Course overview
Study at Teesside University International Business School
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At the heart of any organisation, marketing is the process of understanding consumer journeys, and building and maintaining relationships with them. You explore the fundamental values that connect people, brands, and stakeholders, looking at a range of areas such as digital marketing, brand management and strategic planning.
You work on live projects with local SMEs and national brands, giving you knowledge and experience of working in a real-world marketing department. You examine key milestones in the customer journey, focusing on the strategy behind what you say, how you say it and where you say it.
This diverse, strategic and creative discipline attracts students from a range of subjects, including business, design, English, media, psychology and sociology.
Top five reasons to study marketing at Teesside
- Financial awards: study this course and you may be eligible for £2,000 off your accommodation in the first year, a £2,000 excellence scholarship, or a £9,000 Professor Jane Turner scholarship
- Real-world experience: our final-year students run Teesside Marketing Clinic offering tailored real-world consultancy services to small businesses, social enterprises, sole traders and start-ups in the Tees Valley area.
- Work experience: we have a range of work experience opportunities including placements and internships with regional, national and global businesses. Current students undertake a marketing competition with the national food retailer Greggs PLC.
- International travel: get a global outlook through international study with our partners in Germany, Czech Republic, Spain, China, India, Singapore and UAE.
- Entrepreneurial opportunities: our students have created 500 new business start-ups through Launchpad and Microbiz – a start-up community who provide support and advice for students looking to start a new business venture.
Course details
Year 1 focuses on providing you with the necessary underpinning in terms of broad marketing knowledge and skills. It introduces key business and management concepts.
Year 2 lets you explore your own interests and deepening your insights as well as having more responsibility for your own learning.
The final year explores more advanced topics within marketing and you develop your awareness of your own responsibility as a future leader of marketing. Finally, you have the opportunity to put your knowledge into action by undertaking a self-managed independent project through the Dissertation module.
Course structure
Year 1 core modules
This module will inspire you to think about entering the workplace once you have completed your studies. The module is delivered as an interactive learning experience which will enable you to develop an enterprising mind-set and help to identify some of the skills and attributes you already possess. The module content will encourage you to begin to think about your personal career aspirations, whilst addressing potential gaps linked to your knowledge, skills and experience. You will be encouraged to think in an enterprising fashion; learn new approaches to adapt and enhance your individual style. You will have the opportunity to work independently and as a member of a group by participating in personal challenges and group projects, and will learn to understand the importance of networking. Furthermore, you will have the opportunity to hear from and to question experienced external practitioners.
You focus on one of the main practices of marketing management – understanding consumers needs, wants and desires. You explore how and why consumers think, feel and behave the way they do and what this means for marketing products, services, ideas and experiences in contemporary society.
Fundamentals of Digital Marketing
You explore the fundamental principles of digital marketing, gaining an understanding of digital tools, their uses and applications in a professional marketing environment.
You develop an understanding of marketing and its implications for organisations. You consider the main principles of marketing and the impact on a dynamic and competitive environment.
Personal and Professional Development for Business
You become more aware of your own personal and professional development through reflection and interaction with peers. Drawing on related theories, you understand the importance of personal development and develop skills to enhance your future employability.
You study some of the general principles of business management, particularly in the context of structure, culture, leadership, organisational behaviour, the business environment and the impact of these areas operationally. You are also introduced to the concept of strategic management with an emphasis on organisational resource and competency. And you consider the impact of organisational behaviour on overall business effectiveness, examining the role of the individual within the organisation and exploring motivation, perception and personal impact.
Year 2 core modules
Brand creation and effective brand management are considered as essential for success in the marketing and business context. This module explores key branding concepts and allows you to apply them to sector specific (fashion industry) examples with a view to investigating the necessary principles for effective brand marketing, including appropriate brand development.
You analyse alternative definitions of branding before focusing predominantly on consumer markets where you consider the relationship between brands and consumers and explore the social and cultural context. You study brand marketing issues such as brand identity, brand positioning, brand planning and brand development, as will the key challenges and technologies facing brands. The fashion industry is frequently referenced to demonstrate the importance of the brand in terms of creating a differentiated and meaningful image in a dynamic and complex sector.
This module describes and evaluates the ways in which an organisation can deliver the online customer experience, and the importance of the online presence to develop and support branding and customer service objectives. The stages, including analysis of customer needs, design of the website structure and layout and creating the site will be covered. The module examines the development of supporting technologies for digital marketing and examines digital channels and their suitability for inclusion for effective integrated on and offline marketing programmes and campaigns. Search Engine Optimisation (SEO), customer acquisition and retention, display advertising, advergaming, mobile marketing, email marketing, viral marketing, online PR, affiliate marketing, social media, video and e-tailing are all explored in detail. The module will also consider ways in which digital channel performance can be monitored, evaluated and improved.
You explore marketing communication techniques and applications involved in building and developing successful brands. You work alongside other students and the national brand Greggs to develop a creative marketing communication campaign.
You work as a marketing consultant in the student-ran marketing clinic, working in collaboration with a local small to medium-sized enterprise.
Principles and Practices of Marketing
This module extends your existing marketing knowledge and comprehension of marketing management and strategy. It is argued that successful marketing managers must have a sound understanding of the strategic choices available to them if they are to meet the demands of a rapidly changing operating environment.
