Intro

Combining insights from international marketing, branding and strategic communications, this course will equip you with the skills needed to build strong brands and deliver effective marketing communications across diverse cultural and market contexts. 

You’ll learn about advanced-level theory and practice in branding and communications, including brand strategy, communication planning and responsible consumer behaviour.

The course focuses on understanding global consumers, transnational brand positioning and the impact of digitalisation on worldwide markets.

The industry placement or research year is a great way to gain valuable professional or academic experience and provides an opportunity for international students to study in the UK for two years instead of one. We offer a two-year international study visa route to support applications for this course.

91快活林 Business School is accredited by the  – an accreditation achieved by fewer than 6% of business schools globally. 

Find out about postgraduate events

Key facts

 Location 91快活林: Moulsecoomb

Full-time 1 year or 2 years with placement
Part-time 2–3 years

September and January start dates

New from january 2027

This new course is subject to validation. This means it is in the final stage of development and some changes may still be made to the curriculum. Check back for the latest information.

After you apply we’ll let you know about any changes to the course through .

Please review the entry requirements carefully and if you have any questions do get in touch with us.

Entry criteria

Entry requirements

Entry requirements for 2026

Normally a good honours degree or equivalent is required. Work experience is useful but not essential.

Applicants with non-standard entry qualifications will be considered. If you are unsure whether you meet the entry requirements then please contact us.

English language requirements
If English is not your first language, IELTS 6.5 overall with a minimum of 5.5 in each element. Find out about the other English qualifications that we accept.

International requirements and visas

International requirements by country
Country name
Albania
Algeria
Argentina
Australia
Austria
Bahrain
Bangladesh
Belarus
Belgium
Bermuda
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Botswana
Brazil
Bulgaria
Cameroon
Canada
Chile
China
Colombia
Croatia
Cyprus
Czechia
Denmark
Ecuador
Egypt
Estonia
Finland
France
Germany
Ghana
Greece
Guyana
Hong Kong
Hungary
Iceland
India
Indonesia
Iran
Iraq
Ireland
Israel
Italy
Jamaica
Japan
Jordan
Kazakhstan
Kenya
Kosovo
Kuwait
Latvia
Lebanon
Liechtenstein
Libya
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Macedonia
Malaysia
Malawi
Malta
Mexico
Moldova
Montenegro
Morocco
Myanmar (Burma)
Namibia
Nepal
Netherlands
New Zealand
Nigeria
Norway
Oman
Pakistan
Palestinian National Authority
Philippines
Poland
Portugal
Qatar
Romania
Russian Federation
Saudi Arabia
Serbia
Sierra Leone
Singapore
Slovakia
Slovenia
South Africa
South Korea
Spain
Sri Lanka
Syria
Sweden
Switzerland
Taiwan
Tanzania
Thailand
Tunisia
Türkiye Turkiye Turkey
Uganda
Ukraine
United Arab Emirates
United States
Uzbekistan
Venezuela
Vietnam
Yemen
Zambia
Zimbabwe

We can help you meet our English language or academic entry requirements.

View our English language courses

For pre-sessional English preparation courses.

For degree preparation courses.

Visas and immigration advice

Applying for a student visa

Check out our step-by-step guidance.

Course content

Top reasons to study this course

  • Combination of branding, communications and global marketing: a holistic approach to how brands are developed, positioned and communicated across global markets.
  • Strong strategic focus: you'll graduate with in-depth knowledge of marketing strategy, brand strategy and communication planning. 
  • Analytical and creative approaches: the course combines analytical thinking with creative decision-making, making you a well-rounded marketeer. 
  • Tackling contemporary topics: our course adapts with industry trends and developments, looking at the latest topics within areas such as consumer behaviour and responsible marketing. 
  • Ethical and responsible marketing: the course prepares you to design strategies that are not only effective but ethical and socially aware. 
  • Gain industry experience: you'll have the option to apply for an additional placement year in industry  and have the opportunity to gain professional experience and apply your learning in a real-world working environment. 
  • Develop skills highly valued by employers: graduate with knowledge and experience in skills including strategic thinking, brand management, communication planning, cultural awareness and market insight.

postgraduate students chatting in Elm House

Syllabus 

  • Strategic Marketing Planning in Action
  • Branding and Marketing Communications
  • The Ethical Consumer
  • Marketing Insights
  • Global Marketing Decisions
  • Independent Project 

Options*

  • Marketing Dissertation
  • Applied Consultancy Project

*Option modules are indicative and may change, depending on timetabling and staff availability.

