Marketing & Retail Innovation

Overview
Accelerate your career with this dynamic Masters programme blending marketing expertise and customer-driven retail innovation. Inspired by the creativity, innovation and the relentless pace of change within retailing, our faculty have worked closely with industry leaders to create the MSc in Marketing and Retail Innovation.

Retail is everywhere, and this programme delivers fundamental learnings that are applicable across multiple sectors. Some of the greatest companies in the world will feature at the heart of your studies – from Amazon to Tesco, Primark to Burberry and Alibaba to Unilever. Our MSc in Marketing and Retail Innovation is about integrating the new and old, the physical and digital, the consumer and the supplier.

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.

We're also delighted to offer a number of Scholarships for this programme. Don't miss the opportunity to apply.

What will I learn?
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.

How will I benefit?
This programme will provide graduates with employment opportunities with leading companies and brands around the world. The skills and competencies acquired provide a head-start for entry into a broad management development programme within major international companies, franchise operations and networks, as well as services from telecommunications to finance and banking where retail is central to their success.

- The Marketing and Retail Innovation Masters will ensure that students are completely qualified in the marketing fundamentals and have a comprehensive understanding of technologies role and impact on the future shape and competitiveness of retailers and companies all over the world.

- You will be qualified to work and prosper in any marketing operation with a direct relationship with the end consumer.

- You will have completed a consulting project for a major international organisation with a retailing issues. The insights and learnings from this will give you a competitive edge and a fresh perspective when entering into or returning to the workforce.

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.

Career Opportunities
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. 83% of our graduates from this programme were employed after 6 months across a range of industry sectors. (Source: Latest Graduate Outcomes Survey, published in November 2021)

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