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Marketing Practice (MSc)
Course Overview
The MSc Marketing Practice is a unique action-based learning programme, which has successfully helped newly qualified graduates kick start their career in Marketing for over forty years.
This award-winning programme involves a 37-week paid professional Marketing work placement, six taught modules, an applied project, along with on-site visits to companies recognised as world leaders in the practice of Marketing. In the work placement, students can seek to focus on a specific area of marketing such as digital marketing, brand management, marketing analytics and inside sales, or can seek a general marketing role in a company.
This is made possible by the broad range of companies who apply to take students from this programme every year, from tech start-ups to multi-nationals, across every conceivable sector, located all around the country. The Marketing Discipline at NUI Galway collaborates with Irish-based companies to define challenging job specifications for students on the programme.
Time spent on the NUI Galway campus includes an initial three-week ‘Marketing Immersion’ along with three subsequent workshops. Taught modules are designed to equip students with the essential knowledge and skills they need to excel in a Marketing role in an organisation today. The modules are delivered through blended learning, both on campus and online. Ongoing assignments ensure continuous learning and are designed to help students apply critical thinking, innovation and creativity in bringing value to their host companies.
To learn more about this amazing programme, click the links below to hear from our current students and graduates!
Applications and Selections
Applications are made online via the NUI Galway Postgraduate Applications System.
As part of your application you must provide a two-page Curriculum Vitae. It is strongly recommended that you follow the Personal Statement and CV Guidelines available here: MSc (Marketing Practice) Personal Statement & CV Guidelines
If you are called to interview as part of the application process, this document will be of use: MSc Marketing Practice_Interview Preparation
Who Teaches this Course
Requirements and Assessment
Students avail of 100% continuous assessment as part of the MSc Marketing Practice.
A range of assessment methods are integrated and applied throughout the programme. These include report writing, group projects, presentations, and multiple workshops throughout the academic year. Students also work on an Applied Marketing Project from the beginning of their placement.
Key Facts
Entry Requirements
MSc (Marketing Practice) Personal Statement & CV Guidelines
Normally a Bachelor of Commerce or equivalent business degree, with a high Second Class Honours Grade 2 (minimum grade of 55% average in final degree) or higher (Level 8), and a significant specialisation in Marketing is required. A requirement of accepting an offer of a place on this programme is that graduates are willing to be placed in a host company anywhere in the country.
Applications are also welcome from graduates fluent in German, French, Spanish, Italian, Finnish and Nordic languages with an interest in a career in professional sales consulting roles in multinational companies based in Ireland.
Additional Requirements
Duration
1 year, full-time
Next start date
September 2022
A Level Grades ()
Average intake
30
QQI/FET FETAC Entry Routes
Closing Date
The first round of applications will be held in mid-March, and applications will continue to be accepted for subsequent rounds of interviews.
NFQ level
Mode of study
ECTS weighting
90
Award
MSc
CAO
Course code
1MMK1
Course Outline
The programme runs from September to July. Graduates complete a three week immersion programme prior to starting a 37-week paid work placement with their host company. During their placement typical tasks undertaken by the students include:
- Digital marketing management and implementation;
- Market research;
- Event management, particularly trade show planning and participation;
- Development of promotional material and advertising campaigns;
- Online marketing, including website maintenance, search engine optimisation and social media management;
- Database management and direct mail campaigns;
- Strategic marketing planning, including market segmentation.
Ultimately, the precise nature of marketing activities undertaken will be determined by the nature of the host organisation and the industry context.
During placement students return to campus to complete the following six taught modules:
- Digital Marketing Strategy & Management
- Inbound Marketing Strategy
- Marketing Placement
- Marketing & Sales Automation, Analytics & Attribution
- Marketing Consulting in Action
- Marketing Research and Strategy
Students also work on an Applied Marketing Project from the beginning of their placement.
[an error occurred while processing this directive]Why Choose This Course?
Career Opportunities
Graduates are highly sought after given the strong reputation of this programme. Graduates build successful marketing careers regionally, nationally and globally in organisations across all sectors imaginable. Recruiting graduates of the programme most recently are Google, Hubspot, SAP, IBM, Salesforce, Oracle, LinkedIn, Facebook, Yahoo, L’Oreal, Glanbia, Tesco, IKEA, AIB, Glaxo Smith Kline, Wayfair, Pathfinder, Smyths Toys and Bord Bia. Many less-well-known but equally dynamic and progressive organisations of all sizes also recruit graduates! Many start in graduate positions and quickly progress within these organisations.
Variety of Host Companies
The Marketing Discipline at NUI Galway collaborates with Irishbased companies to define job specifications for students on the programme. Companies of all sizes apply to become host companies on this programme, from tech start-ups to multinationals across every imaginable sector.
Mentoring
The Programme Director provides ongoing mentoring and support to graduates throughout their placement. In-company visits are carried out to review and facilitate graduates’ progress and performance.
