Marketing Strategy and Innovation MSc
Key information
Duration: 12 months
Attendance mode: Full-time
Location: Bunhill Row
Start of programme: September 2025
Application deadline: Rolling applications
Entry year: Showing course information for 2025
A master's in Marketing with close industry links to start-ups and major brands.
Overview
Marketing Strategy and Innovation MSc Who is it for?
Many people mistakenly equate marketing with advertising, yet true marketing encompasses a dynamic blend of creativity, innovation, analysis, and strategic insight. If you’re passionate about marketing and eager to make it your career—or to elevate your business—our MSc in Marketing Strategy and Innovation is the perfect degree for you.
Tailored specifically for those with limited or no prior experience in marketing, this master’s course equips you with the foundational and advanced skills needed to excel in the field. Whether your background is in fine arts, medicine, business, or physics, our program prepares you for a successful first step into a professional marketing career.
If you already have advanced marketing knowledge, please take a look at our other MSc courses or our MBA programmes.
Why choose this course?
- Apply your learning in a strategy simulation game in a business pitch to a jury of London marketers and investors
- Have the opportunity to launch a marketing plan for a London start-up
- Choose your topics, tailor your course to your ambitions and opt for a business research project or electives, including international options
- Use cutting-edge tech, generative AI applications and 3D printers.
Course objectives
Our master’s in Marketing Strategy and Innovation gives you a sound understanding of the principles and state-of-the-art practices of marketing. This postgraduate degree aims to equip you with rigorous theoretical and practical knowledge of professional marketing practice, the quantitative and qualitative analytical skills required to make complex marketing decisions, soft skills to influence people and organisations such as team-working, communications and leadership.
Explore how to innovate and create a buzz about new launches. Gain the latest knowledge on customer analysis, advertising, digital and social media marketing, fashion brand management, storytelling, sponsorship and other current topics. Through subjects including ethics and corporate social responsibility, reflect on the impact of your own work and that of the industry.
You’ll learn through interactive classes, case discussions, lectures from leading marketers and hands-on projects, including working with local start-ups, developing and pitching a business idea, and connecting with some of London’s finest senior marketers.
"The MSc in Marketing Strategy and Innovation offers a very structured and smart curriculum that emphasises complex marketing and modern trends such as digital transformation as well as human value. Don't doubt whether what you learn is useful, believe me it will be!"
- Xueying Gigi Wang
Teaching staff
The teaching staff on the MSc in Marketing Strategy and Innovation programme are leading researchers in their fields who create new knowledge and tools for ever more effective marketing. Many academics also look back at years of practical industry experience. Most courses are also enriched through guest lectures of leading London marketers, some of which have contributed to running the world’s most iconic brands.
In the highly interactive lectures of the Bayes MSc in Marketing Strategy & Innovation programme you will tap into this wealth of knowledge and experience, and thus build your own skill as a marketer.
Course director
- Professor Fleura Bardhi
- Dr Daniela Cristian
- Dr Sabrina Gottschalk
- Dr Diogo Koch Alves
- Dr Irene Scopelliti
- Dr Janina Steinmetz
- Dr Ruben van Werven
- Dr Wanqing Zhang
- Dr Joyce Jingshi Liu
- Dr Aleksandrina Atanasova
Regular guest speakers in the program include:
- Jon Goldstone - former Marketing VP at PepsiCo and Unilever, now global brand consultant at the brandgym.
- Simon Callender - Creative Planning Director at customer experience agency Initials, London.
- Michael Rocha - Global Director Brand, Business Valuation at Interbrand, London.
Course content
The degree aims to equip you with the most rigorous theoretical and practical knowledge on professional marketing practice, with the quantitative and qualitative analytical skills required to make complex marketing decisions, and with the soft skills to influence people and organisations through creativity, persistence, team-working, communication skills, leadership, and initiative.
Marketing is a fast-moving field. Therefore, each module is constantly updated to include the latest digital and analogue technologies (some of them developed by our very own lecturers) which enables you to devise path-breaking products and persuasive communication strategies in fast-changing social environments.
Course structure
Induction weeks
This MSc course starts with two compulsory induction weeks where you will get to know your new classmates and lecturers, learn how to collaborate effectively in multicultural teams, refresh your computer skills, meet Bayes’ careers services, and attend a careers fair.
