Digital Marketing Communication & Leadership

This specialist programme will prepare you to be operationally effective in digital marketing, communication and leadership. You will benefit from the research-informed teaching and a core team of professional contributors who ensure the course delivers the practical knowledge and skills required by employers.

You will:
- Critically assess the changing business landscape to develop the knowledge, skills and strategic vision required to lead organisations in the digital age

- Compare and contrast a variety of digital technologies and marketing communication approaches

- Strategically apply the latest digital marketing tools and techniques to achieve business communication objectives in support of organisational goals

Your learning experience:
- Input from leading practitioners, ensuring exposure to the experiences of professionals working in the field

- The use of case studies, providing the opportunity to develop solutions to actual business problems

- Assessments which require the application of learning to a live organisational context

- A multidisciplinary setting reflecting today's more collaborative work practices

For further course details please see "Course Web Page" below.

Year one
Leadership in Brand and Organisational Transformation
This module offers a theoretical and practical insight into the dynamic area of online digital communication and explores some of the key questions and issues facing academics and practitioners. Students undertaking the module will acquire the necessary knowledge and skills to support the implementation of digital communication objectives in support of business goals including customer acquisition, loyalty and community building. Students will be able to critically evaluate the characteristics of individual online digital media, and select appropriate tools from the range available to execute digital communication in support of organisational objectives.

Digital Campaign Planning and Management
This module covers all aspects of digital campaign planning and management. It will provide students with the opportunity to apply theory to practice by developing an effective digital marketing campaign and associated content in response to a live brief. It enables students to develop a working knowledge of digital marketing technologies and critically evaluate their appropriateness achieving organisational goals. Students will have the opportunity to demonstrate how the platforms and message chosen support the fulfilment of pre-defined communication objectives with a specified target audience.

Dissertation
The Communication dissertation aims to enable students to design and carry out an independent piece of research. It is intended that this will strengthen their ability to interpret and apply research data to a work environment. The research will focus in depth on one area of communication.

Research Methods
This module aims to provide information that will enable students to make appropriate and considered research decisions. It is designed to develop students' understanding of the nature of research, key research traditions, the research process and the range of methods available to the researcher, including qualitative and quantitative approaches. It also aims to help students acquire a critical understanding of the issues and methods in the generation and analysis of data and in the communication and evaluation of research findings.

The Digital Consumer
This module establishes an effective multidisciplinary foundation for evaluating effective digital marketing communication approaches and technologies to support strategic business goals centred around understanding the digital consumer. Students will critique the online presence of organisations in a variety of contexts and will understand the interrelationship between communication, design and technology in maintaining an effective online customer experience.

Data Analytics for Digital Marketing Communication
Organisations harnessing digital marketing communication can make use of data analytic techniques to identify and translate their digital data into useful, actionable insights for organisational benefit. This module provides postgraduate students with a clear understanding of data analytics techniques as well as the digital marketing communication context of use.

To apply to our postgraduate taught programmes, you must meet the University's General Entrance Requirements and any course-specific requirements.

These vary depending on the course and are detailed online.

This course is suited to you, if you are a recent graduate or are already in employment or have relevant work experience and wish to enhance your existing skills.

You will normally have gained a Second Class Honours degree, or above, in Communication, Media, Business, Marketing, Information & Communication Technology or a cognate area.

If you do not meet the academic criteria outlined above, but have substantial and significant experiential learning, a portfolio of written evidence may be considered as an alternative entrance route, and you should contact the Course Director for further information.

English Language Requirements
If English is not your first language this course requires
a minimum English level of IELTS (academic) 6.0 with no band
score less than 5.5, or equivalent.

Visit ulster.ac.uk/englishrequirements for more details on English language requirements.

This course is open to international (non-EU) students (full-time only).

For full entry requirements please see "Course Web Page" below.

Your Application
Application is through the University's online application system (see "Application Weblink" below).

Year of entry: 2020/21

Postgraduate Information Session 5 March 2020
Register at: ulster.ac.uk/pg-information-events

Career options
This course enables both practicing and aspiring professionals in the business, marketing, communication and information technology sectors to better understand how to leverage digital technologies and services to achieve competitive advantage.

Key aspects of the course that will help to equip you for a career, or support your continued professional development in the marketing, communication or information technology sectors include:

- Ongoing input from leading practitioners, ensuring exposure to the experiences and insight of professionals working in the digital arena.

- The use of case studies, enabling the identification of real-world business problems, and the design and defence of appropriate solutions.

- Enhanced ICT skills, through first-hand experimentation with a range of online digital media tools.

- Activities and assessment which require the application of learning to an employer or an equivalent organisation.

- The opportunity to learn in a multidisciplinary setting indicative of today's more integrated and collaborative corporate culture.