Programme Overview
Suitable for graduates from both business and non-business backgrounds, the course is designed to transform graduates into competent marketing professionals.
Future managers must have the capacity to be team players, to motivate and lead others, to communicate and negotiate effectively, and possess excellent interpersonal skills. The MSc in Marketing Practice helps to nurture these skills.
The original learning technique, called "Action Learning", is the winning premise of the course whereby students fundamentally learn through doing. In undergraduate degrees you learn about management, here you learn to manage.
The MSc in Marketing Practice operates all year round as a professional marketing services provider known commercially as the Marketing Development Programme (www.mdp.ie). The practical experience gained on this course is like no other, as students, referred to as "Marketing Advisors", work closely with companies, ranging from start-ups and non-profits, to multinational organisations.
The course is structured like a genuine working day, with defined business hours, genuine commercial projects for external corporate clients and a real office set-up at UCD to replicate real-life work conditions.
What will I learn?
The teaching approach and objectives of this course are based around Action Learning students learn by doing throughout the duration of the course and at the service of actual organisations.
Learning to manage students consolidate their prior knowledge of management theory by adopting and applying actual commercial skills.
Genuine practical experience is gained as students are cast as "Marketing Advisors", involving a professional assignment to be delivered to a client.
An understanding of the marketing challenges faced by a variety of different organisations, from start-ups and non-profits through to multinational organisations.
How will I benefit?
Students consolidate their prior knowledge of management theory by adopting and applying actual commercial skills.
1.Genuine practical experience is gained as students are cast as "Marketing Advisors", involving a professional assignment to be delivered to a client.
2.Students gain an understanding of the marketing challenges faced by a variety of different organisations, from start-ups and non-profits through to multinational organisations.
3.Regular contact with clients via the course and related events provides golden networking opportunities, as well as the chance to learn first-hand the team-playing, motivational and leadership skills required for the profession.
The purpose of the MSc Marketing Practice is to prepare students for careers in marketing by introducing them to latest theoretical ideas and contemporary best practices; accelerate their career progress by enhancing their ability to contribute to their employer organisations; and enhance their ability to learn independently by developing their skills in action learning (Purpose).
The programme is governed by a number of values: marketing is a profession and is with professional practices; action learning provides a superior medium for professional development in marketing education; marketing knowledge development is through action learning; professional development for marketers through action learning; a culture of learning in which students, faculty, alumni, mentors, consultants, industry and not for profits play a role is the optimal environment for learning; and diversity in cultural and academic background enhances the learning environment for all (education and subject/discipline/professional values).
Students work in a dedicated office facility 9-5pm five days per week. This physical space provides an action learning environment in which they can develop professional knowledge and practices. Their learning is driven by completing marketing assignments, of commercial significance, for private and public sector organisations and for not-for profits. These business scenarios enable students to develop their understanding of the specific marketing or business issue and expand their general marketing knowledge as a result. This is achieved through developing their marketing knowledge, analytical and communication skills, research competency and professionalism. The programme supports workplace learning and harmonises it with the classroom-based components through the guidance and counselling of the full-time Programme Manager is has expertise in action learning. At the end of this learning process students should have the analytical and research skills to effectively identify marketing problems as well as develop effective solutions. Finally, the students learn how to effectively communicate with the external client organisations (the nature of the learning environment for students).
Learning is primarily achieved through action learning assignments and a focus on providing students with opportunities for professional marketing development. In these situations they are facilitated by a variety of learning supports including programme managers, mentors, faculty and student learning sets. Assessment takes place via evaluation of submitted work, learning logs and two individual appraisals conducted during the academic year. Classroom-based modules are also incorporated. Assessment for these comes by way of group assignments and class participation as well as traditional methods (key approaches to teaching, learning and assessment).