A group of marketing students looking at open book, sitting at table talking.

Available with:

  • Foundation Year

  • Placement Year

Accreditations

The Chartered Institute of Marketing

Course Summary

Your marketing future starts here! This course brings marketing to life with inspiring, real-world experiences, and is accredited by the Chartered Institute of Marketing. Whilst studying on this course, you can develop into an outstanding business professional and discover a career you love.

It’s a dynamic, competitive world for marketers today, so we will equip you with much more than marketing knowledge. Your future employers are seeking all the skills that we develop with you from day one, and when you graduate you will leave with valuable hands-on experience that will give you an edge at interview and in the workplace.

In your first year you will gain an understanding of marketing in a real-life context along with essential digital marketing skills, and management awareness in areas such as finance, people and organisations. In year two, you will use this marketing knowledge to make key decisions, consider the different ways businesses operate around the world, and start to shape your career path by choosing placements that suit your personal interests and ambitions. In your final year you will carry out an original supervised research project into a subject of your choosing whilst completing a module designed to maximise your individual professional success.

Everything you study will be anchored to today’s business world. You will be looking at small local businesses right through to the leading brands, as well as new trends in key marketing areas such customer behaviour and digital communications.

Why You'll Love It

Marketing at the University of Chester

Marketing at the University of Chester

What Our Students Think

What You'll Study

The Business and Management Foundation Year area provides a comprehensive suite of topics directly related with business environments. You will be introduced to core areas such as business functions, leadership, management, ethics, marketing, organisational structures, and finance. The Foundation Year ensures you are able to engage with the fundamentals of how businesses operate.

MODULES

  • Term 1: Introduction to Business Principles and Skills
  • Term 2: Essentials of Marketing
  • Term 3: Business in a Global World

The information listed in this section is an overview of the academic content of the course that will take the form of either core or option modules and should be used as a guide. We review the content of our courses regularly, making changes where necessary to improve your experience and graduate prospects. If during a review process, course content is significantly changed, we will contact you to notify you of these changes if you receive an offer from us.

This course shares a common first year with students on the digital marketing course.

This means that you’ll learn alongside students studying a similar discipline, helping to broaden your knowledge and exposure to other concepts, perspectives and professions in the first year of your degree.

As you learn and collaborate with students from other courses, you'll not only widen your social and professional network but also learn new skills that will set you up for success in your industry. 

In Year 1, you are introduced to principles of both marketing and digital marketing and explore these in a practical context.

Modules

This module will introduce you to the fundamentals of marketing and core digital marketing principles. You will consider how markets are segmented and targeted and how consumers make decisions. This will lead to a focus on the marketing mix and the digital landscape. You will also consider how marketing concepts are applied in a digital context and will then apply these concepts and techniques to a live project.

This module expands your knowledge from the Practical Marketing Module. You will deepen your understanding of how the marketing mix applies in practical and digital contexts. You will appreciate how current and emerging digital marketing practice influences overall marketing approaches.

This will be delivered through a marketing simulation (i.e. MyMarketingExperience) in order to provide a real-world scenario to apply your knowledge.

In this module, you will gain deeper insight into current marketing issues and practices, as well as exploring key themes that are evolving within the industry.

This module aims to broaden your marketing knowledge and practical skills to help you move up to Level 5 study and shape your career aspirations. Topics may include but are not limited to sustainability and ethics, consumer insights, global marketing, AI in marketing, and digital disruption. In addition we will build on your academic skills and practice as part of your step-up to Level 5.

The module focuses on contemporary soft skills and enables students to develop a modern marketing mindset, making you an asset to any marketing team. You will draw upon the diverse strands of knowledge you have accumulated on your programme to this point, resulting in a holistic understanding of your chosen discipline.

This module will be informed by employers and marketing professionals, professional bodies such as the Chartered Institute of Marketing, and publications such as Skills for the Modern Marketing (Econsultancy). Content will vary depending on industry requirements.

You will develop key skills the industry requires, including but not limited to creative thinking and creative media. Module content will encourage curiosity and confidence when applying marketing-specific skills.