Term 1
Marketing Fundamentals
Marketing is one of the most fundamental, most complex, and possibly also most misunderstood functions of the firm. The aim of this module is to introduce you to the fascinating world of marketing and provide you with a sound understanding of its central tools.
This module assumes no previous knowledge of marketing and will give you an overview of the basic marketing planning process including segmentation, branding, pricing, distribution, and promotion. These concepts are brought to life though interactive lectures, integrated projects, and industry guest speakers.
Marketing Strategy and Practice
The objective of the module is to enhance skills in strategic thinking in marketing and developing and presenting marketing plans.
This will specifically require forming objectives, situation (SWOT) analysis, market research and forecasting, target market selection, market mix strategy formation, marketing tactics development, and control procedure formulation.
In addition, you will practically apply marketing theory. You will take part in a business simulation. In this simulated world, you and your team have been recruited as Marketing Managers for a division of a large diversified firm.
Marketing strategy is your main area of responsibility, but you will also be concerned with financial matters, production planning, and R&D. You will have to integrate these various dimensions of business strategy into a long-term perspective in order to gain an edge on the competition.
At the end, we can see how your decisions have affected your market share, your profitability, and your share price.
Creativity, Innovation and Design for a Sustainable World
Incorporating the cutting-edge use of 3D printers and generative AI applications, this module empowers students to produce tangible 3D prototypes of their imaginative concepts. As design thinking becomes an increasingly pivotal aspect of modern organisations, this course offers both theoretical insights and hands-on skills. Students are encouraged to align their innovative ideas with the United Nations' sustainable goals, aiming to address and solve pressing global challenges. Through creativity, innovation workflows, and design principles, learners will be equipped to make their offerings—whether products or services—not only useful, usable, efficient, and effective but also solutions that contribute positively to the world.
Consumer Insights
This module introduces you to the techniques and processes of understanding markets and gaining consumer insights. The focus of this module will be on both quantitative and qualitative approaches to studying markets and consumers and their value for innovations and marketing strategy.
This module also provides methodological tools that are fundamental to craft and management of research projects based on empirical (quantitative or qualitative) data. You will learn about traditional quantitative methods, such as surveys and interviews, and more novel approaches, such as Big Data approaches, neuromarketing, crowdsourcing, etc.
The aim is to enable you to evaluate and buy market research from clients, and be able to understand and use research output for solving marketing problems.
Term 2
Analytical Methods for Marketing
In this module, you will learn the most relevant and up-to-date quantitative methods for analysing data related to various aspects of marketing, but also running a business more broadly. Mastering these methods will allow you to improve the quality of your decisions by grounding them in empirical insight rather than intuition or gut feeling. You will learn how to develop research questions, analyse data with different methods, and draw inferences, always with a view to making better marketing decisions.
Consumer Behaviour
Via a series of lectures, case studies and in-class activities, you will be introduced to foundational psychological, sociological and cultural theories to understand behaviour of individuals in the market. The goal is to help you understand how to segment and target your market, and then, how to relate and foster a desirable behaviour from your customers.
The coursework of this module is integrated with the modules Digital Marketing and Social Media as well as Brand Management and Communication Strategies. This integrated project gives you the unique opportunity to develop and pitch a customer analysis, brand strategy, and advertising campaign across all media to a group of experienced London marketers and investors.
Brand Management and Communication Strategies
When you work as a marketer, your "brand" will be the focal point of all your thoughts and actions. Why? Because the brand gives the entire organisation purpose and direction.
The brand guides your company’s product and pricing decisions, store designs, advertising narratives, and many other important decisions. This module introduces you to the key branding theories and branding models that are used in practice. You will learn how to create, reposition, and extend a brand, and how to advertise it effectively to your target audiences.
Digital Marketing and Social Media
In practice, digital marketing often revolves around driving more traffic to a company’s pages, no matter what. However, social media and viral marketing, search engine marketing, e-mail marketing, banner advertisements, or pay-per-click (to name just a few instruments) are not the same as traditional media such as print and television, where such a focus on „more traffic“ made sense. Digital marketing is different, and much more powerful. It is a two-way street, where marketers interact with consumers, select traffic rather than accumulate it, and thus build consumer-brand relationships of different kinds. This module teaches you a range of state-of-the art tools and theories of how to use social media effectively to achieve your branding and communication goals
Term 3
All students complete two compulsory modules (Product Innovation Management and Technology and Marketing) in term three.
