Home Courses Business School BA (Hons) Marketing Top Up
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Study a one-year CIM accredited degree and boost your marketing knowledge

UCAS LogoUCAS Logo
N510
1 years Full Time
Bishop Otter Campus (Chichester)

Top 25

for Business, Management and Marketing

Guardian University Guide 2022

Top 10

University in the South East

Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2021

100%

student satisfaction for Business Studies

National Student Survey 2022

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Overview

The BA (Hons) Marketing Top-Up is an exciting degree which is continually reviewed to ensure your course content is up to date and explores topics such as disruptive technologies and to reflect changing graduate needs in areas of design, digital skills and creativity.

In the first semester this one year course will build on your existing marketing knowledge to develop strategic thinking skills through dedicated strategic and global marketing modules. You will also work in an agency environment for a client, to produce a plan in response to the client brief.

The second semester offers you the opportunity to undertake a 10 week work placement or study modules in areas such as ethics and entrepreneurship. You will also undertake a consultancy project on a topic of your choice.

On this course you will:

  • Complete projects with real-world clients.
  • Access industry-standard software including Photoshop, InDesign, and Google Analytics.
  • Learn from industry experienced lecturers and guest speakers.
  • Be able to participate in marketing and business forums.
  • Be able to complete a 10-week work placement.
  • Develop valuable soft skills like teamwork, communication and time management.

Accreditation

This BA (Hons) Marketing degree is accredited by the Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM). This means that you can earn professionally recognised qualifications alongside your studies and that you will have an automatic exam exemption from some CIM modules at certificate level or diploma level.

Chartered Institute of Marketing logo

Business Forums

The Business Forums are a series of events where invited business present real life marketing issues to students for them to discuss, review and propose solutions for.

These fast paced sessions follow a 5 x 20 minute block schedule. You will spend 20 minutes networking with refreshments, then listen to a 20 minute guest talk, complete a 20 minute interactive activity, and then attend two 20 minute business consultancy rotations. You will be presented with a business issue or problem to fix and are encouraged to ask probing questions, suggest ideas and discuss possible solutions.

Teaching and Assessment

How you will learn

This course uses a combination of small group lectures, workshops and tutorials with typical class sizes of up to 25 students. You will take part in online discussions, hear from guest speakers and have the opportunity to take part in client visits.

Most of your assessments will focus on live client projects which can be undertaken individually or collaboratively. You may be assessed through client presentations, peer group assessment, reports or creative and technology outlets such as posters, websites, blogs, social media. If you are pursuing professional association qualifications you will also be assessed by through exams.

Francesca Williams

BA (Hons) Marketing
"As far as I know, the University of Chichester is the only one that has such a sense of community. Everyone knows everyone, everyone is friends with everyone. I’ve never felt like I’ve had this many close friends before and I get to see them everyday. I’m ridiculously lucky and I believe it’s because I chose to come here."

Ashley Beaumont

BA (Hons) Marketing
"I chose the University of Chichester because of how the classes are set up. I knew if I had to sit in a massive lecture hall with 200+ other students, my learning would have been very limited compared to classes of 20-30 students. My degree enhanced my employability through group work and adapting to new situations."

The Course

What you will study

You will study a selection of core and optional modules in each year. Each module is worth a number of credits is delivered differently, depending on its content and focus of study.

This list is indicative and subject to change.

Agency Life

Many jobs in the marketing and communications industry require agency experience, especially in growing areas of digital marketing.

This module allows you to set up your own agency and work for a company to solve a marketing problem for them. This could cover anything from website testing to marketing research, branding design to social media.

You will focus on client pitches, staying on budget, working under intense pressure, and exceeding expectations.

Business Ethics and Social Responsibility

In this module, you will learn to raise awareness of the ethical considerations relevant to many business practices and issues, as well as raise awareness of corporate social responsibility.

You will be introduced to the concepts, theories and techniques used to address ethical considerations as you critically discuss current business and government policies relating to corporate social responsibility.

