Marketing & Retail Innovation

Overview
Inspired by the creativity, innovation and the relentless pace of change within retailing, our faculty have worked closely with industry leaders to create the unique MSc in Marketing and Retail Innovation. The programme addresses vital industry needs, blending essential marketing expertise with customer-focused retail innovation, where relentless change demands agile creative responses.

Retail is everywhere, and this programme delivers fundamental learnings that are applicable across multiple sectors. Some of the greatest global retail brands will feature at the heart of your studies, such as Amazon, Tesco, Primark, Burberry, Alibaba and Unilever, with a curriculum that embraces all aspects of retail from bricks and mortar to e-commerce, supply chains to data analysis and experiential innovation to brand evolution.

This programme will ensure that students have a comprehensive grounding in marketing, while opening up their opportunities to embrace the data and technological changes occurring in our industry which are transforming retail all over the world. The goal of this programme is to deliver a unique perspective and immersive experience where students can learn from each other, make connections, develop new skills, and be inspired to reach the next level within their marketing and retail careers.

The programme is suitable for Irish and international graduates from any discipline. We're also delighted to offer a number of Scholarships. Don't miss the opportunity to apply.

The MSc in Marketing and Retail Innovation will equip you with a broad range of strategic, operational and leadership skills that will be an excellent foundation for a career in any business. More specifically the programme outline ensures you have a good overall business acumen, will understand the role of technology and can design customer and consumer propositions that can be applied and implemented in a wide variety of retail or business environments.

Apart from meeting and interacting with real business experiences, you will get a chance to fully immerse yourself in live cases and companies and develop the career skills needed for success in a marketing career in the future. Students will look at a variety of industries other than pure retail, such as Banking, Telecoms and Utilities, all where retail plays very different roles and creates multiple opportunities and experiences for the customer.

While a significant trend has been a move away from Bricks & Mortar to digital and Ecommerce worlds, the real challenge will be to see companies integrating these dynamics to deliver a more personalised and seamless experience to the customer.

As technology drives change, the implications for media and promotion become even more fragmented and complex. Students will be exposed to the best practice learning of the major advertising and communications industries to understand how they have grappled with those changes and help clients connect with their consumers in a more engaging and dynamic manner.

Key themes addressed include:

Digital everywhere, anywhere.
The convergence of commerce and social.
Data and the role of analytics.
The critical need to understand technology
and tech platforms.
The 21st Century consumer - the east meets the west.
Branding, corporate reputation and the
communications agenda.
Reimagining the retail presence and drivers for
future growth.
Blending sectors, creating new experiences
and continuous innovation.
Retail leadership and inspiration.
Ethical and sustainable supply chains for a digital age.

Autumn Trimester
Corporate Marketing Strategy
Consumer Behaviour
Consumer Insights & Analytics

Spring Trimester
Omnichannel Marketing Communications
Retail: Winning in the Digital Era
Leading Retail Innovation

Summer Trimester
Retail Industry Project
Customer Experience Management

Please be advised that the above reflects the 2022/2023 curriculum structure and is subject to change each year. Option modules listed are indicative of what has been delivered in previous years and are also subject to change.

Please review the entry requirements below. The UCD Smurfit Admissions Office staff have expertise in reviewing international qualifications from around the world and will be able to assess your application's comparability to the Irish entry requirement.

A minimum second-class honours degree (or equivalent) in any discipline

A primary degree with a minimum of three years' work experience in a retail or marketing role

Information & Requirements
English Language Requirements
If English is not your first language, an English language qualification is required for admission to all of our programmes. The exception to this rule is if you have completed your primary degree or an entire third level qualification through English, in an English speaking country.

Visa Requirements
Some students might have to get a student visa in order to come and study in Ireland. Please check the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Services website to see if you require a visa.

How To Apply
Step 1: Collating Documentation
The first step is to collate the required documentation needed to assess your application. Please ensure that you have clearly scanned, titled and collated your documents in numerical order.

These can include but are not limited to:
TRANSCRIPTS AND ORIGINAL DOCUMENTS
CV
ENGLISH LANGUAGE TEST
REFERENCES
ADDITIONAL DOCUMENTATION

Step 2: The Application Process
Once you have collated the required documentation and reviewed the entry requirements for your programme of interest, you can now apply online.

Apply online:
You must apply online using our dedicated student information portal. You will be required to enter contact details, upload your documents and answer two essay questions (each approximately 300 words). We would ask that you seriously consider both essays and answer these in the context of the programme you are applying to. Try to not replicate your CV and demonstrate what makes you different from other applicants. There are no right or wrong ways to complete these essays.

Application Deadlines:
Applications are assessed on a rolling basis and courses will close once they are filled. We advise you to apply as early as possible to avoid disappointment. Please note certain scholarships may require you to apply before a certain date – please refer to our scholarship page here. If you have any questions in relation to deadlines or availability please email smurfit.admissions@ucd.ie.

Application Fee:
You will then be asked to submit your application and pay the €50 application fee. No application can be assessed until the fee has been paid. You can apply for multiple programmes with the one application fee, but please be sure to mark your preferred course.

Application Review:
Once submitted, it usually takes 2-3 weeks before a decision is made on fully completed applications. This time period can sometimes be longer and can vary at different times in the year and in different regions. We may offer you a conditional place based on the completion of a number of criteria, such as degree, English test, or another qualification. This reserves you a place on the course and once you have fulfilled this criteria we will issue you a full offer.

Deposit:
Acceptance is completed by paying a non-refundable deposit (varies from either €500 or €1000 depending on the programme. Most of our programmes require a €500 deposit). Your offer email will detail the exact deposit amount required. Once you have accepted you will then be supported by the Programme Office who will contact you with further course and start details.

1 year full-time.

NEXT INTAKE: September 2024.

With an MSc in Marketing and Retail Innovation, graduates are equipped to work in a variety of industries such as software development and tech services, healthcare, food, entertainment, fashion and clothing, travel, consulting and financial services, among others. 100% of our graduates from this programme were employed after 6 months across a range of industry sectors. Source: Latest Graduate Outcomes Survey, published in December 2022.

Potential careers for our graduates include:

Retail operations
Merchandise management
Customer relations
Strategic planning
Product analysis
Advanced problem solving and analytics
Previous graduates have been employed by a range of companies including Ebay, Brown Thomas, Arnotts, Dunhumby, Ryanair, Salesforce, Arrow Technologies, Danone, QuinnBet, Applegreen, Accenture, theStartUp.com, Fidelity Investments, Tech Ads Media