Consumer Behaviour and Marketing

Consumer behaviour and marketing is a degree that takes the question of why people buy things seriously as an academic discipline. Consumer behaviour draws on psychology, sociology, and economics to examine how individuals make purchasing decisions, how those decisions are shaped by social context and cognitive processes, and what drives brand loyalty, impulsive buying, and the adoption of new products. Marketing applies this understanding to the challenge of creating, communicating, and delivering value: connecting what organisations offer with what consumers actually want.

At Reading, this BSc enables you to understand how consumers think and how this knowledge is essential to both marketing practice and the formulation of policy. You will study the psychological and social determinants of consumer choice alongside marketing strategy, brand management, digital marketing, market research, and the ethics of consumer culture. The programme includes a foundation year for students who benefit from additional preparation, a sandwich placement year for extended professional experience, and embedded work placement opportunities.

The degree runs over three years full-time, with a typical entry tariff of 104 points.

Graduates of consumer behaviour and marketing programmes pursue careers in brand management, market research, digital marketing, product management, retail strategy, advertising, and consumer insights roles across a wide range of sectors. The psychological and behavioural understanding the degree develops is particularly valued in roles where understanding what motivates consumers is central to commercial success. Many graduates also move into public policy and communications roles where understanding public behaviour and designing effective nudge interventions is increasingly important.

Postgraduate study in marketing, consumer psychology, or business is a natural next step.