Objectives and competences

The university master's degree in Marketing and Market Research (MIM) is an official course adapted to the European Higher Education Area. It is a year-long course, worth 60 credits. The master's degree is taught in Spanish, has a professional focus, and provides students with advanced, specialized training in marketing and market research.
Due to the combination of academic and professional profiles in this sector of activity, the master's degree in Marketing and Market Research is taught by twenty-one lecturers with teaching-research and professional experience. 

The master's degree has a practical focus, with a predominance of participative lectures, debates, practical cases, exhibitions, and talks and seminars given by professionals in the sector. 

Students have the opportunity to carry out placements in companies and organizations in the sector, both in the area of marketing and in market research.

Basic information

TypeMaster's degree
Faculty or schoolFaculty of Economics and Business
Branch of knowledge
  • Economic sciences, business administration and management, marketing, commerce, accounting and tourism
Mode of delivery
  • Face-to-face
Credits60
Number of places available50
Length of course1 academic year
Language(s) of instructionSpanish
Approximate price per credit27.67 euros per credit (95 euros for students who are not EU or China nationals and do not currently reside in Spain). Fees for the academic year 2024-2025.
CoordinationFCO. JAVIER ARROYO CAÑADA
E-mailmaster.marketing@ub.edu
Course detailsIndicators
Open pre-enrolmentNo
Open enrolmentYes
Lead to doctoral studiesYes
Admission for applicants not holding a degree qualificationNo
Bridging coursesYes

Objectives and competences

Objectives

The general objective of this master's degree is to provide advanced and specialized training in marketing and market research to respond to social and business needs in the sector. Therefore, the aim is to provide students with a comprehensive, in-depth, theoretical and practical overview of the methods and techniques of marketing management and the tools and techniques used in market research, which are required for the development of the company and other organizations in a highly competitive environment.

With this training, students gain the skills required:
- To hold positions of responsibility in the area of marketing and market research in companies, consultancies, offices, research institutes, and other organizations, and to work as an independent professional.
  • To undertake business initiatives and new projects and introduce them into the market.
  • To design and implement rigorous business research in global, competitive environments for companies and non-profit organizations.
  • To improve professional opportunities as individuals who already have management experience in these areas of knowledge or who hold a bachelor's degree in this area and wish to reinforce or expand their training and technical capabilities in the field of marketing and market research.

Competences

Basic competences
  • Capacity to understand the acquired knowledge, learn to apply it and solve problems related to the field of study.
  • Creative and entrepreneurial skills (capacity to conceive, design and manage projects/capacity to research and integrate new knowledge and approaches).
  • Capacity to take on management responsibilities in global, competitive environments.
  • Capacity to develop oral and written communication skills.
  • Capacity to analyse and synthesize information and extract relevant conclusions from the ideas that are presented.
  • Ability to write texts and submit reports, projects or other types of documents on business research or marketing strategies.
  • Capacity to understand the ethical and moral values that prevail in the market and that are directly related to commercial activity and the social responsibility of the company.
  • Learning abilities that facilitate self-directed and independent learning.


Specific competences
  • Capacity to adopt a strategic approach to global marketing and a comprehensive stance on business problems, as well as the ability to address them.
  • Capacity to find out about the market and consumers, and to appreciate the diversity of approaches.
  • Ability to plan, design and implement marketing strategies.
  • Capacity to apply knowledge of the principles and tools of research to solving problems related with marketing and market research.
  • Capacity to design and implement rigorous business research projects in a regional, national and international context.
  • Ability to work with the sources of data, methods and techniques of scientific research and the computer tools used in marketing.
  • Capacity to learn and use marketing and market research tools and instruments (accounting, statistics, etc.).
  • Capacity to understand the specific economic, business, legal and accounting environment to make business decisions.
  • Capacity to direct innovation processes in organizational contexts.
  • Capacity to integrate and apply new trends in marketing and market research in a profitable, effective way in the company and others organizations.
  • Capacity for critical analysis of current consumer societies, and the capacity to analyse the organization and social meaning of consumption in different social groups.

