Strategic Marketing MSc Brochure

Academic year 2025/26 entry

Postgraduate master’s course in Strategic Marketing MSc

Cranfield School of Management Our reputation We are a specialist postgraduate business school located in the heart of the UK. As a world leader in management education, research and consultancy, our mission is to improve the practice of management. Triple accreditation We are one of an elite 1% of business schools to hold the ‘triple crown’ of accreditations, and even additionally the Small Business Charter accreditation.

5 ,000+ postgraduate students from 100+ countries.

Ranked top 5 in the UK and 25th in Europe in the Financial Times European Business School Rankings 2024. UK Top 5 Business School

82,000 + alumni, from 170+ countries. A network of

As we are postgraduate only, we are not listed in many league tables that help compare undergraduate universities.

Marketing at Cranfield Our top-ranked Strategic Marketing master’s equips you with the advanced knowledge and skills to become a successful marketing leader of the future. Top 4 Strategic Marketing MSc Top 5 Strategic Marketing MSc

Ranked 5th in the UK overall in the QS World University Rankings: Masters in Marketing Ranking 2025.

Ranked 4th in the UK for alumni outcomes in the QS World University Rankings: Masters in Marketing Ranking 2025.

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Reasons to study Strategic Marketing with us

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Highly ranked course Top-ranked marketing MSc. It is ranked 5th in the UK and 22nd in the world by QS World University Rankings: Masters in Marketing 2025. Leading academics Delivered by leading international faculty and authors of best-selling marketing texts and articles in highly ranked journals. Industry accreditations Accredited by both the Market Research Society (MRS) and the Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM). This enables you to work towards achieving additional industry-recognised qualifications. Marketing consultancy project Potential opportunity to take part in a marketing project with a major employer, and an individual project, allowing you to tackle real-life marketing challenges. Stimulating learning A diverse range of teaching methods, such as case studies, interactive lectures, group work, master classes and guest speakers, ensures that your learning is varied, challenging and thought-provoking. Networking opportunities Our close links with business provide opportunities to network, collaborate and connect with valuable contacts. Employability skills The Cranfield Competency Framework is embedded across the curriculum to enhance your employability and develop your business and leadership skills. www.cranfield.ac.uk/employabilityskills Industry relevance Our Practice Advisory Board, comprising leading figures from the world of marketing informs the design and development of the course ensuring its relevance to the fast-moving modern marketing world.

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Courses

Our Strategic Marketing MSc will equip you with the specialised skills and knowledge to become a marketing leader of the future. It is designed for both recent graduates keen to boost their academic credentials and prepare for a first professional marketing role, and marketing professionals seeking to enhance their knowledge and skills to progress their careers. You will gain an in-depth understanding of marketing including marketing strategy, digital and social media marketing, branding, integrated marketing communications, marketing consulting, accounting and finance for strategic marketing, customer relationship marketing and customer experience (CX), market research, retail marketing and omnichannel management and big data marketing analytics. Looking for a part-time option? Our Marketing and Leadership MSc programme has been developed in partnership with CIM Academy and has been designed to meet the needs of the modern senior marketer. This practical course enhances your strategic marketing knowledge and ability to lead change. Find out more: www.cranfield.ac.uk/som/ml

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The compulsory modules offered for the 2024-25 academic year are shown to give you an indication of the current course content. To keep our courses relevant and up-to-date, relevant and for practical purposes, modules may be subject to change from cohort to cohort; please check our website for the latest information.

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Strategic Marketing

www.cranfield.ac.uk/som/mscsm

Full-time

MSc

Our Strategic Marketing MSc is designed with international employers and combines high-calibre interactive teaching with practical, pragmatic application. Our teaching methods are specifically geared towards encouraging participation, self development and teamwork. The taught element of the course covers four key marketing themes which provide a strong and comprehensive foundation of knowledge and expertise in strategic marketing. These themes are: managing customers, building and managing brands, marketing strategy and implementation, and research, insight and analytics. Practical skills are developed through topical case studies, in-class debates, master classes and guest lectures by world-renowned industry partners. In addition, you will have the opportunity to complete a marketing consultancy project, which involves working with a business client on real-life data, and have the opportunity to work on an individual project. Modules • Strategic Marketing and Planning, • Consumer Behaviour, • Accounting and Finance for Strategic Marketing, • Marketing Research Methods, • Customer Relationship Marketing and Customer Experience, • Retailing and Omnichannel Management, • Strategic Sales, • Managing Brands, • Integrated Marketing Communications, • Digital and Social Media Marketing, • Big Data, Insights and Analytics, • Marketing Consultancy Project.

