MSc Strategic Marketing
12 months
£42,500
London, UK
Developing the next generation of marketing leaders in a data-driven world
With the rise of digital technologies, social media and a rapidly changing business environment, organisations need to be able to adapt their marketing strategies quickly and effectively to remain competitive. Our full-time MSc Strategic Marketing will teach you the fundamental marketing concepts needed to navigate this ever-evolving digital landscape with opportunities to apply your learning through a Strategic Marketing Consulting Project, Work Placement, Case Study or Independent Research Project.
Drawing on our world-class marketing faculty and thought-leaders in strategy, entrepreneurship and technology, our MSc Strategic Marketing provides a uniquely Imperial College view — one where marketing fundamentals intersect with the latest in technology and innovation, and where marketing science is blended with data-driven decision-making for business. Upon graduation, you will have the credentials to work in a variety of sectors in roles such as a brand manager, business development manager, product manager, account executive, or digital strategist.
A global top three Master’s in Marketing from a leading Business school in London
Programme content
The Imperial MSc Strategic Marketing programme combines marketing fundamentals with technology and innovation giving you the tools to succeed in a rapidly changing industry.
You will be taught through a combination of methods including lectures, syndicate discussions, team exercises, and individual case studies – assessed through examinations, team presentations, and coursework. Made up of core, electives, integrated, and applied modules, the programme will develop your domain expertise while expanding your understanding of how to solve complex business problems. You will also be given the opportunity to choose one of two concentrations: Marketing Management or Marketing Analytics.
We are pleased to offer an optional extended term, that will allow you to extend your programme duration to 16 months. This will give you the opportunity to commit to a longer Work Placement, gaining deeper work experience, global experience and earning additional credits. Please note, the extended term is subject to an additional tuition fee.
Please note, programme content is subject to change. Candidates who fail to successfully complete this degree are not entitled to a Postgraduate Certificate or Postgraduate Diploma.
Online pre-study modules
Before the start of your programme you will be expected to complete online pre-study modules which are delivered via The Hub, our bespoke virtual learning environment. These include primers in key areas including Maths, Data Analysis, Accounting, Study Skills, and Marketing Fundamentals as well as Plagiarism Awareness. These modules do not contribute to the calculation of the final award but are designed to provide students with a common base of knowledge before starting the programme.
Induction week
Your MSc Strategic Marketing induction will be spent at our vibrant South Kensington campus in London. You will be invited to a welcome event where you can meet and network with your fellow students, distinguished faculty and dedicated programme staff, forging new connections and getting a taste of life at Imperial.
Applied Strategic Marketing
The growth in collaborative business models, digital innovation and structural shifts in developing markets have accelerated in recent years. To succeed in today’s fast-changing global marketplace, marketing leaders need to deliver winning strategies that engage consumers, accelerate new market success, outperform competitors and embrace disruptive economic models.
This module will teach you the skills to understand shareholder interests and the levers available to drive growth and profit. You will be able to deliver outcomes using practical, applied techniques used by strategy and marketing consultants and industry professionals alike. By drawing on contemporary examples, you will gain the tools to solve a growth challenge. Bring on disruption – you will be ready for it.
Consumer Behaviour
In this module, you will develop an in-depth understanding of consumer behaviour through the cutting-edge ideas that are gaining prominence in academia. You will apply these key concepts to develop and evaluate marketing strategies– to ultimately – predict and change consumer behaviour. Learn via case discussions, guest lectures, experimental demonstrations and projects.
Digital Marketing
Digital media and the Internet have had a huge impact on marketing practice in recent years, dramatically changing how marketers communicate and interact with consumers, as well as what consumers expect from their relationship with a company. As digital technologies continue to develop in terms of speed, availability and functionality, marketing strategies need to be integrated with digital and interactive tools and practices.
In this module, you will learn how to utilise the latest tools and technologies to identify new opportunities for strategic marketing and analyse online customer behaviour. Search optimisation, paid search, mobile marketing, social media, online advertising, email marketing and e-CRM– you will develop a firm grasp on all of these digital tools. Applying these skills to real examples, you will be able to integrate digital marketing into a communication and marketing plan and unlock a greater level of customer value.
Finance and Pricing Strategy
This module deals with two key financial aspects: first, how to price products and services strategically, and second, understanding critical topics in financial management from a marketing point of view. The module will equip you with the pricing and financial skills required to become effective marketers and future business leaders, improve cross-functional role and communication skills, and maximise strategic influence within the firm.
