MA Marketing (Professional Practice)

The MA Marketing (Professional Practice) at Sunderland is all about getting your hands dirty in real marketing work. From day one, you’ll be blending classroom learning with actual projects, campaigns, and a full 12‑month placement that gives you genuine, on-the-job experience. By the time you graduate, you won’t just understand marketing theory — you’ll have lived it, built a portfolio, and gained skills employers really value.

Here’s how you’ll experience it:

• 12-month placement with real companies: You’ll work full-time in a marketing role, tackling real projects and campaigns. Sunderland’s placements team helps you connect with employers, so you can find an opportunity that suits your goals.

• Live client projects through the Marketing Hub: Collaborate on marketing audits, digital campaigns, or brand strategies for real businesses — it’s like being a trainee consultant while you study.

• Access to modern resources: With campus-wide WiFi, PCs and Macs, and fully stocked libraries, you’ll have all the tools you need to research, create content, and run digital marketing campaigns.

• Practical, skills-focused modules: Modules like Digital Marketing & Analytics, Integrated Marketing Strategy, and Data-Driven Content and Communications involve case studies and applied tasks, so you practice the work marketers do in the real world.

• Build a professional portfolio: Your placement and project work culminate in reports, marketing plans, and analytics-based recommendations — all tangible proof of your skills and readiness for a marketing career.

This programme ensures you don’t just learn marketing — you do marketing. By the end, you’ll have the experience, confidence, and portfolio to step straight into the industry with a strong advantage.

Graduating from Sunderland’s MA Marketing (Professional Practice) doesn’t just give you a degree — it gives you real experience, confidence, and the practical skills employers are looking for. By completing the 12‑month placement and working on live marketing projects, you’ll be ready to step into roles such as Marketing Manager, Digital Marketing Specialist, Brand or Product Manager, or Marketing Consultant. Essentially, you’ll graduate not just knowing marketing, but having done marketing in real business environments.

Here’s how Sunderland helps you make that transition seamlessly:

• Tailored career support: The Employability & Enterprise Hub guides you through CV preparation, interviews, and job search strategies, while connecting you with employers who are looking for graduates with real experience.

• Real-world experience built in: Your 12‑month placement gives you hands-on marketing exposure, so you can hit the ground running in your first role.

• CIM accreditation: This industry-recognised accreditation ensures employers value your qualification, giving your career credibility and long-term advantage.

• Versatile career paths: Whether you want to work in corporate marketing, a creative agency, a startup, or even launch your own business, the skills and experience you gain make you highly adaptable.

• Portfolio of work: From live client projects to placement tasks, you’ll graduate with a tangible showcase of your skills — more than just theory, you’ll have proof of your capability.

Further Academic Progression:
If you want to continue your studies, Sunderland offers options to pursue advanced marketing or analytics courses, professional certifications, or other industry-recognised training. This course lays a strong foundation for leadership roles, specialist positions, or further academic research in marketing.