The information listed in this section is an overview of the academic content of the course that will take the form of either core or option modules and should be used as a guide. We review the content of our courses regularly, making changes where necessary to improve your experience and graduate prospects. If during a review process, course content is significantly changed, we will contact you to notify you of these changes if you receive an offer from us.

In your second and third years, you will progress to studying more specialist modules within marketing, developing your skills to become a world-ready graduate.

Year 2 builds upon this foundation with more complex learning that covers themes such as consumer behaviour, international marketing and exploring the customer journey from a practical and digital perspective.

Optional Placement Year (4-year programme) offers the chance to either study abroad or carry out a year’s paid employment. Undertaking a placement further enhances your employability.

Modules

This module focuses on consumer behaviour and customer relationship building in the service economy. The module will develop your critical understanding of the decision-making process, and how the role of digital tools are vital in influencing the customer journey.

You will explore a range of influences on buying decisions, including internal, group and cultural influences, and how broader societal factors inform decision-making. You will also consider the role of marketing and digital marketing in enhancing customer experience and how firms can generate brand loyalty.

On this module you will explore marketing principles within a global context. You will develop an appreciation of a range of cultural contexts and understand the differing needs of a variety of consumers across the globe. You will explore the cultural issues that affect an international marketing programme and the adaptations that need to be made in order to effectively reach the target consumer. You will then be able to understand and develop the appropriate strategies available to organisations when implementing  marketing campaigns within global markets.

This module focuses on social media campaign planning and approaches to successfully engaging audiences through social media channels.

This may include an exploration of social media marketing as a crucial component of broader marketing communications strategies; content creation for user engagement; methods for ensuring consistency across various digital touchpoints to strengthen brand presence; an overview of legal/regulatory considerations for social media marketers and an introduction to social media metrics for measuring campaign performance.

The People Management module will provide students with a comprehensive understanding of key human resource management (HRM) principles and practices, particularly in the context of contemporary organisations.

Students will gain a solid foundation in upholding the standards and ethical behaviours outlined in the CIPD Code of Professional Conduct, ensuring that they develop a professional approach to people management. It will deepen their knowledge of HRM functions, allowing them to recognise and carry out critical activities such as resourcing, retention, reward management, employee engagement, and supporting the employment relationship.

Throughout the module, students will engage with both theoretical and practical aspects of people management. They will be encouraged to evaluate and improve the techniques used in managing people in the workplace, developing critical thinking and problem-solving skills. Real-world application of academic concepts will be a key focus, with students exploring case studies and presenting solutions to practical HR challenges.

Assessments will allow students to demonstrate their grasp of HRM concepts and their ability to apply them to real-life scenarios.

This module will enhance your employability through experiential learning. This may be achieved through live marketing projects and collaboration with various organisations. You will develop a real-life appreciation of a range of activities carried out by marketing professionals. This may include market research, social media marketing, brand development and communications planning.

You will also refine your transferable skills to maximise your work readiness and employability prospects within the marketing industry, develop your graduate-level employment skills and appreciate the importance of life-long learning.

This module will allow you to network, build organisational relationships and gain valuable insights about the marketing industry.

This module provides a structured, university-level work placement for 5 weeks as one continuous block/period with a placement provider (i.e. a local employer from the private, public, or charitable sector). It is designed to enhance your professional skills in a real-world job setting.

The placement can either be organised by you or with support from university staff.

All work placements within this module must be university-level; this means:

  • Undertaking high-skilled work commensurate with level 5 study (e.g. report writing, attending meetings, delivering presentations, producing spreadsheets, writing content on webpages, social media, marketing services/products etc)
  • Physically placed (albeit part of it can be hybrid) within an employer setting in one continuous block / period for 5 weeks for a minimum of 140-147 hours over the course of the entire work placement
  • Where applicable, your existing part-time employer can be approached/used as the placement provider, if the high-skilled work criterion above is fulfilled for the full duration of the placement
  • All quality assurances/agreements provided by the University are adhered to, by you and the employer

The work placement context may not necessarily, reflect your degree discipline per se, but rather, it will give you an enriched experience to enhance your professional skills in a real-world job setting.

