Overview
Marketing has the potential to make a positive impact on almost every aspect of an organisation – from corporate reputation and company brand to advertising, sales, market research and new product development.
This final year top-up course, is aimed at students from outside the UK with a business and marketing background. The course enables you to top-up your existing qualification to a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) degree. Studied full-time over one year, it is focused on marketing from a strategic perspective and in an international context. Incorporating Language modules, it aims to improve your critical thinking, problem solving and language skills, while deepening your understanding of marketing and its integration into corporate strategy and structure.
Coventry University has been ranked 15th best in the UK for ‘Business, Management and Marketing’ in the Guardian University Guide 2020, showcasing the quality of our courses in this area.
Why Coventry University?
An award-winning university, we are committed to providing our students with the best possible experience. We continue to invest in both our facilities and our innovative approach to education. Our students benefit from industry-relevant teaching, and resources and support designed to help them succeed. These range from our modern library and computing facilities to dedicated careers advice and our impressive Students’ Union activities.
Global ready
An international outlook, with global opportunitiesEmployability
Career-ready graduates, with the skills to succeedTeaching Excellence
Taught by lecturers who are experts in their fieldCourse essentials
A degree which offers you more, at no extra costOur Facilities
Course information
The study of marketing is grounded in understanding customer needs, the environment that a company is operating within, the competitors and their offerings and then developing the most appropriate marketing mix to satisfy customer needs profitably.
This one-year course is designed to enhance your existing knowledge, skills and capabilities to respond proactively and creatively to contemporary issues in international marketing within an increasingly global marketplace.
Using real-life case studies and practical exercises, we will reflect on marketing thought and practice across the globe, analysing and discussing key managerial decisions on formulating and executing global marketing activities. In recent workshops, we have discussed the impact of Brexit and how UK companies will do business with emerging markets.
You will have the opportunity to apply this marketing knowledge to international business situations, considering areas such as international trade and export, intercultural business communications and global diversity in business practice, ethics and culture.
This is a purposefully flexible course, which you can tailor to suit your interests, background or career aspirations.
Course Specification
Download PDF
Modules
We regularly review our course content, to make it relevant and current for the benefit of our students. For these reasons, course modules may be updated.
We are ranked as the 15th best University in the United Kingdom
Guardian University Guide 2020
In more detail...
Preparing you for a variety of careers in marketing or general business management, this top-up course aims to boost your career prospects by achieving a globally recognised Bachelor’s degree at one of the UK’s leading universities for the study of marketing.
Our teaching emphasises the holistic nature of marketing. We reinforce the core principles and functional elements of business, marketing and advertising, moving you towards more strategic practice in relation to analysis and evaluation, problem solving and creative solutions. You should also develop your proficiency in English, as you will have the opportunity to study specific English for Business modules – helping to set you apart from other graduates.
Combining theory and practice, this course benefits from a focus on global marketing strategy. You will have the chance to study two core modules, Corporate Marketing Strategy and Global Marketing, to give you this international focus. Optional modules provide the opportunity to undertake more in-depth study of areas of interest to you, such as Globalisation in Emerging Markets, Branding and Corporate Communications or Services and Retail Marketing.
As experienced practitioners, many of our staff have spent time in industry prior to joining academia, in roles such as marketing executives, managers and directors of private and public sector organisations. Many are recognised both nationally and internationally in their respective fields of specialism, publishing their research in the highest quality academic journals, including Journal of Marketing Management, Journal of Business Research, Psychology and Marketing and Journal of Consumer Behaviour to name but a few.
To monitor emerging sector trends and challenges, there is a high degree of practitioner input. Guest speakers from industry are frequently invited to give talks about their experiences, which in recent years, has included speakers from McCann Erickson, ITV Studios, Millward Brown, Marstons and the Mixed Reality Studio among others.
- Research-inspired teaching from staff who are active in the areas of branding and guest speakers such as BrandZ Global Director and esteemed visiting professors.
- Excellent industry links with companies including IBM, Microsoft, Hewlett Packard, Procter and Gamble, L'Oreal, Warner Brothers, 3M, BMW, Disney, Rolls Royce and Peugeot.
