THE UNIVERSITY OF EDINBURGH. PROGRAMME SPECIFICATION FOR MSc Marketing and Business Analysis 1

Transcription

1 THE UNIVERSITY OF EDINBURGH PROGRAMME SPECIFICATION FOR MSc Marketing and Business Analysis 1 1) Awarding Institution: University of Edinburgh 2) Teaching Institution: University of Edinburgh (Business School) 3) Programme accredited by: n/a 4) Final Award: MSc / PG Diploma in Marketing and Business Analysis 5) Programme Title: MSc in Marketing and Business Analysis 6) UCAS Code: n/a Relevant QAA Subject Benchmarking Group(s): Masters Awards in Business and Management 7) Postholder with overall responsibility for QA: Dr Inger Seiferheld 8) Date of production/revision: 2011/2012, updated August ) External Summary Increasingly marketing practitioners are using data analysis and predictive modelling to support decision making through a variety of applications such as customer profiling, data mining and forecasting. The MSc in Marketing and Business Analysis at the University of Edinburgh provides students with an in-depth and balanced understanding of marketing along with a critical appreciation of the range of business modelling approaches relevant to marketing decisions. The programme is unique in allowing students to explore the interface between marketing and business analysis. This experience provides a suitable platform for a successful career in marketing, business analysis or a combination of the two. Another distinctive feature of the University of Edinburgh experience is that it allies strong theoretical foundations with practical insights taught in an internationally recognised business school. The programme aims to produce critical, reflective practitioners as it emphasises the integration of theory and practice with the skills and knowledge required by employers. Students learn about the theoretical foundations of marketing and business analysis alongside current and emerging practitioner applications in areas such as marketing management, the analysis of marketing decisions, data mining and risk analysis. Students develop the knowledge and skills to address problems through flexible, innovative and 1 The information contained in this Programme Specification should be used as a guide to the content of a degree programme and should not be interpreted as a contract. 1

2 judgemental approaches. This will equip students to make a valuable contribution both within their chosen career and in the wider community. 10) Educational aims of programme: Educational aims of programme: To provide students with a critical appreciation of marketing and management science through a comprehensive range of academically grounded courses; To provide students with an in-depth and balanced understanding of the theoretical foundations of marketing and business analysis alongside current and emerging practitioner applications in the core areas of marketing management, the analysis of marketing decisions, business statistics and forecasting, and marketing research methods; To produce critical, reflective practitioners and give students wishing to pursue a successful career in marketing the necessary knowledge and skills for a variety of destinations including commerce, public sector and academic institutions; To provide students with the proficiency to practice integrated and multiple management skills, including oral and written communication, independent action, teamworking and interpersonal interaction; To provide students with the knowledge and skills to address marketing and business problems through flexible, adaptable, and innovative approaches; To foster the development of general transferable intellectual and study skills which will equip students to make a valuable contribution both within their chosen career path and in the wider community and to encourage a positive attitude to continuing development and lifelong learning. 11) Programme outcomes: 11a) Knowledge and understanding Define, explain and apply the key terms, concepts and theories in marketing and business analysis Critically evaluate analytical tools and frameworks used in marketing and business analysis Discuss the challenges facing marketing decision-makers in modern organisations Collect, analyse and synthesise a range of information sources to inform discussion on topical issues in marketing and business analysis Explain, apply and evaluate qualitative and quantitative approaches to marketing and business analysis problems 11b) Graduate attributes: Skills and abilities in Research and Enquiry Identify, define and analyse problems and identify or create processes to solve them Exercise critical judgement in creating new understanding Critically assess existing understanding and recognise the need to regularly challenge all knowledge 11c) Graduate Attributes: Skills and abilities in Personal and Intellectual Autonomy 2

3 Identify and apply new ideas, methods and ways of thinking Respond effectively to unfamiliar problems in unfamiliar contexts 11d) Graduate Attributes: Skills and abilities in Communication Advance reasoned and factually supported arguments effectively in written work and oral presentation 11e) Graduate Attributes: Skills and abilities in Personal Effectiveness Work effectively with others, capitalising on their different thinking, experience and skills Identify and evaluate social, cultural, global, ethical and environmental responsibilities and issues Demonstrate skills in time management 11f) Technical/practical skills These skills are covered under the headings above. 12) Programme structure and features Entry Requirements Minimum of a 2.1 Honours degree (overall average 65% and above) or equivalent business and management-related subjects. Candidates with a very good Honours degree in other disciplinary areas will be considered for entry into the programme provided that they have studied a degree with some marketing component. Students with a degree in a numerate or quantitative subject will be considered on an individual basis. Applications from mature students with significant marketing management experience or acceptable professional qualifications will be considered on an individual basis. Applicants for whom English is not their first language: a Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) score of 600 (250+ computer based) or an International English Language Testing System (IELTS) score of 7 is preferred. Alternatively, a recent degree from a university in an Englishspeaking country may be acceptable. Degree Criteria MSc full-time (12 months), requires 120 credits from taught courses and 60 credits from the research dissertation. Diploma is full time for 9 months, 120 credits from taught courses. Programme structure All students attend and complete the four compulsory core courses (60 credits) in semester 1. In addition, in semester 2, students take two Marketing elective courses and two Business Analysis elective course, totaling 60 credits altogether. Core Courses (60 credits): All 15 credits, all offered in Semester 1: Principles of Marketing Management Marketing Decision Analysis Business Statistics and Forecasting 3

