Best Marketing Masters???

superfrank

Hi Guys,

So I'm in final year of a marketing degree and considering the option of doing a masters. I would really love to get a marketing related job but from my research most places require experience, something I don't have.

I read a nice bit about the UCD Smurfit Marketing Practice Masters which sounds very good. As far as I can see, It is based on more practical experience and working on projects than exams. It is quite expensive when you consider accommodation on top of the fees. I Don't mind the cost if I know the Opportunities of getting a job in the long run is better.

Would most people be placed after this masters?

Also looking at the Marketing Masters in DCU. Again it looks quite good but more theory based. Does anyone have any experience of doing this course or recommendations?

Thanks
SF

Suaimhneach

Both are great colleges.

Go to their open days, or email the schools for more info.

You really get out what you put into a course. Either way, practical sounds better, but being a grad of DCU, I thought all of their courses had a very practical element. Worth looking into!

G'luck

Penisland

superfrank wrote: »

Hi Guys,

So I'm in final year of a marketing degree and considering the option of doing a masters. I would really love to get a marketing related job but from my research most places require experience, something I don't have.

I read a nice bit about the UCD Smurfit Marketing Practice Masters which sounds very good. As far as I can see, It is based on more practical experience and working on projects than exams. It is quite expensive when you consider accommodation on top of the fees. I Don't mind the cost if I know the Opportunities of getting a job in the long run is better.

Would most people be placed after this masters?

Also looking at the Marketing Masters in DCU. Again it looks quite good but more theory based. Does anyone have any experience of doing this course or recommendations?

Thanks
SF

I have heard the one in Smurfit has had a 100% success rate for graduates getting a job within 3 months of graduating for a number of years. You would need to check this out though!

But why do a marketing degree and a marketing masters? I know you will gain practical knowledge from the Smurfit masters but might you have not done a lot of the theory before?

BTW if you choose to go to Smurfit do not stay on campus. So over priced and the rooms/boxes are not nice at all!

meathgal2010

I did the DCU Masters and thought it was great...... alot of hard work though .... I had to reduce my partime hours to 8 a week where I worked and at that I was doing work on my lunch breaks! It also has the choice to go to the univeristy of Illinois in Champaign for the second half to study advertising which I decided to do and it was great ... places are limited for the exchange programme though and it is by interview process so don't do the course just to go to Illinois as you may not be selected.

DCU have the right balance of theory and pratical, they have you doing projects for companes here in Ireland and it is great for networking for future jobs.

I got a job within 3 months of finishing with a large multinational electronics company. My masters helped but it was previous work experience in the industry that got me the job. I worked for a marketing company as an intern for 5 months ( free of charge) which has always helped me to get interviews at least but I had worked partime in this industry for 2 and half years in the retial side.

I don't beleive at the moment that a Masters alone will gaurantee you a job when you graduate, you need to have previous experience or make a huge impression on any companies you deal with during your studies. Gone are the days when students with Masters would walk straight into a mid mgt - snr marketing role. All of the graduates in my class are starting at the bottom and working their way up. However if you are at an interview and you are the only one with a masters , all the rest have degrees you will find that companies tend to lean towards you more .... but will pay you the same as a degree graduate.

In this current economic climate its all about experience and who will work for the least money ... not necessarily qualifications. For example our company did interviews for a new role recently and one candidate had a masters with 2 years experience and another left school at 16 and had 5 years experience within the industry .... we chose the second candidate.


I think the masters is well worth it and I also did a degree in marketing and then a masters in marketing and there was very little overlap in content. I just wouldn't do a masters for the sake of getting a job easier afterwards ... as this may not be the case .... which many of my classmates found out.

superfrank

Cheers for the replies... I'd like to do the Smurfit Masters. But one of my main reasons is to increase my chances of getting a job. To be honest, I was leaning towards the DCU because of the placement in the US.

Meathgal2010, Could you tell me more about your time in America? Were you offered any jobs as a result of your time in the US? Also what is the US market like for marketing job?

I understand that an Internship is more than likely inevitable. It will be difficult to support myself financially but with no marketing experience I feel I have no option

meathgal2010

Sorry Superfrank only saw your reply now.

Studying in America was fantastic. The quality of the lecturers and the content studied is excellent. It didnt necessarily get me my current role although it did help as I included American research in my thesis which the company thought was beneficial to the role I am in. I don't think it was a deal breaker in giving me the position though.

I would def recommend the study abroad just for the experience. Studying in an American college is so different to over here and I met some great people. The house parties were great

It is very difficult to get a position in the US at the moment as so many of their own graduates are looking for work and companies are not really sponsoring at the moment as they know they can get someone local to fill the position. My classmate who came with me to Illinois went back to the US for work and went to New York. She worked in a company for a year but they wouldnt sponsor her. As far as I know she had to leave recently as her Visa expired and is back in Ireland.

DCU MMK

Hi Superfrank,

I'm the director of the MBS in Marketing in DCU. I'd like to dispel the notion that we're entirely theory based. We have a university wide focus on industry and application as well as a solid theoretical basis. The Masters in Marketing (MMK) programme does exactly that. We offer students contact with practitioners throughout the programme.

• The Next Generation Marketing module, for example, is delivered in conjunction with practitioners and the Marketing Institute
• The Next Generation Management module (20 credits - equivalent to 4 modules) has perspectives from theory and practice and has applied projects threaded through the year.
• NGM also allows students to direct their own learning and acquire credit for applied work, conference attendance, workshop participation etc.
• Many modules use real world case studies and live action projects.

We're running a postgraduate open evening on the 22nd of March (next Tuesday) from 6.00-7.30. Details at http://www.dcu.ie/dcubs/news/Open_Evening_2011.shtml. Call out, we'll convince you we're not too theoretical!

Feel free to contact me for further information too.

Best Wishes

Naoimh

conormalachy

I did the Masters in marketing Practice a few years ago. I was/is a well regarded course from the recruitment agencies I've dealt with since. You get practical experience and when I was in a lot of the students got jobs directly through a network of previous UCD graduates.

The thing I hated about the course is everyone is told they will work on all types of commercial projects. From their website - Branding, Event Management, Economic Impact Studies, Strategic Development, New Product Development etc etc. All this interesting projects but when you get there its just Market Research projects. That is all. When I was there about 60 commercial projects where being worked on and all but one was Market Research. You'll get lots of experience in Market Research put it that way.

When I confronted management about they admitted lying but said it was for the greater good as it was to attract the best students.

Anyway just informing people who may think about the course in the future.

I wish I knew before I signed up.