of graduate employers say relevant experience is essential to getting a job with them
Why should I choose this course?
- WORK PLACEMENT – Get valuable real-world experience during your studies with the option of a paid 48-week work placement
- PRACTICAL APPLICATION – Apply your training to consultancy projects, work in our Digital Creative Studio and take the opportunity to research and develop a new digital concept
- INDUSTRY APPROVED – Gain additional industry recognition with a marketing degree accredited by the Digital Marketing Institute (DMI)
- ENRICHMENT – Visit a range of marketing firms, hear from a variety of guest lecturers and network with digital marketing professionals and agencies
Our facilities
Students on marketing courses at University College Birmingham have use of our Digital Creative Studio, giving you hands-on training creating promotional videos, podcasts and livestream content for social media. Our Enterprise Hive also provides a range of support services for student entrepreneurs.
Course breakdown
- Year 1
- Year 2
- Year 3
- Year 3/4
Core Modules
Fundamentals of Content Production
When it comes to digital marketing, content is king. In this module you will learn about the foundational principles of content production and develop an awareness and understanding of various visual communication techniques. You will also gain practical experience using Adobe Creative Cloud applications which you will utilise to create promotional material for use on digital platforms.
The People Perspective
Working successfully within teams and on projects will determine your career achievements and help achieve your business goals. This module will teach you to meet the challenges facing businesses today by focusing on the people perspective and enhancing your knowledge of leadership and management within current agile business environments.
Essentials of Marketing
Assuming the role of a marketing manager, you will learn how to make and justify a range of marketing decisions, as well as learn about market segmentation and marketing tactics within differing types of organisations. You will be able to appreciate the importance of customer orientation and of satisfying customer needs in an increasingly competitive environment.
Understanding Audience
This first-year module aims to develop your understanding of the ways in which advertising and marketing professionals communicate with their intended audiences. Along the way, you will gain a foundational understanding of communication theory, audience effects debates and the role of integrated marketing communications (IMC) in the development of brand messages across multiple channels.
Digital Toolkit
This module allows you to develop your knowledge and practical application of digital marketing tools and platforms. You will be able to enhance your understanding of key digital channels that support and enhance the marketing function. The focus of the module is very much practitioner based where you will be taught the design elements of website and content marketing.
Social Media Management
This module will help you to develop your knowledge and practical application of social media tools and platforms. You will also gain a critical understanding of the issues which underpin the development of social media in the modern world. As part of this module, you will manage your own social media account for a clearly defined promotional purpose. Along the way you will test out a variety of social media techniques and strategies. This module will provide you with the skills and knowledge needed to become proficient in social media marketing – a key skill required by employers across a range of industries.
Core Modules
SEO and Digital Advertising
This practically focused module is an essential introduction to search engine optimisation (SEO) and digital advertising, including the latest techniques in PPC, SEM and social media advertising. Over the course of this module, you will gain an understanding of digital advertising and become proficient in utilising best practice to get to the top of search engine rankings while maximising ROI (return on investment).
UX Design
This module will allow you to build on the knowledge and practical application of web production tools and platforms established in your first-year introductory modules. You will be able to further enhance your understanding of user experience and interface design, including the importance of design limitations and accessibility standards. In this practically focused module, you will learn the value of empathising with potential users and adopting human-centred design solutions, across a range of digital processes and products.
Digital Content and Copy
This practical module highlights how to create powerful digital content and copy for a variety of online digital platforms. You will learn how to grab attention, drive traffic, stimulate loyalty and enhance brand reputation by using the right words in the right places. You will also gain an understanding of how to creatively integrate digital media (including video, audio and graphic media) within a wider content strategy.
Campaign Planning
This module aims to explore campaign planning from the perspective of a marketing manager. You will arrive at a clearer understanding of the steps taken in the process of developing digital marketing plans and will investigate the range of digital marketing tools available and learn how to co-ordinate and manage these in order to obtain a successful ROI.