- Use of state-of-the art digital communications lab – the DigiComm Lab. This is equipped with industry-standard software, including Adobe Comp, Adobe Slate, Adobe Voice, Behance, WordPress and social media platforms.
- Industry field trips, with past examples taking place at Jaguar Land Rover and Cadbury’s factory and exhibition tour, as well as visiting professional exhibitions, such as the Digital Marketing Show (note that additional costs may apply).
Coventry University has been ranked 15th best in the UK for ‘Business, Management and Marketing’ in The Guardian University Guide 2020.
Your main study themes are:
- Global marketing: Aims to provide a wide ranging and contemporary perspective of the international marketplace and the strategic issues involved in marketing across countries and cultures. While the major focus is deliberately global, some coverage of European and other trade blocs (i.e. emerging economies) will be afforded through case study sessions and assignment work.
- Corporate marketing strategy: Builds on previous knowledge and understanding of marketing, you will consider strategic decision making and the various marketing concepts designed to help achieve competitive advantage. Skills can be developed in the areas of planning, decision making and analysis. We will also examine new and evolving areas of marketing strategy, including corporate social responsibility and the contribution of digital networks to the marketing function.
This course is available on a one-year full-time basis only.
Theory and practice-based lectures and seminars aim to develop your knowledge of a range of marketing topics, supported by a suite of industry-based software and hardware. Learning and teaching incorporates lectures, seminars, tutorials, presentations, projects, workshops, simulation games and practical DigiComm Lab sessions, where you can use web design software, practice web platforms and blogging techniques to develop your skills in manipulating new media for marketing and advertising applications.
Many aspects of marketing and advertising involve creativity and innovation, so we encourage you to develop and utilise your creative skills. For example, you will have the opportunity to work with advertising briefs adapted from the D&AD Awards which require you to produce creative solutions to real situations faced by actual organisations. During simulation games, we replicate markets so that you can plan and strategise in a dynamic and competitive environment.
We have regular guest lectures by marketing professionals from industry and academia. Marketing topics covered by recent guest speakers have included McCann Erickson’s PR Account Director on a day in the life of an advertising agency, and ITV Global Studios’ Marketing Director on working in TV and working towards your dream job.
In addition, as a student of Coventry Business School, you will have access to a Progress Coach, who will be able to support your academic progress through drop-in sessions or one-to-one meetings.
This course will be assessed using a variety of methods which will could vary depending upon the module. Assessment methods include formal examinations, coursework and presentations.
The Coventry University Group assessment strategy ensures that our courses are fairly assessed and allows us to monitor student progression towards the achieving the intended learning outcomes. Assessments may include exams, individual assignments or group work elements.
On successful completion, you should be able to:
- Critically apply the principles of marketing in an international context.
- Demonstrate knowledge and a critical understanding of how international organisations develop marketing strategy in response to a challenging international business and ethically demanding environment.
- Identify and apply appropriate marketing information and research techniques to support marketing decision-making.
- Work effectively using critical thinking to solve complex international marketing problems.
- Show a professional level of transferable practical and digital skills to resolve a range of international business and marketing challenges.
- Act as independent learners, communicate to an audience effectively in a variety of different electronic formats to demonstrate effective interpersonal skills to work in a team.
We set out below the typical teaching contact hours that you will receive on this course. Teaching contact hours will vary in different semesters and years of study and may vary due to module selection. In addition to the contact hours below, we offer the opportunity to attend additional optional sessions, including sessions with the Faculty’s progress coaches, or to meet with staff during their advice and feedback hours.
Within your first and second year, you will have 12 contact hours of teaching a week which includes:
- Medium group teaching: 8 hours of seminars or workshops per week
- Large group teaching: 4 hours of lectures each week.
In your final year, if you are undertaking a project/dissertation, there is a greater emphasis placed on independent study and therefore total contact hours may be reduced.
In addition, you will be expected to undertake a significant amount of self-directed reading, studying and revising in your own time each week.
You will have the opportunity to gain an international experience in many ways. Coventry is a multicultural university, so our diverse student and staff body helps to facilitate a multicultural learning environment in which you will share experiences with staff and students from many different countries. However, the fundamental nature of this course is international in its outlook, drawing on marketing and business best practice from around the world.
