Marketing with Foundation Year

Marketing is the discipline concerned with understanding what customers want and need, and with creating and communicating value in ways that connect products, services and ideas with the people they are meant for. It draws on psychology, economics, data analysis and creative communication to answer questions that are fundamental to any enterprise: who are your customers, what do they value, how do you reach them and how do you build lasting relationships with them in markets that are constantly changing? As digital platforms have multiplied the channels through which brands communicate, marketing has become simultaneously more data-rich and more creatively demanding.

At the University of Derby this four-year, full-time programme includes a foundation year that provides a structured route into degree-level marketing study for those who would benefit from additional academic preparation before the main honours content begins. You will then study the core disciplines of marketing, including consumer behaviour, market research, digital marketing, brand management, campaign planning, communications strategy and analytics, building the strategic and creative capabilities that employers across sectors consistently seek. The programme includes a sandwich year and work placements, giving you direct professional experience in marketing roles before graduation and the opportunity to build the portfolio and professional network that will support your career.

Marketing graduates pursue careers as brand managers, digital marketers, marketing analysts, social media managers, content strategists, public relations specialists, advertising creatives, account managers and marketing directors across consumer goods, retail, financial services, technology, public sector organisations and the creative industries. The combination of strategic thinking, data literacy and creative communication the degree develops is valued across a remarkably wide range of roles. Many graduates also continue to postgraduate study in marketing, business or communications, and professional development through the Chartered Institute of Marketing is a common route for those committed to a marketing career.