Marketing Communications Management
MSc
Key facts
Start dates
September 2024 / September 2025
Location
Course length
Full time: 1 year or 2 years in sandwich mode which includes one year's full-time paid supervised work experience (a work placement). Sandwich mode is only available for September entry.
Part time: MSc: 24 months for UK and EU students (teaching normally structured to provide one whole day or two half days each week in the semester)
Department
Accreditation(s)
Chartered Institute of Marketing, Institute of Direct and Digital Marketing
Overview
Develop your knowledge and skills with our Marketing Communications Management MSc.
This is a conversion course designed for students with limited marketing experience. However, if you have some marketing background you can develop your knowledge and skills particularly in the following areas:
- brand communication strategies
- the use of branded and content management
- and the more traditional methods such as advertising and public relations.
You will work on live projects for real clients. And if you start in September you can opt to take a year's paid supervised work placement in a marketing role. This work experience you will prepare you for your future career in areas such as:
- advertising
- public relations
- social media marketing
- influencer marketing
- branded content
- content marketing
- media planning.
View our work placement FAQs here.
Our graduates have found employment with large brands such as; Amazon, Jaguar, KPMG and LinkedIn. As well as agencies such as; BBDO, Havas, JWT and M&C Saatchi.
This course is now closed for January 2023 entry

How to apply
Entry requirements
Specific entry requirements
This programme is designed to attract students from a wide range of backgrounds, disciplines and nationalities. Applicants are welcome from any academic discipline. Admission is normally open to those with:
- a minimum of a second-class honours degree
- or equivalent overseas degree from a recognised institution
- or equivalent professional or other qualification.
Those who do not meet any of the above criteria may be eligible for entry, provided they have compensatory work experience. This should include, in particular, further professional training and accreditation and the demonstration of appropriate career development.
Entry will also be subject to two satisfactory references (one of these must be an academic reference).
Please also see the University's general entry requirements.
English language requirements
If English is not your first language you will need to satisfy the university's English language requirements:
- IELTS minimum 6.0 (with a minimum of 6.0 in reading and writing and 5.5 in listening and speaking)
- if you have completed your undergraduate degree in the UK (at least one full year of study) you will automatically meet our English language requirements.
Please also see the University's standard English language requirements.
English requirements for visas
If you need a student visa to enter the UK you will need to meet the UK Visas and Immigration minimum language requirements as well as the University's requirements. Find out more about English language requirements.
Pathways courses for international and EU students
We offer a range of courses to help you meet the entry requirements for your postgraduate course and also familiarise you with university life in the UK.
Take a Pre-Master's course to develop your subject knowledge, study skills and academic language level in preparation for your master's course.
If you need to improve your English language, we offer pre-sessional English language courses to help you meet the English language requirements of your chosen master’s course.
Terms and Conditions of Enrolment
When you accept our offer, you agree to the Terms and Conditions of Enrolment. You should therefore read those conditions before accepting the offer.
Application process
Tuition fees
Questions about fees?
Contact Student Finance on:
Tuition fees
The full-time fees quoted are for the taught Year 1. Fees will be charged for the placement year in Year 2 and are available on request from finance-fees@brookes.ac.uk. For approximate fee levels of the placement year see the placement fee above.
The following factors will be taken into account by the University when it is setting the annual fees: inflationary measures such as the retail price indices, projected increases in University costs, changes in the level of funding received from Government sources, admissions statistics and access considerations including the availability of student support.
How and when to pay
Tuition fee instalments for the semester are due by the Monday of week 1 of each semester. Students are not liable for full fees for that semester if they leave before week 4. If the leaving date is after week 4, full fees for the semester are payable.
- For information on payment methods please see our Make a Payment page.
- For information about refunds please visit our Refund policy page
Additional costs
Please be aware that some courses will involve some additional costs that are not covered by your fees. Specific additional costs for this course are detailed below.
Optional costs
Additional costs | Amount (£) |
---|---|
International Business in Practice Study Trip module (inc. accommodation for seven nights, insurance, company visits and group transportation for all activities). This fee did not include international airfare, visa application fee (if relevant), dinners and activities during your free time. |
£350-1500 |
Students may take the IDM certificate exam (our course is accredited and therefore covers the learning outcomes), paying the IDM fee. |
£125 per year |
It’s your responsibility to cover print / binding costs where coursework submission is required. Please note that a lot of the coursework is now submitted online. |
From £30 |
You may choose to purchase books to support your studies. Many books on our reading lists are available via the Library, or can be purchased secondhand. | £20-60 per book |
Accommodation fees in Brookes Letting (most do not include bills) |
£94-265 per week |
Accommodation fees in university halls (bills included, excluding laundry costs) |
£122-180 per week |
Graduation costs include tickets, gowning and photography. Gowns are not compulsory but typically students do hire robes, starting at £41. |
Typically £0-200 |
Students are responsible for their own travel to and from university for classes. BrookesBus travel is subsidised for full-time undergraduate students that are on a course with a fee of £9,250 or more, or living in an Oxford Brookes hall of residence. There is an administration fee for the production of a BrookesKey. |
From £10 |
Funding your studies
Financial support and scholarships
Featured funding opportunities available for this course.
All financial support and scholarships
Learning and assessment
You will study a series of compulsory modules, including a module which will help you develop your professional and academic skills. You then choose either a dissertation or client project.
If you start in September, you can choose the sandwich mode, which gives you the opportunity to apply for one year's paid supervised work experience in a marketing role.