Marketing Intelligence
The importance of marketing research is growing in the increasingly-global competitive marketing environment. You will explore the nature and scope of marketing research, including where and how marketing research fits in with other aspects of marketing management, the characteristics of the research industry and marketing intelligence suppliers.
Plus one option from:
Advertising Psychology
How do advertisers persuade customers to buy? You will learn about advertising psychology in the context of persuasive communication, developing a deeper level of understanding about the cognitive processes involved when dealing with persuasive communication. This will allow you to analyse these processes and to apply your knowledge in a specific marketing context.
E-Commerce and Customer Experience Design
E-commerce has revolutionised the way in which customers interact with businesses. More than ever, it is important for brands to build a powerful online presence. This module will furnish you with the theoretical and practical knowledge required to build your own e-commerce platform and design optimised customer journeys which delight customers and keep them coming back to your website again and again.
Interactive Media
Interactive media is an increasingly important part of any content strategy and covers a wide range of digital products and services. This module will allow you to develop your own creative practice in interactive media (making games, interactive film, digital storytelling or any other medium) in a guided interactive media project of your own devising. Building on many of the technical and creative skills developed so far, this module will take you through the key stages of developing an interactive media project from ideation and concept definition, through to proof of concept and prototype delivery.
Sales Management
This module is all about how to manage a successful sales team. As part of this module, you will gain a clear understanding of the role of sales teams within different organisations, as well as the different types of buyers and how to sell to them. In light of the ever-increasing 'internationalisation' of business, you will also be looking at sales from an international scope and explore theoretical perspectives of buying and selling.
Optional Work Placement
Work Placement
Our course offers you the chance to undertake a paid 48-week placement to give you invaluable first-hand experience in the industry. In your Graduate Advantage sessions, you will be provided with the essential skills and tools to apply and secure your own placement (with support from Hired).
Core Modules
Strategic Marketing Management
This module aims to critically assess the role of strategic marketing in modern organisations. You will consider what digital marketing strategy means and look at a range of examples across business sectors. Core areas to be investigated will be the technologies which make marketing possible, the relationship between marketing strategies and the wider organisation, the key issues in the development and implementation of marketing strategies and the threats (security and other) posed by digital marketing.
Marketing Analytics
Big data is an increasingly important feature of modern business. Organisations now utilise increasingly sophisticated data management and analytical processes to help them make strategic decisions and maintain efficient business practices. This module aims to help you identify and make sense of meaningful patterns in data sets and will familiarise you with the analytical tools and techniques to support evidence-based decision-making. The focus of this module is on digital marketing analytics, such as the use and analysis of website and social media metrics, however more generally this module will help you develop the analytical skills and data competence increasingly demanded by industry.
Managing Online Communities
Building on previous modules that examined the motivations and behaviours of consumers in relation to online community management, this module inspects all aspects of online community engagement, from initially fostering online communities, to building and growing a productive digital community to merging offline and online activity management. Crisis management of online communities is also explored.
Choose one option from:
Marketing Final Major Project
The Final Major Project is a practically focused, but theoretically informed, capstone research project. You will be presented with a particular marketing problem and be asked to generate an innovative solution. In doing so, you will be encouraged to explore an area of marketing which interests you and produce a detailed report, evaluating the relative merits and feasibility of the approach/strategy/technology under investigation. You will then put theory into practice by showcasing your marketing solution at an event attended by your peers, lecturers and industry professionals.
Research Project
You will have the opportunity to engage in an independent research project of your choice. You will have support with preparing your proposal and understanding the competent characteristics of good research. An appointed tutor will help guide you through this important and rewarding process.
Plus one option from:
Advertising and Media Management
You will be taken deeper into the management processes relating to advertising, focusing on the skills involved in matching business objectives and brand communication to target markets. You will be given a greater insight into detailed analysis of what makes advertising communications effective.
