Bachelor of Business Administration in Marketing Management

Purpose

The purpose of the Bachelor of Business Administration in Marketing Management is to provide qualified learners with competence in marketing, business management, and financial management. The qualification will empower learners with graduate-level knowledge, specific skills, and applied competence in the field of Marketing Management to enable them to pursue practical and rewarding careers in the marketing environment within the business.

Furthermore, the qualification aims to assist and enable the learner to develop his/her intellectual capacity, understanding of the business and marketing environment, and to think critically and innovatively to build a foundation for further specialisation in the field of marketing

Rationale

With the changes in the format of qualifications governed by the National Qualifications Framework (NQF) Act and the changes from 8 to 10 levels (HEQSF), the institution has redesigned its qualifications to ensure alignment to the HEQSF. In the redesign of its qualifications, it has worked in close collaboration with the local and international marketing industry and has consulted with leading academic experts in the field of marketing management.

The higher education qualifications are suitable for learners who aspire to be managers in organisations with specialisation in marketing/management or marketing/marketing communications.The BBA in Marketing Communications was phased out and this qualification was redesigned and registered as a 3-year degree.

The institution conducted rigorous market research to determine the needs of South African marketers in general and potential learners in particular. The institution's research uncovered that there is a myriad of generalist marketing qualifications but very few offered specialist modules that were akin to the needs of the new economy. In other words, the institution saw a gap in the marketplace for a qualification that had currency in terms of the ever-changing needs of the South African economic landscape.

The qualification was innovated to fill the gap of providing specialist marketing information on an undergraduate level. The qualification has specifically been designed to enable a marketing manager to make informed financial decisions within the marketing workplace given the financial decisions that marketing managers typically face scope. The qualification, therefore, provides the learner with the knowledge, understanding, and requisite skills to implement a variety of marketing strategies applicable to the digital and new economies.

The qualification meets the needs of the sector for which it was developed, as every sector in South Africa requires marketing to unearth the needs of its customers, clients, consumers, and sponsors. The qualification also informs learners on how marketing principles, e.g. price, product, promotion, and distribution strategies or the creation of competitive advantage, can be applied in a variety of industries and circumstances, such as the business-to-business, services, retail, global or digital environment.

Typical learners for this qualification will include school leavers who wish to pursue a career in marketing management and management. In addition, there are also people who, in the workplace, are being exposed to marketing and who then enter the qualification to enhance their knowledge of marketing so that these skills can be applied in the workplace. Occupations that learners can enter once they have completed the qualification include, amongst other: advertising/communications, brand management, customer service, consulting, digital marketing, events/promotional management, marketing intelligence, market research, business-to-business marketing, media strategy, product management, publicity/public relations, sales and sales management.

The qualification was designed for learners who aspire to study towards an advanced level, higher education qualification to qualify as managers in an organisation specialising in marketing and management. Companies are confronted with a continuous process of developing and maintaining a feasible fit between the organisation's objectives, skills, and resources as well as changing marketing opportunities. Qualification creates a pathway for learners to gain wide-based knowledge of the world of business and marketing, which they could use to think across different disciplines.

Society will benefit from the qualification as marketing creates need-satisfying products and services which are designed for both the Business to Consumer Market (B2C) and the Business to Business Market (B2B). By innovating new products and services, society will benefit directly from the utility of such offerings and as these products will require the vital input of labour. Employment opportunities will also be greatly enhanced.

In addition, the economy will benefit from the innovation, creativity, and revenue that is generated through amongst other things, new product development and sales (e.g. VAT) as a direct result of the inputs from the qualification.

Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL)

The Institution will apply the RPL policy. The institution uses RPL only for entry purposes and will in the future develop its processes further to include RPL processes for part qualifications.

Learners who have exited formal education at a time in their educational careers but have accumulated credits and are seeking formal recognition for an incomplete/complete qualification/s may apply for credits through RPL.

Entry Requirements

The minimum entry requirement for this qualification are

• Senior Certificate, NQF Level 4 granting access to Bachelor's Degree studies

Or

• National Senior Certificate, NQF Level 4 granting access to Bachelor's Degree studies

This qualification consists of the following compulsory modules at Levels 5, 6, and 7 and elective modules at Level 7 of the National Qualifications Framework totalling 400 Credits.