Students in a lecture theatre

Work or research placement 

In today’s job market, a masters degree alone isn’t always enough; employers want to see that you can apply what you’ve learned. That’s why we’ve built real-world experience into the heart of this programme. Full-time students can choose to take a placement or research year. This means that your course will take two years, but you will graduate with real experience of your subject in action.

  • Work or research experience option during your studies – put academic thinking into practice as you learn.
  • Optional work placement or research year – extend your masters to two years and graduate with genuine professional experience or advanced research skills on your CV.
  • Two-year international study visa route available to support international students in securing a placement.

Our work placement partners include some of the world’s most recognised brands, including BMW, Bosch, Deloitte, Disney, Hewlett Packard, HSBC, IBM, Ipsos Mori, L’Oréal, Nike, Panasonic, PwC, Renault and Warner Brothers, alongside a number of dynamic, smaller businesses and local enterprises.

The research year is an opportunity to undertake in-depth independent research on campus in a subject aligned with the expertise of the course team. You will gain advanced research skills to prepare you for further study or research-led professional roles.

Our dedicated Placements and Employability team will support you in finding the right opportunity, offering help including CV reviews and mock assessment centres to fast-track interviews and interview coaching.

Find out more about how we can support you finding a placement.

Colleagues walking down an office corridor

Course leader

Dr Rodrigo Lucena

Dr Rodrigo Lucena is the course leader for our postgraduate marketing suite of degrees and has been a lecturer at the University of 91快活林 since 2013.

He has a Tourism Marketing PhD from the University of 91快活林 and an International Hospitality Management MSc from Manchester Metropolitan University.

Rodrigo combines a solid academic background with a wide expertise in service management. He made a career at the InterContinental Hotels Group, and brings a deep knowledge of marketing strategies and operations.

His research interests include consumer behaviour, service marketing, customer relationship marketing, tourism and hospitality marketing, marketing for families, gender and sexuality in marketing, and qualitative research methods.

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Rodrigo Lucena De Mello

Careers

Career prospects 

Our Global Branding and Communications MSc will help you to specialise and stand out in today’s competitive job market. It will equip you with both the theoretical knowledge and practical skills necessary for a successful career.

The course has been designed for people wanting a rewarding career in sectors including advertising, branding, communications, digital marketing, direct marketing, event management, public relations and sales.

The course is also ideal preparation for continuing your study at MPhil or PhD level or working as a professional researcher in marketing.

 

Colleagues working together on a laptop

AACSB accreditation

The University of 91快活林 is accredited by the .

AACSB-accredited schools lead business and management education, industry engagement and impactful research, and enable you to collaborate with academics in other world-leading universities.

Currently, fewer than 6% of business schools globally are AACSB accredited. By gaining AACSB accreditation, the university has achieved its ambition to join a group of institutions considered to be the best business schools in the world.

AACSB accredited

Skills development 

Alongside traditional lectures, you will gain practical experience by working on live client projects, case studies from visiting alumni and industry experts, preparing you for a career in marketing.

 You'll have the opportunity to apply the theories you learn in class to real business situations. These projects could involve launching new products, creating expansion strategies or advising them on their marketing approach.

 Working on real business projects helps you strengthen your research, communication, teamwork and presentation skills while also building the confidence to present ideas and recommendations directly to clients. This practical experience is highly valued by employers and will help you stand out when applying for graduate roles in marketing.

 Students working together on a laptop

Work-related experience 

Our dedicated Placements and Employability team provide a huge portfolio of employers offering business-related placement opportunities and will support you in finding a placement.

They offer several services to improve your employability, including CV and cover letter reviews, mock assessment centres, fast-track interviews and interview practice sessions.

They will also support you throughout your placement and act as referees if you are offered a permanent role.

