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
Please get in touch if you are interested in attending the Certificate course in Peterborough, Norwich or Watford. We start courses at various times during the year, so we will be able to advise you on when the next course at your preferred location is due to begin.
Fees
Here are details of the course fees, along with details of other costs for students or their employers:
Tuition fees
Our fees for the Certificate course are £1,685 (there is no VAT to pay).
Includes:
- Tuition at a programme of Saturday (Watford) or evening (Peterborough and Norwich) tutorials.
- Our Syllabus Plus support, including:
- Membership to the course's own website with discussions, resources, regular homework tasks and one-to-one support from your tutors.
- At least two masterclass seminars by specialists in subjects relevant to the course. - CIM-approved text books and other materials worth over £100.
- Access to our library of over 200 marketing and business text books.
There are two additional areas of cost:
1. Affiliate Membership (Studying) of the CIM (if you are not already a CIM member): £120 inclusive, payable to the CIM.
This gives you access to a range of CIM services, including:
- 'Knowledge Hub' of online resources.
- 'Learning Zone' including past exam papers, examiner reports and model answers.
- 'The Marketer' - the CIM's monthly members' magazine.
- Discount entrance to seminars and workshops organised by various CIM local branches around the country.
2. Assessment fees of approx £250 per course, payable to the CIM.
NOTES:
- Payment by instalments is available on a monthly basis to students who are paying for their own studies (ie if their employer isn't paying), and in staged payments to companies who wish to spread the cost across calendar or financial years.
- Payment per unit is also possible if you wish to take selected units rather than the whole course.
Please contact us for information about paying by instalments or taking selected units.
"I had to do a presentation for a second interview for a new job today on how I would go about marketing a new service. Much of what went into that presentation came from what I learnt in the CIM qualification I studied with Marketing Ability. And I got the job! Thanks, Bob and Yvonne.
I'm very glad indeed that I studied with the CIM - I had plenty of experience before but having a framework to put that experience into has made all the difference. I'd recommend it to anyone who wants to be the best marketer they can be."
Helen Wilson
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Friday 6 January 2012 14:24