Marketing Skills Training
As well as the three week induction programme, graduates return to campus on three occasions for workshops, each of four days duration. The taught modules are Digital Marketing Strategy & Management, Marketing & Sales Automation, Analytics & Attribution, Marketing Placement, Inbound Marketing, Marketing Research & Strategy and Marketing Consulting in Action. Graduates also complete an Applied Marketing Project on behalf of their host company.
Cutting Edge Marketing Techniques
Students learn how to (i) keep up-to-date with the ever-changing world of Marketing, (ii) immerse themselves in learning what they need to solve applied Marketing problems in their workplace and (iii) gain internationally recognised certification and accreditation as they proceed. Students are exposed to the latest trends in the practice of Marketing, learning directly from inspiring industry experts who share their expertise and experience in the classroom and in the workplace. Topics covered include everything from marketing analytics, search engine marketing, the integration of marketing and sales, Artificial Intelligence (AI), chatbots, virtual reality, user generated content, voice search, multi-channel marketing, account-based marketing, content marketing, inbound marketing, marketing attribution …. and so much more. The possibilities and opportunities for learning are endless!
Student-Wellbeing
Student well-being is a fundamental tenet of this unique award-winning programme, where students are encouraged to eat well, exercise and explore ways to mindfully build the emotional intelligence, self-awareness and resilience needed for a successful and sustainable career in Marketing.
Who’s Suited to This Course
Learning Outcomes
Work Placement
Study Abroad
Related Student Organisations
Course Fees
Fees: EU
€10,110 p.a. 2022/23
Fees: Tuition
€9,970 p.a. 2022/23
Fees: Student levy
€140 p.a. 2022/23
Fees: Non EU
€N/A
Due to visa restrictions, this programme is not open to non-EU students.
Paid Professional Placement:
Please note, students on this programme are paid €370 gross per week (€390 in Dublin) by their host company for the duration of their placement with their company.
Find out More
Programme Director:
Ms Ann Walsh
T: +353 91 492 575
E: mscmarketing@nuigalway.ie
Programme Administrator:
Mary Greaney
T: +353 91 492546
E: mscmarketing@nuigalway.ie
Quick Links
What Our Graduates Say
Eoghan McGregor | Account Manager, Google
I know I wouldn't be where I am today without the programme. I hit the ground running when I finished and I haven’t looked back since! I would recommend it to anyone who really wants to drive their career in the right direction. This should be the stepping stone and foundation for anyone who wants to pursue an exciting career in marketing.
Emma Roche | Marketing and Brand Executive at Irish Pride Fine Foods
I am absolutely LOVING my work placement as the experience that I’m gaining is incredible. It will be a massive selling point for me in any interview after my placement, as it is allowing me to apply my learnings in a real work environment. I have a huge amount of responsibility and have designed and implemented a number of different campaigns for new product launches and co-promotions e.g. The Irish Pride Bunsters & Calor BBQ Summer Promotion. I also enjoyed the workshops organised in Galway. They are always extremely interesting and beneficial to both myself and the company. One of my favourite aspects of the programme was the assignments we undertook. These are all designed to further enable us to add value to our organisations.
Darragh Broderick | Inbound Marketing Specialist at Brightwork
I chose the MSc (Marketing Practice) to fulfil my ambition of becoming an accomplished marketing professional. This course promised practical learning far superior to that of a classroom and it has absolutely delivered. I have developed relevant and differentiating marketing skills and acquired experiences which I am confident will serve me throughout my career.
Jane Cullen | Marketing Executive at MediaHQ
The MSc (Marketing Practice) in NUI Galway contained all of the necessary elements to develop myself as a marketing professional. My favourite part of the programme was the placement. Throughout the year, I created and managed several projects for my host company. This experience allowed me to put theory into practice and coupled with lecturer feedback, provided the richest and most rewarding learning opportunities of the course. I would recommend it to anyone who really wants to drive their career in the right direction.
Jennifer O' Leary | ESB Innovation Marketing Assistant
I was absolutely thrilled when I was accepted onto the MSc (Marketing Practice) programme. I can honestly say it has been one of the most rewarding and challenging years of my life. This masters is exactly what I wanted when finishing my undergrad – hands on experience, challenging and to learn as much as possible. I really enjoyed doing each assignment because you learn so much which each one. There is also a fantastic support system in NUIG. One of my highlights of the year was that I got the opportunity to interview many marketing professionals during my research and project manage events of over 100 people. Your assignments come to life in this masters, and there is no better feeling watching your work being implemented in the work place!! I feel this course has given me the best start on my marketing career and I am so thankful I was accepted!
