University of Brighton
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Retail Management
MSc (PGCert PGDip)

  • Course summary and entry requirements

    Course duration Help

    Full-time: 13 months

    About the course

    Developed in conjunction with experts from the retail industry, our Retail Management MSc taps into the UK's wealth of cutting-edge retail expertise. It helps meet the growing demand for the professionalisation of retail management by developing managers with the practical skills and intellectual ability to succeed in this fast-paced and global industry.

    The course provides a detailed knowledge of the concepts and processes involved in retailing. It covers both theoretical and practical approaches relevant to best practice in the international retail business.

    Subjects covered include retail strategy and internationalisation, retail marketing and branding, customer experience and customer psychology, buying and supply chain logistics, retail technology, innovation and creativity, and retail consultancy. In addition, you will learn business skills such as budgeting, problem solving, consultancy skills, and managing groups and teams.

    From the very start of the course you will have the chance to learn from retail professionals. Field trips will give you the chance to explore different types of retail environments and meet practicing managers. Guest speakers are regularly invited to discuss curriculum topics, so you get professional insights into contemporary issues.

    The skills and knowledge gained on this course will make you a highly valuable resource in the retail sector. The expertise acquired from studying in the UK is highly transferrable internationally.

    Typical entry requirements Help

    Individual offers may vary.

    For non-native speakers of English:
    In order to benefit from, contribute to and enjoy the course, a good command of spoken and written English language is required. If English is not your first language, you will need English language proficiency equivalent to an overall IELTS score of at least 6.5, with 6 in the written test.

    Degree and/or experience:
    Normally a good honours degree or equivalent is required. Work experience is useful but not essential. Applicants with non-standard entry qualifications will be considered. If you are unsure whether you meet the entry requirements then please contact us.

    International students who need help meeting the academic entry requirements should contact our International College.

  • Course content

    Areas of study

    This course has eight core modules which are delivered over the autumn, spring and summer terms. At the end of the summer term you can choose to undertake either a three-month research project or a six-month work placement. Work placements involve employer-based organisational problem solving and a work placement report.

    Syllabus

    Autumn term
    - Moving to Masters (induction)
    - Retail Marketing and Branding
    - Accounting for Managers

    Spring term
    - Customer Experience, Consumer Psychology and Store Operations
    - Buying and Supply Chain Logistics
    - Research Methods

    Summer term
    - Retail Strategy and Internationalisation
    - Managing Organisational Behaviour

    Plus one option from:
    - Retail Technology
    - Innovation and Creativity
    - Retail Consultancy

    - Choice of a research project or a work placement

  • Fees and costs

    The fees listed here are for full-time courses beginning in the academic year 2013-14. Further tuition fees are payable for each subsequent year of study and may be subject to small increases, in line with inflation.

    The tuition fee you have to pay depends on a number of factors including the kind of course you take, and whether you study full- or part-time. If you are studying part-time you will normally be charged on a pro rata basis depending on the number of modules you take.

    What's included in the fee?

    When costs such as health or criminal record checks, field trips or use of specialist materials are incurred as a mandatory requirement of the course they are included in your tuition fee.

    You may incur additional costs depending on the optional modules or activities you choose. The cost of optional activities is not included in your tuition fee and you will need to meet this cost in addition to your fees. Before you apply please check with the school that provides your course using the contact details on the left of this page for advice about what is included and what optional costs you could face so you can budget accordingly.

    Our website www.brighton.ac.uk/money provides advice about funding and scholarships as well as further information about fees and advice on international and island fee paying status.

    Retail Management (MSc) (Full time)  [J1BH036]
    UK/EU (Full Time)6,390 GBP
    Island Students (Full Time)8,100 GBP
    International (Full Time)11,500 GBP

  • Location

    Location Help Moulsecoomb

    Located to the north of Brighton city centre, the Moulsecoomb campus offers students an excellent learning environment and a wide range of facilities. It is the largest of our five campuses with over 8,000 students.

