Management and Marketing - MSc
Currently viewing course to start in 2025/26 Entry.
Want to study a Master’s in marketing management in Birmingham? Our MSc Management and Marketing degree is accredited by the Chartered Management Institute (CMI). Our MSc Management and Marketing course teaches you the fundamental skills and attributes you need to become a successful manager and marketer....
- Level Postgraduate Taught
- Study mode Full Time
- Award MSc
- Start date September 2025
- Fees View course fees
- Subjects
- Location City Centre
This course is:
Open to International Students
Overview
Want to study a Master’s in marketing management in Birmingham? Our MSc Management and Marketing degree is accredited by the Chartered Management Institute (CMI).
Our MSc Management and Marketing course teaches you the fundamental skills and attributes you need to become a successful manager and marketer. You will learn how to negotiate the challenges and issues that international businesses face, as well as having the option to learn how to become adept at marketing.
You will experience working in internationally diverse, team-based projects, collaborating to deliver professional reports and presentations as part of module assessments. These assessments will reflect the professional practice of international management. Throughout the course, the course team will give you the support you need to realise your potential and we look forward to working with you to develop your knowledge, understanding and skills for the career of your choice.
Professional Placement option
For our MSc Management and Marketing degree, you will have the opportunity to take the Professional Placement version of the course, which is offered as an alternative to the standard version of the course.
This will allow you to complete a credit bearing, 20 week Professional Placement as an integral part of your Master’s Degree. The purpose of the Professional Placement is to improve your employability and transferable skills. The placement experience will allow you to evidence your professional skills, attitudes and behaviours at the point of entry to the postgraduate job market.
You will be responsible for finding and securing your own placement. The University, however, will draw on its extensive network of local, regional and national employers to support you in finding a suitable placement to complement your chosen area of study, with support from our Careers+ team as well as advice and guidance from your School.
Please note that placements will only be confirmed following a competitive, employer-led selection process, therefore the University will not be able to guarantee placements for students who have registered for the ‘with Professional Placement’ course.
For full details, please click here.
What's covered in this course?
You will learn about the fundamental principles of business within a global context, principles that cover finance, operations, marketing and people management. This will enable you to develop key skills in leadership, managerial decision making and problem solving.
In the second stage of your course, you will begin to develop your chosen specialist expertise. You will establish the importance and impact of efficient marketing, developing the skills and insights of a successful marketing manager. Customers are at the heart of every business, and marketing places you at the centre of corporate strategy and its application. You’ll become knowledgeable in knowing how to make a company stand out from the competition, developing innovative brand and communications plans, while also developing skills in digital marketing in the final stage of the course.
The final core Major Project module is tailored to your career aspirations. The module provides three project options - a work-based study route enabling you to relate the project to a current employer, or a ‘consultancy project’ option where you find a client who has a marketing problem that you feel you can solve; or a traditional dissertation involving both the theory and practice of marketing.
Whatever route you choose, it will give you the opportunity to identify a topic and industry of your choice related to your specialist area of marketing, tailoring your degree to enhance your employability for your final chosen career destination. Previous projects have involved fashion branding, customer relationship management in the finance sector and customer loyalty within sports marketing.
Accredited By
This course is accredited by:
Why Choose Us?
- You’ll be taught by highly qualified module tutors with significant professional practice experience in a range of management and marketing roles, including international marketing, marketing management, digital marketing and marketing consultancy.
- You will develop fundamental skills in business management, while having the opportunity to gain enhanced and specialist expertise to help you enter the exciting and dynamic marketing profession.
- On graduating you will receive an industry-recognised professional qualification from the Chartered Management Institute (CMI).
- You will work alongside a diverse range of international students, creating an exciting atmosphere and a range of ideas.
- You will have the opportunity to visit a leading service or manufacturing company, such as Jaguar Land Rover, helping you gain insight into the complexity of real-world global operations.
- You will be supported with business English language diagnostics and tutor support to help improve you in the international language of business.
- Following graduation, you will have the opportunity to apply for STEAMhouse Business Incubator membership.
Find out more
OPEN DAY
Join us for a Virtual Open Event where you'll be able to learn about this course in detail, meet our subject academics and learn more about postgraduate finance, all from the comfort of your own home.
Next Event: 5 February 2025
Entry Requirements
Essential requirements
For entry to stage one, applicants are normally expected to have one of the following:
- A minimum of a 2:2 honours degree, or equivalent
- An equivalent graduate level qualification from an overseas university or equivalent institution (minimum 2:2)
- A Pre-Master's programme approved by Birmingham City University
- A Pre-Master's programme with a minimum of 55% average
For entry to stage two, applicants are normally expected to have:
- A Postgraduate Certificate (level 7 or equivalent, minimum value of 60 credits) in a business subject aligned with the chosen pathway (international business, finance, marketing or entrepreneurship). Candidates will be required to submit an extended application to evidence how their Postgraduate Certificate meets the programme learning outcomes at the equivalent stage.
