Marketing
Marketing at the Rijksuniversiteit Groningen
Marketing focuses on customers and brands. Goal of marketing is examine the relationship between their products and services (brands) and consumers, and decide how to enhance that relationship. Key concepts are market research, customer orientation, and satisfying consumer and business needs.
This Master’s degree specialization in Marketing is taught by top specialists with an international reputation. Courses are of a high standard, and high standards are also expected of students. Most courses focus not only on theory, but also on how it is applied in practice in many different ways. Students are often asked to present a practical solution to a problem. There are also plenty of opportunities for studying abroad, and the programme is an ideal foundation for a career in marketing.
The Master’s degree specialization Marketing comprises two profiles: Marketing Management and Marketing Research. The Marketing specialization concentrates on the methods that companies can use to meet the wishes and requirements of consumers in the relevant market segment. ‘Knowing your customer’ is the key to the success of any organization. Without sufficient knowledge of customers and the market, which is then translated into consistent strategies, the company will not be successful.
Insight into consumer behaviour is indispensable, and so is knowledge of the strategies and instruments that can be used to identify consumer needs and serve the market. Which internal and external processes are required to meet these goals? What will the product or service look like? What is the best way to communicate with the market? Which distribution channels should be used? And what about pricing policy? These issues are dealt with in the Master’s degree specialization in Marketing. Students analyze consumer markets and business markets, and the markets for goods and services. The focus will be on profit-making organizations, but the public sector and non-profit-making organizations will also be studied.
Study programme
Students can specialize either in marketing management or market research. Most students from abroad will follow the English Marketing research specialization. All students follow the same introductory field course, Advanced Marketing (10 EC), which introduces the latest developments in the field of marketing. The Marketing Management specialization concentrates on ‘general’ subjects such as Brand Management and Communication, Business Marketing, Retail Marketing and E-Commerce.
Students specializing in Marketing Research follow courses in Advanced Market Research and Marketing Model Building. These courses teach the latest and most advanced methods for analyzing consumer behaviour. The programme ends with a final degree project (20 EC).