We have long-running partnerships with KH Leuven in Belgium, School for Higher and Professional Education (SHAPE) in Hong Kong and PSB Academy in Singapore. We run a number of collaborative Online International Learning (OIL) projects on the course, which can enable you to work with students across the world on a live project tackling a specific marketing challenge in global virtual and multicultural teams. In the past, students have worked with peers in the USA, South America, India and many European countries undertaking business challenges as part of the international X-Culture competition.
Global ready
Did you know we help more students travel internationally than any other UK university according to data from the experts in higher education data and analysis, HESA?
In 2016/17, we were able to provide a total of 3,482 experiences abroad that lasted at least five days.
Much of this travel is made possible through our Global Leaders Programme, which enables students to prepare for the challenges of the global employment market, as well as strengthening and developing their broader personal and professional skills.
1st for
international experiences
Sending more students overseas than any other UK uni (HESA 2016/17)
3,482
Student experiences
The number of student trips abroad for at least 5 days in 2016/17
21,000
and counting
The number of students we’ve helped travel internationally so far
12
global programmes
As well as trips, we offer other opportunities like language courses
Entry Requirements
Tuition Fees
We pride ourselves on offering competitive tuition fees which we review on an annual basis and offer a wide range of scholarships to support students with their studies. Course fees are calculated on the basis of what it costs to teach each course and we aim for total financial transparency.
For more information, please visit our Finance pages.
EU student fees
EU nationals and their family members starting in the 2019/20 academic year remain eligible for the same fees as home students and the same financial support. Financial support comes from Student Finance England, and covers undergraduate and postgraduate study for the duration of their course, providing they meet the residency requirement.
For tuition fee loans
EU nationals must have resided in the European Economic Area (EEA) or Switzerland for the three years prior to the start of their course. The purpose of that three year residency should not have been mainly for the purpose of receiving full time education.
For maintenance loans
EU nationals must have resided in the UK and Islands for the five years prior to the start of their course. The purpose of that five year residency should not have been mainly for the purpose of receiving full time education.
Career prospects
On successful completion of this course, you should be equipped with the required knowledge and skills necessary to pursue careers in marketing, advertising and digital marketing, as well as more general roles in business analysis, project management or sales management.
Coventry University is committed to preparing you for your future career and giving you a competitive edge in the graduate job market. The University's Careers and Employability team provide a wide range of support services to help you plan and prepare for your career.
Where our graduates work
Our Marketing graduates have gone on to a range of careers in Marketing, Advertising, PR, Brand management, Marketing Research, Digital Marketing, sales and general management with a wide range of large and small organisations such as IBM, Hewlett Packard, Rolls Royce, Procter and Gamble, Jaguar Land Rover, Silverstone, McCann Erickson, Volkswagen, South African Airlines, Millward Brown, Chime Communications. Other students have gone on to postgraduate academic study.
Disclaimer
By accepting your offer of a place and enrolling with us, a Student Contract will be formed between you and the university. A copy of the 19/20 Contract can be found here. The Contract details your rights and the obligations you will be bound by during your time as a student and contains the obligations that the university will owe to you. You should read the Contract before you accept an offer of a place and before you enrol at the university.
The university will charge the tuition fees that are stated on the course webpage and in the prospectus for the first year of study. The university will review tuition fees each year. For UK and EU students, if Parliament permit an increase in tuition fees, the university may increase fees for each subsequent year of study in line with any such changes. Note that any increase is expected to be in line with inflation. Following the UK’s planned exit from the European Union, EU students should be aware that there may be a change to UK laws following the UK’s exit from the European Union, this may change their student status, their eligibility to study part time, and/or their eligibility for student finance. Coventry University will act in accordance with the UK’s laws in force in relation to student tuition fees and finance at that time. For international students, the university may increase fees for each subsequent year of study but such increases will be no more than 5% above inflation.
Graduate Immigration Route visa – Based on current information from the UK Government, students whose study extends beyond summer 2021 may be eligible for a visa under the UK Government’s Graduate Immigration Route, which will enable students to stay and work, or look for work, in the UK at any skill level for up to two (2) years. Check the most up to date guidance available to check your eligibility and any updates from the UK Government before making an application or enrolment decision.