Market Research
Market research is vital to making informed decisions and formulating effective marketing plans. This module examines problem formulation, research design, data collection, data analysis, and interpretation of market research results. You will gain the practical skills to design, analyse, interpret and critically evaluate market research studies. This is an important skill for an integrated marketing strategy – market research complements marketing analytics and big data analytics to help solve business problems.
Marketing Analytics
Today’s marketing is not just an art; it requires the use of data and quantitative approaches to support marketing strategies in rapidly changing offline and online environments. This module will equip you with the skills to evaluate marketing strategies by measuring effectiveness and profit generation. You will develop a complex understanding of how to derive insights from data using models and tools, including digital analytics tools for web and social media, and advertising and campaign metrics.
Taking a very hands-on approach with real datasets and cases, you will learn how best to apply these analytical techniques to effectively understand customer needs. The goal is not to be a statistician, but to equip you with analytical thinking and a set of applied quantitative marketing skills so that you are best prepared to succeed in the workplace.
Services and Customer Relationship Management
The profitability of a business increasingly depends on two factors: its ability to build and sustain strong relationships with customers and other key stakeholders, and the quality of the services it provides customers. Relationship management is critically important in any industry and is an essential skill for you to master as a marketing professional.
This module equips you with the skills to manage relationships for superior financial performance – focusing on relationships with external customers – consumers, buyers, agents – and internal customers – employees, colleagues, different functional areas and departments. You will gain powerful insights, best practices, and the latest ideas on how to manage relationships for profit, how to sustain trust and loyalty over time, and how to deliver outstanding customer service quality. Using CRM technology, you will discover best practices and innovations in loyalty and service management.
Strategic Brand Management
How do brands create value for customers and for the organisations that manage them? This module covers building, measuring and managing elements of the marketing mix to build brand equity.
Strategic Market Management
To excel as a senior level marketer, you must possess a clear understanding of the concepts needed to craft and execute strategy, along with sound knowledge of how to apply financial and operational principles. This module will introduce you to frameworks and real-world examples in marketing strategy, including future thinking, sustainable design, creation of new markets and the diffusion of innovation as key topics.
Equipped with the skills to formulate and execute market-relevant and financially sound strategies for an organisation, you will be able to take an overall view of its future direction and the potential hurdles it faces. Case studies will help to sharpen your skills in identifying strategic challenges for a range of different companies, and to evaluate the options open to senior marketing managers in these contexts.
Students on the Marketing Management concentration are required to take the Entrepreneurial Strategy module plus three additional electives, and students on the Marketing Analytics concentration are required to take at least four (out of five) analytics electives.
Concentration: Marketing Management
Casual Inference in Marketing
Customer Analytics and Engagement
Effective Crisis Management
Entrepreneurial Strategy
Global Strategy
How Brands Grow, and Why They Decline!
Integrated Marketing Communications
Leadership
Machine Learning Applications in Marketing
Responsible Digital Innovation: Ethics at Work
Sustainable Marketing
Sustainable Marketing and Consumption
Strategic Marketing Innovation
Technologies in Marketing
Concentration: Marketing Analytics
Advanced Pricing and Profit Optimisation
Casual Inference in Marketing
Customer Analytics and Engagement
Digital Marketing Analytics
Machine Learning Applications in Marketing
Marketing Mix Models
Marketing Strategy in the Digital Economy
You will also have the opportunity to undertake a Strategic Marketing Consulting Project, a Work Placement, an Extended Work Placement or a Case Study. Alternatively, you can opt to take the Individual Research Report in lieu of completing one of these modules plus one elective.
Marketing Decision Making
This module will focus on the key strategic marketing issues facing organisations. Through this module, you will refresh and deepen your awareness of key marketing tenets, acquire an advanced knowledge of strategic marketing, develop analytical skills, be able to think critically about strategic marketing, and be able to make strategic decisions to deal with specific business situations.
Case study
The Case Study module aims to contribute to the development of managerial potential by applying problem-solving techniques to complex and challenging marketing problems. The emphasis is on developing skills in addressing a real marketing case study, drawing on the knowledge and skills achieved in the entire programme.
Students are required to analyse a company or brand of their choice using the tools, concepts and theories covered in the MSc modules. This requires identifying a range of marketing issues and analysing them using relevant data and theory.
Individual Research Report
Students wishing to study a doctoral programme after this programme may undertake a research project, with approval from the Academic Director. This constitutes a small piece of research, with an analytical focus, that presents a major opportunity for you to revise and integrate what you have learned on the MSc programme so far. It will also allow you to demonstrate that you can apply your theoretical knowledge to a real-world context.
Strategic Marketing Consulting Project
You will act in a consulting capacity, applying your knowledge developed throughout the programme to the solution of a real business issue. You will work with a corporate sponsor who will present a challenge facing their business and they will provide feedback on your proposed solutions.