The information listed in this section is an overview of the academic content of the course that will take the form of either core or option modules and should be used as a guide. We review the content of our courses regularly, making changes where necessary to improve your experience and graduate prospects. If during a review process, course content is significantly changed, we will contact you to notify you of these changes if you receive an offer from us.

In Year 3 you will tackle larger-scale projects to develop key marketing/digital marketing specialisms. Themes such as branding, digital communications and strategic marketing will be the focus of your final year.

Modules

This modules provides a comprehensive knowledge strategic marketing planning and management process. It will develop a critical perspective of the various strategic marketing approaches and models available and will enable you to implement them within an organisational context, with a view to creating a sustainable competitive advantage.

Digital technologies and concepts will be analysed to consider how this might feed into the strategic marketing process. You will also explore contemporary marketing issues and critically evaluate their impact on the discipline of marketing.

The module offers a critical understanding of branding and it's creative and managerial role in the marketplace. It will offer a holistic approach to branding, moving away from a simple concept of visual identity to developing a brand experience as part of the customer journey, thus considering internal branding as a key aspect of brand delivery.

It will provide a strategic skillset to grow and maintain brands in a sustainable and ethical manner, whilst at the same time focusing on way to enhance brand image and identity.

The module will encourage you to think in a more creative way towards brand building and development as well as offering a strategic focus.

The module offers a critical understanding of branding and it's creative and managerial role in the marketplace. It will offer a holistic approach to branding, moving away from a simple concept of visual identity to developing a brand experience as part of the customer journey, thus considering internal branding as a key aspect of brand delivery.

It will provide a strategic skillset to grow and maintain brands in a sustainable and ethical manner, whilst at the same time focusing on way to enhance brand image and identity.

The module will encourage you to think in a more creative way towards brand building and development as well as offering a strategic focus.

This module develops student knowledge of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDGs) in the context of Marketing.

Students will examine the relationship between marketing and sustainability and identify the challenges that sustainable development presents to marketing practice.

Students will evaluate sustainable marketing frameworks, sustainable consumer behaviour and alternative consumption (e.g. the sharing economy) by examining academic theory and contemporary marketing practice, developing sustainability marketing knowledge and skills that equip marketing professionals for the challenges of the 21st Century.

This module will explore emerging and disruptive trends in digital marketing. Module content will be informed by the most current issues and debates within the industry. Topics may include the role of Artificial Intelligence in marketing, content marketing trends, misinformation, developments in digital retail, and regulatory considerations such as data management and advertising standards.

Learners will develop an in-depth appreciation of the current digital landscape to prepare them as graduates for evolving industry standards and expectations.

The module is designed to enable students to develop and apply business research and analytical skills that will enhance their employability and rapid progression to management positions in the workplace. It requires them to: 

  • Undertake a research project that is 'scoped and framed' within a required degree programme of study.
  • Design and conduct appropriate in-depth research in an elected area of study.
  • Acquire, consolidate and apply theoretical knowledge, methodologies, and research approaches in a ‘real world’ environment.
  • Develop and utilise skills in critical investigation; analysis and synthesis of evidence; reflection and autonomous learning.

This is a self-directed module which enables and empowers students to initiate and develop their own project concept appropriate to their discipline of study.

Students within their final year of studies are very focused on their ultimate work aspirations, and this module aids them to gain 'graduate trajectory' and enable them to better move into their chosen profession/industry as seamlessly as possible upon graduation.

After the initial lectures setting out the style and scope of the module and opportunities, students decide on the content of their project and assessment (co-creation), and pitch this to staff by way of an initial project proposal.

Students then receive tutorial support and supervision throughout the year and agree the form that their final assessment will take. Students are encouraged to work with other stakeholders (internally or externally) where appropriate in the developing the project or work.

This module should be advantageous for graduates seeking employment in any industry. For non-project managers to develop knowledge of the concepts, processes, tools and competencies for managing projects and be able to apply these in real life situations in any industry and job role. Module should enable students to acquire up to date knowledge on Project Management in a modern workplace, specifically looking at what makes projects successful and why they fail.

