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    MSc
    2025 start September 

    Strategic Marketing and Branding

    Management School, Faculty of Social Sciences

    Ideal for graduates from any discipline, this course gives you a comprehensive understanding of marketing theory and we'll teach you how to apply it in a business setting. Accredited by the Chartered Institute of Marketing.
    Students walking past Firth Court.

    Course description

    This course is designed to take graduates from any discipline into careers in marketing management.

    We don’t just teach the theory of marketing. There’s a lot of emphasis on applying what you learn in a business setting.

    You can also apply to do a company-based dissertation, working with an external organisation. Recent dissertation projects include a branding review for a large law firm and working with a local, environment-led SME to study consumer behaviour.

    Accreditation

    The Management School is Triple Crown accredited by AMBA, EQUIS and AACSB.

    This programme is accredited by the Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM). Students who register for CIM student membership while studying with us are eligible to apply for CIM exemptions upon graduation from our programme. To achieve a CIM Certificate or Diploma in Professional Marketing/Professional Digital Marketing, further study is required via a CIM approved study centre.

    You can find out more about CIM qualifications at CIM Accredited Degree and about studying for a CIM qualification on the support for members page.

    Modules

    We're revising the curriculum of this course for this year of entry and are in the process of confirming the modules. The information on this page gives you an idea of the areas we expect the course to cover. There may be changes before you start. From May of the year of entry, formal programme regulations will be available in our Programme Regulations Finder.

    Core modules

    Global Marketing

    This module provides students with an understanding of international marketing issues. It will prepare students for the challenge of global marketing and enable them to have sufficient knowledge to undertake international related work duties if needed in their careers.

    15 credits
    Marketing Management

    This unit aims to introduce the discipline of marketing to Marketing MSc students. This unit covers the theory and practice of marketing in organisations - which functions embrace developing, planning and coordinating marketing decisions to achieve marketing goals and objectives and build competitive advantage.

    15 credits
    Contemporary Marketing Practices

    Various marketing concepts and practices could be applied in different business contexts. This module will evaluate a range of issues relating to contemporary marketing practices and their relevance to business. In addition, the module will explore how marketing theories vary in different contexts and evaluate their impacts on the practices of marketing.

    15 credits
    Marketing Communications

    Marketing communications covers a dynamic and wide-ranging group of topics that are intended to build and maintain brand equity. These include advertising, sales promotions, public relations, sponsorship, direct marketing, personal selling, and packaging, and involve broader considerations such as ethics and global issues. Current thinking suggests that all communications should be integrated across the organisation; this module critically evaluates the concept of integrated marketing communications and analyses various aspects of marketing communications. Theories of communication are explored using real examples from current marketing campaigns, and a select group from different areas of marketing offer an expert's view of the communications process.

    15 credits
    International Consumer Behaviour

    This unit is designed to provide students with the knowledge and awareness of the theory and practice of consumer behaviour. It explores various dimensions of consumer behaviour and investigates the implications of consumer behaviour for developing marketing strategy in changing environments.

    15 credits
    Retail and Services Marketing

    Various marketing concepts and practices could be applied in different business contexts. This module will evaluate how these retail marketing theories are used in a retail and a services setting. In addition, the module will also examine how the current retail environment affects its business operations. You will be introduced to various services marketing conceptual frameworks and learn about the importance of service quality as well as its measurement.

    15 credits
    Marketing in Society

    This unit deals with the social context of marketing. It draws on a variety of issues engaging contemporary marketing practice and examines the implication of the the adoption of the marketing concept as one of the dominant business aproaches, as well as its widening use as a tool for framing and solving societal issues.

    15 credits
    Branding

    This unit engages students with different theoretical perspectives on the nature of brands, their management, and the relationship between brands and their socio-cultural context. The learning process exposes the students to a wide range of brand examples. Students draw on the theoretical perspectives to write an analytical critique of a specific leisure brand.

    15 credits
    Marketing Research

    This module enables students to gain an understanding on how to conduct research in the marketing environment. The module will evaluate the process and practices of marketing research through the use of different research designs and methods. In addition, the module will examine various types of analytical methods. This module will require students to develop skills in working as groups as the assessments will be based on group presentation and report.

