MSc — 2026 entry International Marketing
This course will inspire and mould you into a graduate ready to help tackle global marketing challenges. We’ll make sure that you’re well-equipped to navigate and understand the unique responsibilities that marketing professionals face in our ever-changing, globalised world.
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Why choose
this course?
- As an international marketing student you’ll be based in the Surrey Business School and be part of a vibrant community, focused on improving business practice and creating a sustainable and positive change.
- This masters programme provides an excellent stepping stone to an exciting career in international marketing. You’ll benefit from our long and continuing tradition of research and teaching in both marketing and retail.
- This course will stretch your intellect through its combination of an analytical approach and a global focus.
- The course will encourage you to be entrepreneurial and innovative, providing you with valuable opportunities to engage with real international marketing problems throughout your studies. For example, you will be exposed to sustainability and ethical challenges faced by organisations in the global context.
Accreditation
What you will study
Through our specialised modules, we’ll provide you with a comprehensive insider’s look at core international marketing concepts which will familiarise you with the strategies and tactics used in international marketing and the implications these can have.
With a combination of lectures, interactive seminars and IT lab workshops, we provide research-led teaching by experienced academics in international marketing and international business. Also, we offer practice-based teaching and learning by inviting experienced practitioners from international organisations. You'll also have the opportunity to develop marketing research skills which can be applied to various international marketing issues in your dissertation.
Professional recognition
MSc - Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB)
Accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB).
MSc - Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM)
Accredited by The Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM) for the purpose of gaining CIM qualifications through the Graduate Gateway.
The structure of our programmes follows clear educational aims that are tailored to each programme. These are all outlined in the programme specifications which include further details such as the learning outcomes:
Modules
Modules listed are indicative, reflecting the information available at the time of publication. Modules are subject to teaching availability, student demand and/or class size caps.
The University operates a credit framework for all taught programmes based on a 15-credit tariff, meaning all modules are comprised of multiples of 15 credits.
Course options
Year 1
Semester 1
Compulsory
The world-wide political and economic liberalization and continuous technology improvement in the last three decades have brought unprecedented flows of goods, services, labour and capital across national boundaries. International business today comprises a larger and ever-growing portion of the world’s business and global events and competition affects almost all companies. A company operating internationally will engage in modes of business that are different from those it is accustomed to domestically. International business management is the process of applying management concepts, theories, and techniques in a multinational environment so that firms can become and remain international in scope. Moreover, a comparative view of management and organization in internationally operating firms is provided to understand these processes in detail.
View full module detailsThis module is designed to provide MSc students with a rigorous theoretical framework for analysing and understanding Marketing in national and interantional contexts. Integrating theoretical concepts and models with practical application, students explore the contribution that Marketing can make to successful businesses and multi-national enterprises (MNEs) Theory and case studies from the UK and across the globe are used to analyse environmental conditions, marketing competition, consumer behaviour, marketing strategy, marketing planning, tactics and operations, and the growing influence of technology.
View full module detailsThis module provides students practical and theoretical knowledge of International Marketing in contexts, operations and strategies. It aims to develop students’ critical thinking and ability to apply and adapt theories to cases in international marketing.
View full module detailsThe main aim of this module is to get students ready for conducting professional and academic (dissertation) research. Whereas all stages of a research process are covered in this module, the clear focus is on conducting qualitative and quantitative studies to support marketing decisions in response to business opportunities or problems. More specifically, this module offers the relevant framework for making the informed marketing decisions. The module is organized around the stages of a marketing research project (e.g. problem definition, design, data collection, data analysis, and documentation). The course will be of particular value for students planning careers in marketing research and marketing consulting.
View full module detailsSemester 2
Compulsory
Internationalisation is a very substantive feature of the retail industry, with implications for retail competition, retailer strategy, retail development, digitalisation and supply chain management among other issues. A considerable and growing body of academic and practitioner literature surrounds this issue. It highlights some of the potential complexities and enduring challenges of retailing in an international environment and provides a valuable body of knowledge to inform future international marketing managers and retail marketing managers.
View full module detailsIn an increasingly globalised business and business environment, it is necessary for management students to learn how to strategies internationally viable global strategies. This module covers a variety of topics such as global strategic analysis, global strategy formulation, and global strategy execution. Strategy-related subjects shape at least half of the contents in this programme.
View full module detailsConsumer Behaviour is evident in everyday life, therefore knowledge and understanding of this subject can be beneficial to personal decision-making as well as to marketing and strategy formulation, both in offline and online environments. The module Perspectives on Consumer Behaviour deals with a range of theoretical, practical techniques in understanding and researching consumer consumption behaviour and how such an understanding can be used to create successful and viable marketing strategies. This module gives students the opportunity to explore theories and leading-edge research findings and apply knowledge by conducting small group discussion and/or activities. Thus, reflective, and critical applications of relevant behavioural, cognitive, and socio-cultural approaches to consumption are discussed.
View full module detailsThe main aim of this module is to get students ready for conducting professional and academic (dissertation) research. Whereas all stages of a research process are covered in this module, the clear focus is on conducting qualitative and quantitative studies to support marketing decisions in response to business opportunities or problems. More specifically, this module offers the relevant framework for making the informed marketing decisions. The module is organized around the stages of a marketing research project (e.g. problem definition, design, data collection, data analysis, and documentation). The course will be of particular value for students planning careers in marketing research and marketing consulting.
View full module detailsOptional
This module provides students with both a theoretical and practical understanding of International Trade, considered from an international political economy (IPE) as well as management perspectives. This is done through the assessment of International Trade from different angles, predominantly from the international trade management view, the international trade operations dimension, the state’s perspective, from the international trade regime perspective (the GATT and WTO) but also from the perspective of the international society, regional cooperation and the perspective of business and industry.