Product Innovation Management
In contemporary society, organisations that do not continuously innovate will be left behind by the market. Yet, many large organisations do not manage to be innovative. This is in part due to the risky nature of product development – a huge number of new products never see the commercialisation stage, and many others fail to ‘grab’ customers’ attention – but also has to do with the nature of large organisations, which typically are not places where creative and entrepreneurial behaviour is encouraged.
In Product Innovation Management, we will focus on the challenges that innovation managers face. After evaluating their product portfolio, they might conclude that there are gaps. In that case, there is a need to add innovative new products. But many large corporations are not the most innovation-friendly environment. So innovation managers may need to consider creating a designated corporate entrepreneurship unit, changing the organisational culture, or setting up systems and processes that stimulate entrepreneurship. Through discussing these challenges, you will gain insight into how large organisations (should) manage their entrepreneurial activities.
Technology and Marketing: Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning
When will drones be delivering your Amazon orders? Will the Uber of tomorrow be a driverless car? Have you thought about having your childhood pet cloned, but with pink fur? Will you be touring your new house as augmented reality before you build it?
Will a robot butler be serving you breakfast in bed? Technological advancement is opening astounding prospects for the future and marketing is straining to catch up.This module explores the relationship between technology, consumer society and marketing. It provides you with a theoretical and conceptual basis for addressing the intersection between technology and the processes for creating, communicating, delivering, and exchanging offerings
You can then choose to take either a General Research Project or three electives.
General Research Project
The General Research Project offers an opportunity to develop your expertise and become an expert on a marketing topic of your choice.
You can, for example, conduct an independent academic research study in the subject field of your supervising Professor (e.g. running a consumer psychology experiment, collecting interview data for a consumer culture study, running a survey study on a marketing management topic).
This is the best route if you are playing with the idea of becoming an academic, but also if your goal is to work with data.
You can also develop a marketing research study with a company that faces a practical marketing problem. Our alumni office can help you open doors to get you in touch with a company to collaborate with.
You can use this format to build relationships with an organisation you might want to work for. It gets you a foot in the door and can lead to permanent employment once you have completed the MSc.
Electives
- Country and Geopolitical Risk Management
- Driving Supply Chain Innovation through Technology
- Essentials of Accounting and Finance
- Ethics, Society and the Finance Sector
- Fashion Brand Management
- Global strategy
- New Market Creation
- Retail Supply Chain Management
- Strategy Consulting Skills
- Storytelling for Business.
International electives
- Corporate Open Innovation (Rome)
- Luxury Marketing Strategy (Paris)
- Start ups: International Field Trip (Lisbon).
Please note that an elective may not be offered if it is not selected by a minimum number of students, or might be overbooked. Please also note that international electives may be taught in alternate locations, depending on availability.
Download course specification:
Marketing Strategy and Innovation MSc [PDF]Assessment methods
Term dates
Term dates 2025/26
- Induction: 15th September 2025 - 26th September 2025
- Term one: 29th September 2025 - 12th December 2025
- Term one exams: 5th January 2026 - 16th January 2026
- Term two: 19th January 2026 - 3rd April 2026
- Term two exams: 20th April 2026 - 1st May 2026
- Term three - international electives: 4th May 2026 - 15th May 2026
- Term three: 18th May 2026 - 3rd July 2026
- Term three exams: 6th July 2026 - 17th July 2026
- Resits: 10th August 2026 - 21st August 2026
- Additional resit week - tests only: 24th August 2026 - 28th August 2026.
Timetables
Course timetables are normally available from July and can be accessed from our timetabling pages. These pages also provide timetables for the current academic year, though this information should be viewed as indicative and details may vary from year to year.
Please note that all academic timetables are subject to change.
Fees & funding
UK/Home/International fee
September 2025 entry
£32,600
MSc
Tuition fees are subject to annual change.
Deposit: £2,000 (usually paid within 1 month of receiving offer and non-refundable unless conditions of offer are not met).
First installment: Half fees less deposit (payable during on-line registration which should be completed at least 5 days before the start of the induction period).
Second installment: Half fees (paid in January following start of course).
Scholarships & bursaries
Scholarships, sponsorships, loans and other funding could support your education at Bayes Business School.
Learn about the cost of living as a Bayes student in London.
Scholarships
We have a range of scholarships for Master's degrees at Bayes Business Scool. Most scholarship applications for 2025/26 year of entry will open in January 2025.
View our scholarships and fundingOther funding opportunities
Scholarships are very competitive, you may wish to look other options for funding, including the government PG Loan.