Some of the companies that our students have worked with on a consulting project include:
Barclaycard
eBay
Givenchy
Jaguar Land Rover
Johnson & Johnson
Unilever
Virgin Media
Yahoo
Work Placement
This module aims to contribute to the development of your managerial potential by applying problem solving techniques to a challenging business situation in which you are fully immersed. The focus is on developing your skills in managing real business and executing marketing tasks in one specific business context, drawing on the knowledge and skills achieved in other modules of the MSc Strategic Marketing programme. The module will give you the opportunity to experience and operate in a real-world corporate situation.
If you opt to take the Work Placement module you will need to find your own placement. The work placement should be for one month or longer and can be held at a UK-based or international company or organisation.
Extended Work Placement
With the Extended Work Placement you will access additional work placement opportunities, including longer summer internships in the UK and worldwide. You will gain deeper work experience credentials and boost your marketability with potential future employers. The Extended Work Placement contributes to the development of your managerial potential by applying problem solving techniques to a challenging business situation in which you are fully immersed. The focus is on developing your skills in managing real business tasks, drawing on the knowledge and skills achieved in other modules of the programme. Read more about the extended term here.
Global Exchanges
The optional Global Exchanges programme allows you to increase your international exposure and build your network by taking advantage of specialised electives at one of our partner schools.
Please note, this module will require you to pay additional costs.
Admissions
Applications for 2025 entry are open.
Discover our admissions process for the MSc Strategic Marketing including entry requirements, how to apply and key dates and deadlines.
This programme is highly competitive, so early application is advised; this will put you in a stronger position to be considered for a scholarship, and provide access to exclusive admitted students events.
Fees and funding
Choosing to pursue a Master's is one of the most important decisions you will make and is a substantial investment in yourself.
Many of our students fund their studies through multiple funding sources. We offer a wide range of awards, including a number of scholarships to the most talented applicants. We’ve also provided information about the different financing options available to you.
What our students say
“The most rewarding part of the programme has been working on the individual and group projects that allow us to apply our understanding of the concepts we learn in our modules to real-life examples and case studies. Being able to understand and come up with creative and innovative solutions to these problems is very motivating and exciting.”
Class of 2023-24
Meet the classMasters' Open Day
26 October 2024
10.00 - 15.00
South Kensington campus
Discover what it's like to study at Imperial College Business School – join our Masters' Open Day! Choosing a Master's programme is an important decision and visiting the South Kensington campus at an open day will provide you with insights into our diverse variety of Masters' programmes.
Next steps
Career impact
Imperial College Business School Careers provides world-class support, advice, and guidance that is tailored to your own individual career aspirations and is an integral part of your time at Imperial. A number of personalised services are provided before you start and throughout your time at the Business School to support you in securing a successful role in your chosen area.
Employment outcomes below refer to the class of 2023.
employed within six months
employed in Marketing/Media/PR
employed in UK
What our students say
“I’d say the most rewarding part of the programme has definitely been being able to apply theory to practical examples, whether that’s through group projects, individual assignments, case studies or learning from professionals. It’s been super interesting viewing campaigns from a managerial perspective, and all the modules tie in really well with each other so we’re able to apply learnings across the whole programme at the same time”
Meet your faculty
Our faculty are specialists in their respective fields. They have international research reputations, consult for some of the top businesses in the world and are often asked by the media to give academic insight on a wide variety of topics.
Omar Merlo
Andreas Eisingerich
James Eteen
Start your Master's journey
Frequently asked questions
All applications to our postgraduate programmes are made online – we do not accept paper applications. Please refer to the ‘How to apply’ section of each programme page to see what documents you are required to submit with your application and to view the selection process.
Yes, you can. Our finance programmes at Imperial College Business School are highly rigorous, and our students are required to have a high level of quantitative skills. If you are considering applying for a programme within our finance Master’s portfolio, we advise you to take our online maths test to test your quantitative ability and determine if you are suitable to apply for the programme.
Please note, this maths test is most relevant to candidates considering the MSc Finance, MSc Investment & Wealth Management, MSc Financial Technology and MSc Risk Management & Financial Engineering programmes.
You can apply to be considered for one programme each year. We will take your areas of interest and eligibility into account when considering you for alternative programmes.
While it is not compulsory to submit the results of an approved English language test with your application, it is strongly encouraged and will add weight to your application if you are able to show that you have met the language requirement prior to applying. You can find detailed information regarding the Business School’s language requirements and the tests that we accept here.