You will reflect on your own moral values, attitudes and behaviour and have some interesting debates and discussions in the lessons.

Assessment

You will be assessed through an interview and a portfolio.

Employee Relations

This module explores a range of topics around the historical and economic relationship between a business and the employee. You will consider topics including the rise of trade unions, resolving conflict, negotiation, and employee relations amongst many others.

Entrepreneurship (Business Start-Up Idea and Plan)

In this heavily practical module, you will work to develop an idea for a new small business.

You will present this to get feedback on improving the business viability and create a one-year persuasive business plan.

Your classes will focus on developing your understanding the feasibility and viability of each aspect of your business through testing and evaluation.

Assessment

Assessment is by presentation and creation of the business plan.

Entrepreneurship in Action

Build your own business

This module provides an opportunity for you to start-up your own business within a supportive environment by implementing a developed business idea.

It may be that you are already running part-time business or have a business idea and you would like to try and implement with support and already have a good understanding of business planning.

Activities could involve:

  • creating a website
  • making sales
  • delivering events
  • networking
  • carrying out in-depth research
  • creating social media marketing.

Even if you decide not to continue with the business idea, the knowledge and practical experience gained will equip you with entrepreneurial skills much sought after by employers.

Receive 1-1 mentoring

You will attend weekly 1:1 mentoring with the lecturer and specialist Business HotHouse staff.

Connection with ‘Entrepreneurship’ module

You can take this module alongside the Entrepreneurship module if you would like more guidance in developing an idea and business plan.

In this instance it will be like taking an entrepreneurship placement where your main focus in your final semester is developing and implementing your own business.

Assessment

Assessment is by implementation portfolio and professional discussion on how the idea is/not viable.

Global Branding

You will develop your understanding of global marketing alongside your problem solving and decision-making skills.

You will be able to critically evaluate key issues associated with global marketing within the context of a dynamic cultural environment.

You will appraise global marketing opportunities and threats and make decisions relating to an organisation’s ability to successfully enter and compete in international markets.

The module uses a practical and analytical marketing perspective.

Assessment

You will be assessed through creating a brochure.

Global Business Today

This module introduces you to current global issues that we are hearing about in the news today that are vital for business to react to successfully compete and grow.

You will broaden your understanding of the challenges and opportunities businesses face in areas such as:

  • international trade after Brexit
  • political unrest
  • differences in national cultures
  • global inequality
  • operating sustainably
  • and global consumer behaviour.
Assessment

You will be assessed through creating a conference paper and presentation on one global topic of interest.

Marketing Consultancy Project

In this project you will choose a marketing topic to investigate. You could undertake a consultancy project on placement with an employer or during a taught study route at university. If you choose to complete a 10 week placement your project will usually be set in the context of your host organisation. If you choose not to complete a placement you will approach a suitable organisation as a focus for your project, or identify a specific marketing management issue you feel should be investigated.

Strategic Marketing Management

This module explores the role of marketing in strategy formulation and how marketing contributes to business success. You will gain a detailed knowledge of theoretical and practical perspectives of marketing strategy and develop an appropriate strategic marketing plan. You will make informed decisions and develop your ability to think critically about marketing scenarios.

Work Placement (Short)

Many of our students take this opportunity to gain valuable management experience working in an organisation and project work that appeal to you in your future career. The placement is for 10-12 weeks in semester two.

Typically, you would carry out your research dissertation whilst on placement and focus on researching the project areas you are working on and an area the organisation will benefit from the most. This module allows you to gain valuable work experience and enhance your employability which is extremely attractive to employers.

Few other universities offer a professional placement where your research dissertation aligns with your project work.

Assessment

You will be assessed through a learning log submission and an individual presentation.

Facilities

Use industry standard equipment

Work Placements

Gain practical experience

This marketing degree has a strong vocational focus that is enhanced by the work placement programme. Work placements and internships are an optional opportunity to use the skills and knowledge you gain during your studies in the industry.

