Advertising and Marketing Communications BA (Hons)

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Advertising and Marketing Communications BA (Hons)

Ideal for students who are looking to study the more creative aspects of marketing, with an emphasis on careers in the agency sector, such as digital marketing, public relations and advertising.

You deserve a positive teaching and learning experience, where you feel part of a supportive and nurturing community. That鈥檚 why most students will enjoy an innovative approach to learning using block teaching, where you will study one module at a time. You鈥檒l benefit from regular assessments - rather than lots of exams at the end of the year - and a simple timetable that allows you to engage with your subject and enjoy other aspects of university life such as sports, societies, meeting friends and discovering your new city. By studying with the same peers and tutor for each block, you鈥檒l build friendships and a sense of belonging.

Overview

This course is aimed at preparing you for a career in a wide range of marketing communications disciplines. Our accredited course combines the strategic side of marketing with the application of cutting-edge theory and techniques in creative areas such as social media, influencer marketing and campaign planning.

Providing a solid theoretical underpinning of marketing as a discipline and how organisations use it, this programme will build upon contemporary techniques to provide knowledge and skills that are directly relevant and applicable to employers and industry best practice.

Accredited by the Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM), the Institute of Data & Marketing (IDM) and the Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR), this programme provides live industry campaigns on which you can apply your learnings and demonstrate your creativity, on top companies and brands such as Pall-Ex, Aston Martin, Samsung and Next. With opportunities to participate in creative pitch competitions such as X-Culture and the CIM The Pitch, students from this course have reached the finals of these cross-university competitions every year for the last two years.

Taught by industry practitioners with real world experience, our lecturers have worked both agency and client-side at big name companies across business and consumer brands. You will also have the opportunity to take a placement year in industry, with previous students having secured placements at the likes of Bosch and Samsung.

Key features

51漫画 is a Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM) Accredited Study Centre and an Institute of Data & Marketing (IDM) Key Educational Partner, meaning you can earn exemptions from CIM and IDM professional qualifications in addition to your degree.
This degree is recognised by the CIPR (Chartered Institute of Public Relations) allowing students the opportunity to become a member for only £36 a year, granting access to CPD materials, networking opportunities and activities to students interested in a career in communications.
Working in partnership with key industry partners like the Taylor Bennett Foundation and a raft of regional and national agencies, this degree provides students with an accurate picture of working in contemporary agencies.
Our Careers Team offers support to help you gain the skills and qualities that today’s employers are looking for through placement opportunities with local, national and global companies. Past students have worked at Next, DHL, Pfizer, FedEx, Rolls-Royce and Walgreens Boots Alliance.
With the support of our Careers Team, our graduates have gone on to have careers in globally renowned organisations. Recent successes include TJX Europe, Marks and Spencer, Ocado and Vodafone, with graduates landing roles such as social media executive, junior creative executive, public relations account executive and marketing executive.
This course covers a wide variety of modular content, such as Principles of Marketing, Digital Marketing, Public Relations, Campaign Planning, Social Media and Influencer Marketing, with students often working on live campaign briefs provided by real companies.
Enjoy an international experience linked to your studies with our programme. Previous trips have also included New York, Copenhagen, Paris, Athens, India, Berlin and San Francisco.

Benefit from block teaching, where most students study one subject at a time. A simple timetable will allow you to really engage with your learning, receive regular feedback and assessments, get to know your course mates and enjoy a better study-life balance.

Scholarships

51漫画 offers a range of undergraduate and postgraduate scholarships and bursaries to help you realise your academic ambitions.

International student scholarships

Find out about available international scholarships or visit our fees and funding page for more information.

UK
EU/International

Institution code: D26

UCAS course codes: N561

Duration: Three years full-time, four years with a placement.

Fees and funding:

2025/26 fees: £9,535* per year

*subject to the government, as is expected, passing legislation to formalise the increase.

Find out more about additional costs and optional extras associated with this course.

How to apply

Submit a study-related enquiry

Institution code: D26

UCAS course codes: N561

Duration: Three years full-time, four years with a placement.