For entry to stage three, applicants are normally expected to have:
- A Postgraduate Diploma (level 7 or equivalent, minimum value of 120 credits) in a business subject aligned with the chosen pathway (international business, finance, marketing or entrepreneurship). Candidates will be required to submit an extended application to evidence how their Postgraduate Diploma meets the programme learning outcomes at the equivalent stage. Candidates will be required to have passed a research methods module (level 7 or equivalent, minimum value of 20 credits) and will be required to submit an original Dissertation Proposal that has been passed by the Programme Team prior to admission approval.
Other qualifications will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
Applying with international qualifications
See below for further information on applying as an international student.
If you have a qualification that is not listed, please contact us.
Fees & How to Apply
UK students
Annual and modular tuition fees shown are applicable to the first year of study. The University reserves the right to increase fees for subsequent years of study in line with increases in inflation (capped at 5%) or to reflect changes in Government funding policies or changes agreed by Parliament. View fees for continuing students.
Award: MSc
Starting: Sep 2025
- Mode
- Duration
- Fees
- Full Time
- 1 year
- £10,820 in 2025/26
- Full Time
- 18 Months (Professional Placement)
- £11,900 in 2025/26
International students
Annual and modular tuition fees shown are applicable to the first year of study. The University reserves the right to increase fees for subsequent years of study in line with increases in inflation (capped at 5%) or to reflect changes in Government funding policies or changes agreed by Parliament. View fees for continuing students.
Award: MSc
Starting: Sep 2025
- Mode
- Duration
- Fees
- Full Time
- 1 year
- £18,600 in 2025/26
- Full Time
- 18 Months (Professional Placement)
- £20,460 in 2025/26
Personal statement
You’ll need to submit a personal statement as part of your application for this course. This will need to highlight your passion for postgraduate study – and your chosen course – as well as your personal skills and experience, academic success, and any other factors that will support your application for further study.
If you are applying for a stand alone module, please include the title of the module you want to study in your Personal Statement.
Not sure what to include? We’re here to help – take a look at our top tips for writing personal statements and download our free postgraduate personal statement guide for further advice and examples from real students.
Course in Depth
Modules
In order to complete this course a student must successfully complete all the following CORE modules (totalling 160 credits):
This module aims to develop your understanding of the main financial objective of the firm i.e. wealth maximisation and how it is achieved through alignment of financial decisions under constraints from within and outside the organisation. The module covers topics such as financial statements analysis, budgeting, cost-benefit analysis, time value money, investment appraisal, working capital management, sources of capital and choice of capital structure.
The aim of this module is to provide you with the key knowledge and understanding of the integrated nature of business functions focusing specifically on marketing and operations. It will give you both a foundation in what business is and how it operates using these two key functional perspectives whilst also highlighting leadership and financial implications of managerial decision making in these areas to provide an integrated and holistic view of business in a variety of contexts.
This module will provide you with an opportunity to engage and consider contemporary issues in leadership from both UK and international perspectives and how leaders address these within organisations. The module will enable you to develop a critical insight and outlook in order to explore relevant solutions for organisational effectiveness and success.
International Strategic Management is a core module for all MSc business pathways. Strategy is a field that breaks you out of a functional perspective and integrates the functional Stage 1 themes of finance, marketing, leadership and operations to offer a holistic view of an organisation, be that a small or medium sized business or a large corporation in an international context. The focus of this course is on the business unit level or competitive strategy, not corporate level strategy.
The purpose of the Research Project module is to provide a framework for you to undertake a substantial piece of disciplinary-relevant research. It is founded upon Birmingham City Business School’s teaching and learning philosophy which integrates theory and practice.
This module examines the management concepts and practices related to product and service branding, specifically the detailed underpinning necessary to understand the building blocks of brand management and building brand equity. The module also provides the skills needed to critically analyse, evaluate and create an integrated marketing communications plan.
This module aims to equip you with the conceptual knowledge needed to further develop your understanding of digital marketing strategies. It explores a diverse range of activities within digital marketing strategy and aims to enable you to appreciate the major differences between traditional and digital marketing activities at a strategic level.
Professional Placement Year
In order to qualify for the award of MSc Management and Marketing with Professional Placement, a student must successfully complete Level 7 modules listed above, totalling 180 credits, as well as the following Level 6 module.
This module is designed to provide you with the opportunity to undertake a credit bearing, 20-week Professional Placement as an integral part of your Master’s Degree. The purpose of the Professional Placement is to improve your employability skills which will, through the placement experience, allow you to evidence your professional skills, attitudes and behaviours at the point of entry to the postgraduate job market. Furthermore, by completing the Professional Placement, you will be able to develop and enhance your understanding of the professional work environment, relevant to your chosen field of study, and reflect critically on your own professional skills development within the workplace.
Download course specification
Download nowCourse Structure
Emphasis will be placed on the group as a resource for learning. There will be group discussion of practical management situations and problems, making use of case studies, problem situations and scenarios and, where relevant, the participants' own experiences.