Work placements give you valuable work experience to add to your CV and help you to prepare for the workplace after you graduate. The combination of placement opportunities available will help you develop employability and enterprise skills so you are ready to thrive after you leave university.

Past students completed placements at companies including:

  • Brandwatch
  • Hewlett-Packard
  • Toyota Motorcars
  • TUI

Industrial Placements

You can complete a 10-week placement during your final studies year.

Most students secure placements in London and the South East but you could travel overseas. Past students have worked in Bahrain, India, Singapore and Australia.

Many placement students continue to work for the companies they completed placements with after they graduate. Some students are even offered full time jobs before their results are published.

10 Week Work Placement

During your final year you may complete a 10-week work placement at the start of your final semester. This placement is full time, usually unpaid, and will be assessed as a double module for your degree. Your assessment will focus on employability and personal development.

Placements usually begin in mid-January and last until late March each your. You will focus on a management project during your placement. This project usually concerned with investigating management issues within the placement organisation.

Placement Office

The Business School has a dedicated placement office who will with you and relevant businesses to help you find your best placement match. We ensure that placements are at an appropriate level and suitable for your degree.

You are ultimately responsible for finding your own placement but you can take advantage of the team’s business relationships and opportunities advertised by the placement office. Some businesses reach out to the office to re-advertise their placements each year.

Student

Business School
"I feel that the work placement was an extremely valuable experience to me and would thoroughly recommend it to any student going into their third year. I think in order to do the placement you do need to be self-motivated, however the benefits are endless. The support from the University was good - it is always good to know people are there, the Placement coordinator has been a great support."

Student

Business School
"If I hadn't done the work placement I wouldn't have had the confidence that I now have. It prepared me for the working world and I would advise anyone who has the opportunity to do one to take the opportunity. I recently accepted an offer for a job with another company but I think that one of the reasons that I got the job was because I was able to talk about my experience on placement."

What our employers say

Blue Bell

Employer
"We would like to congratulate you all, and thank you for your excellent piece of work on a marketing plan for the Blue Bell. We were all impressed by the amount of work you had put in and the wide variety of sources you had consulted, all of which made very interesting reading and a very solid piece of work. We also appreciated your pro-active marketing ideas and are now working on incorporating much of your work into our forward planning, as we creep nearer to a re-opening date!"

Careers

Where you could go after your studies

Our marketing graduates are highly employable. Past students have been successful in agency work and client roles.

You could work in:

  • Brand management
  • Advertising
  • Public Relations
  • Customer management
  • International marketing
  • Digital marketing

After your degree we encourage you to continue your learning with the industry’s professional body: The Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM). When you graduate you will automatically qualify for exemption on one module on the PG Certificate or Diploma levels of the CIM professional marketing qualifications.

Further Study

You may decide to continue your studies to postgraduate level.

The Business School has a diverse range of postgraduate courses including:

  • MSc Digital Marketing
  • MSc Neuromarketing
  • MBA
  • PGCE
  • MPhil/PhD Research

University of Chichester alumni who have completed a full undergraduate degree at the University will receive a 15% discount on their postgraduate fees.

Course Costs

Course Fees 2023/24

UK fee
£9,250
International fee
£15,840

For further details about fees, please see our Tuition Fee page.

For further details about international scholarships, please see our Scholarships page.

To find out about any additional costs on this course, please see our Additional Costs page.

Entry Requirements

Typical offer (individual offers may vary):

  • Minimum of an HND overall Merit Profile (or equivalent) within aligned underpinning Level 5 qualification.

FAQs

Frequently asked questions

How do I apply?

Click the ‘Apply now’ button to go to relevant UCAS page.

What are UCAS tariff points?

Many qualifications have a UCAS Tariff value. The score depends on the qualification, and the grade you achieved.

How do I know what my UCAS tariff points are?

Head to the UCAS Tariff Points web page where you can find a tariff points calculator that can tell you how much your qualification and grades are worth.

Further Questions

If you have any further questions please email us at admissions@chi.ac.uk.

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