Postgraduate Diploma in Marketing

Purpose

To provide graduate students (other than students with graduate studies in marketing, consumer behaviour and retailing) with the core knowledge and skills about marketing and the processes of marketing in order to enable them to manage the process of marketing from idea conceptualization to product/service launch to maintenance of marketing plans and programs.

To develop students' appreciation for economic principles underlying business processes and practices with special focus on marketing.

To provide students with a foundation for the study and the interpretation of business processes and practices related to marketing.

To provide graduates to various industries in the primary, secondary and tertiary sectors of the South African economy that could enhance the products/services of such industries in respect of consumer/user/intermediary requirements.

Rationale

The business environment today requires that participants also possess, apart from subject knowledge, marketing knowledge and skills to succeed. The programme is specifically designed to equip students with such knowledge and skills.

The purpose of the programme is to enable graduates from other disciplines to equip themselves with marketing knowledge and skills to enhance their own marketability as well providing them with more skills and tools for self employment. The target audience is graduates from all faculties as well as people already in full time employment who need to study marketing for various reasons.

Recognition of Prior Learning

The University of Stellenbosch has a comprehensive policy for the Recognition of Prior Learning.

Access to the Qualification

Any Bachelors Degree obtained in a field other than marketing. The latter include the following disciplines on Bachelors level: marketing, consumer behaviour, retailing and marketing communication.

Exit Level of programme; 7.

Duration (years); 1 years.

Total credits; 120.

Learning Component; NQF Level 6; NQF Level 7

• Core; 30; 90.

Total Credits value of Qualification; 120.

1. The successful student can undertake, either independently or as a member of a team, the design of an advertising and marketing communication campaign.

Modules in the programme specifically directed at achieving this outcome

• Marketing.
• Consumer behaviour.
• Advertising and sales promotion.
• Marketing research.
• Distribution channels.
• Financial methods.

1. The successful student can subdivide a potential market for products/services into segments that meet predetermined criteria.

Modules in the programme specifically directed at achieving this outcome

• Marketing.
• Consumer behaviour.
• Marketing research.
• Strategic marketing.

1. The successful student can formulate a marketing problem and design the marketing research to analyze such problem and possible solutions to solve the problem.

Modules in the programme specifically directed at achieving this outcome

• Marketing.
• Consumer behaviour.
• Advertising and sales promotion.
• Marketing research.
• Strategic marketing.
• Services marketing.
• Industrial marketing.

1. The successful student can position a product/service against competition.

Modules in the programme specifically directed at achieving this outcome

• Marketing.
• Consumer behaviour.
• Marketing research.
• Strategic marketing.

1. The successful student can draft a marketing plan for a product/service.

Modules in the programme specifically directed at achieving this outcome

• Marketing.
• Consumer behaviour.
• Advertising & sales promotion.
• Marketing research.
• Strategic marketing.
• Services marketing.
• Industrial marketing.
• Retailing.
• Distribution channels.
• Financial methods.

Critical Cross-Field Outcomes

• Identifying and solving problems in which responses display that responsible decisions using critical and creative thinking have been made.

This is evident in the following Exit Level Outcome

> Refer to all Exit Level Outcomes.

• Working with others as a member of a team, group, organisation, community.

This is evident in the following Exit Level Outcome

> The successful student can draft a marketing plan for a product/service.

> The successful student can formulate a marketing problem and design the marketing research to analyze such problem and possible solutions to solve the problem.

> The successful student can undertake, either independently or as a member of a team, the design of an advertising and marketing communication campaign.

• Organising and managing oneself and one's activities responsibly and effectively.

This is evident in the following Exit Level Outcome

> The successful student can draft a marketing plan for a product/service.

> The successful student can formulate a marketing problem and design the marketing research to analyze such problem and possible solutions to solve the problem.

> The successful student can undertake, either independently or as a member of a team, the design of an advertising and marketing communication campaign.

• Collecting, analysing, organising and critically evaluating information.

This is evident in the following Exit Level Outcome

> Refer to all Exit Level Outcomes.

• Communicating effectively using visual, mathematical and/or language skills in the modes of oral and/or written persuasion.