Michaela Browne | Marketing Executive - Burke Insurances Ltd
I was placed in Burke Insurances, an insurance brokerage in Galway. My placement was a little different to others in that I worked for Burke Insurances Monday to Wednesday and on Thursday and Friday I worked for a group of 18 brokerages based all across Ireland part of the Source Broker Network. At first, this sounded a little daunting to me, that I would be essentially working for two different companies; however, looking back now I couldn’t imagine my placement any other way. I have learned so many new skills, I have developed old skills, I have practiced marketing and I have learned a lot about myself. Upon completion of this programme, I feel confident that I have developed the right skills I need in order to go out into the working world. I feel that I can bring what I learned from my placement into any company which I move to next. Read Michaela’s blog about the programme at: https://jecairnes.wordpress.com/2017/05/07/msc-marketing-practice-michaelas-blog/
Laura O'Dea | Marketing Executive - Kinara Skin Care
I feel extremely privileged to have been afforded the opportunity to study the MSc (Marketing Practice) programme at NUI Galway. What I loved about the programme was the opportunities within it, such as the work placement, the opportunity to work in a new environment and to expand your business profile". I loved every minute of my work placement and gained so many new skills on a daily basis. The teaching and leadership at every stage of the course was exceptional.
Ryan Ludden | Business Development Manager at App Design
I chose the MSc (Marketing Practice) as I wanted to physically apply the learnings from my Bachelor of Commerce (Global) Degree to my working career and the course provided the perfect platform to do just that! I got the exciting opportunity to work within a tech start up environment where I helped to bring the Marketing and Sales knowledge I had learned to the forefront of the business, helping it to turn what was only a concept at the start of my placement into a viable product and business today. The level of satisfaction in being able to achieve such a feat is incredibly rewarding and has provided me with skills that can be applied within any company I work for in the future. The MSc (Marketing Practice) provided me with the perfect stage to showcase what I could bring to the table for a company and the students within the course allowed for an incredibly collaborative environment that helped one another succeed and learn from each other to further develop our marketing skills.
Mónica Tuset Riotorto | Sales Development Specialist at Matheworks
Having a second language opens up many incredible employment opportunities, particularly in the areas of Sales & Marketing as many companies look to move into new markets. In this respect, I believe that this programme is ideal for international students, as it will allow them to capitalise on such opportunities and secure fantastic sales & marketing positions. The MSc (Marketing Practice) really helped me get to where I am today!
Niamh Hunt | Marketing Assistant at Neuravi
The MSc (Marketing Practice) has been the best way to jump-start my career in Marketing! The practical, hands-on learning aspect of the course helped develop many marketing skills which will differentiate us throughout our career. Completing the 37 week placement was an exciting, learning and challenging experience which provided many opportunities. Throughout my year, I managed, coordinated and attended numerous events abroad for my host company. This year allowed me to put all my learning from my undergrad into practice and develop many vital marketing skills. The group of lecturers, leaders and contributors to this course have a wealth of knowledge to share with the class. I would highly recommend this fun, practical, interactive masters programme to anyone pursuing a career in Marketing!
Amy French | Marketing & Communications Executive, ESB International
NUI Galway’s MSc (Marketing Practice) really appealed to me because of the structure of the course. What I loved most about it was the work placement element. As part of my role as Marketing & Communications Executive with ESB International I worked on several projects, creating value for my host company, but also applying the skills and knowledge I learned in college to real working situations. I learned skills during my time with ESB International that I would never have learned in the classroom. The online lectures, assignments and workshops provided by NUI Galway were second to none, working with industry professionals on interesting and relevant topics that could be applied to the host company. The course is ever evolving and designed to be relevant to all situations at all times. I would highly recommend the MSc Marketing Practice to anyone looking to progress in their career in marketing.
Jessica Daly | Digital Marketing Executive at TitanHQ
The MSc (Marketing Practice) is an invaluable course for anyone who wants to begin a career in Marketing. As the duration of the masters takes place in our host companies, it is excellent way to gain practical experience. I was fortunate to learn from extremely skilled colleagues in areas such as Search Engine Marketing, something I would have never been able to do in a classroom. The Masters was an exciting, rewarding and challenging hands on experience which built on my marketing skills as well as broadening and diversifying my knowledge and skillset. The benefits of the MSc Marketing Practice are endless, and have prepared me to move further towards an exciting marketing career.
Michelle Murray | Buyer/Planner at Medtronic
The MSc (Marketing Practice) provides a mix of practical learning and theory. I was placed with one of my favourite health food brands and am lucky to say that I am currently working in my dream job! I have developed skills such as content marketing, social media, event organisation, market research and email marketing and the experience and skills gained will definitely stand to me for the future. For anyone considering this Masters, I couldn't recommend it enough as the mix of lectures, workshops and work placement is an excellent foundation to set your career on the right path!
About NUI Galway
Founded in 1845, we've been inspiring students for 175 years. NUI Galway has earned international recognition as a research-led university with a commitment to top quality teaching.
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T. +353 91 524411
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