Entry requirementsntry Requirements: You should have a recognised undergraduate degree, normally at second class honours or higher, or, in exceptional circumstances, three years or more significant managerial experience. You will also need good English language skills. If English is not your first language you will normally require TOEFL scores of 550 or higher or IELTS 6.5 or higher. Students enrolling with the CIM Postgraduate Diploma in Marketing, or recognised equivalent, study only Contemporary Approaches to Marketing Research, Developing Themes in Marketing and Dissertation to achieve the award of MSc.
Academic titleMSc International Fashion Marketing
Course descriptionThe internationalisation of the fashion sector continues unabated. From the value retailers such as Peacocks, to the middle market fashion leaders such as Zara, to the luxury brands such as Gucci and Burberry, the international activities of fashion companies continue to be the focus of attention for consumers worldwide. As supply chains become ever quicker and trends ever changing, responding to this changing global market place is the key and ongoing challenge for the fashion sector.
This programme, the first of its kind in Wales, is designed to provide an academically challenging and practically relevant approach to fashion marketing in an international context. This course not only provides a solid grounding in the key subject areas involved in contemporary fashion marketing management, but also introduces leading-edge concepts and ideas relevant to the modern fashion marketplace. The MSc draws on the extensive practical and academic knowledge of our staff, allowing you to benefit from the Business School’s extensive research activity in these areas.
Brief Overview:
* The programme is pioneering in the context of Wales
* It focuses on the strengths of the Business School as well as the complementary strengths of Cardiff School of Creative and Cultural Industries
* The programme will be delivered at both the Cardiff School of Creative and Cultural Industries new Atrium building located at the centre of Cardiff’s booming commercial district as well as at the Glamorgan Business School
* Integral to the programme are guest lectures and at least one off-site trip to a centre of world fashion
Course Content
Stage One
* Fundamentals of Fashion Marketing (20 credits)
* Contemporary Approaches to Marketing Research (20 credits)
* The Consumption of Fashion Brands (20 credits)
Stage 2
* Strategic Supply Chain Management (20 credits)
* Advanced Marketing Communication (20 credits)
* Developing Themes in Marketing (20 credits)
Stage 3
* Dissertation
See additional information for full module descriptions.
The alternative at the final stage will be of a benefit to those who are business-sponsored and have a level of work experience. Students will be counselled in the choice of their dissertation.
The course fees include a minimum of one off-site visit to a centre of world fashion. Further, guest lectures and talks from leading practitioners within the fashion industry will also be included.
Students who already have marketing qualifications such as the CIM Postgraduate Professional Diploma may be offered exemptions from one or more taught modules up to a total of 80 credits.
How To Study
MSc International Fashion Marketing will consist of a two-site delivery. Students will benefit from the advantages of a Business School environment on the Treforest site as well as the cutting-edge creativity embued within the Atrium campus, Cardiff.
Full-time students will study each subject intensively over a period of several weeks. The part-time course is designed around the needs of practising marketing managers where most modules are normally delivered to small groups, ‘en bloc’ over weekends. For both full-time and part-time students there is a varied lecture and seminar programme, with group work, case studies and analyses of contemporary fashion marketing materials. Students are encouraged to attend specialist guest lectures throughout the year.
Assessment is assignment-based which will encourage you to explore the subject in depth and to develop your critical and analytical skills. The final requirement is a dissertation or business research project in which you will examine in depth a specific aspect of international fashion marketing.
Additional Information
Fundamentals of Fashion Marketing (20 credits)
Studying this module, students will obtain an introductory critique of marketing philosophies, concepts and functions that are pertinent to the fashion sector within the context of services marketing. It examines the theoretical underpinnings of the subject by exploring how fashion marketing impacts on, and is influenced by, society, industry and the environment.
Contemporary Approaches to Marketing Research (20 credits)
This module aims to provide a critical appreciation of the nature and role of marketing research in the business environment. Students will gain an understanding of the nature of conventional marketing research techniques as well as how these have been developed and adapted in the information age. The module therefore provides students with a framework for both understanding the value and limitations of published research, as well as a framework for designing one’s own empirical research projects
The Consumption of Fashion Brands (20 credits)
The aim of this module is to provide students with a critical appreciation of the theoretical underpinnings of contemporary branding and its integral relationship with consumer behaviour in a fashion context. The module seeks to help students to use their understanding of the modern consumptive environment to critically evaluate the value and impact of fashion brands on organisations and society.
Advanced Marketing Communication (20 credits)
The focus of this module is to provide students with a thorough understanding of the nature of marketing communications and the tools which can be utilised in such communication. The objectives are to provide students with an understanding of the context which marketing communications activities take place, marketplace trends, strategic and operational objectives, planning and implementation.
Strategic Supply Chain Management (20 credits)
This module aims to provide students with the ability to capture, maintain and grow the consumer market share as their organisations compete in complex and dynamically changing supply chains. It seeks to enable students to optimise their performance and align their strategy and the strategies of those throughout the supply chain.
Developing Themes in Marketing (20 credits)
The aim of this module is to provide students with a critical perspective and appreciation of contemporary research in the marketing domain In addition to exploring key research themes, the module seeks to explore the many and varied methodologies employed by researchers working at the boundaries of the subject.
Dissertation (60 credits)
The Dissertation is a significant piece of student-directed learning, based on a detailed investigation into a fashion-marketing-related phenomenon. You will need to demonstrate originality in defining a problem area and then setting out a methodology for investigating it. Your research should enable you to contribute in a meaningful way to the body of knowledge around your subject.
Career prospects
Recent graduates who have studied Marketing as part or all of their first degree and gained a good understanding of the processes of management and the needs of organisations, as well as those who have studied Fashion from the design or manufacturing perspective and who are looking to build on this experience by focusing their expertise in the Marketing area, will find this a stimulating and valuable course. Some students may even undertake the course to consolidate their marketing or fashion-related experience after working in either field for a number of years.