Access and admission

Applicant profile and access requirements

Recommended applicant profile

Applicants to the university master's degree in Marketing and Market Research should have previously taken the specialization in Marketing and Market Research in the UB bachelor's degree in Business Administration and Management, or any other bachelor's degree in which they have gained knowledge of business and marketing as well as the required economic and statistical knowledge. In general, any person who has graduated in Business Administration and Management or equivalent studies could have the training required to take the master's degree if they complete the bridging courses that the Selection Committee considers necessary, which could be worth up to 30 credits.

The master's degree is also designed for graduates in Economics and Sociology, who may be admitted after an evaluation of the need for bridging courses.

In addition to applicants with economics and sociology degrees, the master's degree is also designed for individuals holding technical or scientific degrees with a strong background in statistics and/or social sciences. In these cases, before starting the master's degree, candidates must expand their training with bridging courses.

Access requirements and conditions

General requirements
In accordance with Article 16 of Royal Decree 1393/2007, of 29 October, students wishing to be admitted to a university master's degree must hold one of the following qualifications:

  • Official Spanish university degree.

  • A degree issued by a higher education institution within the European Higher Education Area framework that authorizes the holder to access university master's degree courses in the country of issue.

  • A qualification issued by an institution outside the framework of the European Higher Education Area. In this case, applicants must request homologation of the degree to its equivalent official Spanish university qualification or obtain express approval from the University of Barcelona, which will conduct a study of equivalence to ensure that the degree is of a comparable level to an official Spanish university qualification and that it grants access to university master's degree study in the country of issue. Admission shall not, in any case, imply that prior qualifications have been recognized as equivalent to a Spanish master's degree and does not confer recognition for any purposes other than that of admission to the master's degree course.

Specific requirements
Any student who is qualified at the level required to take a university master's degree at a Spanish university may apply for this course, according to current legislation. The Master's Degree Committee will appoint a selection committee to assess each application and determine whether the candidate's profile is suitable for admission. If accepted, the candidate must take an exam to determine whether they need to complete bridging courses.

In accordance with Royal Decree 861/2010, bridging subjects required for admission to the degree will be considered master's credits for the purposes of public fees and the awarding of grants and other financial aid. Bridging courses, with a total study load of up to 30 ECTS credits, will be on the following areas: Fundamental Principles and Management of Marketing and Market Research. They will be taken prior to or during the master's degree course.

Given that the master's degree can be accessed from different disciplines, to ensure success on the course, candidates must demonstrate that they have relevant prior knowledge or gain this knowledge during the course. To find out whether a student has this knowledge, five online multiple-choice tests* must be taken on the dates established in the pre-enrolment calendar, on each of the following subjects:

  • Strategic Marketing: 6 credits.
  • Market Research I: 6 credits.
  • Market Research II: 6 credits.
  • Communication Strategies and Techniques: 6 credits.
  • Product Management: 6 credits.


If a student fails one of these exams, they may enrol for the corresponding subjects and take them during the master's degree.

* Students who have taken the bachelor's degree in Business Administration and Management and passed these subjects do not have to take the corresponding examinations.

Pre-enrolment

Calendar

First period: 3 February - 30 March 2024
Notification of resolutions: 19 April
Online test: April 22

Second period: 1 April - 15 May 2024
Notification of resolutions: 20 May
Online test: 23 May

Third period (if there are vacancies): 16 May - 28 June 2024
Notification of resolutions: 5 June
Online test: 8 July

Notes:

  • Pre-enrolment fee: A pre-enrolment fee of 30,21 euros is charged. Students who apply to more than one master's degree must pay the fee for each pre-enrolment request. Pre-enrolment requests cannot be processed until this fee has been paid.Fees will only be refunded if the master's degree in question is suspended.
  • Reserved places: A maximum of 5% of the new places of the master's degree are reserved for students who meet the general and specific access requirements and accredit the recognition of a degree of disability equal to or greater than 33%.

