Advertising and Marketing MA | Masters

Overview

Our masters in Advertising and Marketing allows you to gain specialist knowledge in marketing communications and advertising, alongside comprehensive understanding of key areas of marketing such as strategy, consumer behaviour and research.

Taught by specialists with professional experience and research expertise, you’ll gain the skills and knowledge to prepare for a successful career in marketing communications.

The course offers a balanced academic and practical programme, giving you the opportunity to apply your knowledge to genuine business situations. You’ll explore contemporary developments in marketing and marketing communications theory and practice.

Dedicated modules will introduce you to key concepts, frameworks and approaches, whilst equipping you with the skills you need to work in a professional marketing communications or advertising environment. You’ll also select optional modules allowing you to focus on areas that suit your career plans.

Academic excellence

The Marketing division at Leeds University Business School is one of the leading centres of research in marketing in Europe. As part of our research, we engage with companies, senior executives and academics across the globe.

Our research makes an important contribution to your learning on the MA Advertising and Marketing; our academics bring their world-leading expertise to you in the classroom. The Global and Strategic Marketing Research Centre is the Business School’s established and esteemed centre of excellence for scholarly research work.

Accreditation

This programme is accredited by the Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM), giving you the opportunity to gain professional qualifications through CIM Graduate Gateway. This means you can work towards CIM qualifications during your studies, and will receive exemptions from selected assessments.

CIM is the leading professional body for marketers worldwide and exists to develop the marketing profession, maintain professional standards and improve the skills of marketing practitioners.

CIM qualifications are highly sought after by employers, ensuring you are equipped with the best opportunities for a successful marketing career.

Course content

Throughout the year you’ll study core modules covering different aspects of advertising and marketing.

You will build your understanding of the ways in which brands communicate with their audiences with modules in marketing communications and PR and corporate communications. From there you’ll explore theories and practices of different types of advertising, and examine how organisations plan and develop their media strategies in a changing media landscape. In addition you’ll also gain an insight into important functions of marketing which support brand communications.

Optional modules will give you the chance to shape the programme to suit your interests or career plans. You could focus on sales promotion, brand management and other fields such as social media, digital and interactive marketing.

The course culminates in a final project, which allows you to demonstrate the knowledge and skills you’ve gained while focusing on a single topic in-depth. Two options are available – you could complete either a standard research dissertation on a topic of your choice, or a consultancy project, allowing you to work with an external business on a real marketing problem.

Throughout the course you’ll also benefit from a Professional Skills and Employability module, dedicated to developing the key skills employers are looking for when recruiting marketing graduates.

Course structure

The list shown below represents typical modules/components studied and may change from time to time. Read more in our Terms and conditions.

For more information and a full list of typical modules available on this course, please read Advertising and Marketing MA in the course catalogue

Modules

Year 1

Compulsory modules

You’ll take eight compulsory modules, plus your dissertation, which can be either a research dissertation or marketing consultancy project.

Consumer Behaviour 15 credits
Marketing Communications 15 credits
Advertising 15 credits
Global Strategic Marketing 15 credits
Media Planning and Strategy 15 credits
Public Relations and Corporate Communications 15 credits
Marketing Research 15 credits
Professional Skills and Employability 15 credits
Dissertation OR Marketing Consultancy Project 30 credits

Optional modules (selection of typical options shown below)

You’ll also choose two optional modules.

Brand Management and Corporate Identity 15 credits
Sales Promotion and Sponsorship 15 credits
Social Media Marketing 15 credits
Direct, Digital and Interactive Marketing 15 credits

Learning and teaching

We use a range of teaching methods so you can benefit from the expertise of our academics, including lectures, workshops, seminars, simulations and tutorials. Company case studies provide an opportunity to put your learning into practice.

Independent study is also vital for this course allowing you to prepare for taught classes and sharpen your own research and critical skills.

Assessment

Assessment methods emphasise not just knowledge, but essential skills development too. You’ll be assessed using a range of techniques including exams, group projects, written assignments and essays, in-course assessment, group and individual presentations and reports.

Applying, fees and funding

Entry requirements

A Bachelor degree with a 2:1 (hons) or equivalent. This course is primarily aimed at students with a general business or non-business background; however, we do not restrict entry for those who have previously studied marketing.

International qualifications

We accept a range of international equivalent qualifications.

English language requirements

IELTS 6.5 overall, with no less than 6.0 in any component . For other English qualifications, read English language equivalent qualifications.

Improve your English

If you're an international student and you don't meet the English language requirements for this programme, you may be able to study our postgraduate pre-sessional English course, to help improve your English language level.

This pre-sessional course is designed with a progression route to your degree programme and you’ll learn academic English in the context of your subject area. To find out more, read Language for Marketing (6 weeks) and Language for Business: Marketing (10 weeks).

If you need to study for longer than 10 weeks, read more about our postgraduate pre-sessional English course.

How to apply

Application deadline:

We operate a staged admissions process for this course with selection deadlines throughout the year.

If you do not receive an offer in a particular round, you will either be notified that your application has been unsuccessful, or we will carry your application forward to be considered in the next round.

Please see our How to Apply page for full details and the application deadlines for each stage.

Apply

Documents and information you’ll need

A copy of your degree certificate and transcript, or a partial transcript if you’re still studying
Two academic references
A personal statement
An up-to-date CV
Your approved English Language test* (if applicable)
A letter of sponsorship, if you need one.

* Applicants who have not yet completed an approved English language test may apply for a Masters course prior to taking a test.

Read about visas, immigration and other information in International students. We recommend that international students apply as early as possible to ensure that they have time to apply for their visa.

Admissions policy

Leeds University Business School Taught Postgraduate Admissions Policy

Fees

UK/EU: £12,000 (total)
International: £24,500 (total)

Read more about paying fees and charges.

Visit our Brexit page for the latest information on the effect of the UK's exit from the EU on current students and applicants to the University.

For fees information for international taught postgraduate students, read Masters fees.

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Visit our Brexit page for the latest information on the effect of the UK's exit from the EU on current students and applicants to the University.

Additional cost information

There may be additional costs related to your course or programme of study, or related to being a student at the University of Leeds. Read more about additional costs

Scholarships and financial support

We award a range of scholarships to UK, EU and international students. Scholarships are available to candidates who can demonstrate an excellent academic record and show excellent professional and personal skills.

Career opportunities

Graduates of the MA Advertising and Marketing can expect to have a wide and varied range of career opportunities in marketing communications agencies and in-house marketing departments.

Previous graduates have become brand managers, research managers, account executives, business development specialists, sales managers and even started their own businesses. Employers include marketing agencies within the advertising and communications sector, retailers, communications groups, commercial banks, education and recruitment agencies.

An increasing number of graduates are working within the rapidly expanding digital, direct and interactive marketing industry.

Careers support

Our dedicated Professional Development Tutor provides tailored academic and careers support to every student. This means you will develop the academic skills to successfully progress through the course, and also the professional skills you will need to secure employment and start a successful career.

You can expect support and guidance on career choices, help in identifying and applying for jobs, as well as one-to-one coaching on interpersonal and communication skills.