    View campus maps and directions

    Living in Brighton

    Brighton’s rich mix of historic architecture, lively arts scene, varied shopping and cosmopolitan community make it a vibrant, enjoyable place to live. It is no wonder that many Brighton graduates choose to stay here.

    Social scene

    Alongside the traditional seaside attractions, Brighton is famed for its exciting social scene with a wide choice of pubs, clubs and restaurants.

    Music event on the beach

    Arts

    The highlight of the city’s cultural year is the Brighton Festival. The event is held each May and is England’s biggest arts festival, which showcases arts and performance from around the world. Brighton is also home to the UK’s oldest working cinema, the Duke of York’s, which shows alternative and mainstream films. The city is also well known for its exciting music scene and hosts The Great Escape music festival.

    Burning the Clocks winter solstice festival

    Sports

    Whether you take your sport seriously or just want to keep fit, Brighton offers all kinds of sports opportunities and facilities, on and off campus. You can also make the most of the location, and play volleyball, basketball and windsurfing down by the beach. The seafront is also the finishing point for the famous London – Brighton bicycle ride and the quirky veteran car run.

    Playing volleyball on the seafront

  • Staff profiles

    Retail Management

    Jane Priddis - Course Leader

    Jane Priddis has nearly 30 years of commercial experience, which she uses both in her academic role with the University of Brighton, and to help business owners take control of their businesses and achieve their goals. She has become known as a specialist in marketing planning and strategy, as well as retail marketing, and she is developing her interest in competitive intelligence into a third specialism.

    As well as having almost twenty years’ experience in consultancy, Jane has run many management training programmes.  She currently manages and markets a group of high-quality professional trainers under the Plus One brand, matching trainers and courses with corporate client training needs. She has also run strategic marketing courses for the Institute of Directors since 1991, and in 1996 was author of the marketing strategy module of the IoD Masters in Corporate Direction.

    Until 2008 Marketing Director of Essential Business, a Brighton-based publishing company, Jane was co-author of The Essential Business Guide, hailed by many as the ‘bible’ for small businesses, and the only business book ever to win the Plain English Award.  Building on the success of the Guide, Jane also wrote and marketed a complete start-up business planning tool, used by providers across the UK.

    Retail Management

    Chris Dutton - Assistant Head

    Chris has been with the School of Service Management since 1995 when he was charged with establishing the school's retail marketing degree programme. Prior to this, he spent 12 years gaining retail management experience with J. Sainsbury PLC which included a number of years as a Store Manager.

    Chris, who is a Principal Lecturer, has held a number of roles within the school and is currently the Acting Deputy Head of School. With expertise in course and module design Chris has been an influential addition to the school's development team. Since 1998 he has been an Associate Lecturer at Surrey University and was recently appointed as External Examiner at the University of Westminster.

    Chris' research interests include customer service, service quality and business ethics. Chris has gained an MBA and is currently studying for a PhD. Chris also is involved in a number of key consultancy contracts for the University and works closely with a number of European partners.

    Retail Management

    Harvey Ells - Principal Lecturer

    Prior to working for the University, Harvey worked in a variety of retail stores and head office roles for national food retailers. He holds an MA in Learning and Development, an MSc in Food Policy and Postgraduate Certificates in Research Methods and Academic Practice. Since joining the University he has focused on the ongoing development of our retail courses and food curriculum. His personal research interests include Higher Education service quality, Food street markets/ Pop-Up retailing, Retail SMEs, Retail branding, Community food projects, Sustainable food supply chains and UK urban agriculture policy.

    Harvey has completed a wide range of consultancy activities and in doing so has helped to inform and update our taught undergraduate and postgraduate programmes. Projects include an 'A' Rated Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) with Rick Stein's Seafood Restaurant in Padstow, two National Research projects on behalf of the Institute of Customer Service and evaluations for Tourism South East. He has also worked on a number of short-term projects with a range of regional retail businesses.