View full module detailsThis module provides students practical and theoretical knowledge of International Marketing in contexts, operations, and strategies. It aims to develop students’ critical thinking and ability to apply and adapt theories to cases in international marketing.
View full module detailsThis module introduces students to the concept and current practices in marketing analytics. Technology advances of the past decade have dramatically enhanced marketers' means of collecting and analysing data to measure the effectiveness of their marketing strategies. This module is designed to provide students with an overview of state-of-the-art marketing analytics practices that guide marketing executives in their strategic decisions. The module focuses on introducing students to key analytical techniques with an emphasis on interpreting results and generating strategic insights for marketing decision-making. The course will be of particular value to students planning careers in marketing and management consulting. The course is designed for students with a basic understanding of univariate and bivariate statistics. Addressing different learning styles, the following teaching methods are applied in this course: Pre-readings, Lectures, Class Exercises, Class Discussions, and Real World Cases/Industry Insights.
View full module detailsSocial media marketing is an emerging and rapidly developing discipline with substantive changes periodically occurring in industry and academic research. While much of social media marketing is focused on the promotional mix, it also is used for customer care, research and more. The field has shifted from one focused on the influence of individual consumers in social channels to one including bots, AI, and influencers. This module provides students with both academic (theories and concepts) and practical grounding underlying strategic decisions for the use of social media for marketing and the implications of the emerging developments in the area. Discussions, study cases and examples will bring these theories to life.
View full module detailsSemester 1 & 2
Compulsory
The dissertation is compulsory to all the three MSc Marketing programmes; International Marketing (IM), Strategic Management (SM) and Digital Marketing (DM). This module provides an opportunity for a sustained period of independent study and research. It allows students to concentrate on marketing and retail topics that are of particular interest to them. It also gives an opportunity for students to work independently with individual supervisors. The dissertation follows the standard academic pattern of identifying a topic arising from a gap in the literature and developing a methodology to explore this area in depth. The module will be run by the Marketing Department, and as such the students will have the opportunity to work in a smaller group and will receive better feedback and personal attention, thus enhancing student satisfaction and increasing progress in learning and understanding.
View full module detailsOptional modules for Year 1 (full-time) - FHEQ Level 7
For further information regarding programme structure and module selection, please refer to the course catalogue.
General course information
Contact hours
Contact hours can vary across our modules. Full details of the contact hours for each module are available from the University of Surrey's module catalogue. See the modules section for more information.
Timetable
New students will receive their personalised timetable during Welcome Week. In later semesters, at least one week before the start of the semester.
Scheduled teaching can take place on any day of the week (Monday – Friday), with part-time classes normally scheduled for one or two days. Wednesday afternoons tend to be for sports and cultural activities.
View our code of practice for the scheduling of teaching and assessment (PDF) for more information.
Location
This course is based at Stag Hill campus. Stag Hill is the University's main campus and where the majority of our courses are taught.
We offer careers information, advice and guidance to all students whilst studying with us, which is extended to our alumni for three years after leaving the University.
If you decide to enrol with the Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM) as an affiliate, you can study CIM qualifications without having to complete all the modules.
For most qualifications, you'll only need to take two assessments instead of the usual three. Therefore, you'll add an individual award to supplement your degree. There’s a fee to join CIM.
Over the years, our marketing courses have successfully trained graduates who have gone on to fruitful careers in a variety of international organisations, particularly in areas such as:
- Advertising
- Digital marketing
- Events management
- Media and public relations
- Publishing.
UK qualifications
A minimum of a 2:2 UK honours degree, or a recognised equivalent international qualification.
We may be able to take relevant work experience into consideration if you don't meet these requirements. Please provide full details of your role and responsibilities in your personal statement and CV when you submit your application.
English language requirements
IELTS Academic: 6.5 overall including 6.0 in each category.
These are the English language qualifications and levels that we can accept.
If you do not currently meet the level required for your programme, we offer intensive pre-sessional English language courses, designed to take you to the level of English ability and skill required for your studies here.
Credit Transfer and Recognition of Prior Learning
We recognise that many students enter their course with valuable knowledge and skills developed through a range of ways.
If this applies to you, the recognition of prior learning process may mean you can join a course without the formal entry requirements, or at a point appropriate to your previous learning and experience.
There are restrictions for some courses and fees may be payable for certain claims. Please contact the Admissions team with any queries.
Scholarships and bursaries
Discover what scholarships and bursaries are available to support your studies.
Fees per year
Explore UKCISA’s website for more information if you are unsure whether you are a UK or overseas student. View the list of fees for all postgraduate courses.
September 2026 - Full-time - 1 year
- UK
- £15,800
- Overseas
- £25,900
- These fees apply to the academic year 2026-27 only. Fees are reviewed annually, and tuition fees may increase for courses running over more than one year.
Payment schedule
- Students with Tuition Fee Loan: the Student Loans Company pay fees in line with their schedule (students on an unstructured self-paced part-time course are not eligible for a Tuition Fee Loan).
- Students without a Tuition Fee Loan: pay their fees either in full at the beginning of the programme or in two instalments as follows:
- 50% payable 10 days after the invoice date (expected to be October/November of each academic year)
- 50% in January of the same academic year.
- Students on part-time programmes where fees are paid on a modular basis: cannot pay fees by instalment.
- Sponsored students: must provide us with valid sponsorship information that covers the period of study.
The exact date(s) will be on invoices.
Funding
You may be able to borrow money to help pay your tuition fees and support you with your living costs. Find out more about postgraduate student finance.
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View our generic registration terms and conditions (PDF) for the 2025/26 academic year, as a guide on what to expect.
Disclaimer
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