Diploma in Marketing

Purpose

The purpose of this qualification is to empower learners to respond effectively to a constantly changing business and marketing environment. The qualification is relevant and responsive to the industry needs. The revised qualification is designed to ensure that an appropriate balance exists between disciplinary knowledge and situated knowledge.

Regional and national marketing imperatives have been incorporated in the qualification. Therefore, the learners will be equipped to deal with the workplace demands of being innovative, be pro-active in solving problems that emerge in workplace settings and are futuristic in thinking, planning and implementing marketing strategies that would render companies leaders in their field.

The emphasis on academia and knowledge building would equip learners with the ability to pursue an academic career together with developing a professional career path. The qualification outcomes address the kinds of values and attribute those professionals in the field should portray by embedding graduate attributes in teaching and learning practices across the different levels of study.

The qualification introduces the marketing concepts and theories, projects and assessments and attachment to business to perform real marketing activities. Learners will have an optimal chance to succeed in the marketing industry as well as enabling academic progression. The qualification addresses the needs of a broad range of private, public and industry stakeholders by providing a qualification that satisfies their marketing needs through interfacing activities of these entities with the intricate and changing needs of the communities they aim to serve. The qualification is kept relevant by equipping learners with numerical and analytical skills to interpret marketing data and use it to implement marketing planning. They will be equipped with both traditional and digital communication skills to build mutually beneficiary relationships between entities and the communities they serve.

Rationale

The curriculum structure and content for the Diploma in Marketing was informed by a situational analysis conducted amongst industry stakeholders. The situational analysis and comparability exercise was used to determine how this qualification fulfilled the national, regional and institutional needs and goals. The stakeholders, namely industry, employers, students, alumni and national and international higher education institutions were selected based on their interest in and interaction with the qualification, directly or indirectly as students, employers, competitors and partners.

Graduates may pursue a wide range of careers, mainly in branding, marketing communication, media planning, digital marketing, marketing research and data analysis, customer relationship marketing, retail marketing and strategic marketing.

Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL)

Learners who submit a body of evidence of non-formal and formal learning will be considered for admission to this qualification. The national RPL policies and requirements and the institutional RPL policy and practices will be used to guide the learners.

RPL applications will be dealt with on an individual basis. Recognition of Prior Learning is a process of identifying the knowledge and skills of a learner against the admission requirements of the qualification and for credits against a part thereof. The process involves the identification, mediation, assessment and acknowledgement of knowledge and skills obtained through informal, non-formal and formal learning. The RPL process is multi-dimensional and multi-contextual, aimed at the individual needs of and is handled by an institutional RPL policy of a unit dedicated to this activity. The RPL process includes guidance and counselling, as well as the preparation of a body of evidence to be presented by the RPL candidate to meet institutional requirements. An appeal procedure is also in place to accommodate queries. RPL in this qualification will relate to gaining access to the qualification and credits/advanced standing as described in institutional guidelines.

Entry Requirements

The minimum entry requirement for this qualification is

• National Senior Certificate, NQF Level 4, granting access to Diploma studies.

Or

• National Certificate (Vocational), NQF, granting access to Diploma studies.

This qualification consists of compulsory modules at National Qualifications Framework Levels 5 and 6 totalling 366 Credits.

Compulsory Modules, Level 5, totalling 126 Credits

• Economics, 24 Credits.
• Communication 1, 18 Credits.
• Quantitative Literacy for Statistics 1, 12 Credits.
• Accounting for Marketers, 18 Credits.
• Personal Selling, 18 Credits.
• Business Computer Applications, 18 Credits.
• Marketing 1, 18 Credits.

Compulsory Modules, Level 6, totalling 240 Credits

• Statistical Analysis 2, 18 Credits.
• Marketing 2, 30, Credits.
• Integrated Marketing Communication 2, 24 Credits.
• Management Principles, 24 Credits.
• Consumer Behaviour, 24 Credits.
• Marketing Research 3, 40 Credits.
• Sales and Project Management, 40 Credits.
• Marketing 2, 40 Credits.

1. Demonstrate competence of marketing knowledge and apply it to different business contexts.
2. Integrate and apply the principles of marketing both tactically and strategically.
3. Apply the principles of selling and sales management in different marketing contexts.
4. Demonstrate the principles of research in a marketing environment.
5. Solve marketing related problems in organisations.
6. Demonstrate an understanding of supporting disciplines as it relates to changing business environments.
7. Understand and apply a code of ethical behaviour in the field of marketing.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 1

• Develop a shared vision throughout the organisation about the market and how it is likely to change in the future.
• Determine the best opportunities for delivering superior value to customers.
• Plan a competitive position for the organisation and its brands in the market place.
• Determine the potential benefits of partnering with customers, suppliers, distribution channel members, internal functions, and even competitors.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 2

• Determine consumer purchasing motives and behaviours, assess and respond to customer needs.
• Design an informed segmentation, targeting and positioning plan for products and services.
• Determine the best process for acquisition, satisfaction and retention of customers in the various businesses.
• Analyse, develop and implement an integrated marketing communication campaign.
• Develop a brand plan, a personal blog and an Internet strategy for a selected organisation.
• Analyse brands and consumer responses in the context of internationalisation.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 3

• Understand basic sales concepts, principles, techniques and skills of selling.
• Develop a sales plan for different contexts, plan for implement and management of the sales teams.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 4

• Analyse a problem and determine the information needs.
• Develop a marketing research brief to justify and guide the data collection in the marketing research process.
• Analyse data, conclude and make recommendations. Present information through a written report covering the key stages of the marketing research process.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 5

• Identify and clarify problems.
• Conduct a situation analysis.
• Recommend and justify solutions.
• Use media and communication tools to present recommendations.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 6

• Determining an appropriate budget for marketing activities.
• Analyse the behaviour of economic agents using the concepts of demand and supply.
• Describe various market structures like monopoly, oligopoly and perfect competition.
• Determine the competitiveness of business in different market structures.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 7

• Discuss the implications and complexities of legal and ethical issues in marketing operations.

Integrated Assessment

Integrated assessment forms part of continuous assessment at the institution and takes the form of an appropriate mix of both formative and summative assessment methods. Assessment policy and practices at the institution promote constructive alignment of the curriculum, student centred-learning and assessment, and the importance of feedback to enhance the learner engagement.

Formative assessment aims at enhancing student learning and provides learners with an opportunity to reflect critically on their learning and to improve their levels of personal accountability and time management. The formative assessment usually consists of a variety of assessment tasks relevant to the field of study. This qualification consists of a variety of tasks such as problem-solving individual and group assignments and projects, case studies, portfolio development, class discussions, quizzes and field trip reports.

Summative assessment will take place at the end of a section of work/quarter or semester and assess the learner's attainment against the learning outcomes of the qualification and module(s). Summative assessments are internally and externally moderated based on institutional policy and requirements. Summative assessments usually consist of a variety of formal assessment tasks relevant to the field of study, including written tests, reports and examination. In this qualification, it will consist of written assessments in the form of written class tests and examination conducted during and at the end of the academic semester/year.

Integrated assessment in this qualification will take place in the third year of study. Learners will be assessed holistically using project reports, a portfolio of evidence and an oral presentation related to the needs and requirements of the industry and field of study.