As part of your application, you will be asked to provide the contact details of two referees. Your referees will be contacted by email once you have completed and submitted your application, and the email will contain instructions on how they can submit your reference via our application system.
Please ensure that each reference letter that is submitted has been sent from an academic or professional email address. We cannot accept references sent from personal email addresses, such as Gmail, Hotmail, 126, 163, Sina, QQ, and Yahoo.
Our electronic application service is provided by an external provider, so there may be a delay before the receipt of your references is confirmed on your student application account.
If you receive confirmation that your references have been received but this still isn’t confirmed on your account a week after receiving the confirmation, please contact the Central Admissions team at business.admissions@imperial.ac.uk.
If you submit a complete application by the stated round deadline, we will ensure you receive an outcome by the corresponding decision deadline. However, if your references are delayed, this may affect our ability to process your application and provide a decision on time. If your references are delayed by more than five working days, we may not be able to guarantee a decision by the deadline.
If you have received confirmation that your references have been submitted but this is not reflected in your account after a week, please contact the Central Admissions team at business.admissions@imperial.ac.uk.
Yes. As part of the selection process, shortlisted candidates for our MSc programmes will be invited to complete an interview. Interviews are conducted through Kira Talent, our video interview platform, which you can access online to record and submit your answers.
The interview process typically takes about 20 minutes and does not require extensive preparation. It aims to supplement your written application by providing a further opportunity for you to articulate your suitability for your MSc programme of choice through questions about your previous experience and future aspirations.
If you are invited to submit a video interview, you will be sent details of how to access and use the Kira Talent online interview platform.
Once you have created an account, you will be asked a series of questions, to which you can record your answers as short videos and submit them online.
Please make sure that the invitation doesn’t go to your junk mail by adding kiratalent.com to your list of safe senders. You must complete your online interview by the deadline stated in the email. If the email has gone into a junk, spam, or clutter folder in your inbox, we will not be able to rearrange a new interview for you, and your application will be considered for withdrawal.
Please note: our video interviews are conducted via the Kira Talent platform. As Kira Talent is an independent third party service provider with their own terms and conditions of service and privacy policy, please familiarise yourself with these and ensure you are happy with them before proceeding to use the Kira service and platform.
For all MSc programmes, you can normally expect to receive a decision within 6-8 weeks of having submitted a complete application. Please keep in mind that during busy times and/or where documents are missing from an application, this time may increase.
When an offer is submitted by the Business School, the Central Admissions need to make a number of final checks before it can be formally approved. These may include an additional review of an applicant’s academic background or ensuring the references we have received are valid. Until you have received confirmation of the official offer via the College’s applicant portal, please do not arrange accommodation, book flights or decline any other offers you may be holding. The majority of offers are successfully approved by Central Admissions and you will be able to see full details of your offer conditions once your official offer has been confirmed.
Unfortunately, we are unable to confirm when you will receive a decision on your application but we will be in touch via email as soon as there is an update. Please be aware that you do not need to provide any additional information unless you think that this will add significant weight to your application (e.g. updated transcripts, relevant internships, English language results).
We are unable to assess eligibility before an applicant applies as the academic selection committee needs to review a full application before any decision can be made. Please check the specific entry requirements of the programme you are interested in studying along with our international entry requirements. If you feel you meet our entry requirements you can apply online.
In addition to the guidance available on our website, we also hold regular information sessions both online and on-campus throughout the year where we would be happy to discuss your suitability in more detail.
The majority of the MSc programmes require a minimum of an Upper Second Class Honours degree (or international equivalent) to be admitted. While work experience can add weight to an application, this would not be considered in place of meeting the academic requirement, regardless of how lengthy the experience has been.
The exceptions to this are MSc Global Health Management, MSc Business Analytics (online delivery, part-time), and MSc Strategic Marketing (online, part-time). Please refer to the programme’s entry requirements for more detailed information.
We may consider candidates applying to MSc Business Analytics (online delivery, part-time) with non-traditional qualifications and backgrounds, on the basis of highly relevant work experience or demonstrated interest.
We accept a wide range of international qualifications for postgraduate study at Imperial.
We've provided general guidance in the country and region index on how qualifications awarded by public institutions overseas may satisfy our minimum academic admission requirements.
We review our requirements annually. Updates usually happen in September each year before the next academic year of entry.
If your country or region is not listed, please contact the relevant Admissions team for further information.
Yes, you can. You can pay your tuition fees in either one or two instalments payable at the start of term, or at the start of term and February, respectively. If you pay in instalments there will be a 2% surcharge of the total amount added to your first instalment. You would be asked to select a payment schedule during the offer acceptance process. Please contact the Student Finance Team if you have further questions about this process.