Required documentation

Selection criteria

Applications from candidates who meet the requirements for admission to the master's degree shall be evaluated according to the following criteria:

  • Official academic transcript of previous qualification(s), including those that provide access to the master's degree and other courses considered of interest. The length of the academic courses must be specified, as well as the list of subjects passed and the qualifications obtained, the study load and credits of each subject, and the assessment system used by the university. Students who have completed official courses of study at the UB will only be required to submit their academic transcript. (40%)
  • Curriculum vitae. (20%)
  • The issuing university and its position in the QS University Rankings for Social Sciences, Tilburg Economics and ISI Ranking of Spanish universities. (15%)
  • Proof of having obtained a grant or funding prior to the master's degree course. (10%)
  • Statement of interest. (5%)
  • Certification of an advanced level of English (at least level B1 or equivalent). (5%)
  • Certification of previous knowledge of advanced computer applications and tools. (5%)


IMPORTANT: Candidates who are pre-selected on the basis of their curriculum vitae and statement of interest will be asked for a four- or five-minute explanatory video.

IMPORTANT: International students from non-Spanish speaking countries must certify an advanced level of Spanish (at least B2 or equivalent). If students do not have a certificate, they must attend an interview, which may be online.

Notification

The body in charge of resolving applications is the master's degree Admissions Committee. This procedure is carried out in the period established in the pre-enrolment calendar. Once the Committee has met and the corresponding resolution has been reached, electronic confirmation is sent. The faculty's Master's and Doctoral Office will contact admitted students to inform them of the steps to take to complete enrolment.

Enrolment

As a general rule, at the UB you will be required to enrol online. Remember that you can lose your place if you do not enrol on the day you have been assigned

Course curriculum

Subjects and course plans

Distribution of credits

Type ECTS
Compulsory 20
Optional 27.5
Compulsory placements 0
Compulsory final project 12.5
TOTAL 60

List of subjects

Subject Type Language Credits
Specialization: Marketing and Market Research
Advances in Consumer Behaviour Compulsory 1st semester 5
Advertising Management Optional 2nd semester 2.5
Applied Market Research Compulsory 2nd semester 5
Applied Marketing Compulsory 2nd semester 5
Brand Management Optional 1st semester 5
Business Practices Optional 1st semester
2nd semester
5
Communication Research Optional 1st semester 2.5
Distribution Research Optional 2nd semester 2.5
Final Project Compulsory 1st semester
2nd semester
12.5
Financial and Accounting Tools for Marketing Optional 2nd semester 2.5
Game Theory Applied to Marketing Optional 1st semester 5
International Distribution Optional 2nd semester 2.5
Market Segmentation Techniques Optional 2nd semester 5
Merchandising Optional 1st semester 2.5
New Trends in Sales Management Optional 1st semester 2.5
Online Marketing Compulsory 1st semester 5
Qualitative Research Optional 2nd semester 2.5
Regulation of the Market and Advertising Optional 2nd semester 2.5
Relational Marketing Optional 1st semester 2.5
Services Marketing Optional 1st semester 2.5
Social Networks Optional 2nd semester 2.5
Trade Marketing Optional 2nd semester 2.5

Bridging courses

Subject Type Language Credits
Specialization: BC for admission to the Master's Degree in Marketing and Market Research
Communication Strategies and Techniques Optional 1st semester 6
Market Research I Optional 1st semester 6
Market Research II Optional 1st semester
2nd semester
6
Product Management Optional 2nd semester 6
Strategic Marketing Optional 2nd semester 6

Previous years

Placements

Placements in a company or another type of organization are an integral part of university studies, providing first-hand experience of working methodologies in students' chosen professional fields. They offer invaluable practical experience for the transition into work after graduation.



Placements are supervised by tutors and subject to assessment. They are therefore included in the academic record.  There is also an option to complete non-curricular placements of up to 500 hours, which can be extended to 900 hours. For both curricular and non-curricular placements, an educational cooperation agreement is signed between the UB and the company, institution or other organization at which the placement will be carried out.



Institutional information


Career opportunities

What can you work on ?

The master's degree in Marketing and Market Research is focused on professional careers in marketing in companies and other organizations and public institutions, as well as work as an independent professional.

Graduates may work in areas of commercial activity, sales, communication, market analysis, and product responsibility; in marketing and communication consultancies, market research institutes, advertising agencies, and other communication organizations, etc.

Training also enables graduates to focus on the academic sphere and undertake teaching and scientific research in marketing and market research.

Access to the labour market

Data from the university system in Catalonia

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