Brand Management
The most valuable assets that a company has are the brands that it has invested in and developed over time. You will be given the theoretical knowledge and practical skills required to succeed in the management of complex brands and look at how brands are viewed, built, managed and measured to ensure superiority and sustainability.
International Marketing
We live in an interconnected world, so it's important to examine how organisations explore new market opportunities beyond national boundaries. As a result, you will become more aware of the technological, communication and transportation challenges businesses face and the options they consider when seeking a foothold in a new country.
Podcasting and Audio Production
Podcasting has been growing in terms of audience reach and size year on year and this presents a huge opportunity for publishers, marketers and communication professionals to connect with audiences via this new media platform. Lectures and practical workshops will be geared towards producing a professional promotional podcast, within a style and genre of your choice. Along the way, you will learn a range of audio production skills, including digital audio, editing and mixing skills.
The modules listed above are reviewed regularly to ensure they remain up-to-date as well as being informed by industry and the latest teaching methods. Occasionally we may need to make unexpected alterations to modules – should this happen, we will communicate with all offer holders as soon as possible.
Entry requirements
Academic entry requirements
An overall average of at least 65% in 12th Standard from both State and Central Examination Boards.
Advanced entry to certain undergraduate degree programmes may be possible for students who hold a UK HND or India Diploma in a relevant subject.
English entry requirements
If English is not your first language, you will need a recognised English Language qualification to meet the entry requirements onto a degree programme.
English Entry requirements for students applying from India
Board | Minimum Requirement (2021) |
---|---|
CBSE | B Grade |
ICSE | 60% |
Cambridge | B Grade / 6 Pointer |
Maharashtra State | 60% |
Andhra Pradesh | 60% |
Kerala | 60% |
Karnataka | 60% |
West Bengal | 60% |
If you do not have one of the above qualifications, please see here for the full list of accepted alternatives.
International English Language Testing System (IELTS)
IELTS 6.5 with no element less than 6.0
Key information
Assessment
An estimated breakdown of assessment for this course:
- Coursework – 68%
- Practical assessment – 24%
- Written examinations – 8%
Our teaching and assessment is underpinned by our Teaching, Learning and Assessment Strategy 2021-2024 (UK website).
Tuition fees
For international students enrolling on a full-time BA/BSc degree in 2022/23, your fee for the academic year will be £13,500 per year.
If you undertake a placement year, there will be an administration fee of £500 for a full year, or £250 for a half year.
Accreditations, endorsements and partnerships
At University College Birmingham, we work with a variety of organisations and professional bodies in order to offer you the best possible training and qualifications recognised and respected by industry.
Work placements
Placements provide you with vital real-life experience and help build your skills and confidence before you graduate, as well as potentially leading to a job after your studies. Our dedicated Hired employability team will help you to find your ideal placement.
Our BA Digital Marketing course offers an optional 48-week paid placement, during which you will not incur any tuition fees.
Work alongside experts in your field
Some of the employers we have worked with include:
- Drakos DMC (Cyprus)
- Yiatros Group (Cyprus)
- The Sea Pines Resort (USA)
- Wintech-group (Wolverhampton)

I’ve studied not only marketing and management principles and theory, which is mandatory for any marketing manager, but I’ve also learned and practised skills that are in high demand right now, in a digital world. I have access to great lecturers that have real-world experience in business.
Career opportunities
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Digital marketer
-
Analytics manager
-
Social media manager
-
Advertising account executive
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Pay-per-click (PPC) specialist
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SEO specialist
Thinking of continuing your studies beyond this course? On completing the BA (Hons) degree, you will be able to progress onto our postgraduate courses such as Enterprise Management MSc/PGDip or Marketing Management for Events, Hospitality and Tourism MA/PGDip.
Please note: The examples of roles are to serve only as a guide.
Hired
Our dedicated careers, employability and placements team is here to support you in every step towards your future.