BA(Hons) Marketing (with Foundation Year)
This course is open for applications
Page last updated 1 March 2023
Introduction
Guest speakers from industry, opportunities for placements and internships, competitions, case studies and strong connections with local businesses present regular opportunities to access industry and gain real-world insight.
Accreditations and partnerships:
Why study marketing?
Consumers are confronted with thousands of brands every day. The challenge for businesses is to find ways to cut through the noise and stand out in a fast-moving global economy.
Marketing is a vital component in any business, enabling brands to communicate the quality and usefulness of a product or service to potential and existing customers.
It's a creative, competitive industry that offers diverse career paths across multiple sectors. Studying marketing gives you a skillset that will always be in demand.
Why UWE Bristol?
BA(Hons) Marketing is written and delivered by industry experts and delivers a balance of academic rigour and practical learning.
We connect with practitioners across the industry to ensure we keep teaching relevant and useful for our students.
Study specialist marketing modules in the key areas of branding, global marketing, big data and digital marketing. Learn how to create a brand, undertake market research and respond to briefs.
Develop your ability to communicate in a compelling way, understand consumers, and co-ordinate and manage projects from start to end in line with financial targets.
The flexibility of the course allows you to hone your interests and skills, while valuable Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM) accreditations increase employability.
Be part of a lively community of students and research-active tutors in a city recognised as a leading marketing hub.
Guest speakers from industry, placements and internships, competitions and case studies present regular opportunities to access industry and gain real-world insight.
Employability is central to the course and ensures you graduate 'work ready', with the skills and experience to succeed in your career.
Where can it take me?
Career options are as diverse as the course itself. Emphasis on skills development and real experience ensures you develop attributes valuable to any business.
Go into roles within a marketing team for a brand or organization, such as brand or product manager, business analyst, campaign manager, customer relationship manager or digital marketer. Some graduates find careers in management and recruitment.
Use your skills in the world of big business, or for charities, social enterprise or government. There are roles to suit all personality types whether you love to network, or prefer a more 'behind the scenes' role such as digital marketing analytics.
Our students have secured placements and graduate roles with companies such as GlaxoSmithKline, Intel, The Guardian, John Lewis, Disney, Coca Cola and the Rugby Football Union, as well a range of SMEs.
Watch: The learning and teaching experience
Structure
Content
The optional modules listed are those that are most likely to be available, but they may be subject to change.
Year zero (foundation year)
You will study:
- Becoming a Professional
- Introduction to Organisations, Enterprise and Management
- Economics and Accounting for the Real World
- Introduction to Law in a Social, Business and Global Context.
You normally need to pass your foundation year before going into Year one.
Year one
You will study:
- Introduction to Management
- Economics for Events and Marketing
- Understanding Business and Financial Information (Marketing, Events and Tourism)
- Understanding the Principles of Marketing for Marketing and Events
- Business Decision Making for Marketing and Events
- Enterprise and Entrepreneurship
- Marketing in Society
- Understanding Organisations and People (Marketing, Events and Tourism).
Year two
You will study:
- Consumer Behaviour
- Research Methods for Events and Marketing
- Applied Marketing Practice
- Introductory Research Project (Marketing and Events)
- Service Operations
- Integrated Marketing Communications.
- Practical Digital Skills or Management Skills (Marketing and Events)
- Introduction to Digital Strategy or Financial Aspects for Marketing, Events and Tourism.
Placement year (if applicable)
If you study on the four year (sandwich) course, you'll spend a year away from the University on a work placement after Year two.
You'll complete a placement learning module.
See the Placements and Fees sections for more information.
Final year
You will study:
- Specialised Marketing Practice
- Contemporary Issues in Marketing
- Brand Management
- Work Integrated Learning or Cross Cultural Learning and Development or Placement Learning or Learning and Development on Study Year Abroad.
And a major project from:
- Applied Business Project
- Critical Business Enquiry Project (Marketing Field)
- Enterprise Project
- Business Project (Level 3 Direct Entrants only).
Plus, two optional modules from:
- Digital Marketing Communication
- Public Relations
- Retail Marketing Management
- Strategic Management (Marketing, Events and Tourism)
- Global Marketing Management
- Events and Festivals Management
- Marketing Services
- Big Data for Marketing
- Digital Marketing Strategy.
The University continually enhances our offer by responding to feedback from our students and other stakeholders, ensuring the curriculum is kept up to date and our graduates are equipped with the knowledge and skills they need for the real world. This may result in changes to the course. If changes to your course are approved, we will inform you.
Learning and Teaching
Our approach to learning is student-focused, with emphasis on helping you to find things out for yourself.
You'll be expected to balance academic rigour and a practical approach to your work, so you can appreciate the relevance and application of the concepts you learn.
Lectures, workshops/seminars, tutorials and group work make up 12 hours of contact time each week and you'll spend at least as much time again studying independently.
During your foundation year, you'll become a reflective learner and begin developing skills you'll need later on, such as self reliance and collaboration.
You'll go on to develop your communication and presentation skills and IT and numeracy skills, with a strong focus on data interpretation and analysis. Your improved problem solving, critical thinking, analysis, evaluation and innovation skills will help you stand out as a graduate.
You can also gain work experience through short-term internships, paid work as a Student Ambassador or Peer Assisted Learning Leader, or through volunteering.
See our full glossary of learning and teaching terms.
