Professional Certificate in Marketing course

The Professional Certificate in Marketing gives a practical insight into the principles and application of marketing at a day-to-day level.

The syllabus has recently been updated to reflect the changing issues and practices within marketing and to reflect what employers say they need the course to cover. It is now even more focused on the practical skills and knowledge you need to create and implement successful marketing activities.

Who is it for?

This qualification is aimed at those working in supporting roles in marketing departments. It is also ideal if you are carrying out marketing activity in an SME, including for people in a senior role for whom marketing is just one of many responsibilities.

The typical profiles of people who might take this qualification include:

• Marketing assistants.
• Marketing coordinators.
• Marketing executives.
• People responsible for marketing in SMEs.
• Non-marketers with aspirations for marketing.

Course content and assessment

Our Certificate course is run over one year, with study breaks during the year. The course covers four units, which are assessed by a variety of methods.

The Certificate qualification's four units and assessment methods are as follows:

Marketing Essentials is all about the key marketing theories and practices, focusing in particular on how they can be used to create customer value. You'll also examine how the most common marketing tools are used, as well as getting an introduction to the importance of marketing planning. Assessment is by a written examination.

Assessing the Marketing Environment provides you with an understanding of the nature and scope of the marketing environment - both within your organisation and out in the wider world. You'll look at global issues like environmental sustainability and implications of changes in the economic situation. This unit also includes discussion of how to respond to issues like these for the benefit of your organisation and its customers. Assessment is by a written examination based on a pre-published case study.

Market Information and Research develops your understanding of the importance of marketing information and research and the different research techniques available. You will look at how marketing information supports and contributes to any decisions made within an organisation, the role of databases in information management and how to work effectively with the research industry. Assessment is by a research-based project.

Stakeholder Marketing examines the nature and scope of an organisation's range of stakeholders and how they need to be taken into account by the marketing function, including the importance of communicating with all the organisation's stakeholders, not just its customers. The careful balancing act of meeting stakeholders' needs whilst achieving the organisation's marketing objectives is another of the issues explored. Assessment is by a work-based assignment.

Entry requirements

The CIM's entry requirements for this course are that you should meet one of these criteria:

• Be aged 18 or over with two Advanced Levels or equivalent, or be aged 19 or over with a minimum of one year's full time work experience in marketing.
• Hold the CIM's Introductory Certificate in Marketing or Foundation Certificate in marketing.
• Hold an NVQ or SVQ Level 2 in any other subject.
• Hold other appropriate qualifications approved by the CIM.

Enrolment

Our next year-long Certificate course starts in September 2010. Please contact us if you require more information or wish to enrol.

Fees

Here are our fees for the course, along with details of other costs for students or their employers:

NOTES:

1. Payment by instalments is available to students who are paying for their own studies (ie if their employer isn't paying).
2. Payment per module is also possible if you wish to take selected modules rather than the whole course. There is a small surcharge of £25 per module to cover our administration costs.

Please contact us for information about paying by instalments or taking selected modules.