Diploma in Marketing

Purpose

The purpose of the qualification is to develop the applied and practical competencies of the learners in the field of marketing and sales. It provides focused and applied specialisations within these fields. This qualification has a strong vocational orientation and provides learners with direct exposure to the selling environment through a will project in which the department collaborates with the Direct Selling association of South Africa.

Rationale

Currently learners who complete their Diploma in Marketing Management can continue their studies in marketing by studying Advanced Diploma in Marketing. After the Advanced Diploma, Graduates can enrol into the Honours Degree Marketing.

Rationale of the qualification

The Diploma in Marketing is designed to meet the needs of those learners who are interested in the field of Marketing. Marketing is an essential and key business function necessary for the success of any organisation, both strategically and operationally. The focus of this qualification is 'to identify, anticipate and satisfy current and future consumer and customer expectations, needs and problems by facilitating and consummating exchange to achieve targeted levels of profitability and / or value in an accountable and socially responsible manner.'

This qualification also reflects the needs of the marketing sector both now and in the future: it gives accessibility and flexibility to the students and to the employer. The level of flexibility is reflected in the multiple job roles and careers, organisational requirements and changing technological nature of marketing and at the same time it allows the individual to work towards a nationally recognised qualification.

Many different roles and careers are linked to and affected by this qualification. They include, but are not limited to

• Marketing Managers.
• Marketing Directors.
• Brand Managers.
• Marketing Assistants.
• Brand Assistants.
• Product Managers.

The Diploma in Marketing is structured in such a way that it exposes students to a broad set of core competences.

Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL)

The Department accepts Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) as an integral part of education and academic practice. It acknowledges that all learning has value and accepts the challenge posed by the assessment of prior learning and awards credits that are aligned with Faculty programmes in order to promote lifelong learning.

The purpose of the Institution's RPL policy, which directs the Faculty's RPL procedure, is to recognise prior learning in order to provide access into programmes, grant advanced placement in programmes and grant credits for modules on the principles and processes that serve as a basis for departmental RPL practices.

The RPL Policy requires the formation of a departmental RPL Committee to review RPL applications. The Committee compromises of at least three appropriate members in a Department, including an Advisor, Assessor and Moderator. An adviser acts as a facilitator between the RPL role players or as an evidence facilitator who may or may not be the Head of Department. The functions of the committee are to:

• Monitor and review the RPL policy and procedures within the Department.
• Oversee the RPL process and establish quality management in the Department.
• Manage the administration of the RPL process according to the RPL sub-committee guidelines as approved by the Faculty.

Advise the Faculty RPL sub-committee of the Department's recommendations.

Entry Requirement

A potential student should be in possession of a Senior Certificate with the relevant University Endorsement.

Grade 12 English with at least a Higher Grade or Standard Grade C symbol. Grade 12 Mathematics or Accounting with at least a Higher Grade E or Standard Grade D symbol. Recommended M-Score: 12.

This qualification consist of modules at Levels 5, 6 and 7 totalling a minimum of 360 Credits.

Modules at Level 5

• Applied accountancy skills 1A, 15 Credits.
• Business management 1A, 16 Credits.
• End user computing A, 16 Credits.
• English A, 16 Credits.
• Marketing 1A, 16 Credits.
• Applied accountancy skills 1B, 15 Credits.
• Business management 1B, 16 Credits.
• End user computing B, 16 Credits.
• English, 16 Credits.
• Marketing 1B, 16 Credits.

Modules at Level 6

Consumer behaviour A, 15 Credits.

Marketing 2A, 16 Credits.

Quantitative techniques A, 48 Credits.

Personal selling, 16 Credits.

• Consumer behaviour B.
• Marketing 2B.
• Quantitative techniques B.
• Personal selling 1B, 16 Credits.

Modules at Level 7

• Marketing communications A, 16 Credits.
• Marketing research 3A, 16 Credits.
• Marketing 3A, 16 Credits.
• Sales management 3A, 16 Credits.
• Marketing communications B, 16 Credits.
• Marketing research 3A, 16 Credits.
• Marketing 3A, 16 Credits.
• Sales Management 3B, 16 Credits.

1. Perform a situation analysis and identify marketing opportunities, threats, strengths and weaknesses in a given context.
2. Formulate marketing and sales objectives.
3. Design competitive marketing strategies.
4. Analyse the salesperson's performance in relation to behaviour, role, perceptions, satisfaction and motivation.
5. Explain sales in customer relationship management.
6. Describe how and why various sampling methods are used.

Associated Assessment criteria for Exit Level Outcome 1

• Accurately perform a situation analysis for a product/service/SBU/organisation of their choice and clearly identify marketing opportunities, threats, strengths and weaknesses within this context.

Associated Assessment criteria for Exit Level Outcome 2

• Clearly define marketing and sales objectives and provide examples of each.

Associated Assessment criteria for Exit Level Outcome 3

• Explain in detail some of the competitive strategies that organisations can employ when competing with their rivals.

Associated Assessment criteria for Exit Level Outcome 4

• Discuss the different product life cycle strategies that marketers can utilise and support your answer with practical examples.

Associated Assessment criteria for Exit Level Outcome 5

• Describe and apply the various observation techniques available to the marketing researcher for a research project.

Associated Assessment criteria for Exit Level Outcome 6

• The respective outcomes as mentioned will be assessed through the completion of two semester tests, an assignment, chapter answers and a formal examination.

Integrated Assessment

The National Diploma Marketing Management implements three summative assessments during the course of a module, one final summative assessment at the end of a module as the means of learning evaluation. The lecturer for each of the above mentioned modules determines the assessment method to be used in each instance.

Specific assessment regulations are determined by the Faculty Board and approved by Senate. Programmed specific assessment criteria, rules and regulations, are communicated to students in all learning guides. The development and implementation of assessment methods is based on the institutions and Faculty principles of assessment. A variety of 'fit for purpose' methods of assessment are used by the assessor/s within a module to assess the students as defined by the learning outcomes.

Assessments include the following outcomes based activities

• Observation of real or simulated tasks, e.g. practical exercises/demonstrations, role-plays, presentations.
• Evaluation of a product after a task has been completed, e.g. projects, assignments, case studies, portfolios, artifacts, log books, reflective journals.
• Questions, oral or written, used either separately or in combination, e.g., tests examinations, including short or long questions, essays, multiple choice questions, etc.

All assessment activities are accompanied by a memorandum/assessment marking guide

The number and range of assessment methods used are included in the Learning Guides. Every assessment opportunity carries a predetermined weight that takes the integration of the outcomes into account.