Postgraduate Course: Marketing Strategy & Practice (CMSE11714)
Course Outline
| School | Business School |
College | College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 11 (Postgraduate) |
Availability | Not available to visiting students |
| SCQF Credits | 20 |
ECTS Credits | 10 |
| Summary | This course explores the theoretical and practical perspectives of marketing management, providing students with a foundation in strategic planning. Students will learn how marketing strategies, tactics, frameworks and theories help organisations / marketing managers better understand their consumers, their portfolio, industry and the wider market environment. There is an emphasis on planning, strategy, tactics, critical thinking and application with a mix of theory, cases, and tools introduced.
To develop students ability to formulate, evaluate, and implement critically considered marketing strategies in complex dynamic environments. |
| Course description |
This core course gives students an overview of key marketing frameworks, tactics, strategies and theoretical concepts that will equip them to responsibly make decisions in the context of the challenges and opportunities of a dynamic and ever-changing marketplace. Coursework, class discussion and reading materials (including case studies) will develop and assess core transferrable skills needed for the job market including planning and analysis, problem solving, creativity, and critical thinking. With two forms of assessment (individual and groupwork) the course enhances students time management, communication, presentation groupwork and leadership skills. The class will offer opportunity for industry engagement.
The course encourages and enables students the opportunity to put theory into practice.
Outline Content:
The course will cover a range of topics including;
- Introduction to Marketing
- Marketing Planning and Strategy
- Internal and Environmental Analysis
- Inclusive marketing strategy: marketing identity & difference
- Ethical marketing practice
- Segmentation, Targeting, Positioning
- Branding
- Products & services
- Place
- Pricing
- Promotions
|
Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
|
Co-requisites | |
| Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | None |
Course Delivery Information
|
| Academic year 2026/27, Not available to visiting students (SS1)
|
Quota: None |
| Course Start |
Semester 1 |
Timetable |
Timetable |
| Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) |
Total Hours:
200
(
Lecture Hours 20,
Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 4,
Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours
176 )
|
| Assessment (Further Info) |
Written Exam
0 %,
Coursework
100 %,
Practical Exam
0 %
|
| Additional Information (Assessment) |
60% Portfolio (Individual) - 1,500 words - Assesses all course Learning Outcomes
40% Project report (Group) - 3,000 words - Assesses course Learning Outcomes 3,4,5 |
| Feedback |
Formative: Feedback will be provided throughout the course.
Summative: Feedback will be provided on the assessment within agreed deadlines. |
| No Exam Information |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- Critically evaluate key marketing theories, concepts and frameworks and assess their relevance in contemporary and global contexts
- Analyse market environments to identify market opportunities, customer insights, competitive dynamics, and sources of sustainable competitive advantage
- Apply strategic marketing tools and analytical frameworks to diagnose organisational challenges and develop marketing strategies
- Design and justify marketing decisions relating to tactical execution
- Communicate strategic marketing analyses, recommendations and action plans, demonstrating professional judgement and critical reflection
|
Reading List
Core text(s):
Mogaji, E. (2025) Strategic Marketing Management: Principles and Practice, Palgrave Macmillan
Gabriel, A.K (2024) Cultural Intelligence for Marketers: Building an Inclusive Marketing Strategy, Kogan Page |
Additional Information
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
Autonomy, Accountability and Working with Others
After completing this course, students should be able to:
Act with integrity, honesty and trust in all business stakeholder relationships, and apply ethical reasoning to effective decision making, problem solving and change management.
Communication, ICT, and Numeracy Skills
After completing this course, students should be able to:
Convey meaning and message through a wide range of communication tools, including digital technology and social media; to understand how to use these tools to communicate in ways that sustain positive and responsible relationships.
Critically evaluate and present digital and other sources, research methods, data and information; discern their limitations, accuracy, validity, reliability and suitability; and apply responsibly in a wide variety of organisational contexts.
Practice: Applied Knowledge, Skills and Understanding
After completing this course, students should be able to:
Apply creative, innovative, entrepreneurial, sustainable and responsible business solutions to address social, economic and environmental global challenges.
Cognitive Skills
After completing this course, students should be able to:
Be self-motivated; curious; show initiative; set, achieve and surpass goals; as well as demonstrating adaptability, capable of handling complexity and ambiguity, with a willingness to learn; as well as being able to demonstrate the use digital and other tools to carry out tasks effectively, productively, and with attention to quality.
Knowledge and Understanding
After completing this course, students should be able to:
Identify, define and analyse theoretical and applied business and management problems, and develop approaches, informed by an understanding of appropriate quantitative and/or qualitative techniques, to explore and solve them responsibly. |
| Keywords | Marketing strategy,Marketing tactics,Marketing theory,Practice |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Dr Pauline Ferguson
Tel:
Email: Pauline.Ferguson@ed.ac.uk |
Course secretary | |
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