This is evident in the following Exit Level Outcome

> The successful student can draft a marketing plan for a product/service.

> The successful student can formulate a marketing problem and design the marketing research to analyze such problem and possible solutions to solve the problem.

• Using science and technology effectively and critically, showing responsibility towards the environment and health of others.

This is evident in the following Exit Level Outcome

> The successful student can draft a marketing plan for a product/service.

> The successful student can formulate a marketing problem and design the marketing research to analyze such problem and possible solutions to solve the problem.

> The successful student can undertake, either independently or as a member of a team, the design of an advertising and marketing communication campaign.

• Demonstrating an understanding of the world as a set of related systems by recognising that problem-solving contexts do not exist in isolation.

This is evident in the following Exit Level Outcome

> The successful student can draft a marketing plan for a product/service.

> The successful student can formulate a marketing problem and design the marketing research to analyze such problem and possible solutions to solve the problem.

> The successful student can undertake, either independently or as a member of a team, the design of an advertising and marketing communication campaign.

• Contributing to the full personal development of each learner and the social and economic development of society at large, by making it the underlying intention of any programme of learning to make an individual aware of the importance of:

> Reflecting on and exploring a variety of strategies to learn more effectively"

This is evident in the following Exit Level Outcome

> The successful student can draft a marketing plan for a product/service.

> The successful student can formulate a marketing problem and design the marketing research to analyze such problem and possible solutions to solve the problem.

> The successful student can undertake, either independently or as a member of a team, the design of an advertising and marketing communication campaign.

> Participating as responsible citizens in the life of local, national and global communities.

This is evident in the following Exit Level Outcome

> The successful student can formulate a marketing problem and design the marketing research to analyze such problem and possible solutions to solve the problem.

> The successful student can undertake, either independently or as a member of a team, the design of an advertising and marketing communication campaign.

> Being culturally and aesthetically sensitive across a range of social contexts.

This is evident in the following Exit Level Outcome

> The successful student can draft a marketing plan for a product/service.

> The successful student can undertake, either independently or as a member of a team, the design of an advertising and marketing communication campaign.

> Exploring education and career opportunities.

This is evident in the following Exit Level Outcome

> Refer to all Exit Level Outcomes.

> Developing entrepreneurial opportunities.

This is evident in the following Exit Level Outcome

> The successful student can draft a marketing plan for a product/service.

> The successful student can formulate a marketing problem and design the marketing research to analyze such problem and possible solutions to solve the problem.

> The successful student can undertake, either independently or as a member of a team, the design of an advertising and marketing communication campaign.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 1

• The student will present a plan spelling out on advertising and marketing communication campaign for a particular product/service.
• The plan presented will be judged in terms of all the elements that constitute such a plan and the extent to which these elements take cognizance of the market, competition and media characteristics particular to the product/service.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 2

• The student will make recommendations in respect of the attractiveness or otherwise of market segments for a product/service.
• The recommendations will be evaluated in terms of criteria that are used to judge the feasibility/viability of a market segment.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 3

• The student will formulate a research design that reflects the student's insight in a marketing problem.
• The research design presented will be assessed in terms of how the research questions are formulated, the suitability of the proposed method and timing of data gathering as well as suggestions on how the data should be analysed.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 4

• The student will present a product position map and a report on the positioning of a product/service relative to competing products/services.
• The map and the report will be judged with reference to the attributes selected for positioning and how consumers' perceptions are measured an interpreted.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 5

• The student will submit a comprehensive marketing plan for a product/service.
• Assessment of the marketing plan will focus on the interpretation of market and macro forces and how the various components are designed for the maximum impact on consumer/customer need satisfaction and the minimisation of competition.

Integrated Assessment

Various components of the programme are designed to draw on knowledge gained in other courses to address a specific problem or design programs. A variety of procedures and methods are employed to undertake the assessments. These include written and oral presentations, tests, examinations, case studies, individual and group assignments. The study culminates in the design of a marketing strategy. It is compulsory for every student to undertake the compilation of a marketing strategy for a particular product/service. The drafting of the marketing strategy demand from the student to utilize the knowledge and experience acquired from the study of all the other subjects.