Approximate percentage of time you'll spend in different learning activities*:
| Year | Scheduled learning and teaching study | Independent study | Placement study |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 24% | 76% | 0% |
| 1 | 24% | 76% | 0% |
| 2 | 24% | 76% | 0% |
| 3 | 18% | 69% | 13% |
*Calculated from compulsory and optional modules (where applicable) each year
Assessment
You'll be assessed through a mix of coursework and examinations to assess what you know and can do and help you develop the confidence and skills that employers value.
You'll complete essays and reports, business plans and applied research projects, portfolios and weekly notes, and assessed group and individual presentations and posters. You'll also reflect and comment on your own learning and personal development.
See our full glossary of assessment terms.
Approximate percentage of marks awarded by each assessment method*:
| Year | Written exam assessment | Coursework assessment | Practical exam assessment |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 36% | 41% | 23% |
| 1 | 22% | 53% | 25% |
| 2 | 23% | 61% | 16% |
| 3 | 16% | 68% | 16% |
*Calculated from compulsory and optional modules (where applicable) each year
Features
Professional accreditation
This course is accredited by the Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM). Plus, parts of the course are accredited by the Institute of Direct Marketing.
Placements
We encourage you to do a 40-week paid sandwich placement after Year two. It can be in the UK or abroad.
Your placement is valuable because it allows you to gain real-world experience and skills that increase your employability.
UWE Bristol has strong links with employers, including large multinationals like Disney, Intel and GlaxoSmithKline. We also have links with smaller local enterprises, charities and agencies.
You'll get help to find your placement and support throughout from your department and the careers service.
Find out how Charlotte's placement at Coco-Cola helped her confidence grow.
Study facilities
In our new £55m Bristol Business School, you'll have access to cutting-edge learning spaces.
Designed with student input, the Business School offers learning spaces for individual and group study, interactive learning environments and conference rooms you can book. It's a space for students and businesses to come together, collaborate and form new partnerships.
In our specialist library, business librarians manage vast collections to support your research. Attend workshops to develop your information skills or use our Study Skills website.
You'll have access to books, trade press, academic journals, and industry databases including FAME, MINTEL, Marketline Advantage, Passport and WARC both on and off campus.
Learn more about UWE Bristol's facilities and resources.
UWE Bristol Marketing Society
Join our lively UWE Marketing Society, which brings students from all our marketing degrees together socially and academically.
The society provides a local business network for employees and students, organises regular events and a programme of guest speakers.
It recently received a UWE Bristol grant to run marketing workshops for local businesses, including a re-branding project with the UWE Students' Union.
Get a feel for the Marketing facilities we have on offer here from wherever you are.
Life
Careers
Careers / Further study
This broad degree gives you diverse career pathways to choose from. These include client side and agency side positions, such as marketing executive, account executive and trainee management roles.
Bristol has a vibrant and growing marketing sector and employers highly value our course and students. Our graduates have secured brand management, advertising and marketing roles with multinationals such as the Rugby Football Union, Intel and GlaxoSmithKline.
Many students take up graduate management schemes in the public and private sector, or set up their own business. Others go on to further study and teaching or research careers.
Get inspired
Our award-winning careers service will develop your employment potential through career coaching and find you graduate jobs, placements and global opportunities.
We can also help find local volunteering and community opportunities, provide support for entrepreneurial activity and get you access to employer events.
Visit our employability pages to learn more about careers, employers and what our students are doing six months after graduating.
See also:
The Guardian - what to do with a degree in marketing
Fees
Indicative Additional Costs
Full-time, sandwich course
Supplementary fee information
Your overall entitlement to funding is based on how long the course is that you're registered on. Standard funding is allocated based on the standard number of years that your course lasts, plus one additional year.
You'll apply for funding each year that you study and Student Finance will take into account how long the course is in each year that you apply. So if you register for the five year course and then transfer to the four year course, the number of years you can apply for funding will change. Student Finance will reassess your funding based on how many years you have been in study, not just those years for which you received student finance.
Always seek advice before taking any action that may have implications for your funding.
Additional costs
This refers to items you could need during your studies that aren't covered by the standard tuition fee. These could be materials, textbooks, travel, clothing, software or printing.
Entry
Typical offers
- Tariff points: 48
- Contextual tariff: See our contextual offers page.
- GCSE: For all applicants, Grade C/4 or above in English Language and Mathematics, or equivalent. Please note the University does not accept Level 2 Key Skills, Functional Skills or Certificates in Adult Numeracy and Literacy as suitable alternatives to GCSEs.
- English Language Requirement: International and EU applicants are required to have a minimum overall IELTS (Academic) score of 6.0 with 5.5 in each component (or approved equivalent*). *The university accepts a large number of UK and International Qualifications in place of IELTS. You can find details of acceptable tests and the required grades you will need in our English Language section. Please visit our English language requirements page.
- A-level subjects: No specific subjects required.
- EDEXCEL (BTEC) Diploma: No specific subjects required.
For information on required Guided Learning Hours please see our minimum entry requirements page.
- Access: No specific subjects required.
- Baccalaureate IB: No specific subjects required.
- Irish Highers: No specific subjects required.
- T Levels: No specific subjects required.
Entry requirements
If you exceed the entry requirements you may be eligible for BA(Hons) Marketing.
International applicants
If you are an international student your recommended route of study for this degree is through our International College, which upon successful completion to the required level and with good attendance, guarantees entry to Year one of the degree.
Read more about entry requirements.
How to apply
Read more about undergraduate applications.
For further information
- Email:
UK applicants
Admissions@uwe.ac.uk
International/EU applicants
International@uwe.ac.uk - Telephone:
UK applicants
+44 (0)117 32 83333
International/EU applicants
+44 (0)117 32 86644