Start this course in January
You have the option to start this course in January. You will study a range of modules between January and May. During the summer months of June, July and August you will study further modules and begin work on your dissertation. Between September and December you will complete your final modules and focus on your dissertation.
Study modules
Please note: As our courses are reviewed regularly as part of our quality assurance framework, the modules you can choose from may vary from those shown here. The structure of the course may also mean some modules are not available to you.
Learning and teaching
Most of the teaching on this course takes the form of interactive workshops. You will strengthen your practical analysis and decision-making skills with:
- lectures
- discussions
- role-play exercises.
These are linked with selected case studies and assessments.
Structured group assignments allow you to develop your skills in working as part of a team.
Your final project, a dissertation or client project will allow you to develop specialist skills and knowledge in an area of particular interest.
Our teaching staff are engaged in academic research or come from an industry background. You also will meet top marketing professionals and learn from visiting speakers from business and industry. Recent guest speakers have included representatives from:
- Rolls Royce
- Tesco
- the Branded Context Marketing Association
- the Chartered Institute of Marketing
- Ipsos MORI
- Fremantle (The X Factor)
- Oxfam
- Amazon
- Lego
- Facebook.
Field trips
The International Business in Practice Study Trip module allows you to experience ideas and practices of global business. During the trip you will have direct interaction with management executives and practices. You will: attend presentations from local management executives and experts go on site visits to major corporations and agencies. This study trip is voluntary and you will need to fund all costs associated with the trip. It is not linked to university assessments in any way.
We also run a study trip to Chengdu, China. If you choose the study trip (which runs in July), we will give you all the details by March so that you can make your decisions ahead of the trip in July.
If you successfully complete this non-credit bearing module, it will be recorded on your transcript as P58335 International Business in Practice: Study Trip.
Assessment
Assessment methods used on this course
You will be assessed in a number of ways which will encourage your creativity. These include:
- individual and group reports and presentations
- Portfolios
- reflective statements
- examinations
- open briefs.
You'll be encouraged to work in teams to facilitate and enhance your own and collective learning. Group work is assessed through two modules.
Classroom activities will prepare you for the assessment process. This is through structured engagement with both peer and tutor feedback. You will be supported by a tutor in a supervisor role, who will provide regular feedback on your progress.
Research
Studying for your MSc in Marketing or Events Management at Oxford Brookes Business School offers you a first class experience to engage with our excellent researchers. They investigate core challenges facing contemporary societies, ranging from sustainable tourism and events management to pro-environmental behaviour in a changing world. We also have expertise in Coaching and Mentoring (leadership development) and Diversity (gender, ethnicity, class) and are keen to include students into our projects where possible. Please visit our research pages to learn about our three research centres: The Centre for Business, Society and Global Challenges; The Centre for Diversity Policy Research and Practice and the International Centre for Coaching and Mentoring Studies (Research in the Oxford Brookes Business School). Being a master student offers great opportunities to be part of research culture and to discuss your own research ideas with us.

After you graduate
Career prospects
The MSc Marketing Communications Management Programme provides essential knowledge through the core modules:
- Introduction to the Principles of Marketing
- Understanding Customer Behaviour
- Digital and Social Media Marketing Strategy
- Research Methods for Events
- Marketing and Professional and Academic Development.
The programme further develops specialist content through:
- Brands and Marketing Communications,
- Strategic Brand Management
- Content Marketing Management
- Dissertation or Client Project.
This learning enables our graduates to choose career pathways in a range of marketing generalist and specialist areas as follows:
Marketing/Business Sector (which covers both Business to Business and Business to Customer disciplines)
- Marketing Communications
- Communications Agencies (e.g. Advertising, PR, Media, Digital, Integrated, Social Media)
- Market/ Marketing Research
- Business Consultancy
- Retailing (online/ offline)
- Customer Relationship Management
- Ethical/ Green Marketing
- Non- Profit Organisations
- International Marketing
Employers include:
- Johnson & Johnson
- Hitachi
- DK
- Avis
- PWC
- Nielsen
Our graduates positions in marketing communications are:
- communications manager
- advertising manager
- public relations executive
- media planner
- media buyer
- content marketing executive
- marketing researcher
- customer relationship manager
- strategic planner
- creative planner
- partnership manager,
- sponsorship coordinator
- account manager
- social media executive
- sales manager
These roles are across commercial and non-commercial sectors as well as communications agencies. In addition, some of our students go on to start their own companies..
We have strong relationships with companies in a range of industries that inform the programme design and delivery, and provide opportunities for placements and employment. Our Careers Service helps students gain the ‘competitive edge’ when applying for jobs by offering help with CVs, and mock assessment centres and interviews.
Our Staff
Dr Bjoern Asmussen
Bjoern has developed and teaches several modules on brand management and marketing communications which involve collaborations with Rolls-Royce, Lego, Amazon, Facebook and more.
Read more about BjoernProgramme changes:
On rare occasions we may need to make changes to our course programmes after they have been
published on the website. For more information, please visit our
changes to programmes page.