helping all our students explore and connect with exciting opportunities and careers.
Develop your innovation and entrepreneurial skills
Develop your innovation and entrepreneurial skills in The Big Idea competition, sponsored by Santander.
Kickstart your career
Learn how to use social media in your job hunt or LinkedIn to kickstart your career.
Develop your CQ
Develop your cultural intelligence – or ‘CQ’ – studying alongside students and staff representing more than 100 nationalities.
Industry links
As well as the links the institution and individual staff have with professional bodies, including the CIM and IDM, many of the staff who currently teach on this course have extensive professional experience in a range of business sectors and many maintain links with industry through consultancy and training work.
Through our Alumni Voices series, you’ll also hear from former postgraduate Marketing students, who will share experiences, including those who work for global media groups or have established their own marketing consultancies.
Job roles
The course will prepare you for a wide variety of roles in business. Examples of these from our recent graduates are:
- Advertising executive
- Brand manager
- Management trainee
- Market researcher
- Marketing associate/manager
- Marketing strategist
- Product development officer
- PR officer
- Social media executive/manager
Westminster Employability Award
Employers value graduates who have invested in their personal and professional development – and our Westminster Employability Award gives you the chance to formally document and demonstrate these activities and achievements.
The award is flexible and can be completed in your own time, comprising a set of core and optional extracurricular activities.
Activities might include gaining experience through a part-time job or placement, signing up to a University-run scheme – such as mentoring or teaching in a school – or completing online exercises.
International Opportunities
Many of our courses offer international study and work experiences, and the University provides other global opportunities that all students can apply for - so whatever you're studying, you'll have the chance to go abroad.
Opportunities could include:
- Taking part in semester or year-long exchanges at institutions around the world
- Attending an international summer school or field trip
- Developing your CV through volunteering or work placements abroad
International experience broadens horizons, boosts self-confidence, and improves global understanding, alongside being fantastic for your career.
Find out more about our international opportunities, including funding options and where you can go.
Course Leader
Dr Unvan Atas
Senior Lecturer
Unvan is a Senior Lecturer in Marketing Communications and joined University of Westminster in 2010. He was educated at the Eastern Mediterranean University in North Cyprus (Public Relations and Advertising BA Honours), University of Westminster (Public Relations and Public Communications MA, Media and Commutations PhD), Middlesex University (Business and Management MSc). He has lectured at the universities of Middlesex, Queen Mary, South Bank, and Birkbeck (University of London). He teaches modules in Buyer Behaviour, Contemporary Public Relations Management and Integrated Marketing Communications.
Unvan, a Turkish native, had work and internship experiences at Tara HealthCare UK, consulting on the development of their database. He also worked for three years at Honey-Tel Ltd consulting on the development of their marketing strategy and company website, designing their corporate logo and publicity materials, and developing a database for B2B direct marketing.
Unvan has an interdisciplinary research interest in communication, media and politics with a specific focus on media effects on public opinion, framing, political campaigning communication, advertising and PR. He has recently developed an interest in branding, in particular corporate branding and communication and consumer behaviour.
London as one of the centres of communication industry in the world, offers you the opportunity to explore media and marketing communications industries and attain skills to prepare you for a career in various communication fields, such as advertising, PR, brand management, and direct and digital marketing.
Course Team
Why study this course?
Combine theory and practice
Link theory to global practice through real-life case studies, guest lectures and live marketing projects.
Build connections
Build connections with peers, marketing professionals and future employers through our links with the CIM and IDM.
Additional professional qualifications
Get the chance to gain additional professional qualifications from the Institute of Data and Marketing (IDM) and the Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM).
Online open days
Join us at an online open day or information session and get a feel for student life at the University of Westminster.
You'll get a chance to:
- Speak to our academic staff
- Take a virtual reality tour of our student halls
- Ask us any questions you may have about student finance and accommodation
Entry Requirements
- A Levels – BBC to ABB
- International Baccalaureate – 112 to 128 UCAS Tariff points from the IB
- BTEC Extended Diploma – DMM to DDM
- BTEC Diploma – D*D*
- Access – 112 to 128 UCAS Tariff points from the Access course
In addition to one of the above, you should have:
- GCSE English Language grade 4/C – IB grade 4 Higher Level, GCSE Maths grade 4/C – IB grade 4
If your first language is not English, you will need an IELTS of 6.0 overall, with 5.5 in each component.