Assessment on the programme is designed to be an integral part of your learning process, enhancing and demonstrating your knowledge and practice. Formative feedback will be provided to you through a combination of self-reflection, peer group and tutor feedback. Summative assessments will provide a measure of the extent to you have achieved the learning outcomes of the modules.
Assessment within the modules will take various forms, including coursework assignments, reports, controlled assessment, examinations and the dissertation or project. You may be required to defend the dissertation or project through a viva, drawing on the skills developed in the programme.
Student stories
Lili Huang
I enjoyed my studies very much. During the five-week pre-sessional English course, I got along well with my classmates, who came from all over the world. The most exciting things were the travelling arrangements made for us – it was a good way to make friends and get familiar with the country and its culture.
CMI / CIM
All of our Management pathways have professional accreditation from CMI, as well as ensuring the courses are relevant and cutting edge, it means also means you will receive a CMI QCF Level 7 Certificate in addition to the Masters degree upon graduating.
You’ll be provided with CMI membership for the duration of the course, benefitting from full access to ManagementDirect, CMI’s market-leading online support tool for managers and leaders. You’ll also be eligible for the CMI’s mentoring scheme and have the opportunity to attend events, helping you network and create industry links.
We also have accreditation from CIM, with two Marketing pathway modules mapped to the CIM Level 6 Diploma in Professional Marketing, achieving the maximum number of exemptions from the CIM Diploma. On completion of this course, you’ll have the opportunity to attend a four-day block module course which will prepare you to sit the two further exams required to achieve the Diploma in addition to your Masters degree.
*Additional costs for CIM accreditation to cover tuition, assessment and membership are not included in the course fee.
Employability
Enhancing employability skills
You’ll have the opportunity to:
- Take part in a funded company visit to a leading company, such as Jaguar Land Rover, one of the most successful and lucrative businesses in the world.
- Choose to deliver a work-based study project or consultancy project in the final stage of the course using a current employer or a client you find yourself.
- Seek support and engage with events and activities provided by Birmingham City University’s careers service.
- Take part in Birmingham City University’s Graduate Plus scheme.
- Receive employment advice and support via your Personal Tutor.
Our graduates have obtained employment in management positions, or have set up their own successful businesses. Former students are employed in managerial positions across the globe, including land management (Kenya), manufacturing (China), HR (Germany), finance (Canada), insurance (France) and teaching (India, UK and Sri Lanka). You’ll learn new perspectives on a changing business world, enabling you to provide employers with relevant and cutting-edge information. The research skills you develop doing your Major Project will also look good on your CV.
A postgraduate qualification can really help you stand out from the crowd in today’s competitive job market. By becoming a specialist in your field, you’ll have the chance to advance thinking in that subject and lead, rather than follow, the latest developments.
International
Welcome to Birmingham City University, home to students from over 70 countries all around the world!
Our Business programmes are practice based and many have an international focus, which means your course will be entirely relevant to today’s business world. Almost all of our courses, both at undergraduate and postgraduate level, are open to international students.
We also have links with universities across the world, including Europe, the USA, China, India and Malaysia.
International ServicesOur international pages contain a wealth of information for international students who are considering applying to study here, including:
- Details of the entry requirements for our courses
- Some of the good reasons why you should study here
- How to improve your language skills before starting your studies
- Information relevant to applicants from your country
- Where to find financial support for your studies.
The University is conveniently placed, with Birmingham International Airport nearby and first-rate transport connections to London and the rest of the UK.
Facilities & Staff
Our Facilities
We are constantly investing in our estate and have spent £400 million on new learning facilities.
The Curzon Building
This course is based at our City Centre Campus – and specifically The Curzon Building, alongside other Social Sciences, Law and Business students.
The £63m building offers students a unique social learning space, including a dedicated student hub incorporating student support services, in the heart of Birmingham’s Eastside development.
The Business floors house an extensive number of IT facilities, breakout areas, and specialised rooms. The Marketing Link Agency is designed to replicate a modern marketing firm, allowing students to get real-life experience of working in the marketing sector. There is also the City Trading Room, which features state of the art stock market tracking equipment, keeping you up to date with all the financial comings and goings of the London Stock Exchange and Wall Street.
The Curzon building is also conveniently close to Birmingham’s business and financial centre, allowing for strong links between your studies and the real world.
The Curzon Building also features:
- An impressive library with access to over 65 million full text items and stunning views of Eastside City Park
- Your Students’ Union which is located in a beautifully restored 19th century pub, The Eagle and Ball
- A modern 300-seat food court with space to study and socialise
- Accessible IT facilities with full Office365 for all students for free
- Shared facilities with the wider campus including the Parkside Building and Millennium Point
Our staff
Dr Md Ashikul Khan
Program Director MSc Management Suite (January Cohort)
Prior to joining Birmingham City University (BCU) Ashik worked as a research assistant for Engineering Analysis Simulation and Tribology (EAST) research group (2017-2018) at ARU and as a technician in proactive control, quality, and evaluation protocol design for manufacturing SMEs and HEIs collaboration towards a common PhD path for the European...
More about Ashikul