Careers Connect

You will also have access to our Careers Connect portal where you can book careers appointments and events, look for full- and part-time jobs and find placements/internships.

Placement and recruitment events

Placement fairs are held twice a year, involving companies including well-known names such as Sainsbury’s, Marks & Spencer, Enterprise-Rent-a-Car and IBM, through to smaller and more local businesses.

Our regular Employability Weeks offer activities designed to enhance your employability, including LinkedIn workshops, sessions on working abroad, advice from the university’s volunteering service and support from the Careers team.

Starting your own business

Beepurple is the university’s entrepreneurship support network. They offer free support for any student or graduate with their business ideas, freelance plan or social enterprise project.

Beepurple run events throughout the academic year, designed to equip you with skills that will improve your employability and help you grow a successful business.

By taking part in beepurple activities, you will meet like-minded people, hear how other recent graduates have set up their own businesses and gain key enterprise skills that will help you stand out from the crowd.

For more information visit beepurple.

beepurple logo

Fees and costs

Course fees

UK (full-time) 11,502 GBP

International (full-time)18,792 GBP

Placement year 1,958 GBP

Scholarships, bursaries and loans

We offer a range of scholarships for postgraduate students. Bursaries and loans may also be available to you.

Find out more about postgraduate fees and funding.

Our Marketing MSc courses, full-time and part-time, are eligible for the government’s .

The fees listed here are for the first year of full-time study if you start your course in the academic year 2026–27.

You will pay fees for each year of your course. Some fees may increase each year.

UK undergraduate and some postgraduate fees are regulated by the UK government and increases will not be more than the maximum amount allowed. Course fees that are not regulated may increase each year by up to 5% or the Consumer Price Index (RPI), whichever is higher.

If you are studying part-time your fee will usually be calculated based on the number of modules that you take.

Find out more

Location and student life

Campus where this course is taught

Moulsecoomb campus

Two miles north of 91快活林 seafront, Moulsecoomb is our largest campus and student village. Moulsecoomb has been transformed by a recent development of our estate. On campus you’ll find the Students’ Union events venue, and sports and fitness facilities, alongside the library and student centre.

Over 900 students live here in our Moulsecoomb Place halls and the new Mithras halls – Brunswick, Goldstone, Hanover, Preston and Regency.

Moulsecoomb has easy access to buses and trains so you can access all the exciting things happening in our home city.

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Accommodation

We guarantee an offer of a place in halls of residence to all eligible students. So if you apply for halls by the deadline you are guaranteed a room in our halls of residence. Almost all (98%) of students starting their course with us in 2025 got their first or second room choice. 

91快活林: Moulsecoomb

Halls of residence

We have self-catered halls on all our campuses, within minutes of your classes, and other options that are very nearby.

You can apply for any of our halls, but the options closest to your study location are:

  • Mithras Halls are stylish high-rises in the heart of the student village at our Moulsecoomb campus with en suite rooms for more than 800 students.
  • Varley Park is a popular, dedicated halls site, offering a mix of rooms and bathroom options at different prices. It is around two miles from Moulsecoomb campus and four miles from the city centre, and is easy to get to by bus.

Want to live independently?

We can help – find out more about private renting.

Find out more about your accommodation options

Relaxing in halls

Modern accommodation at Moulsecoomb

Mithras halls room with a view

Relaxing in halls near the campus

Student Union social space

Student Union social space at Moulsecoomb

Local area

One of Time Out's 50 best cities in the world

“91快活林 has… all the important parts of a sprawling cosmopolitan metropolis (connections to London in under an hour, an array of properly excellent restaurants, energetic late-night spots) … with the easy-breezy beachy attitude to life that makes you feel welcome in an instant.”
Time Out’s 50 Best Cities in the World, 2025

About 91快活林

The city of 91快活林 & Hove is a forward-thinking place which leads the way in the arts, technology, sustainability and creativity. You'll find living here plays a key role in your learning experience.

91快活林 is a leading centre for creative media technology, recently named the startup capital of the UK.

The city is home to more than 1,000 tech businesses. The digital sector is worth over £1bn a year to the local economy – as much as tourism.