We also welcome applications from students who are taking a combination of qualifications listed above. For further information, please contact Course Enquiries.
View more information about our entry requirements and the application process
- International Baccalaureate – 112 to 128 UCAS Tariff points from the IB
If your first language is not English, you will need an IELTS of 6.0 overall, with 5.5 in each component.
More information
International Foundation course
We work in partnership with Kaplan International College London to provide Foundation courses for international students who do not meet our Bachelor’s degree entry requirements. For more information visit the Kaplan International College website.
What our students say
Nicole Rego Freitas
Marketing Communications BA Hons
Being an international student, my placement year as Own Brands Assistant at Argos was the perfect opportunity to gain some work experience and increase my chances of securing a graduate job in the UK. I gained valuable experience ensuring that Argos's own brands were executed consistently, assisting on digital campaigns, working with agencies and updating the team budget.
Doing a placement year was the perfect opportunity to gain some work experience.
Learn new skills
Develop your creativity
Develop your creativity to think outside the box.
Learn to critically evaluate
Learn to critically evaluate the strategies that managers use to help organisations adapt in an uncertain or complex environment.
Improve your problem-solving skills
Improve your problem-solving skills to better understand and tackle people management issues.
Westminster Business School blog
Read our blog and get an insight into life and studies at Westminster Business School.
Fees and Funding
UK tuition fee: £9,250 (Price per academic year)
When you have enrolled with us, your annual tuition fees will remain the same throughout your studies with us. We do not increase your tuition fees each year.
Find out how we set our tuition fees.
EU Qualifications Welcome Award Scheme
If you are an international student accepted on an undergraduate programme starting in September 2021 on the basis of an eligible EU qualification only, you will be awarded a tuition fee reduction which will align your fee more closely to the one for UK students. For more information, see the EU Qualifications Welcome Award Scheme.
Funding
As well as tuition fee loans, there is a range of funding available to help you fund your studies.
Find out about undergraduate student funding options.
Scholarships
The University is dedicated to supporting ambitious and outstanding students and we offer a variety of scholarships to eligible undergraduate students, which cover all or part of your tuition fees.
Find out if you qualify for one of our scholarships.
Additional costs
See what you may need to pay for separately and what your tuition fees cover.
International tuition fee: £14,400 (Price per academic year)
When you have enrolled with us, your annual tuition fees will remain the same throughout your studies with us. We do not increase your tuition fees each year.
Find out how we set our tuition fees.
EU Qualifications Welcome Award Scheme
If you are accepted on an undergraduate programme starting in September 2021 on the basis of an eligible EU qualification only, you will be awarded a tuition fee reduction of £4,500 per year, which will align your fee more closely to the one for UK students. For more information, see the EU Qualifications Welcome Award Scheme.
International student funding
Find out about funding for international students.
Additional costs
See what you may need to pay for separately and what your tuition fees cover.
Student work
In September 2019, during the first week of term, first-year marketing students spent the day visiting the Tower of London, exploring over a thousand years of history at this famous attraction. The main objective was to bring together new students across all of the University’s marketing programmes, including Marketing Management BA, Marketing Communications BA, International Marketing BA and Business Management (Marketing) BA.
Students were also given a series of marketing challenges to undertake, all relevant to their areas of study. These involved developing marketing plans and promotional campaigns to build awareness of the Tower of London across the world and attract more visitors. As well as making friends and developing their teamwork skills, students had a taste of what it’s like to work as a marketing manager or for an advertising agency.
Find out more about this field trip on our WBS blog.
Teaching and assessment
Your learning experience is designed to provide both a practical and theoretical understanding of the theories, frameworks and ideas related to business, focusing on the study of organisations, management and the changing environment in which they operate. Employability and enterprise are strongly embedded in the modules through the use of practical activities, such as the live simulations and case study analysis.