Fees and funding:

2025/26 tuition fees for international students: £16,250

Find out more about additional costs and optional extras associated with this course.

How to apply

Application guidance document

Submit a study-related enquiry

Entry criteria

Entry criteria

GCSEs

Five GCSEs at grade 4 or above including English and Maths

Plus one of the following:

A levels

A typical offer is 112 UCAS points. You need to study at least two subjects at A Level or equivalent (e.g. BTEC)

T Levels

Merit

BTEC

BTEC National Diploma - Distinction/Distinction/Merit
BTEC Extended Diploma - Distinction/Distinction/Merit

Alternative qualifications include:

Pass in the QAA accredited Access to HE overall 112 UCAS tariff with at least 30 L3 credits at Merit.
English and Maths GCSE required as separate qualification. Equivalency not accepted within the Access qualification. We will normally require students to have had a break from full-time education before undertaking the Access course.

International Baccalaureate: 26+ points.

Mature students

We welcome applications from mature students with non-standard qualifications and recognise all other equivalent and international qualifications.

English language requirements

If English is not your first language an IELTS score of 6.0 overall with 5.5 in each band (or equivalent) when you start the course is essential.

English language tuition, delivered by our British Council-accredited Centre for English Language Learning, is available both before and throughout the course if you need it.

UCAS tariff information

Students applying for courses starting in September will be made offers based on the latest UCAS Tariff.

Contextual offer

To make sure you get fair and equal access to higher education, when looking at your application, we consider more than just your grades. So if you are eligible, you may receive a contextual offer. Find our more about contextual offers.

Structure and assessment

Year 1

Block 1: Marketing Essentials
Block 2: Fundamentals of Advertising and Marketing Communications
Block 3: Marketing in a Digital World
Block 4: Regulatory, Ethical and Sustainable Communications

Year 2

Block 1: Consumer behaviour and insight
Block 2: Brand Strategy and Management
Block 3: Digital Marketing and Media
Block 4: Public Relations

Year 3

Block 1: Market Analysis and Strategy
Block 2: Contemporary Issues in Advertising and Public Relations
Block 3: Advertising and Campaign Planning or Social Media and Influencer Marketing
Block 4: Marketing Dissertation or Brand Portfolio

Note: All modules are indicative and based on the current academic session. Course information is correct at the time of publication and is subject to review. Exact modules may, therefore, vary for your intake in order to keep content current. If there are changes to your course we will, where reasonable, take steps to inform you as appropriate.

See detailed module information

Teaching and assessment

You will be taught through a combination of lectures, tutorials, seminars, group work and self-directed study. Assessment is through 100% coursework (presentations, essays and reports) on this programme often in the form of real live briefs from companies.

Teaching contact hours

This is a full-time course. Each module is worth 30 credits. It is expected that student will spend a total of 300 hours of study for each module. You should be prepared to devote approximately 10 contact hours a week to your studies and additional independent hours of study in order to succeed. Teaching is through a mix of lectures, tutorials, seminars and lab sessions and the breakdown of these activity types is shown in each module description.

In addition, each module provides a two-hour surgery each week for individual consultation with the lecturer. You will also have timetabled meetings with your personal tutor and careers and/or subject meetings scheduled throughout the year.

Self-directed study: In order to prepare for, and assimilate, the work in lectures and seminars you will be expected to use our on-line resources, participate in flipped or virtual classroom discussions on our virtual learning environment (VLE) and engage in personal study and revision for approximately 25 hours per week.

Accreditations

Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM) Accredited Study Centre
Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM) Dual Award Status, providing you with exemptions from half of the CIM Professional Diploma in Marketing (subject to module selection)
Institute of Direct Marketing (IDM) Key Educational Partner, enabling you to study the IDM Certificate in Direct and Digital Marketing alongside your degree (subject to module selection)
Recognised by the CIPR Chartered Institute of Public Relations

Facilities and features

Placements

Hugh Aston Building

You will have access to our purpose-built Hugh Aston Building, equipped with lecture theatres and classrooms, break-out spaces for group work, quiet study zones for individual work and IT labs. Wherever possible, students will be given home access to specialist software.