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“This course enabled me to apply the marketing knowledge gained in class in real business settings. These included the marketing consultancy project and the Unilever Innovation Accelerator Competition, in which I was a finalist. I also acquired professional qualifications including the Market Research Society Certificate and JMP (statistical software) learning badges. Finally, by completing the Cranfield Competency Framework I was able to reflect on my personal growth and use this reflection in job interviews. I now feel confident in my marketing skills and knowledge to further excel in my career." Lauren Archer, Marketing and Insight Executive, Wismettac, (Strategic Marketing MSc 2020)

Course structure Our specialist, sector-focused master’s courses are set up and developed in close collaboration with industry partners, ensuring the content of our courses remains industry-relevant and employers remain impressed with our graduates’ business-readiness. This diagram illustrates the course structure of our master’s courses. Please check your course structure online for more detailed information, including the weight of each phase and part-time course structure variations. As well as studying twelve compulsory modules, you will complete a marketing consultancy project as part of a team. You will have the opportunity to undertake a research project, which can be either company-sponsored, or an empirical research project in an area of marketing you are passionate about. The student producing the best project is awarded the prestigious Professor Malcolm McDonald Prize. The diagram illustrates the standard course structure for our master's programmes. Please check your course structure online for more detailed information. Individual project An internship opportunity is available as part of the Strategic Marketing MSc project. This option is limited in availability, with placements awarded based on academic performance and company selection to ensure the best fit for each project. Alternatively, students may choose to complete an academic individual project or pursue a self-sourced internship independently, taking full responsibility for the partnership. For further questions, please consult the Course Director. Course structure The course has been developed to produce practical, proactive strategic marketeers, and our teaching methods are specifically geared towards encouraging participation, self-development and teamwork.

Registration

Completion

180 credits / 1,800 hours

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Taught programme An intensive learning experience providing the knowledge you need to excel in your specialist field.

Individual project An opportunity to think and work in an original way under professional academic supervision. The project might include working as a consultant for one of our industrial partners on a real-world challenge.

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Industry links Cranfield has unrivalled links with industry, and you will benefit from our extensive contacts and track record of close collaboration with decision-makers in your chosen sector. These benefits range from the various high-profile guest speakers we are able to attract, to the ability to network with future employers at our group presentation days and careers fairs held on campus.

Practice advisory board Our courses are reviewed each year by a panel of industry advisers from leading companies and institutions in the sector. This ensures that the skills you acquire are up-to-date and what employers want. 

Careers Our alumni can be found around the world in leading roles. Here are a few examples of the roles our alumni have secured in recent years.

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Roles: • Brand Manager, • Customer Experience Manager, • Digital Marketing Manager, • Insight and Analytics Specialist, • Marketing Consultant. Companies:

Read more on our website www.cranfield.ac.uk/careers

• Amazon, • Christian Dior, • Facebook, • Henkel, • PwC.

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Academic staff You will be taught by a wide range of subject specialists at Cranfield and from industry, who draw on their research and industrial expertise to provide stimulating and relevant input to your learning experience. The list of academics below represents a small proportion of our staff; we also have a large number of highly-experienced guest lecturers.

Dr Sharifah Alwi, Course Director, Strategic Marketing MSc

www.cranfield.ac.uk/salwi

Dr Sharifah Alwi is a Reader in Corporate Branding and Course Director for the Strategic Marketing MSc at Cranfield School of Management. She also holds a visiting appointment (Professor in Brand Management) at the Università Cattolica, Milan (having served there for seven years) with a special focus on corporate branding in the luxury sector. Her foundation in the field of branding and corporate brand management began at Manchester Business School, where she received her PhD. Prior to joining Cranfield, she was the Research Head for Marketing and Corporate Brand Management (Marketing Division) and Program Director for MSc Corporate Brand Management, Brunel University London.