To assist the learning experience, we provide reading lists, lecture and seminar materials in advance via Blackboard, our virtual learning environment. Where possible, lectures are recorded using specialist software and similar tools so you can refer back to them.
How you’ll be taught
Through a variety of teaching methods – from traditional lectures and seminars to case study analysis, project work, videos, podcasts and workshops – we aim to bring study to life by incorporating real-world experience. For example, in a flipped classroom, you will be asked to investigate business case study in advance, which will cover a variety of important business concepts, or we may learn by having a debate, which helps to develop your skills of persuasion and influence.
We also try to invite businesses in to talk about current issues in marketing, for example, we might discuss the practice of ‘woke advertising’ and how agencies are using social issues as part of advertising and marketing campaigns.
Businesses increasingly operate with teams of specialists. They require people who can communicate and interact effectively within a team – recognising and supporting leadership, being proactive in leadership, negotiating, and managing conflict. You will be encouraged to work in groups with other students, developing your team-working and problem-solving skills, while providing an opportunity to learn to value the views of others, give and receive constructive feedback.
Many of our academic staff either have substantial business experience in previous careers across the range of business disciplines or combine research and enterprise in their teaching, through consultancy or working with business on a variety of projects for knowledge exchange.
In the following graph you'll find examples of how study time has been distributed in the past (data from the academic year 2019/20). Changes to division of study time may be made in response to feedback and in accordance with our terms and conditions. Learning typically falls into three broad categories:
- Scheduled hours: examples include lectures, seminars, practical classes, workshops, supervised time in a studio
- Placement: placement hours normally include placement opportunities, but may also include live projects or virtual activity involving employers
- Independent study: non-scheduled time in which students are expected to study independently. This may include preparation for scheduled sessions, follow-up work, wider reading or practice, completion of assessment tasks, or revision
Year
1
24%76%
2
24%76%
3
24%76%
How you’ll be assessed
Using a wide range of techniques, you can expect to be assessed on the learning outcomes of your course in core modules through coursework in the form of essays, reports, presentations, case studies as well as time-constrained in-class tests and exams.
We try to make assessments as practical and relevant as possible, incorporating the type of work required by future employers, for example, the need to write strategic reports or the use of business simulation games, two in the second year and one in the final year.
In the following graph you'll find an indication of what you can expect (data from the academic year 2019/20). Changes to assessment weights may be made in response to feedback and in accordance with our terms and conditions. Assessments typically fall into three broad categories:
- Practical: examples include presentations, podcasts, blogs
- Written exams: end of semester exams
- Coursework: examples include essays, in-class tests, portfolios
Year
1
20%33%47%
2
36%6%58%
3
35%15%50%
Supporting you
Our Student Hub is where you’ll find out about the services and support we offer, helping you get the best out of your time with us.
- Study support — workshops, 1-2-1 support and online resources to help improve your academic and research skills
- Personal tutors — support you in fulfilling your academic and personal potential
- Student advice team — provide specialist advice on a range of issues including funding, benefits and visas
- Extra-curricular activities — volunteering opportunities, sports and fitness activities, student events and more
Facilities
Learning platform
Meeting spaces
Library
Classrooms
Bloomberg Suite
Group study zone
Cafe
Course Location
Our Marylebone Campus has benefitted from a multi-million-pound refurbishment resulting in new workshops, digital studios and development of the Marylebone Library. The campus is home to Westminster Business School and our award-winning Architecture, Planning and Tourism courses. For more details, visit our Marylebone Campus page.
Westminster Business School
Based in the heart of London's political, media and financial services, Westminster Business School has excellent industry links and a strong commitment to social enterprise.
Our courses are accredited by professional bodies including the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA), Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB), Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM), Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) and Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS).
Our practical teaching relates learning to the real world, and we develop graduates who are ready to respond to contemporary business challenges.
Contact us
We have an FAQs page if you are applying this year.
Or you can contact the Course Enquiries Team:
Opening hours (GMT): 9am–4pm Monday to Friday
More information
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