You’ll also have access to the building’s new £5.5 million extension called The Yard, which provides more than 22,000 square metres of extra space. This is designed to facilitate your learning experience with large and airy breakout spaces, a new Student Advice Centre, and a balcony on the top floor. The Yard also features more comfortable classrooms and self-study spaces, allowing you to carry out independent study as well as group work.

Library and learning zones

On campus, the main Kimberlin Library offers a space where you can work, study and access a vast range of print materials, with computer stations, laptops, plasma screens and assistive technology also available.

As well as providing a physical space in which to work, we offer online tools to support your studies, and our extensive online collection of resources accessible from our , e-books, specialised databases and electronic journals and films which can be remotely accessed from anywhere you choose.

We will support you to confidently use a huge range of learning technologies, including the Virtual Learning Environment, Collaborate Ultra, 51漫画 Replay, MS Teams, Turnitin and more. Alongside this, you can access LinkedIn Learning and learn how to use Microsoft 365, and study support software such as mind mapping and note-taking through our new Digital Student Skills Hub.

The library staff offer additional support to students, including help with academic writing, research strategies, literature searching, reference management and assistive technology. There is also a ‘Just Ask’ service for help and advice, live , online workshops, tutorials and drop-ins available from our , and weekly library live chat sessions that give you the chance to ask the library teams for help.

More flexible ways to learn

We offer an equitable and inclusive approach to learning and teaching for all our students. Known as the Universal Design for Learning (UDL), our teaching approach has been recognised as sector leading. UDL means we offer a wide variety of support, facilities and technology to all students, including those with disabilities and specific learning differences.

Just one of the ways we do this is by using ‘51漫画 Replay’ – a technology providing all students with anytime access to audio and/or visual material of lectures. This means students can revise taught material in a way that suits them best, whether it's replaying a recording of a class or adapting written material shared in class using specialist software.

Opportunities and careers

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Placements

During this course you will have the option to complete a paid placement year - an invaluable opportunity to put the skills developed during your degree into practice. This insight into the professional world will build on your knowledge in a real-world setting, preparing you to progress onto your chosen career. For Instance, Esther Sodeke spent a year with the global interactive entertainment publishing company Electronic Art's UK, where she was able to apply advertising and marketing theory and put it into practice.

Our Careers Team offers support to help you gain the skills and qualities that today’s employers are looking for through placement opportunities with local, national and global companies.

Past students have worked at Next, DHL, Pfizer, FedEx, Rolls-Royce and Walgreens Boots Alliance.

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51漫画 Global

Our innovative international experience programme 51漫画 Global aims to enrich studies, broaden cultural horizons and develop key skills valued by employers.

Through , we offer an exciting mix of overseas, on-campus and online international experiences, including the opportunity to study or work abroad for up to a year.

Through 51漫画 Global, we offer a wide range of opportunities including on-campus and UK-based activities, overseas study, internships, faculty-led field trips and volunteering, as well as Erasmus+ and international exchanges.

Advertising and Marketing Communications students have recently visited India to enhance their studies on the Brand Management module, as well as visiting one of the biggest advertising agencies in New York as part of a 51漫画 Global trip.

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Graduate careers

A degree in Advertising and Marketing Communications opens up a whole range of career opportunities such as account management, digital marketing, brand management, advertising and marketing communications, public relations, customer insight or market research.

You could find yourself developing new products, planning social media campaigns, deciding the future marketing strategy for many household names or developing a digital communications campaign for a big brand.

With the support of our careers and employability team, our graduates have gone on to careers in globally renowned organisations. Recent successes include TJX Europe, Marks and Spencer and Vodafone, with graduates landing roles such as social media executive, junior creative executive, public relations account executive and marketing executive.

Advertising and Marketing Communications student Dylan Raine landed a coveted marketing graduate scheme with the world’s biggest grocery retail platform of its kind, Ocado Retail.

Take your next steps

Nine halls of residence and around 2,300 rooms, all of which are within easy walking distance of the campus.

Run by students for students, DSU offers more than 150 societies and almost 40 different sports clubs for you to get involved in.

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