Undergraduate study

Overview

The Marketing Principal course at Keele offers a unique training in the use of marketing by a range of organisations, including businesses and the non-profit or public sector organisations. It is taught from a critical perspective, encouraging students to develop independent thinking as well as a thorough knowledge of marketing theory and practice. Students learn how marketing impacts on the social as well as the economic world.

Marketing staff include interntaional experts in the field of consumer research, small and medium enterprises, arts marketing and social marketing. The staff are all very active in their fields of research which means that teaching is informed by up-to-the-minute ideas and information. Elective modules will introduce the latest cutting-edge research and provide the opportunity to consider the role of the consumer in today’s society, the impact of marketing on the culture and management of organisations and the widening influence of marketing tools and concepts in non-profit as well as for-profit organisations.

While encouraging students to understand the role of marketing within wider society, the course also ensures that students learn the practical marketing tools and techniques required in the commercial sector to manage and plan the marketing function and identify and communicate with the potential market.

There is also an opportunity to study abroad in the second year of study in a range of different countries. As well as allowing students to experience a different university environment, this option will encourage consideration of how marketing applies in a different national context.

Marketing is a research-led, topical course that will develop intellectual and analytical skills as well as giving a unique understanding of marketing in a variety of settings. There is plenty of opportunity to develop skills both for industry and for further academic study such as our Master's in Marketing or a PhD in Marketing or Consumer Research.

Course Content

The Principal course in Marketing offers at least one core marketing module in the first year, combined with other core modules on management from within Keele Management School. The course is continually developed to take account of student feedback and staff availability, but the likely course structure is shown below.

First year
The following modules are taken:

• Management in Context provides an introduction to management and organisations, and places them in an historical, political and economic context
• Marketing Principles provides a general understanding of the key concepts, tools and theories of relevance to martketers today, in a variety of contexts such as services, business-to-business, social and not-for-profit marketing

Modules can also be taken from a range of electives, including:

• Accounting Principles
• Markets and Hierarchies
• Business Law
• Foundation of Human Resource Management
• Globalisation
• Quantitative Methods
• Financial and Management Accounting

Second year
Basic knowledge gained in the first year is built upon, by taking the following core modules:

• Understanding the Consumer provides you with an understanding of consumer behaviour and an understanding of how this knowledge can be used to inform commercial decisions. Emphasis is placed on a theoretical understanding of buyer behaviour in conjunction with the critical application of these skills to practical marketing situations.

You then choose either:

• Marketing Research examines the tools and concepts needed to propose, undertake and evaluate marketing research, or
• Marketing Management encourages you to examine the process of developing and controlling marketing plans and to critically evaluate the tools available to marketing managers

Modules can also be taken from a range of electives, inlcuding:

• Marketing in Society
• Services Marketing
• Organisational Behaviour
• Research Methods

Third year 
Two core and two elective modules are studied.

Core modules include:

• Marketing Communications places a specific focus on the role of advertising in the contemporary marketplace
• Global Marketing Decisions focuses on marketing issues that arise from operating in a global marketplace and how these affect the decisions made by both marketers and companies

The range of electives include:

• Consuming Cultures
• Exploring Brands and Branding
• Current Ideas in Marketing
• Contemporary Retail Environments
• Independent Study Project 1 & 2

Study abroad

The Management School is keen to promote the opportunity for students to spend a semester studying Marketing at a partner institution in the EU, Australia or North America. Students study abroad during either the first or second semester in their second year and take a series of modules at the partner university that are equivalent to those at Keele. Keele International's Study Abroad Office oversees the process and offers excellent support for students both as they prepare for their study abroad period and while they are away. 

Codes and Combinations

Students are candidates for the degree of Bachelor of Arts (with Honours) (BA Hons) if their two Principal courses are in humanities and/or social science subjects.

All students who study a science subject are candidates for the degree of Bachelor of Science (with Honours) (BSc Hons).

Dual Honours course can be combined with:

* subject to approval

For overseas students who do not meet direct entry requirements, we offer the opportunity to take an intensiveInternational Year One in Business and Management leading to second year degree entry.

Foundation course available:

Teaching and Assessment

Most modules involve lectures and group work (case studies, presentations and debates). For example there may be a team project on the marketing strategies of a local business, or students will be asked to debate controversial marketing ethics such as ‘whose needs does marketing ultimately serve?’, ‘what is the influence of advertising on young people?’ and ‘is marketing appropriate within non-profit organisations?’. Guest speakers from industry and the public sector are also invited to speak to students to provide a practical insight into marketing. Assessment is varied to provide students with a broad knowledge base. Essays and examinations are the most common structure, but many modules use presentations, review assignments, case studies, consultancy reports and developing students' own marketing campaign. The aim is to ensure teaching and assessment to provide students with a variety of experiences and challenges to prepare them for life after graduation.

Programme specifications (new window)

Skills and Careers

The Marketing Principal course is designed to provide students with comprehensive training that prepares them for the widest range of careers after graduation in business and non-business organisations. By covering marketing of business but also the public sector, graduates have a wide range of employment options. A wide range of organisations recruit Marketing graduates, including commerce and business but also the health service, local councils, political parties, charities, educational institutions and government departments.

For those considering an academic career, marketing staff are experienced in the supervision of PhDs and advice and support is available for applications for PhD funding. The School also offers a Masters in Marketing.

Visit our Careers pages (new window)