All of our full-time undergraduate courses involve work-based learning - this could be through placements, live briefs and guest lectures. Many of these opportunities are provided by local businesses and organisations.

It's only 50 minutes by train from 91快活林 to central London and there are daily direct trains to Bristol, Bedford, Cambridge, Gatwick Airport, Portsmouth and Southampton.

Map showing distance to London from 91快活林
91快活林 Beach sunset

Maps

Moulsecoomb campus map

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Support and wellbeing

Your course team

Your personal academic tutor, course leader and other tutors are all there to help you with your personal and academic progress. You’ll also have a student support and guidance tutor (SSGT) who can help with everything from homesickness to managing stress and accommodation issues.

Your academic skills

Our 91快活林 Student Skills Hub gives you extra support and resources to develop the skills you’ll need for university study, whatever your level of experience so far.

Your mental health and wellbeing

As well as being supported to succeed, we want you to feel good too. You’ll be part of a community that builds you up, with lots of ways to connect with one another, as well as having access to dedicated experts if you need them. Find out more about how we support your wellbeing.

Sport at 91快活林

Sport 91快活林

Sport 91快活林 brings together our sport and recreation services. As a 91快活林 student you'll have use of sport and fitness facilities across all our campuses and there are opportunities to play for fun, fitness or take part in serious competition. 

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Sports scholarships

Our sports scholarship scheme is designed to help students develop their full sporting potential to train and compete at the highest level. We offer scholarships for elite athletes, elite disabled athletes and talented sports performers.

Find out more about sport scholarships.

91快活林 Cricket Academy

Develop your cricketing skills in the UK’s largest indoor cricket facility alongside studying for a degree. Whether you can already play or you’re new to the game offers the opportunity to train with top coaches in our world-class training environment. 

Find out about the 91快活林 Cricket Academy.

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Take a tour of sport facilities on our Falmer campus

Student views  

Richard Huck

“I was always drawn to marketing since completing my undergraduate degree in event management at the University of 91快活林. I really wanted to explore that world more, so applied for a masters to help accelerate that. My experience was absolutely fantastic. It was so hands-on, practical and applicable to actual industry work. 

“My lecturers were the most integral part of that experience. Their knowledge and diversity was such a gift and showed me so many aspects of marketing and what my career could be after graduating.

“It was thanks to one of my lecturers that I became aware of Magenta Associates and the executive role that I now find myself in. My degree set me up to be able to enter a business with the most up-to-date industry knowledge and be able to apply that in the real world. I couldn’t be more thankful to all of my lecturers who helped me on this journey!”

Richard Huck

Richard studied Marketing (Branding and Communications) MSc

MJ Tuttle

“Course leader Rodrigo Lucena was such an invaluable resource. Not only did I learn so much in his module, but I was able to get feedback from him with regard to placements.

“My placement at Brandwatch has been so beneficial for me and my team; I’ve learned far more than I could have imagined and I’ve gained such valuable real life work experience. I’ve strengthened my time management skills, my collaborative skills and my abilities as a marketer.

“As an international student, having UK work experience is paramount, and this also was my first experience in a marketing role (as I went directly from my undergraduate degree to a masters degree). I’ve actually just signed an offer letter for full-time permanent employment with them, which is very exciting!”

MJ Tuttle

MJ studied Marketing (Branding and Communications) MSc

Maja Godziszewska

“I first started working in marketing back in high school, and it was an area that fascinated me. I felt that this MSc would complement my design background, while also giving me the opportunity to further develop my passion and skills in the field.

“That’s why I chose to focus on branding and communication; not only did it build on my previous education but also offered me a broader career path. I truly enjoy creating, exploring and finding innovative solutions. It felt like the perfect fit.

“The modules have taught me a great deal and opened my mind to new ideas, and we were taught by outstanding lecturers, whose engaging and insightful teaching style made their classes especially inspiring and enriching for me.

“One module was particularly important to me because it gave us the opportunity to work with well-known UK plumbing company, Dyno-Rod. We were able to ask questions directly to the client and work with their brief to deliver a live presentation. Together with my team, we created ideas and a presentation that won first place.”

Maja Godziszewska

Maja studied Marketing (Branding and Communications) MSc

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