All candidates who submit an MSc application before the scholarship deadlines (listed on our website) and receive an offer for one of our programmes will automatically be considered for scholarship(s) relevant to their programme, providing they do not have additional criteria such as a video submission. You can be considered for multiple scholarships at the same time.
Additionally, there are a number of cross-programme awards and programme specific awards also available. Please check on the scholarships page on your programme of choice for eligibility and entry requirements.
Find out more information about our MSc Strategic Marketing scholarships.
Yes, we offer a 10% bursary on programme fees to successful candidates with an undergraduate degree from Imperial awarded at a minimum of upper second class, or Master’s degree awarded with a minimum of Merit. In order to be considered for this bursary, you must submit your application by the scholarship deadline.
If you are being sponsored by an organisation that will be responsible for paying your tuition fees, you must provide acceptable proof of the award.
Satisfactory evidence of sponsorship is usually regarded as an original, dated and duly authorised letter from your sponsor on headed paper which includes the following:
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Your name and College Identifier Number
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The programme for which you have been offered a place
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The amount of fees which will be paid by your sponsor (please report in GBP)
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The address to which the invoice should be sent
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Any Purchase Order Number required
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Confirmation that the fees will be sent directly to Imperial College
Sponsorship letters should be emailed to the Central Admissions team at business.admissions@imperial.ac.uk
Your CAS number holds information about the programme you will study and if you have paid any fees. You will not need a formal letter from the College confirming your offer status for your visa appointment.
For more information about what you will need, see the UKVI website.
If you need any advice about your visa please contact the International Student Support team. Most information can be found on the International Student Support website.
We will start to issue CAS numbers from April. The details of your CAS will appear on your My Imperial record after you have met all the conditions of your offer. Please note that you will need to upload a scanned copy of the photo page of your passport and current visa (if you have recently completed a degree in the UK), before your CAS can be issued. Please upload these documents to the ‘Passport/visa’ section of your My Imperial account.
Once your CAS is ready, you will receive an email confirming that it has been uploaded onto your My Imperial account. If you log into My Imperial you will be able to find your CAS number and the details that have been included in your CAS.
Please note that we cannot provide you with a CAS if you have outstanding conditions on your offer. Please ensure that you allow enough time to meet your conditions and apply for a visa before the start date of your programme of study.
The Business School holds online information sessions throughout the year to give you the opportunity to learn more about the programmes from the Programme Director, current students and alumni. Please refer to the meet us page to find out when the next event is being held for your interested programme(s).
The Business School is located on the South Kensington campus of Imperial College London. Please refer to the location page for our address and guidance on how to get here.
Many students choose to live in private rented accommodation whilst attending the Business School whilst others choose to book accommodation through GradPad. Please refer to the accommodation page for more information regarding the different types of accommodation available to you.
Please note that before you contact us you should also check information on the relevant pages on the Business School or College website. If your question isn’t answered, please contact the appropriate team below.
General application queries
Admissions Team
business.school@imperial.ac.uk
Deposit and tuition fee invoice queries (including refunds)
To check if your payment has been received
Tuition Fees Team
tuition.fees@imperial.ac.uk
+44 (0) 20 7594 8011
To check if your documents have been received
Queries regarding your CAS number
Central Admissions
business.admissions@imperial.ac.uk
+44 (0) 20 7594 7258
Career-related queries from admitted students
Careers Team
icbs.careers@imperial.ac.uk
+44 (0) 20 7594 9617
Visa and immigration queries
International Student Support
+44 (0) 20 7594 8040
Accommodation queries
accommodation@imperial.ac.uk
+44 (0) 20 7594 9444
General student information and advice
Student Hub
student.hub@imperial.ac.uk
+44 (0) 20 7594 9444
Advice on budgeting and London living costs
Advice on external scholarships
Student Financial Support
student.funding@imperial.ac.uk
+44 (0) 20 7594 9014
If you’ve submitted your application but haven’t received your CID number
Registry Systems
registry.systems@imperial.ac.uk
Password or technical issues with your Imperial Gateway account
IT Service
deskservice.desk@imperial.ac.uk
+44 (0)20 7594 9000
Almost all of the MSc programmes we have available are 12 month, full-time programmes. The only exceptions are our MSc Business Analytics (online delivery, part-time) and MSc Strategic Marketing (online, part-time) programmes, which are available on a part-time basis.
Yes, we offer an Economics, Finance and Data Science Bachelor's degree, as well as a range of courses at undergraduate level:
- BSc Economics, Finance and Data Science
- BPES Programme
- Joint Honours and Intercalated BSc Programme
- Summer School Programme
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