4 Marketing Research Elective Courses (60 credits)* All 15 credits, all offered in Semester 2: Two Marketing options from: Marketing Communications Product and Brand Management International Marketing Strategy Marketing and Society Marketing Applications Marketing Sustainability Two Business Analysis options from: Credit Risk Management Problem Solving and Spreadsheet Modelling Skills Data Mining * Not all elective courses may run in a particular year Research Dissertation (60 credits) Each student conducts an individual research project on a subject chosen in consultation with an academic advisor. MSc candidates write up their work as a dissertation (maximum 15,000 words), which is submitted by the end of August. Progression and Exit Awards Students must achieve at least 80 credits at 50% or above and an overall 120 credits with a weighted average of at least 50% to progress to the research dissertation MSc stage. Students who also achieve at least 50% in the dissertation will be awarded the MSc in Marketing and Business Analysis. A Diploma in Marketing and Business Analysis will be awarded if the student has 80 credits at 40% or above and an overall 120 credits with a weighted average of at least 40%. 13) Teaching and Learning Methods and Strategies The Business School's strategy in learning and teaching is to deliver a dynamic, engaged, classroom experience that exposes our students to both practical and theoretical perspectives on business issues in ways that stretch and challenge them. The programme is taught using a combination of lectures, seminars and tutorials. Lectures provide knowledge and understanding of the key theoretical concepts and discuss the implications of these for practice. Seminars provide more practical context and regularly feature guest speakers from industry. Tutorials develop skills in the use of quantitative techniques for problem solving and data analysis. A number of courses use case studies as an integral part of teaching. There is active engagement with outside speakers including academics and non academics and there is a one day applied marketing research simulation. Throughout the programme, discussion with staff and with other students is a key element in student learning. The programme encourages independent learning and critical thinking. Students are expected to read extensively on each topic and develop informed opinions on the issues discussed. 4

5 In semester 1, the four core courses are taught in intensive, sequential blocks. This mode of delivery allows immersion in one subject at a time and encourages in-depth study of each area. Each course is designed to complement and build upon preceding courses. In semester 2, students choose four courses from the range of options available to study. Option courses are taught concurrently throughout the semester and develop concepts introduced in the core courses. Each course has multiple opportunities for formative feedback and these are explained in the course information circulated at the beginning of the course. During the summer, students complete a dissertation. The dissertation is the largest single piece of work on the programme, where students have the opportunity to demonstrate the skills learnt in the taught modules and to focus in depth on an area of particular interest. 14) Assessment Methods and Strategies The Business School utilises a diverse range of assessment methods and often takes the form of formative work which provides the student with on-going feedback as well as summative assessment which is submitted for credit. The main forms of assessment include written examinations, individual and group reports and essays, poster presentations, as well as oral presentations. In several courses formative assessment is provided in the form of verbal or written feedback on presentations and in-class discussions. Summative assessment includes individual and group work and more traditional methods such as examinations, essays, reports and the final dissertation. Group research projects involve researching specific topics within marketing and business analysis, writing reports, delivering oral presentations and engaging in question and answer sessions as part of the feedback. Both individual and group reports are utilised across different parts of the programme assessing both theoretical and more applied aspects of the disciplines. The majority of courses involve a written examination. 15) Career Opportunities The School offers two marketing programmes. The MSc in Marketing provides students with the qualifications and expertise to secure roles in marketing, sales or public relations, and MSc in Marketing and Business Analysis offers a more quantitative approach to marketing. Around one fifth of graduates find work in the IT and Telecoms sector, and nearly a quarter are split across the Food and Drinks industry and Media. There is a very wide spread of sectors in which our graduates find work, and employers include Angus Dundee Distillers, Skyscanner, Deloitte and Samsung. 16) Other Items In terms of pastoral care and student support, all students are assigned a Director of Studies. The DoS s function is to monitor your progress and provide advice on course choices. In addition, the DoS will be a MSc student s first line of pastoral support and advice for any other academic or personal issues which may arise whilst on the MSc Programme. Course teaching will be based in the University of Edinburgh Business School, 29 Buccleuch Place. In addition to 8 lecture rooms of varying size, the School offers sixteen syndicate rooms all with a dedicated PC and laptop hook-up and equipped with Smartboards or large LCD displays. Syndicate rooms are accessed by proximity card, are bookable in advance and have audio enhancement for 5

6 hearing impaired. We offer two computing rooms and a computer teaching laboratory. The School hosts its own library and business information resources centre (The Hub), open from The associated website supports all the postgraduate courses taught at the School and provides extensive access to a wide range of electronic business information, business research databases and on-line journals. Access to the vast majority of these services is also available to students and staff from their place of work for part-time students and at home world-wide. The portal gives access through the intranet to a comprehensive collection of electronic links, including many specialized subscribed databases. MSc students are allowed 24-hour access to the labs and syndicate rooms in 29 Buccleuch Place. More detailed information can be obtained from the Programme Director Prof Tom Archibald, University of Edinburgh Business School, 29 Buccleuch Place, Edinburgh, EH8 9JS, Scotland, United Kingdom. office+marketingba@business-school.ed.ac.uk. 6