Course overview
Teesside Marketing Clinic and Launchpad
Introducing Teesside Marketing Clinic, a free consultancy service giving students the opportunity to work with real-life clients while studying our marketing course. Hear from Principal Lecturer Femi Waters-Ajisafe about the benefits of practical learning, and our students as they discuss some of their amazing work. Adam Clements, Enterprise Manager, also gives an overview of Launchpad, a service that helps students set up as self-employed freelancers.
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.
Through our connections with industry, we ensure that you are familiar with the latest trends and impact of digital and AI on business and society.
This course includes a foundation year - ideal if you need additional preparation or if you don't have sufficient grades to join Year 1 of a degree.
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.
- Skills for the future: 96.9% of marketing students agreed that their course has developed the knowledge and skills they think they will need for their future. (National Student Survey 2024, tees.ac.uk/source).
- 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
Course structure
Foundation year core modules
Digital transformation is a development that businesses have been aware of for many years. The speed, interactivity, accessibility, convenience and versatility of digital technology has the power to transform organisations. Learn about the variety of digital sources and how to use them in organisations to drive forward operational development.
This is a 30-credit module.
Combining creativity with an enterprising outlook allows helps businesses solve challenges innovatively, by implementing new ideas and practices. In this module, you develop your creative mindset by learning from experienced entrepreneurs and gaining an understanding of enterprise in business organisations.
This is a 30-credit module.
Professional Skills for Business
You consider the skills required to operate successfully in business and develop your abilities and knowledge ready to begin your career.
This is a 30-credit module.
Explore the fundamentals of data collection and analysis, using academic research and practical examples to develop your understanding of the importance of ethical research.
This is a 30-credit module.
Year 1 core modules
Study the circular economy and the business opportunities it presents. Develop your own business idea and create a venture with social impact that's part of the circular economy. Consider the fundamentals of user experience and user interface design, and learn about current, appropriate digital tools to design an app for your business idea.
This is a 30-credit module.
You learn about consumer behaviour, gaining an understanding of why they think, feel and behave the way they do and what this means for marketing products, services, ideas and experiences. Explore how marketers identify and exploit sources of influence that inform the decisions made by individuals and groups. Build on the theoretical insights you gain from these perspectives to critically evaluate consumer culture. This includes the role of brands in consumers' lives, uses and consequences of communications campaigns, the formation of late-modern personalities and marketplace communities.
This is a 30-credit module.
Fundamentals of Digital Marketing
You are introduced to the methods and approaches of digital marketing and how they can develop business opportunities and reach new customers. Expand your awareness of digital tools and their use for maximum marketing impact.
This is a 30-credit module.
Gain a deeper understanding of the main principles of marketing and their impact on a dynamic and competitive environment. You explore the marketing environment and its effect on organisations and their marketing decisions.
This is a 30-credit module.
Year 2 core modules
You assess the importance of businesses having an online presence to support branding and customer service objectives. Explore the stages of this, including analysing customer needs, designing website structure and layout, and creating the website. Focus on different digital channels, and their suitability for inclusion in effective integrated on and offline marketing programmes and campaigns. You adopt a strategic view of digital marketing, both theoretical and practical.
This is a 30-credit module.
Exploring the techniques of contemporary marketing communications, you investigate their strengths and limitations when creating meaningful and differentiated brand identities. You build your understanding of the relationship between brands and consumers. Also, you consider brand identity, positioning and development, as well as campaign planning concepts.
This is a 30-credit module.
Enhance your understanding of marketing concepts and tools and how they are used in the management of campaigns. You develop your own marketing plan and strategy for a chosen target audience. Analysing the social, cultural, technological, economic and political trends of your marketing environment, you consider the threats and opportunities facing your strategy.
This is a 30-credit module.
You gain practical entrepreneurial experience, collaborating with local small and medium enterprises (SMEs) supported by the Marketing Clinic. Become an active learner and decision-maker and improve your managerial effectiveness and efficiency. You draw on your understanding of marketing, management science and organisational behaviour, and finance and accounting to offer recommendations to SMEs.
This is a 30-credit 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
Digital Media and Content Marketing
Digital marketing is an essential skill that enhances employability. Successful digital marketing relies on great content. Learn how to develop appealing and persuasive content for promotional digital marketing campaigns, from short-form video to graphic social media posts. Explore different digital techniques, gaining transferable skills suited to a variety of sectors. Focus on target audiences, behavioural marketing, audience profiles, current trends, channels, graphic design, video production, scheduling, testing and measuring.
This is a 30-credit module.
You produce an original practical and/or research project, carrying out in-depth research, develop solutions, produce deliverables and/or make recommendations for a live organisation. You are encouraged to be an active learner and decision-maker as you improve your marketing efficiency and effectiveness.
This is a 30-credit module.
Design and create a research proposal which addresses a contemporary marketing issue. Develop your understanding of methodology, ethical conduct, research design and market research. You address challenges frequently faced by students, including linking theory and research literature to practice, using contemporary business examples, framing correct research questions and objectives, and identifying and comprehending appropriate research methods and data analysis techniques.
This is a 30-credit module.
Model a strategic marketing plan connected to a real-time situation. You become an active decision-maker in marketing strategy, analysing relevant data and using theories and concepts to solidify your plan.
This is a 30-credit module.
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 32-64 tariff points from at least two A levels, T level or equivalent.
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.