This module examines the degree of organisational change required for an organisation to become market driven in the face of opportunities and threats presented by external forces. Consumer behaviour and the selection of markets are also considered before placing the focus on managing the marketing mix.
You will be introduced to a range of important strategic planning concepts and will consider a range of marketing strategies available to managers; this consideration will include a critical assessment of their suitability across a range of organisations and situations. You also consider the components of the marketing plan. Case studies, videos and hypothetical scenarios will be utilised to allow you to apply academic underpinning to practical situations.
Building on prior learning within various stage 1 modules, this module develops your understanding and awareness of the principles and practicalities underpinning ethical and rigorous research. Through interactive seminar sessions with research-active academic staff, the module develops the practical skills you require for conducting a rigorous and ethical research study. The skills developed and knowledge gained will link to the stage 3 Dissertation module.
Optional work placement year
You have the option to spend one year in industry learning and developing your skills. We encourage and support you with applying for a placement, job hunting and networking.
You gain experience favoured by graduate recruiters and develop your technical skillset. You also obtain the transferable skills required in any professional environment, including communication, negotiation, teamwork, leadership, organisation, confidence, self-reliance, problem-solving, being able to work under pressure, and commercial awareness.
Many employers view a placement as a year-long interview, therefore placements are increasingly becoming an essential part of an organisation's pre-selection strategy in their graduate recruitment process. Benefits include:
· improved job prospects
· enhanced employment skills and improved career progression opportunities
· a higher starting salary than your full-time counterparts
· a better degree classification
· a richer CV
· a year's salary before completing your degree
· experience of workplace culture
· the opportunity to design and base your final-year project within a working environment.
If you are unable to secure a work placement with an employer, then you simply continue on a course without the work placement.
Final-year core modules
You explore topical issues and key challenges in marketing, such as diversity and equality, neuromarketing, gender issues in marketing and the dark side of artificial intelligence.
Marketing Planning Application
Building on prior learning you complete a live project where you develop a strategic marketing plan for national brand Greggs. You explore marketing as a managerial activity in a real-time situation, gaining valuable industry experience and skills.
You develop an insight into the new buyer thought process and how sales is an essential skill that carries over into many industries. You explore the sales personalities required for dealing with buyers and how to implement a dynamic sales process.
Strategic Social Media and Content Marketing
You explore digital marketing and develop your understanding of contemporary industry practice, designing strategies in relation to business goals. You research social media, content marketing and creative approaches for print, online and mobile content and strategies.
You work in groups to develop a live marketing research project based on a company of your choice in collaboration with the clinic supervisor. You draw on knowledge and techniques gained throughout your marketing degree in solving a real-time problem for a small to medium-sized enterprise.
Modules offered may vary.
How you learn
This degree challenges you but you are guided throughout the programme by academics and student support within the School. Many of the teachers on this course are former marketing professionals and are also currently involved in marketing research. The experience of our lecturers means that you benefit from a wide range of academic, research-informed teaching and practical knowledge.
Teaching and learning is through a mixture of lectures, seminars and workshops. You also hear from guest speakers and we encourage you to engage with as many businesses as possible to gain a thorough insight into the marketing discipline.
You are encouraged to seek short and/or long-term placements either over the summer or as part of your third year when a year-long placement is an option (after your second year of study).
How you are assessed
You are assessed through a combination of individual written assignments, practical assessments, group or individual presentations and individual or group projects.
Our Disability Services team provide an inclusive and empowering learning environment and have specialist staff to support disabled students access any additional tailored resources needed. If you have a specific learning difficulty, mental health condition, autism, sensory impairment, chronic health condition or any other disability please contact a Disability Services as early as possible.
Find out more about our disability services
Find out more about financial support
Find out more about our course related costs
Entry requirements
Entry requirements
A typical offer is 80-104 tariff points from at least two A levels (or equivalent).
We welcome applications from mature students without conventional entry requirements. We take into account any alternative qualifications or other experience you may have.
For general information please see our overview of entry requirements
International applicants can find out what qualifications they need by visiting Your Country
You can gain considerable knowledge from work, volunteering and life. Under recognition of prior learning (RPL) you may be awarded credit for this which can be credited towards the course you want to study.
Find out more about RPL
Employability
Career opportunities
This course opens up career opportunities in marketing disciplines such as brand management, advertising, digital marketing and business development. It allows you to develop skills which employers are interested in and which are relevant for their business from day one of you being employed.
Through guest lectures and live projects you have lots of opportunities to engage with potential employers. You also have access to workshops and events throughout your course and extensive support to help you secure an optional year placement should this be what you choose to do.
Our award-winning careers service works with regional and national employers to advertise graduate positions, in addition to providing post-graduation support for all Teesside University alumni.
Through collaborative projects with our international partners, you gain the skills and confidence to succeed in the world of work on a global scale. You work with SMEs and large corporate organisations, developing practical business skills by formulating solutions to real-world challenges. We ensure that you acquire a unique mix of ability, knowledge and experience to secure the perfect role.
Information for international applicants
Qualifications
International applicants - find out what qualifications you need by selecting your country below.
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Useful information
Visit our international pages for useful information for non-UK students and applicants.