Marketing

MSc

Entry year 2026
Duration Full time 1 year

Marketing today is dynamic, creative, and data-driven, and to succeed, you need more than intuition. At the UK’s oldest marketing department, you can develop deep expertise in marketing communications, preparing you for leadership in an evolving global marketplace.

Build a strong foundation and practical skills

Our MSc Marketing allows you to build a strong intellectual foundation while developing practical skills highly valued by employers. You will be challenged to think critically about marketing theory and practice, using real-world contexts to question assumptions and apply your knowledge to new, complex situations.

The programme is designed for ambitious graduates from any discipline. You do not need to have studied marketing before. By the end of the programme, you will be equipped to lead marketing initiatives with creativity, insight, and strategic clarity.

You will learn how to extract and synthesise market, marketing, and consumer information, presenting your insights effectively to varied audiences.

Develop leadership and research expertise

Leadership and collaboration are at the heart of the programme. You will develop the ability to work productively in teams, as well as the confidence to take the initiative and lead in diverse organisational settings. Our teaching brings together research-led academic expertise with insights from experienced marketing practitioners, ensuring that what you learn is grounded in both rigorous scholarship and industry relevance.

The programme also focuses on applied research skills. You will gain experience in choosing and using research methodologies across different contexts, preparing you not just to understand marketing challenges but to investigate and address them systematically. This capability will be vital whether you pursue a career in consultancy, brand management, communication strategy, market research, or further academic study.

Expand your professional network

You will have opportunities to build your professional network, connecting with guest speakers, alumni, and partner organisations. Our Marketers in Residence — successful alumni working in the industry — help shape the curriculum to ensure it reflects the real needs and opportunities of today’s marketing industry.

Join us at a department with a proud history of innovative marketing education and prepare to make your mark in the world of marketing.

Course accreditation

Students taking this CIM Accredited programme are automatically enrolled in the Chartered Institute of Marketing’s study programme for one year. When you pass your master's, you’ll gain exemptions from CIM assessments, reducing the number of modules you will need to take to gain a professional CIM qualification if you wish to engage in additional study alongside your master's,

Learn more about the Chartered Institute of Marketing accreditation

The programme is approved by the Digital Marketing Institute (DMI), the global standard in digital marketing professional learning and certification. Students on the MSc Marketing programme are eligible to enrol on the DMI certification (extra charge payable to DMI, current fee approx. £199 + VAT), allowing you to gain Associate level certification upon completing your programme and lifetime access to DMI resources.

Learn more about the Digital Marketing Institute accreditation

Careers

Our MSc Marketing prepares you for a broad range of dynamic careers in marketing, brand management, and consultancy, both in the UK and internationally.

Many of our MSc Marketing graduates pursue careers in the marketing departments of organisations. There is an increasing trend of our graduates being employed by digital/technology organisations such as Google and TikTok. And our graduates often go into marketing communications roles with organisations like EssenceMediacom and Dentsu. Some of our graduates have become business owners.

Typical roles our graduates are employed in include:

Marketing Manager
Brand Manager
Market Research Analyst
Digital Marketing Specialist
Product Manager
Marketing Consultant
Sales and Business Development Manager
Advertising Account Executive
Content Marketing Manager
Customer Experience Manager.

Entry requirements

Academic requirements

2:2 Hons degree (UK or equivalent) in any subject discipline, including business and management-related subjects. Marks should be consistently at 2:2 level throughout your undergraduate studies, with all marks at least pass level.

If you have studied outside of the UK, we would advise you to check our list of international qualifications before submitting your application.

English language requirements

We may ask you to provide a recognised English language qualification, dependent upon your nationality and where you have studied previously.

We normally require an IELTS (Academic) Test with an overall score of at least 6.5, and a minimum of 6.0 in each element of the test. We also consider other English language qualifications.

If your score is below our requirements, you may be eligible for one of our pre-sessional English language programmes.

Contact: Admissions Team +44 (0) 1524 592032 or email pgadmissions@lancaster.ac.uk

Pre-master’s programmes

Delivered in partnership with INTO Lancaster University, our one-year tailored pre-master’s pathways are designed to improve your subject knowledge and English language skills to the level required by a range of Lancaster University master’s degrees. Visit INTO Lancaster University for more details and a list of eligible degrees you can progress onto.

Course structure

Detailed module information for this postgraduate programme will follow shortly. However, if you have any questions please contact the department.

Fees and funding

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General fees and funding information

Scholarships and bursaries

You may be eligible for the following funding opportunities, depending on your fee status and course. You will be automatically considered for our main scholarships and bursaries when you apply, so there's nothing extra that you need to do.

Unfortunately no scholarships and bursaries match your selection, but there are more listed on scholarships and bursaries page.

If you're considering postgraduate research you should look at our funded PhD opportunities.

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We also have other, more specialised scholarships and bursaries - such as those for students from specific countries.

Browse Lancaster University's scholarships and bursaries.

Student perspective

Day in the life of an MSc Marketing student with Sonali.

Making Marketing Matter

Marketing is everywhere, and in our Making Marketing Matter podcast, we introduce you to the world of marketing – everything from digital to advertising, sustainability to accessibility – that you can encounter as a student at Lancaster University.

We’ll show you what students can expect to learn on our programmes, introduce you to the experts who head up our teaching and research activities, and dive into fascinating subjects you might never have associated with marketing – from salmon farming to art exhibitions, science fiction to dark tourism and the metaverse.

Making Marketing Matter podcast

Why choose MSc Marketing at Lancaster?

Rajat, a recent graduate, talks about his experience on the programme.

Alumni profiles

Roberta Molina

MSc Marketing, 2017

Studying here gave me the opportunity to meet some amazing people from all over the world, that enriched every single day I spent at LUMS.

Alice Callender

MSc Marketing, 2019

I would recommend anyone thinking of studying an MSc to take the leap, to work hard but to also make time for the social side it offers.

Important Information

The information on this site relates primarily to 2025/2026 entry to the University and every effort has been taken to ensure the information is correct at the time of publication.

The University will use all reasonable effort to deliver the courses as described, but the University reserves the right to make changes to advertised courses. In exceptional circumstances that are beyond the University’s reasonable control (Force Majeure Events), we may need to amend the programmes and provision advertised. In this event, the University will take reasonable steps to minimise the disruption to your studies. If a course is withdrawn or if there are any fundamental changes to your course, we will give you reasonable notice and you will be entitled to request that you are considered for an alternative course or withdraw your application. You are advised to revisit our website for up-to-date course information before you submit your application.

More information on limits to the University’s liability can be found in our legal information.

Our Students’ Charter

We believe in the importance of a strong and productive partnership between our students and staff. In order to ensure your time at Lancaster is a positive experience we have worked with the Students’ Union to articulate this relationship and the standards to which the University and its students aspire. Find out more about our Charter and student policies.

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Marketing

Overview

Build a strong foundation and practical skills