Compulsory Modules at Level 5 totalling 140 Credits

• Marketing 1, 20 Credits.
• Brand Management, 20 Credits.
• Business Management 1, 20 Credits.
• Business Communication, 20 Credits.
• Business Statistics, 20 Credits.
• Economic Principles, 20 Credits.
• Financial Management 1, 20 Credits.

Compulsory Modules at Level 6 totalling 100 Credits

• Marketing 2, 20 Credits.
• Business Management 2, 20 Credits.
• Financial Management 2, 20 Credits.
• Integrated Marketing Communications, 20 Credits.
• Marketing Research: Theory, 20 Credits.

Compulsory Modules at Level 7 totalling 120 Credits

• Marketing 3, 20 Credits.
• Business Management 3, 20 Credits.
• Business Project, 20 Credits.
• Financial Management 3, 20 Credits.
• Global Marketing, 20 Credits.
• Marketing Research: Project, 20 Credits.

Elective Modules at Level 7 totalling 40 Credits (Select any two)

• Business-to-Business Marketing, 20 Credits.
• Digital Marketing Applications, 20 Credits.
• Retail Marketing, 20 Credits.
• Services Marketing, 20 Credits.

1. Demonstrate a broad understanding of business management knowledge and functional areas within an organisation and how these apply to the business environment. Furthermore, be able to take a strategic view of an organisation and align the strategies with the objectives.
2. Demonstrate an advanced understanding of the economic context and systems within which organisations operate and be able to link them to marketing opportunities.

Furthermore, demonstrate a broad understanding of economics and financial management knowledge, to understand how it applies not only to the business world but also to everyday life.

1. Select, apply and evaluate typical methodology, and procedure to assist in making informed marketing decisions.
2. Produce a strategic marketing and business plan and be able to evaluate the success of the plan.
3. Understand the role of ethical decision making.
4. Solve marketing problems in various types of organisations, such as retail-driven, service-related, business-to-business, government-related, and NPOs.
5. Produce and communicate information in a business environment by applying proper communication skills acquired which should also include the correct application of intellectual property, copyright, and elimination of plagiarism.
6. Critically analyse contemporary marketing information and evaluate the potential future outcomes of business, marketing, and management decisions.
7. Understand the scope of responsibilities of a management position in the marketing field and understand accountability to senior management in an organisation.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 1

• Apply and evaluate business management knowledge in an integrated manner, through the development of marketing plans
• Develop a management strategy taking cognisance of the objectives of an organisation

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 2

• Understand how to apply academic literacy to studies within management, marketing, and related fields.
• Evaluate the business environment and make appropriate and contextual decisions within an industry context.
• Apply knowledge of economics and financial management to solve problems.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 3

• Select, apply and evaluate typical methods, modules, and procedures involved in management and apply in specific fields through the development of and completion of marketing and business projects.
• Apply change management philosophies to business processes.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 4

• Solve intermediate management problems in organisations, especially in an African or developing country as well as in an international first-world context.
• Identify and analyse complex business problems and find solutions for these through the application of evidence-based theoretical solutions.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 5

• Understand the code of ethical behaviour in the fields of business and marketing, and base decisions and actions on appropriate ethical management values.
• Demonstrate the ability to apply ethical decision-making principles to various scenarios.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 6

• Use relevant information to produce a strategic marketing or business project and be able to implement and evaluate the success of the project.
• Demonstrate the ability to collect information using specific research techniques.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 7

• Select, apply and evaluate typical methods, modules, and procedure involved in management and apply in specific fields through the development of and completion of marketing and business projects.
• Demonstrate the ability to communicate original ideas in either written or oral format.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 8

• Demonstrate an advanced understanding of systems within which organisations operate and be able to link marketing to these systems and other functions within the organisation.
• Apply problem-solving principles to theoretical as well as practical situations within the management and marketing fields.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 9

• Draw up a budget to determine resource costs and allocation as part of a marketing plan.
• Write a business and/or marketing plan in the appropriate format to present to a management team.