    15 credits
    Project Dissertation

    This unit requires the student to research a topic appropriate to the field of management. The topic chosen by the student must receive approval from a supervisor. A dissertation written by the student should be delivered to the School at the conclusion of the study. The study, and the resulting dissertation, may take the form of an academic research or of a managerial problem-solving exercise. In either case, it requires the student to apply critical analysis and to set the issues within the context of appropriate management literature.

    45 credits

    The content of our courses is reviewed annually to make sure it's up-to-date and relevant. Individual modules are occasionally updated or withdrawn. This is in response to discoveries through our world-leading research; funding changes; professional accreditation requirements; student or employer feedback; outcomes of reviews; and variations in staff or student numbers. In the event of any change we'll consult and inform students in good time and take reasonable steps to minimise disruption.

    Open days

    An open day gives you the best opportunity to hear first-hand from our current students and staff about our courses.
    Open days and campus tours

    Duration

    1 year full-time

    Teaching

    • Lectures
    • Seminars
    • Case studies
    • Group work for collaborative learning
    • Web-based discussion groups

    Assessment

    • Individual assignments
    • Group projects
    • End-of-semester examinations
    • Dissertation

    School

    Management School

    We are a leading management school with Triple Crown accreditation (AACSB, AMBA and EQUIS). These awards have been achieved through the outstanding quality of our programmes, research output, support for students and alumni, and links with industry. We have a world-class reputation for high quality teaching, ground-breaking research and cutting-edge thinking.

    You’ll be part of a dynamic and engaging management school that puts you and your future at the heart of everything it does. We balance a rigorous academic foundation with practical skills to ensure you are ready for the world of work.

    We want you to develop skills so you can apply course content in a company setting. Our close links with organisations keep us in tune with the changing demands of the workplace. We know what employers are looking for.

    You'll learn from experts - many are former industry professionals and they work closely with businesses. Because our academics are world-leading researchers, your education will draw on the most current management theories.

    We want you to engage with the academic content, be conscientious and take an independent approach to study. We want you to be informed, innovative and proactive and do everything we can to support and enhance your career, steering you in the right direction with all the knowledge and skills you require.

    You'll benefit from tailored on-site and online professional careers support, dedicated skills sessions and events with experts from world-leading organisations and professional bodies. These activities will help guide your personal and professional development to help you secure your dream placement, internship or graduate role.

    Christina Dymiotis at Buckingham Palace.

    My time studying at the University of Sheffield gave me a useful foundation to build upon when entering the marketing industry

    Christina Dymiotis Marketing Management Practice MSc (now Strategic Marketing and Branding MSc)

    Christina graduated from Sheffield University Management School with an MSc in Marketing Management Practice (now MSc Strategic Marketing and Branding) in 2019. She now works as a Marketing Coordinator for BIDBI Ltd, and also co-founded a fashion sustainability project - Tsemberi alongside the UK Royal Commonwealth Society. Outside of work, she volunteers at Fashion Revolution Cyprus, an NGO that fights for a more transparent and ethical fashion industry.

    Entry requirements

    Minimum 2:1 undergraduate honours degree in any subject.

    We also consider a wide range of international qualifications:

    Entry requirements for international students

    We assess each application on the basis of the applicant’s preparation and achievement as a whole. We may accept applicants whose qualifications don’t meet the published entry criteria but have other experience relevant to the course.

    The lists of required degree subjects and modules are indicative only.  Sometimes we may accept subjects or modules that aren’t listed, and sometimes we may not accept subjects or modules that are listed, depending on the content studied.

    English language requirements

    IELTS 6.5 (with 6 in each component) or University equivalent

    Pathway programme for international students

    If you're an international student who does not meet the entry requirements for this course, you have the opportunity to apply for a pre-masters programme in Business, Social Sciences and Humanities at the University of Sheffield International College. This course is designed to develop your English language and academic skills. Upon successful completion, you can progress to degree level study at the University of Sheffield.

    If you have any questions about entry requirements, please contact the school/department.

    Fees and funding

    More scholarships and fees information can be found on the Management School website.

    Apply

    You can apply now using our Postgraduate Online Application Form. It's a quick and easy process.

    Apply now

    Any supervisors and research areas listed are indicative and may change before the start of the course.

    Our student protection plan

    Recognition of professional qualifications: from 1 January 2021, in order to have any UK professional qualifications recognised for work in an EU country across a number of regulated and other professions you need to apply to the host country for recognition. Read information from the UK government and the EU Regulated Professions Database.