MA Advertising, Marketing and the Media

We are surrounded by advertising, marketing and media campaigns in a hugely competitive world-wide marketplace. Our societies are constantly influenced by the advertising industry, and businesses need to become increasingly aware of the societies and cultures in which they're operating. These areas play an important commercial function within business and organisations.

Taught within our top rated Department of Sociology, this course investigates key theoretical and substantive debates in the critical study of advertising, marketing and media, and analyse the advertising industries in Britain, North America and newly emerging economies like India.

You explore topics including:

• Recent developments from actor network theory on market devices
• Concepts of advertising, marketing and consumption
• Contemporary marketing and management
• Media and communications
• Developing brand cultures

You are introduced to primary research materials, like market research data, examining debates about the historical rise of marketing-orientated businesses and the growth of the advertising agency.

Our Department of Sociology was rated top 10 in the UK for research quality (REF 2014). We're pursuing a new understand of the social world with our world leading research, and contributing to the thinking that guides organisations.

This course is supported by expertise from the Essex Business School. Our strong emphasis on ethics and sustainable business practice in the global economy will provide knowledge and skills necessary for your future career in an increasingly complex world.

Our expert staff

We are a large and friendly department, offering a diverse range of research interests and with staff members who are committed to teaching, research and publication that covers a broad geographical spectrum.

Many have worked at the local level with local authorities, justice councils, community partnerships and charities. Others have worked at a national and international level with bodies like the United Nations, the European Commission’s Expert Group on Public Understanding of Science, Amnesty International, The Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, the Home Office and national non-governmental organisations.

Within Essex Business School, our staff specialise in areas including SMEs, business-to-business relationship marketing, branding, marketing management, new product development and social entrepreneurship.

While maintaining core engagement with contemporary marketing practice, our staff enrich our courses with novel marketing ideas drawn from both the contemporary business world and cutting-edge academic research.

Specialist facilities

• Dedicated postgraduate support facilities
• Our renowned off-campus Graduate Conference takes place every February
• A unique Student Resource Centre where you can get help with your studies, access examples of previous students’ work, and attend workshops on research skills
• The Sociology common room is open all day Monday-Friday, is stocked with daily newspapers, magazines and journals, and has free drinks available
• Links with the Institute of Social and Economic Research, which conducts large-scale survey projects and has its own library, and the UK Data Archive, which stores national research data like the British Crime Survey
• Our students’ Sociology Society, a forum for the exchange of ideas, arranging talks by visiting speakers, introducing you to various career pathways, and organising debates

Our landmark new Essex Business School building on our Colchester Campus is the first zero carbon business school in the UK. Set around a lush winter garden, the Eden-style dome gives the building its own micro-climate.

Our new building provides you with a stunning new work environment, offering:

• A virtual trading floor with Bloomberg Terminals offering direct use of Bloomberg data, information and analytics
• A light and spacious lecture theatre, with seating for 250 students
• Study pods and innovation booths for group working
• Dedicated office space for student entrepreneurs
• Networking opportunities with visiting businesses
• A café with an adjacent sun terrace

Your future

This course provides excellent preparation for further academic study, and many of our postgraduates go on to successful academic careers, both in the UK and overseas.

Others have established careers in non-governmental organisations, local authorities, specialist think tanks, government departments, charities, media production, and market intelligence.

We work with the university’s Employability and Careers Centre to help you find out about further work experience, internships, placements, and voluntary opportunities.

UK entry requirements

A 2:1 or equivalent in a social science subject.

Applications from students with a 2:2 or equivalent or a non-social sciences degree will be considered dependent on any relevant professional or voluntary experience, previous modules studied and/or personal statement.

English language requirements

Example structure

Postgraduate study is the chance to take your education to the next level. The combination of compulsory and optional modules means our courses help you develop extensive knowledge in your chosen discipline, whilst providing plenty of freedom to pursue your own interests. Our research-led teaching is continually evolving to address the latest challenges and breakthroughs in the field, therefore to ensure your course is as relevant and up-to-date as possible your core module structure may be subject to change.

For many of our courses you’ll have a wide range of optional modules to choose from – those listed in this example structure are, in many instances, just a selection of those available. Our Programme Specification gives more detail about the structure available to our current postgraduate students, including details of all optional modules.

You take one of these two modules: Text and Documents or Sociological Research Design. You do not take both.

See full list of optional modules

Teaching

• We have a strong research group culture
• Graduate students are encouraged to take part in our weekly Departmental Seminar which regularly features eminent outside speakers

Assessment

• Your modules are assessed by coursework and your dissertation

Dissertation

• Your 15,000-word dissertation allows you to focus in-depth on your chosen topic from April onwards
• You work with close supervision from academic staff