    Currently he is working in partnership with the University of Sussex on BBSRC funded food and satiety research, developing a community garden on-campus with students and Sussex Oakleaf, expanding the retail offer at Spring Barn Farm near Lewes, and undertaking New Product Development for hot food vending with Bon Appetit at Crawley.

  • Career opportunities

    Many areas of the retail industry are expanding fast (for example, online retailer Amazon grew by 40 per cent in 2010) creating a global demand for highly skilled retail managers able to think strategically with a global perspective.

    Retail Management MSc has been designed for professionals looking to develop successful careers in marketing, merchandising, store management, buying, management consultancy and retail logistics management. Graduates will find career opportunities in a wide range of service/business environments, both in the UK and overseas. The course will develop your analytical skills, enabling you to make sound decisions throughout your career.

    Visit the careers service website.

  • More...

    UK leading the way

    The UK retail sector is one of the world's most competitive and innovative industries, with firms such as Tesco, Marks & Spencer and Boots amongst the world's top performing companies. UK retail sales are around £300bn, the 3rd largest in the world, after the USA and Japan. The sector is constantly evolving and considerable opportunities exist for innovators.

    Brighton has a vibrant retail environment. With over 300 independent stores as well as the main national retail chains, there is plenty to inspire your studies and retail thinking. Tutors draw on examples within from the city to consolidate the classroom experience. 

    The expertise acquired from studying in the UK is highly transferrable internationally.

    Teaching excellence

    Our Retail Management MSc lecturing team has many years' experience in the delivery of high quality education and combines strong industrial experience with current research activity.

    The high academic calibre of our staff and varied backgrounds of our students help create a rich and diverse learning environment.

    You will be taught through a combination of case study discussions, team working, business games and practical work in computer labs. The course makes extensive use of our online learning environment. Assessment is by a combination of individual course work, group course work and examination.

    Real-world experience

    An exciting part of your studies with us is the opportunity to gain valuable experience through a six-month paid industrial placement. University of Brighton students have undertaken work placements with key players in the retail sector, such as Tesco, Waitrose, John Lewis Partnership, Harrods, Debenhams and Arcadias. You can choose to produce a research project as an alternative to the work placement.

    Why Brighton Business School?

    The Business School at the University of Brighton has a postgraduate community of around 600 students from a diverse range of backgrounds whose learning experience is enriched by the high quality of our research.

    The latest Research Assessment Exercise (2008) ranked us in the top 15 UK business schools in terms of world-leading research outputs. Our postgraduate programmes reflect the research that is being undertaken.

    Our equipment includes lecture theatres equipped with the latest audio-visual equipment and over 100 hot desks with high-speed internet access. Once at the university you will have access to a range of services including a modern library, comprehensive careers and personal support, and opportunities to volunteer or take part in sport.

    International students

    Brighton Business School is a truly international place to study.

    You will be supported from the moment you start with us. This includes:

    • a free orientation programme
    • a free pickup from Heathrow or Gatwick airport
    • guaranteed accommodation in your first year
    • a range of scholarships and bursaries
    • a team of support staff to assist you, including a personal tutor.


    For more details on support for international students

    Your level of English

    The level of English you need depends on the course. The details are included in the course information, but for more general information read our information on English language requirements.

    However, we provide a number of ways to improve your English before you start your course, and free English language support you while you are studying.

    Meeting entry requirements

    We can help you meet our academic entry requirements if your qualifications are not the correct level to study at university in the UK. The preparation courses at the University of Brighton’s International College have been specially designed to help international students to progress to an undergraduate or postgraduate degree course at the university.

    More about our university preparation courses

Retail Management

Product launch at Selfridges

Apply now for your place
Book your open day place
Find out more

+44 (0)1273 642197
Email postgrad.business@brighton.ac.uk

International students:
+44 (0)207 250 6749
international@brighton.ac.uk

 

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