Teaching and Learning
Through working on two major consultancy projects you will develop an understanding of the principles and challenges of consulting in the communications sector and develop skills in facilitation, communication, negotiation, project management, problem-solving, relationship-handling, project leadership and team work. Part of your skills training will take place off campus at the university's Priestley Centre on Lake Coniston in Cumbria.
Your projects will link to real live communication issues facing organisations – evaluating consumer reactions to recent advertising campaigns, developing media plans, evaluating approaches to branding, or developing new web designs. Your performance on your two projects (one group-based and one individual) will be evaluated not just on content but also your professionalism and client relations. Your second project will also form part of your dissertation. You will also have some media skills training as part of the programme.
Employability
Recent graduates from our masters marketing programmes have gone on to work in a wide range of careers in companies such as;
-
Ogilvy & Mather, American Express, Accenture, Whitbread, Beiersdorf, DaimlerChrysler, AstraZeneca, Tesco, AC Nielsen, Cogent Elliot, Cadbury, Mazda Motors, Leo Burnett, Industrial & Commercial Bank of China and Nissan, both in the UK and in their home country for returning international students.
Birmingham Business School recognises the importance of undertaking a postgraduate Business programme for your career development. Finding the right employment afterwards will clearly be an important objective and our aim is to help you to do so.
The Careers in Business team provide a specialist careers support service located in University House for the exclusive use of Business School postgraduates from the departments of Accounting, Management and Marketing.
Career Development Advice
Consultants provide an advice service to help you realise your career objectives. Students and alumni can book one-to-one appointments to discuss their career plans. These appointments commonly focus on:
-
Career Review and Objective-setting
-
Job seeking strategies
-
CV Review or Application Advice
-
Interview and Selection Advice
-
Working in the UK
-
International Work Enquiries
Whilst we cannot provide individual immigration advice, we can signpost you to a range of sources of information and advice.
Careers Events and Workshops
The Careers in Business team runs a wide range of events designed to introduce the methods, styles and skills relevant to job search in the UK and to students seeking to market themselves across the globe. Consultants from the Careers in Business team lead a range of sessions which are supplemented by presentations and workshops led by training consultants, employer representatives and alumni. Coaching sessions are also available, enabling students to focus individually on their development of key skills.
Vacancy and Employer Liaison Services
The Employer Liaison team works with employers to attract relevant opportunities into the School. Vacancies notified to the School are made available to students through the School’s virtual learning environment and the team also provide information and advice about external sources of vacancy information. Careers in Business events supported by employers have included presentations, drop-in sessions, mock interviews and a mock assessment centre.
Careers and Employability Centre
Postgraduate Business School students can also use the Careers and Employablity Centre for vacancy information, presentations and fairs, workshops and the information room. See www.as.bham.ac.uk/careers for further information about services.
View our alumni testimonials
Laura King describes her experience of studying a masters degree in Marketing Communications during her recent graduation.
For more information about studying within the department of marketing at the University of Birmingham Business School, please visit www.birmingham.ac.uk/marketing
Emma Kearsley
The course would have not been what it was without its amazing network of lecturers that went out of their way to help everyone with their work
First degree: My undergraduate degree was Commerce at Birmingham Business School. Because of the wide range of marketing modules I had studied, I was then eligible to study one of the specialist marketing programmes: MSc Marketing Communications.
What enjoyed most about the course: The course allowed me to build on the theory I’d already learnt at an undergraduate level and actually start putting it into practice. However, the course would have not been what it was without its amazing network of lecturers that went out of their way to help everyone with their work…and their careers! I’ve also made friends for life with people from all over the world.
Consultancy projects: I had the fantastic opportunity of doing a consultancy project for Cadbury on social media, which has proved invaluable to both my skill-set and my CV! I now feel confident in my ability to negotiate with and present to clients, which will definitely come in handy when working at an advertising agency.
Future plans: For the third term, the Business School set up an internship for me at the advertising agency Cogent Elliott; where I wrote my dissertation and also experienced account handling duties for 3 months. During this time, I was offered a place on Cogent Elliott’s graduate scheme 2009, so my internship here actually never ended! Without the help of the lecturers, this opportunity would never have been possible.
Key tip for prospective students: Grab every opportunity the course throws at you (But don’t drink too much on the trip to Coniston because they make you get up at 8am the next day to do an obstacle course!)
Nadejda Tatarciuc
I would highly recommend this course to active people, looking for self-development and up-to-date industry knowledge applicable in real-time business environment
If you are looking for quality postgraduate studies in Marketing, MSc Marketing Communications is the right program to choose.
As a Chevening International Scholar, I had the opportunity to choose from many different institutions before applying for an MSc Programme, so I’m happy I was accepted for this particular programme at the University of Birmingham.
MSc Marketing Communications offered a vast array of subjects based on successful merger of theory and practice. We had modules which tested and reinforced our creative abilities (Marketing Communications), analytical skills (Marketing Research), industry knowledge (PR Skills and Practice, Strategic Brand Management, Consultancy Skills) and new trends for marketing mavens (E-Marketing). We also had unforgettable team-building experiences (Coniston Lake trip, Sheffield Arena evening, visit to world-renowned advertising agency in London: Ogilvy & Mather, etc).
Moreover, Consultancy Skills and Practice Module gives the opportunity to get in touch with a real company, so that future Account Executives and Planners will have a chance to experience real client requirements and obviously…deadlines. I got the chance to work for Cadbury Plc. – world-known confectionary company, for our consultancy project. I could implement the knowledge gained during the course-time, new media techniques (the client is always looking for innovative solutions) and certainly visit Cadbury’s World, where “Chocolate comes to life” and where we could actually take part in the manufacturing process (I couldn’t wait to post all photos on Facebook).
Apart from that, I applied for Jaguar Global PR Graduate Placement, being selected for their summer intern for a 3-months period was an unforgettable experience considering company transparency and their willingness to involve a new-coming student into their daily activity. I was literally part of the team, invited on the official global launch of the new flagship model – Jaguar XJ, the event which welcomed guests as: Jay Leno, Elle Macpherson, David Hasselhoff, Sophie Ellis-Bextor etc. Also, as part of my research study I witnessed the 1st digital launch of a luxury car model, being responsible for new media support in the European Markets. The event received global online and offline media coverage for a strategy I could observe in real-time.
I would highly recommend this course to active people, looking for self-development and up-to-date industry knowledge applicable in real-time business environment.