Marketing and Psychology BA (Hons)

Every business has end users – or customers – and every successful business correctly identifies its customers and strives to deliver what they want, in order to keep them. Marketing is at the centre of what businesses do. It helps organisations work out how they can identify and satisfy customer needs using strategic thinking, business acumen and carefully designed communications. As you progress through your Marketing degree, you will have the opportunity to develop the following practical skills and attributes that are much sought after by prospective employers:Communication – the various essays, reports, examinations and presentations required throughout your studies will develop your ability to communicate effectively in a business setting. Team work – working in a group is an essential part of your Marketing degree, both during business simulation activities, as well as group debates and undertaking ‘live’ research projects for local businesses. This also builds on successful negotiation and influencing skills. Research and analysis – these skills develop as you progress through each year of your course, culminating in a significant piece of research for your Honours dissertation. By the time you graduate you’ll be able to write marketing research proposals for both commercial and academic purposes. Business/commercial awareness – through case study analysis, guest lectures and live projects with local employers, you will develop an understanding of what is going on in the business sector and the wider environment that organisations operate within. Assignments are designed to enable you to draw on your personal experiences and apply your learning directly to the business world.Psychology is the scientific study of the mind and behaviour. During this course you will investigate how and why humans (and other animals) behave in the ways they do, and learn about the mental processes driving these behaviours. As you’ll discover, Psychology is a very broad subject, covering such diverse areas as brain function, perceiving the world and even the social interactions in a football crowd. Psychology at Stirling is internationally renowned for research and this feeds into teaching. In our taught modules, you learn of the importance of research in furthering the understanding of behaviour and, in practical work, develop research skills of your own. Semesters 1 – 2 comprise an introduction to psychology as a biological and behavioural science including: Developmental Psychology; Brain and Behaviour; Language and Thinking; Animal Behaviour; Clinical and Abnormal Psychology; Social Psychology and Cognitive Psychology. Other modules on this course may include: Research Methods, Social Psychology, Developmental Psychology, Individual Differences, Cognition, Animal Behaviour and Clinical and Health Psychology. In the final year of our Single Honours Programme, as well as an individual research project, you will choose from a wide variety of electives that are designed to allow you to explore topics that interest you and build your employability skills. Teaching is by workshops, small discussion groups and practical sessions such as laboratory work or field work. There are opportunities for placements with prospective employers and fieldwork in the study of animal behaviour. At the end of your final year, you will do an independent research project based in the real world and often with a practical value. Here at Stirling you will become an active learner and work with staff as collaborators. Our programme is designed to ensure you are attractive to employers and to enhance and develop your potential in the competitive job market. With its focus on behaviour and mind, Psychology links naturally with other disciplines such as Biology, Phi