The information listed in this section is an overview of the academic content of the course that will take the form of either core or option modules and should be used as a guide. We review the content of our courses regularly, making changes where necessary to improve your experience and graduate prospects. If during a review process, course content is significantly changed, we will contact you to notify you of these changes if you receive an offer from us.

How You'll Learn

This course is delivered in three terms of ten weeks each. In each term, you will study 40 credits comprised of one or two modules. Scheduled contact hours range between approximately six and ten hours per week depending upon the level of study and the complexity of the material being taught.

If studied, the Foundation Year, as with the following years of study, will be taught in three 10-week blocks across an academic year. Each block will comprise of a large 40-credit subject-specific module that includes a breadth of topics and subject skills. You will have on average 12-14 hours of contact time per week during the Foundation Year. There may be variations to this where subject practical or specialist space teaching is included.

This course is delivered through a mix of in-person lectures and workshops and marketing simulations.

You should expect to spend an average of 20 hours per week on independent study which might include following asynchronous learning material on the University’s VLE, tutorial time with staff, using the University’s library, working with peers and preparing work for assessment.

Teaching will be delivered by experienced academics and practitioners in the subject. This will be supplemented by guest lecturers and speakers, as well as field visits where appropriate.

There will be a broad range of assessment methods used throughout the programme so that you are exposed to the different types of tasks you might encounter in the workplace.

These will include coursework in the form of reports, portfolios of work, simulation activities, presentations (such as pitches and debates, peer assessment, reflective reviews, and evaluation reports. In some modules, you will encounter class tests and practical assessments. We continuously review the assessment methods used in order that they adequately prepare students for graduate-level employment.

All teaching is delivered by experienced academics and practitioners, with the fundamental principles of the Chester Future Skills Curriculum at its core - building your subject competence, confidence, and key transferable skills to shape you into a world-ready Chester graduate.

Study a Common First Year

This course shares a common first year with students on the digital marketing course.

This means that you’ll learn alongside students studying a similar discipline, helping to broaden your knowledge and exposure to other concepts, perspectives and professions in the first year of your degree.

As you learn and collaborate with students from other courses, you'll not only widen your social and professional network but also learn new skills that will set you up for success in your industry.

In your second and third years, you will progress to studying more specialist modules within marketing, developing your skills to become a World Ready graduate.

Entry Requirements

112UCAS points

UCAS Tariff

112 points

GCE A Level

Typical offer – BCC-BBC

BTEC

BTEC Extended Diploma: DMM

International Baccalaureate

28 points

Irish / Scottish Highers

Irish Highers - H3 H3 H3 H3 H4

Scottish Highers - BBBB

Access requirements

Access to HE Diploma, to include 45 credits at level 3, of which 30 must be at Merit or above

T Level

Merit

OCR Cambridge Technicals

OCR Extended Diploma: DMM

Extra Information

Welsh Baccalaureate Advanced and A level General Studies will be recognised in our offer. We will also consider a combination of A Levels and BTECs/OCRs.

Students from countries outside the UK are expected to have entry qualifications roughly equivalent to UK A Level for undergraduate study and British Bachelor's degree (or equivalent) for postgraduate study. To help you to interpret these equivalents, please click on your country of residence to see the corresponding entry qualifications, along with information about your local representatives, events, information and contacts.

We accept a wide range of qualifications and consider all applications individually on merit. We may also consider appropriate work experience.

English Language Requirements

  • IELTS Academic: Undergraduate: 6.0 (minimum 5.5 in each band)
  • Postgraduate: 6.5 (minimum 5.5 in each band)

For more information on our entry requirements, please visit International Entry Requirements.

72UCAS points

UCAS Tariff

72 points

GCE A level

72 points overall, including grade D in A level

BTEC

BTEC Extended Diploma: MMP

International Baccalaureate

24 points

Irish / Scottish Highers

Irish Highers: H4 H4 H4 H4 H4

Scottish Highers: CCDD

Access requirements

Access to HE Diploma – Pass overall

T Level

T Level: Pass (D or E on the core)

OCR Cambridge Technicals

OCR Extended Diploma: MMP

Extra Information

Welsh Baccalaureate Advanced and A level General Studies will be recognised in our offer.  We will also consider a combination of A Levels and BTECs/OCRs.