Dr Tamira King, Senior Lecturer and Deputy Course Director, Strategic Marketing MSc

www.cranfield.ac.uk/tking

Tamira has been at Cranfield for 10 years and she teaches a range of postgraduate modules from Strategic Marketing to Marketing Communications and Retail Omni-channel Management. She has a Postgraduate Teaching Certificate and is a Fellow of the Academy of Higher Education. Tamira is experienced in teaching undergraduate and postgraduate modules and post-experience students. She has course management experience and has previously run the MSc in Marketing and MSc Retail Management programmes at Cranfield.

Professor Vasilis Theoharakis, Professor of Strategic Marketing and Director of the Centre for Strategic Marketing and Sales www.cranfield.ac.uk/vtheoharakis

Vasilis holds a BEng (Honours) from the State University of New York at Stony Brook, an MSc in Electrical Engineering and an MBA (with Distinction) from New York University, and a PhD in Marketing and Strategic Management from the University of Warwick. He has taught at the European School of Management and Technology (ESMT) in Berlin, City University, Cass Business School in London, University of Sheffield, University of California - Berkeley, ALBA, Aston University, University of Cyprus and Golden Gate University.

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Key facts and statistics

Course information

Cohort profile*

Geographic spread 2% UK. 98% International.

Full-time One year.

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Average cohort age 27 years.

Start date September.

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Average cohort size 82.

Award MSc.

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59% Female. 41% Male.

Fees Please see the individual course pages on our website for full fee information. Terms and conditions apply. See www.cranfield.ac.uk/fees

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*These figures give an indication of the course make-up at registration across our Strategic Marketing course for the entry 2023-2024.

Accreditations Our Strategic Marketing MSc is a Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM) accredited degree, enabling you to achieve CIM's professional marketing qualifications and awards alongside your Cranfield degree. It is also one of only a few master's degrees in the UK that is accredited by the Market Research Society (MRS), which means you also have the opportunity to work towards achieving the MRS Certificate in Market and Social Research.

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Useful information

Financing your studies Whether you are a UK-based or international student, we provide information, advice and a range of online tools to help you put together the funding package you need. Take a look at our funding finder which provides a searchable database of sources of financial support. We also offer bursaries for high quality applicants. Visit our website where we provide a range of additional sources of potential funding and helpful organisations and contacts for information, advice and guidance. Learn more at www.cranfield.ac.uk/funding

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More than a degree with the Cranfield Enhance programme

Cranfield graduates are valued for their distinctive skills and capabilities. We have developed these programmes to complement and enhance what you learn on your chosen qualification. On the Cranfield Enhance programme, you will be able to earn ‘digital badges’ in areas such as employability and entrepreneurship to showcase your new skills to prospective employers. Read more at www.cranfield.ac.uk/enhance

“Culture and diversity are what I found most enjoyable and inspiring whilst studying the Strategic Marketing MSc. The amazing blend of nationalities led to social relationships, which made working together much more fun and enjoyable. Studying in one of the UK’s top universities has opened up a lot of opportunities for me. International companies and recruiters reached out to me with job offers while I was still working on my individual project.” Karl-Khalil Sarraf, Category Manager, Upfield UK, (Strategic Marketing MSc 2019)

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Life at Cranfield A welcoming, professional campus community.

Explore our University You can personalise your virtual visit to our campus by choosing the subject area you are interested in on our interactive tool: virtualexperience.cranfield.ac.uk 

How to apply Read more about our entry requirements and how to apply at www.cranfield.ac.uk/apply

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Our location

Located just over an hour from London in the English countryside, Cranfield’s campus environment supports close, working relationships between our multinational postgraduate students and academic and industry experts. www.cranfield.ac.uk/visit

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Major train line

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Our sector study areas: Aerospace, Defence and Security, Energy and Sustainability, Environment and Agrifood,

School of Management, Manufacturing and Materials, Transport Systems, Water.

For a full list of Cranfield courses, please see our prospectus and website .

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Every effort is made to ensure that the information in this brochure is correct at the time it is printed. Please check our website for the latest information. SOM-SM-November-2024.