View other funding optionsSponsorship
Students on the course who are sponsored in full or in part by their employer will need to complete a sponsorship form as part of the application process.
View our sponsorship guidanceCareers
You can expect to work as a marketing manager, campaigns manager or consultant, or find roles in business strategy, SEO consulting or even influencer marketing. Recent employers include Amazon, Charlotte Tilbury, Ogilvy and eBay.
Recent graduates have secured positions and job titles such as:
- Brand Manager
- Client Manager
- Communications Specialist
- Digital Marketing Executive
- Relationship Manager
Download our latest MSc Employment Report
MSc Marketing, Strategy & Innovation students have access to a range of bespoke career sessions focused on professional development. These sessions help students build their personal brand and refine their presentation skills, enabling them to make a strong impression on target employers. In addition, they can attend a variety of corporate events featuring employers and alumni, offering insights into roles within marketing and other sectors.
Activities include presentations, business games, and panel events, helping students develop business awareness, expand market knowledge, connect with alumni, and grow their professional networks.
Dedicated to your success
From the moment you accept your offer, you'll have access to our dedicated Postgraduate Careers Service, tailored to support your career journey.
Our Career Accelerator module, launched over the summer, provides early access to valuable resources, employer insights, and career planning tools to prepare you for the job market.
Our expert Postgraduate Careers Team, made up of experienced recruiters and career coaches offers personalised one-to-one guidance, covering everything from networking and CV building to job offer management and mock interviews.
Whether you’re pursuing a new career path, seeking an entry-level role, or launching your own business, you'll receive support to develop the skills and knowledge needed to succeed.
You'll also benefit from exclusive events such as Careers Fairs, panel discussions, and networking opportunities with industry professionals and alumni, helping you explore career options and make valuable connections.
Workshops led by our Careers Team and industry experts cover essential professional skills, including presentation techniques, personal branding, and assessment centre success, ensuring you stand out in the job market.
Additionally, Bayes Careers Online (BCO) offers career planning tools, guidance leaflets, access to job postings directly from employers and key career events, helping you stay on track with your career goals.
You’ll be supported on your way by our careers team and benefit from the connections we offer with business and industry.
Recent employers
Alumni stories
Entry requirements
- A UK upper second class degree or above, or the equivalent from an overseas institution
- We accept applications from all academic backgrounds
- Work experience is not a requirement of this course.
Candidate profile
- This course is designed as a conversion course for students with little or no marketing education and experience
- If you have studied some marketing a while ago, or have worked in a junior marketing position, taking this course will help you move ahead
- If you have specialised in marketing during your Undergrad studies, you are welcome to study this degree, but please be aware that some contents may look familiar
- If you have worked in strategic marketing positions for more than three years, please take a look at our MBA programme, which will be more suitable
- The MSc in Marketing Strategy & Innovation is not a highly quantitative course as it is open to graduates from a variety of disciplines, but it still teaches some maths and statistics.
Interview
Applicants selected by the Admissions Panel may be invited to an online interview. We will contact all selected applicants with full instructions after the Admissions Panel has made an initial assessment of your application.We strongly advise you to provide us with your own personal email address when applying to avoid missing interview deadlines.
English language requirements
If you have been studying in the UK for the last three years it is unlikely that you will have to take an English language test.
If you have studied in the UK at degree level for less than three years (e.g. 3+1, 2+1, 2+2, etc.) you will be required to provide the results of an approved English language test and possibly resit the test to meet our academic entry requirements.
Full list of approved English language tests/qualifications and minimum requirements.
Apply
Please see our Application Guide for details of the documents you will need to supply as part of your application, and other useful information.
We cannot comment on individual eligibility before you apply. We can only make a decision on your application once it is fully complete, with all requested information received.
Frequently asked questionsApply for September 2025 entry
We only accept online applications.
Individual Appointments
If you would like to arrange an individual appointment to discuss the application process and be given a tour of the facilities, please complete this form.
Please note - these are subject to availability.
Terms and conditions
Students applying to study at Bayes Business School are subject to City, University of London's terms and conditions.
Student life
We are located right in the heart of London. Being a student at City allows you to take advantage of all that London has to offer.
London is ranked first as 'Best Student City' in the world to study in (QS, 2025).
-
Have a question about student experience at Bayes?
Talk one-on-one with a student who is currently studying at Bayes.
Contact us
Speak to one of our staff from Master's programmes teams.