It is an exciting time to be a marketer. Markets have become truly global, and digitalization further accentuates the global flow of goods and services, and breaks barriers for market entry Digital technologies revolutionize the way companies interact with customers and identify customer needs and wants. Simultaneously, customers find new ways to express their desires for identity and community through market resources. Companies’ behaviors are increasingly exposed to the scrutiny of various stakeholders.

Competing in such an environment requires master-level skills in marketing, and an appreciation of the strategic importance of marketing decision. This programme equips students with the necessarily marketing skills and know-how for building a thriving career in this dynamic marketing environment. Beyond obtaining specialist skills and know-how, our graduates will gain knowledge and analytical capabilities with broad applicability to managing businesses—from customer experience or service design to crafting competitive strategies.

Our aim is to help you acquire valuable skills and knowledge for companies of today, and grow into a future leader and advocate of customer centricity in organizations. Our graduates contribute to the success of today’s leading companies from multinational corporations to technology start-ups need. To this end, our programme helps you grow into 

i.   a blue-chip professional ready to create deep insights on customers and markets;

ii. a strategic thinker who connects customer and market insights to strategic decisions; and

iii. an analytical mind who can envision how new technologies can be harnessed, how to respond to customer needs and interact with them, and conduct efficient marketing and sales more operations

Program structure

The programme builds your skill in three central domains of study in marketing:

• Customers – courses in this domain deal with theories and methods for developing insights about customers and markets;
• Strategy– courses in this domain deal with theories and frameworks that merge marketing thought with strategic management
• Technology – courses in this domain deal with the intersection of digital technologies, data analytics, and marketing, all from a more future-oriented perspective

This tripartite structure forms the core of your degree and is compulsory for all, with each domain comprising of a number of specializing courses to choose from. Students will, at a minimum, complete one course from each domain.

The program emphasizes applying theory to real-world problems, combining analytical rigor with practical relevance, as well as developing problem solving, teamwork, and communication skills. Finally, for those interested in a career as a researcher, the academic rigor of the program ensures that our graduates are well-positioned to apply to leading doctoral training programs across the world.

In graduating from the Marketing programme, you will be able to:

• Develop actionable insights on customers and consumption-related phenomena
• Analyze companies’ sources of competitive advantage from a customer-centric viewpoint
• Understand how technological change shapes the work of marketers, and the ways in which market-oriented companies operate
• Use methodological tools and apply academic research literature in marketing research
• Train your creative and problem-solving capabilities and grow as a critical thinker

You will subsequently:

• Have the ability to continuously learn to use new theories, tools and techniques related to analysis of consumer behavior; customer-centric strategic management, as well as digital and data-driven marketing

Degree requirements

1. Programme studies 84 cr

Specialising core courses 18-30 cr

Specialising core courses is recommended to complete during the 1st year of Master's studies.

Choose at least one course from each domain of study

Customers

Strategy

Technology

^{1) BSc-level course}

Specialising electives 0-12 cr

Choose courses below depending on how many credits you have already selected above.

^{1) BSc-level course
2) Replaces courses 23E53010 Brand Performance Management, 23E53000 Brands in Strategic Marketing and 23E53050 Merkkituotteet strategisessa markkinoinnissa.
3) Self-study course. Offered only for students, who don't know Finnish.
4) Replaces Reading Package Advanced Topics in Marketing, 23E01000. For the academic year 2021-22, the course code of the reading package has been changed as follows: MARK-E000101, MARK-E000102, MARK-E000103, MARK-E000104 and MARK-E000105 (the last number indicates the period during which the reading package is completed).}

Also following new (2021-22) Marketing course can be completed as a part of Degree elective studies (including to Programme studies is not allowed in 2020-22 structure)

or max 6cr from other Department's courses: 

Capstone course 6 cr

Capstone course is recommended to complete during the 2nd year of Master's studies.

^{*) Course is cancelled in autumn 2020 and autumn 2021. If you were planning to complete Capstone: DigitalISM Challenge as Capstone course, replacing course is 37E01500 Project Management and Consulting Practice.}

Research Methods 12 cr

You should have completed all compulsory methods courses by the end of Phase 1 of your master’s thesis project.

 
Research Methods courses are mandatory.

Master’s Thesis and Master’s Thesis Seminar 36 cr

Structure of Master’s Thesis Seminar

More information on Master's Thesis Seminar can be found from Master's thesis 2020-2022 webpage.

Overview

The overall purpose of the thesis seminar is to provide students support and flexibility to conduct their thesis research projects in a timely manner while keeping in mind the high standards of quality at Aalto University School of Business.

The most important practicalities are described below. The critical things to remember are:

• There is a voluntary kick-off session held twice a year (in the beginning of Period I and Period III) to help students get started with their master’s thesis projects.
• You will need to submit an expression of interest to initiate your own master’s thesis process. This is a max. 2-page document describing your interests in terms of research topic, themes and methods.
• By default, the whole process takes you about 9-12 months. Therefore, if you wish to graduate by the end of spring/summer, you should submit your expression of interest in the beginning of the fall term (Period I). If you wish to graduate around the end of year, you should submit your expression of interest in the beginning of the spring term (Period III).

Overall timeline and credits

The default duration of the entire process is 9-12 months. Completing in this time requires several months of focused work. The nominal workload is 30+6 credits, which corresponds to about six months of full-time work. Figure 1 shows a suggested timeline for completing your thesis work. However, there is nothing preventing you from completing your studies faster – the timeline is first and foremost up to you!

preventing you from completing your studies faster – the timeline is first and foremost up to you!

