Postgraduate Diploma: Marketing Management

Purpose

The purpose of the qualification is to consolidate, advance and deepen students' knowledge and expertise in the field of marketing management. The qualification provides qualifying students with knowledge of contemporary marketing issues and the ability to align this knowledge with other organisational functional areas. Qualifying learners will be able to identify the strategic implications of marketing decisions on management in an organisation and have the ability to analyse advanced and unfamiliar marketing metrics, to solve high-level and unfamiliar marketing management problems and to lead the marketing function of an organisation. This qualification lays a foundation for higher career advancement and further studies in the field of marketing management.

The modules are specifically selected to grow students' knowledge of contemporary marketing management issues and will enable students to:

• Design and evaluate the effectiveness of marketing strategies.
• Engage in advanced marketing problem solving.
• Manage the marketing function of an organisation.

Rationale

The rationale for the qualification is to provide advanced training and scholarship in the field of marketing management to enable students to align strategic marketing issues such as marketing metrics with other organisational functional areas and contexts. The qualification provides marketing management skills to students who do not necessarily have a commerce background allowing them to perform advanced management tasks within a marketing context.

Marketing as an area of specialisation within the broader field of business management has long been recognised as being pivotal to the success of an organisation. This qualification aims to empower students to conceptualise and align contemporary marketing issues within an organisational context. A great focus is on the integrated nature of the functional areas and the role and function of marketing in the organisation and in particular the strategic role of marketing.

Marketing issues such as globalisation, Africanisation, technology and ethics are all incorporated to produce students with contemporary marketing knowledge and skills and the ability to reconcile marketing with other functional management areas.

Candidates accessing this qualification should

• Be able to read and critically evaluate academic text in English and communicate information and their own ideas orally and in written text that is grammatically correct, well structured, clear and concise, using accepted standards of scientific and academic writing (NQF Level 7).
• Be able to independently and responsibly plan, schedule and take responsibility for the success of their learning in a structured and Open Distance Learning (ODL) tuition environment and appropriately manage their time according to required outcomes.
• Be able to use technology to such an extent that they can access and participate in the various online activities and also use the library and other electronic services in support of the learning (myUnisa) and any other additional resources related to the qualification modules.
• Have access to the South African medias.

Recognition of Prior Learning

Recognition of Prior Learning will be applied in line with the regulations of the Quality Council for Higher Education and the Recognition of Prior Learning Policy and the procedures of the University of South Africa. Recognition of Prior Learning can be used by students who do not meet the admission criteria to gain access to the qualification and to get credit for relevant learning already completed.

Access to the Qualification

An appropriate Bachelors Degree or an Advanced Diploma with an average of at least 60%.

The qualification consists of 4 compulsory modules and one elective module.

Compulsory modules

• Applied Strategic Marketing (NQF Level 8, 24 credits).
• Contemporary issues in Marketing (NQF Level 8, 24 credits).
• Marketing metrics (NQF Level 8, 24 credits).
• Applied Retail Management (NQF Level 8, 24 credits).

Elective modules

Candidates must select any ONE of the following electives

• Management of Organisational Behaviour (NQF Level 8, 24 credits).
• International Business (NQF Level 8, 24 credits).
• Strategic Management (NQF Level 8, 24 credits).
• Supply Chain management (NQF Level 8, 24 credits).
• Project management (NQF Level 8, 24 credits).

Total credits: 120.

1. Interpret economic realities within South African organisational contexts.
2. Use a range of specialised skills to identify, analyse and solve complex, abstract and/or real-life marketing problems.
3. Synthesise information gathered from various relevant sources to conceptualise and implement retail management strategies.

Critical Cross-Field Outcomes

All Critical Cross-Field Outcomes are addressed by this qualification. Some examples are

• Organise and manage themselves and their own activities responsibly and effectively, develop their own learning strategies which sustain independent learning and academic or continued professional development and interact effectively within the learning or professional group as a means of enhancing learning.
• Communicate effectively using visual and/or language skills in the mode of written presentations. This includes researching, reviewing, evaluating, producing and communicating information in specialised contexts in order to develop creative responses and insights, rigorous interpretations and solutions to problems and issues appropriate to the context.
• Demonstrate an understanding of the world as a set of related systems by recognising that problem solving contexts do not exist in isolation. This includes operating effectively within a system, or managing the system based on an understanding of the roles and relationships between elements of the system.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 1

• Demonstrate an in-depth understanding of how marketing management affects society and business.
• Interpret current economic events and the influence that they will have on the business.
• Compare current contexts with past and potential future contexts.
• Relate learning gained from individual experience to knowledge encountered in an academic environment and vice versa.
• Relate learning from experience and academic contexts to unfamiliar contexts using present and future scenarios.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 2

• Analyse real life situations to identify strengths, weakness, opportunities and threats.
• Select correct strategies and/or procedures to solve specific marketing problems.
• Evaluate the results of the implementation of marketing strategies by measuring the outcomes versus the original objectives.
• Present information to a variety of target audiences in appropriate ways such as numerically, verbally, graphically, using appropriate technologies.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 3

• Select appropriate retail strategies and/or procedures to solve specific retail management problems.
• Evaluate the results of the application of retail management strategies.
• Present information to a variety of target audiences in appropriate ways such as numerically, verbally, graphically, using appropriate technologies.

Integrated Assessment

For the qualification to be awarded, a candidate must have successfully achieved the outcomes of each of the compulsory/core and elective modules that constitute the qualification.

Evidence of learning competency (knowledge, skills, attitudes and expertise) and of the candidate's ability to achieve the purpose of the qualification as a whole at the time that the qualification is awarded, is required by means of comprehensive and integrated assessment (constituting a range of formative and summative assessments). Continuous formative and summative assessment methods are used in the form of written assignments and exams, and the supervision of a research project.

Formative and summative assessment will be conducted within the guidelines of the Unisa Assessment Policy. The student's summative assessment mark will comprise a year mark (10%) that will be gained from the specified number of compulsory assignments and a written examination in each module which comprises 90% of the total summative assessment mark. The pass mark shall be a minimum of 50% acquired from both continuous and summative assessment in a proportionate ratio; 75% shall constitute a pass with distinction.

Assessors should assess and give credit for evidence of learning that has already been acquired through formal, informal and non-formal learning and experience.

Lecturers responsible for the module and external markers (assessors) will act as assessor practitioners in accordance with the Unisa Assessment Policy. Formative and summative assessment will be conducted within the guidelines of the Unisa Assessment Policy. Student support will be provided in accordance with Unisa ODL and Learner Support policies and guidelines.