Postgraduate Diploma in Marketing

Purpose

The Postgraduate Diploma in Marketing is a vocational qualification designed for graduates to perform the specialised tasks required within the marketing discipline.

The qualifying learners will gain capacity to manage, supervise, coordinate and plan national and international marketing and sales strategies. The qualification will enable graduates to gain skills into managing the specified disciplines within the marketing industry.

Graduates will acquire skills to apply their knowledge to the various components that relates to the marketing activities of an organisation. The qualifying learner will gain insight into the complexities of the marketing industry as well as the ability to apply sales and customer management issues in order to maximise the marketing operations and manage the marketing communications of an organisation.

This qualification is therefore particularly suitable for continuing professional development through the enhancement of deep and systematic understanding of contemporary marketing operations which includes independent decision-making, analytical approaches and relevant cutting-edge technologies, thus contributing to the benefits of the society and the economy.

Rationale

The Postgraduate Diploma in Marketing is designed to meet the specific career path needs in the marketing environment as confirmed by industry through the advisory board committee. Relevant stakeholders, including academic peers from outside the institution and employers represented on Advisory Committee, were involved in the development of the qualification. Prospective learners will typically have completed the Advanced Diploma in Marketing and will have entered the industry at operational entry levels.

The qualification is aimed at empowering learners with focused and applied specialisation which meets the requirements of a specific niche in the labour market. It involves specific knowledge and skills to perform at supervisory and managerial levels within multi-disciplinary marketing environments. The qualification further provides the graduate with the knowledge and skills to follow career pathways in the practice of Marketing, Digital Marketing, Professional Selling or Brand Communication management. The qualification is for individuals interested in advancing their career in the practice of Marketing, Digital Marketing, Professional Selling or Brand Communication Management.

This qualification offers learners access to postgraduate studies. A research project was undertaken within the institution to determine the needs of industry which identified the gaps in the chosen specialisation fields which form part of the electives in this qualification. Completion of the Postgraduate Diploma in Marketing may be presented for entry into the Master of Management Sciences in Marketing.

Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL)

As per institutional policy, credits towards this qualification may be obtained by means of RPL. Candidates who do not meet the minimum entrance requirements but who can demonstrate satisfactory levels of competence in the field may apply for Recognition of Prior Learning and may be granted entry to the qualification on this basis.

Entry Requirements

For admission to the qualification the learner must have either

• An Advanced Diploma in Marketing or Marketing Management, Level 7, or
• Bachelor's Degree in Marketing or Marketing Management, Level 7.

This qualification consists of compulsory and elective modules at Level 8 totalling 120 Credits.

Compulsory Modules

• Marketing V, 30 Credits.
• Applied Quantitative Techniques, 30 Credits.
• Advanced Research Methodology, 30 Credits.

Elective Modules, 30 Credits (Choose one)

• Applied Digital Marketing V, 30 Credits.
• Applied Professional Selling V, 30 Credits.
• Applied Integrated Brand Communication, 30 Credits.

1. Demonstrate knowledge of and engagement in an area at the forefront of the field of applied marketing; an understanding of the theories, research methodologies, methods and techniques relevant to the field, discipline or practice; and an understanding of how to apply such knowledge in a particular context.
2. Demonstrate an understanding of the complexities and uncertainties of selecting, applying or transferring appropriate standard procedures and processes of quantitative techniques to unfamiliar problems in a specialised field, discipline or practice.
3. Demonstrate knowledge of and engagement in an area at the forefront of the field of applied professional selling; an understanding of the theories, research methodologies, methods and techniques relevant to the field, and the ability to apply such knowledge in a particular context.
4. Demonstrate knowledge of and engagement in an area at the forefront of the field of digital marketing; an understanding of the theories, research methodologies, methods and techniques relevant to the field, and the ability to apply such knowledge in a particular context.
5. Demonstrate knowledge of and engagement in an area at the forefront of the field of applied Integrated brand communication; an understanding of the theories, research methodologies, methods and techniques relevant to the field, and the ability to apply such knowledge in a particular context.
6. Demonstrate an ability to use a range of specialised skills to identify, analyse and address complex or abstract problems drawing systematically on the body of knowledge and methods appropriate to the discipline and practice of research.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 1

• Demonstrate and apply knowledge by developing a product mix for an enterprise.
• Demonstrate and apply knowledge by developing a pricing mix for an enterprise.
• Demonstrate and apply knowledge by developing a distribution mix for an enterprise.
• Demonstrate and apply knowledge by developing an Integrated Marketing Communication mix for an enterprise.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 2

• Demonstrate and apply knowledge with regard to questionnaire design and conduction of surveys, utilising a suitable statistical package to the organisation and describe data, draw graphs, determine measures of location, dispersion and relative standing.
• Utilise a suitable statistical package to apply the knowledge in confidence intervals, hypothesis testing, chi-squared tests, ANOVA-s and non-parametric testing.
• Utilise a suitable statistical package to apply the knowledge in multivariate analysis, correlation and time series analysis.
• Apply the knowledge to differentiate between different quantitative market research decision support tools and apply text analytics.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 3

• Demonstrate and apply knowledge of the strategic sales management process and to develop and implement effective sales strategies in a self-critical manner.
• Demonstrate knowledge of and engagement in Personal Selling activities by applying the various personal selling approaches and techniques relevant to the professional selling environment.
• Demonstrate problem solving ability when identifying and analysing customer value, engaging and involving buyers and salespeople throughout the sales interaction by expanding customer relationships.
• Analyse and address complex issues found in the planning, organising, development and directing of the sales force as well as the ability to critically review and analyse sales force effectiveness and performance.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 4

• Evaluate opportunities and challenges presented through dynamic digital environment and assess the impact and influence these opportunities and challenges have on the marketing strategy.
• Analyse how key digital tools can support and enhance marketing activities and also discuss the relevance of digital platforms and channels in context of marketing.
• Develop digital activities to support and enhance multi-channel marketing and apply the key principles involved in monitoring and measuring digital marketing effectiveness.
• Identify and investigate a digital marketing research topic and develop a research proposal.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 5

• Demonstrate and apply knowledge in brand building in relation to the marketing discipline being guided in terms of the aspects of brand building and how to build a brand in a competitive environment.
• Demonstrate knowledge of and engagement in brand communication activities by applying the various brand communication strategies and techniques relevant to the profession.
• Demonstrate knowledge when identifying and analysing brand positioning during the communications process.
• Analyse and address complex issues found in effective brand building within a competitive environment.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 6

• Develop a quality research proposal which meets the standard and requirements for access to a Master's Degree.

Integrated Assessment

Formative assessment strategies are continuous and aimed at giving learners feedback on their progress in the achievement of learning outcomes as well as to integrate theoretical and practical competence. Such strategies include informal assignments, discussions, case studies, informal tests and tutoring.

Some of the criteria may be assessed through observation of the learners during classes. Summative assessment strategies are aimed at judgement of the learning in relation to the Exit Level Outcomes of the qualification. Such strategies include examinations, reports, projects or equivalent such as a portfolio of evidence which is representative of a selection of the outcomes.

The outcomes of the formal assignments will contribute to a cumulative class mark as per pre-arrangement with the learners. In the formal assignments, and in the respective examinations learners will have to demonstrate the ability to communicate and integrate knowledge of the key issues, highlighted in the respective modules, and identify and resolve typical problems in the subfields as indicated. This will require critical and creative thinking as well as the ability to make practical applications of the learning outcomes as indicated in the module descriptors.