The key events and deadlines are as follows:

• We organize two voluntary kick-off events in the beginning of Period I and Period III, where you will get tips for getting and staying organized during your thesis project. You will also hear from faculty about opportunities for research collaboration in the department’s research projects.
• You need to submit a 1-2 page expression of interest through MyCourses at the end of September or January, depending on when you wish to graduate.

The specific dates for the kick-off sessions and deadlines for the expressions of interest for the academic year of 2020-2021 are follows:

Fall term (for students that wish to graduate by the spring/summer of 2022):

• Kick-off event: September 13th 2021, 4 pm
  • video recording
  • PP presentation
• Deadline for expressions of interest: 30.9.

Spring term (for students that wish to graduate by the end of 2022):

• Kick-off event: 12 January 2022, 4-5 pm, in Zoom (link: https://aalto.zoom.us/j/5727644104)
• Deadline for expressions of interest: 31.1.

Expression of interest

You will be assigned a supervisor based on your expression of interest. An expression of interest should describe what you are interested in studying in your master’s thesis. You do not need to know the specific topic or research method at this stage. Think of this document more as a motivational letter than as a detailed research plan. We will use your expressions of interest to allocate supervisors, and you will work on the research plan with the help of your assigned supervisor. In case you have already been in contact with a faculty member you would like to work with, or you have a supervisor preference for some other reason, make sure that you mention this in the expression of interest. However, please note that we may not be able to accommodate all preferences.

The expression of interest is free-form, except that it should not exceed two pages. The sole purpose is to help us find you the ideal supervisor. Write what topics or themes interests you, and if you have a methodological preferences (e.g., quantitative or qualitative).

In general, we expect that students are present during semesters and available for meetings with the supervisors. Please inform in your expression of interest any schedule constraints you may have(e.g., exchange studies).

Thesis Seminar and Thesis Seminar Paper

Once you have been assigned a supervisor, they will be in contact with you about the practicalities of the thesis seminar. Usually, the supervision process consists of a mix of group meetings and one-on-one meetings. There are no compulsory meetings. However, please note that supervisors have limited availability. For example, in case you are unable to attend scheduled group meetings with the supervisor, we cannot guarantee that the supervisor will arrange make-up appointments. Therefore, it is essential that you inform us about any schedule constraints well in advance via the expression of interest.

The only formal requirement for passing the Thesis Seminar is a Thesis Seminar Paper, graded by the supervisor. Basic idea of the paper is to discuss the your chosen research method as it relates to the your thesis topic and alternative research methods. The pedagogical aim is to add depth to your understanding of your own research method, as well as to broaden your understanding of alternative research methods. Besides these learning outcomes, you can recycle the text in the methods section of your thesis. Your supervisor will give more detailed instructions.

The student enrolls to the Master’s Thesis seminar in Sisu.

The key events and deadlines are as follows:

• We organize two voluntary kick-off events in the beginning of Period I and Period III, where you will get tips for getting and staying organized during your thesis project. You will also hear from faculty about opportunities for research collaboration in the department’s research projects.
• You need to submit a 1-2 page expression of interest through MyCourses at the end of September or January, depending on when you wish to graduate.

The specific dates for the kick-off sessions and deadlines for the expressions of interest for the academic year of 2020-2021 are follows:

Fall term (for students that wish to graduate by the spring/summer of 2022):

• Kick-off event: September 13th 2021, 4 pm
  • video recording
  • PP presentation
• Deadline for expressions of interest: 30.9.

Spring term (for students that wish to graduate by the end of 2022):

• Kick-off event: 12 January 2022, 4-5 pm, in Zoom (link: https://aalto.zoom.us/j/5727644104)
• Deadline for expressions of interest: 31.1.

Expression of interest

You will be assigned a supervisor based on your expression of interest. An expression of interest should describe what you are interested in studying in your master’s thesis. You do not need to know the specific topic or research method at this stage. Think of this document more as a motivational letter than as a detailed research plan. We will use your expressions of interest to allocate supervisors, and you will work on the research plan with the help of your assigned supervisor. In case you have already been in contact with a faculty member you would like to work with, or you have a supervisor preference for some other reason, make sure that you mention this in the expression of interest. However, please note that we may not be able to accommodate all preferences.

The expression of interest is free-form, except that it should not exceed two pages. The sole purpose is to help us find you the ideal supervisor. Write what topics or themes interests you, and if you have a methodological preferences (e.g., quantitative or qualitative).

In general, we expect that students are present during semesters and available for meetings with the supervisors. Please inform in your expression of interest any schedule constraints you may have(e.g., exchange studies).

Thesis Seminar and Thesis Seminar Paper

Once you have been assigned a supervisor, they will be in contact with you about the practicalities of the thesis seminar. Usually, the supervision process consists of a mix of group meetings and one-on-one meetings. There are no compulsory meetings. However, please note that supervisors have limited availability. For example, in case you are unable to attend scheduled group meetings with the supervisor, we cannot guarantee that the supervisor will arrange make-up appointments. Therefore, it is essential that you inform us about any schedule constraints well in advance via the expression of interest.

The only formal requirement for passing the Thesis Seminar is a Thesis Seminar Paper, graded by the supervisor. Basic idea of the paper is to discuss the your chosen research method as it relates to the your thesis topic and alternative research methods. The pedagogical aim is to add depth to your understanding of your own research method, as well as to broaden your understanding of alternative research methods. Besides these learning outcomes, you can recycle the text in the methods section of your thesis. Your supervisor will give more detailed instructions.

The student enrolls to the Master’s Thesis seminar in Sisu.