If you are a mature student (21 or over) and have been out of education for a while or do not have experience or qualifications at Level 3 (equivalent to A Levels), then our Foundation Year courses will help you to develop the skills and knowledge you will need to succeed in your chosen degree. 

Fees and Funding

£9,535per year for a full-time course (2025/26)

Our full-time undergraduate tuition fees for Home students entering University in 2025/26 are £9,535 a year, or £1,590 per 20-credit module for part-time study.

You can find more information about undergraduate fees on our Fees and Finance pages.

Students from the UK, Isle of Man, Guernsey, Jersey and the Republic of Ireland are treated as Home students for tuition fee purposes.

Students from countries in the European Economic Area and the EU will pay International Tuition Fees.

Students who have been granted Settled Status may be eligible for Home Fee Status and if eligible will be able to apply for Tuition Fee Loans and Maintenance Loans.

Students who have been granted Pre-settled Status may be eligible for Home Fee Status and if eligible will be able to apply for Tuition Fee Loans.

£14,450*per year for a full-time course (2025/26)

The tuition fees for international students studying Undergraduate programmes in 2025/26 are £14,450 per year for a full-time course. This fee is set for each year of study.

The University of Chester offers generous international and merit-based scholarships, providing a significant reduction to the published headline tuition fee. You will automatically be considered for these scholarships when your application is reviewed, and any award given will be stated on your offer letter.

For courses with a Foundation Year, the tuition fees for Year 1 are £10,750 and £14,200 for Years 2-4 in 2025/26.

For more information, go to our International Fees, Scholarship and Finance section.

Irish Nationals living in the UK or ROI are treated as Home students for Tuition Fee Purposes. 

In November 2024, as part of the government’s Autumn Budget, it was confirmed that some foundation years from September 2025 will have a fee of £5,760 for the first foundation year of a four-year course. This is mainly for courses in the Humanities, Business, and Social Sciences disciplines. The following three years of these courses will be the standard fee of £9,535 per annum.

  Foundation (First) Year Second Year onwards per year
Home Students £5,760 for the first foundation year (2025/26) £9,535 per year from the second year onwards (2025/26)
International Students * £10,750 for the first foundation year (2025/26) £14,450 per year from the second year onwards (2025/26)

* For courses which accept applications from International Students

Your course will involve additional costs not covered by your tuition fees. This may include books, printing, photocopying, educational stationery and related materials, specialist clothing, travel to placements, optional field trips and software. Compulsory field trips are covered by your tuition fees. 

If you are living away from home during your time at university, you will need to cover costs such as accommodation, food, travel and bills.

The University of Chester supports fair access for students who may need additional support through a range of bursaries and scholarships. 

Full details, as well as terms and conditions for all bursaries and scholarships can be found on the Fees and Finance section of our website.

Who You'll Learn From

Jane Martin

Senior Lecturer
Jane Martin

Beth Morris

Senior Lecturer
Beth Morris

Stuart Paul

Programme Leader for MSc Marketing Management
Stuart Paul

Where You'll Study Queen's Park, Chester

Your Future Career

Careers service

The University has an award-winning Careers and Employability service which provides a variety of employability-enhancing experiences; through the curriculum, through employer contact, tailored group sessions, individual information, advice and guidance.

Careers and Employability aims to deliver a service which is inclusive, impartial, welcoming, informed and tailored to your personal goals and aspirations, to enable you to develop as an individual and contribute to the business and community in which you will live and work.

We are here to help you plan your future, make the most of your time at University and to enhance your employability. We provide access to part-time jobs, extra-curricular employability-enhancing workshops and offer practical one-to-one help with career planning, including help with CVs, applications and mock interviews. We also deliver group sessions on career planning within each course and we have a wide range of extensive information covering graduate jobs and postgraduate study.

Enquire about a course