BSc Management (International Business Economics) with Industrial/Professional Experience

This course builds on students’ marketing knowledge from previous courses with a specific focus on marketing communications and the digital environment. The course will introduce students to a diverse range of marketing communications tools and encourage students to critically consider their application in the digital environment. Academic understanding will be supported by practical application through the use of case studies and a practice-oriented assessment task.

Available as option for BSc Mgt/Mgt Specialism, ITMB, IM and IMABS. Core for BSc Management with Marketing Specialism and BSc ITMB with Marketing Specialism.

Available as option for BSc Mgt/Mgt Specialism, ITMB, and IM. Core for BSc Management with Marketing Specialism.

 

The course introduces students to the role and importance of marketing communications in the contemporary marketing landscape. This involves a focus on digital communications tools alongside offline marketing communications tools, at both the strategic and tactical/operational level.

Students will develop a critical understanding of how and when academic models and theories do and do not apply in practice and will thus be encouraged to demonstrate a reflective approach to the study of marketing communications in the digital age.   

In addition to domain knowledge of marketing communications, with its many implications for understanding the commercially infused world we all live in, students will be asked to develop their critical thinking skills for analysing the likely effectiveness of different communications methods. These will create a useful foundation for any students who go on to work as a marketing communications professional, or who have to help organizations with communications work. 
 

•    Integrated marketing communications (IMC) and branding
•    Competitive Market Analysis in the Digital Age
•    IMC campaign planning
•    IMC in the digital age: practitioner’s perspective
•    Theories of communications
•    Marketing Communications Mix 
      o    Advertising
      o    Social Media and user generated media 
      o    Search engine optimisation (SEO)
      o    Public Relations
      o    Sponsorship
      o    Direct marketing
      o    Sales promotions
•    Media planning and evaluation

 

Lectures: 22 (Includes a drop-in assignment clinic)

Workshops: 10 - Practical key skills in applied contexts.

Independent study hours 168

Methods of delivery: lectures and workshops. Additional, supporting materials (e.g. links to My Learning Essentials workshops/online resources) will be signposted on Canvas each week.

 

• Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the contemporary marketing communications environment, including the opportunities and challenges posed by digital technologies. 
• Describe the strategic value of a range of marketing communications tools and demonstrate how they can be integrated to produce an effective marketing communications campaign. 

• Reflect on the learning experience of developing an integrated marketing communications campaign plan 

• Evaluate given marketing communications situations and apply knowledge of a range of integrated marketing communications theories to suggest creative and feasible solutions. 

• Be able to develop an integrated marketing communications plan.
• Communicate academic and applied knowledge, concepts and ideas professionally and creatively.  

Formative Assessment Task

Bullet point outline of plan for group project.

Informal feedback in workshops – Class activities.

Summative Assessment Task

1) 40% group coursework.

Peer scoring will be used in severe cases of group non-contribution to a maximum of +/- 20% of marks and will not exceed 20% of marks 

2) 60% individual coursework

Please note that this assessment requires AI use as part of the assessed task (Category D: AI-integrated).

 

 

•    Informal formative feedback and discussion during lectures and workshops.
•    Summative feedback on group and individual assignment
•    Responses to student questions via Canvas, padlet and emails.
•    Formative feedback provided on tasks provided outside of lectures and workshops

The following set texts are proposed for core reading each week, in addition to a reading list of journal articles:

• Pelsmacker, P. de, Geuens, M. and Bergh, J. van den. (2018). Marketing communications: a European perspective. Sixth edition. Harlow, England: Pearson.
• Smith, P.R. and Zook, Ze. (2020) Marketing Communications: Integrating online and offline, customer engagement and digital technologies. 7th Edition, Kogan Page.
• Chaffey, D. & Ellis-Chadwick, F. (2019). Digital Marketing: Strategy, Implementation & Practice, 7th Edition, Pearson. 

Other staff involved: Dr Giselle Bate and guest speakers from industry as appropriate.
Pre-requisites: BMAN10101 Principles of Marketing
Co-requisites: None
Dependent courses: None
Programme Restrictions:
BSc Management/Management (Specialisms)
BSc International Management
BSc ITMB
Core: BSc Management (Marketing)

Please note: AI forms part of the assessment method for this course unit.  For more information, please see: AI in Teaching and Learning Policy

Tuition fees for home students commencing their studies in September 2027 will be £10,050 per annum. Tuition fees for international students will be £35,300 per annum.

For general information please see the undergraduate finance pages.

You will receive a significant tuition fee discount for the placement year. UK students with a household income of up to £35,000 are also eligible to receive a  cash bursary  worth up to £2,000.

All students should normally be able to complete their programme of study without incurring additional study costs over and above the tuition fee for that programme

All students should normally be able to complete their programme of study without incurring additional study costs over and above the tuition fee for that programme. Any unavoidable additional compulsory costs totalling more than 1% of the annual home undergraduate fee per annum, regardless of whether the programme in question is undergraduate or postgraduate taught, will be made clear to you at the point of application. Further information can be found in the University's Policy on additional costs incurred by students on undergraduate and postgraduate taught programmes (PDF document, 91KB).

We know that student finance can be complicated. The links below provide further information to help guide you.

Learn more about student finance options for UK students.

Learn more about fees and finance for international students.

As an international student you may be eligible for our Global Futures Scholarships . This is open to students starting their studies in September 2027.