Master's Degree Programme
| About the programme Language: English (See language requirements) | Place of study: Aarhus | Commencement: August / September (no winter intake) |
Please note that, from 2024, the degree programme Marketing will be called Marketing Analytics and Strategy.
The Marketing Analytics and Strategy programme focuses on customer centricity in order to co-create products and services of value to the target market and target customer group that the company is serving. Acknowledging the immersive nature of digital technologies, a rapidly evolving and complex business environment, and the crucial integration of sustainability and diversity aspects into company’s value creation, the programme is built on three main pillars: (1) strategic thinking and management, (2) evidence-based decision-making and (3) the interplay of marketing & society.
This programme delves into decision-making in marketing management, weaving together aspects of a company's business portfolio, competitor dynamics, and macro-environmental trends. It embraces a comprehensive view of marketing management, as a holistic approach to creating, communicating, delivering, and exchanging valuable offerings with a broad societal impact. In this broad perspective, marketing is about marketing-oriented management that extends its focus to external stakeholders and societal responsibilities. At the heart of this understanding is the recognition that customers are the centre of a dynamic and connected ecosystem. In said ecosystem, the emphasis is not only on managing the conventional marketing mix but also on consistently designing (connected) customer experiences to achieve and sustain long-term customer loyalty. In a world where customer relationships are evolving into interconnected, omnichannel, seamless, personalised, and even anthropomorphised relationships, the programme addresses both the benefits and challenges involved in building and maintaining enduring, profit-maximising customer relationships.
Drawing on our internationally renowned marketing faculty with its leading experts in digital transformation, marketing management, brand management, marketing analytics and sustainability, the Marketing Analytics and Strategy programme provides a unique and progressive perspective — one where cutting-edge marketing thinking seamlessly interconnects with (i) the latest developments in technology and marketing management, (ii) data-driven decision-making for business, and (iii) the societal impact on business decision and value co-creation.
The Marketing Analytics and Strategy programme provides you with the analytical and academic skills of a research-based higher education and is your gateway to a wide range of national and international management careers within the private and public sector, including:
Applicants with a Bachelor's degree in Economics and Business Administration (HA) from Aarhus University have the right to be admitted to the Master's degree programme in Economics and Business Administration (cand.merc.) at Aarhus University on the condition that application is made for admission to the Master’s degree programme no later than three years after completion of the Bachelor’s degree programme. The legal right of admission requires receipt of the application by Aarhus University within the appropriate period of time.
The following Bachelor’s degrees fulfill the admissions requirements for the Master’s degree programme in Economics and Business Administration at Aarhus University but are not automatically secured a spot at the programme:
* With a diploma older than 2000, your Bachelor’s degree will be assessed according to the specific admission requirements described under the section: “Students that hold a degree from another university”.
Other Bachelor´s degrees can provide admission to the Master’s degree programme. When you apply the university will access if your Bachelor´s degree corresponds in level, extent and content to a BSc in Economics and Business Administration/HA from Aarhus Universitet. The assessment will prioritize the sufficient content of the following subjects and ECTS-points:
Subject | ECTS |
Methods* | 15 ECTS |
Marketing | 7,5 ECTS |
Finance | 7,5 ECTS |
Accounting | 7,5 ECTS |
Organisation- and Leadership Theory | 7,5 ECTS |
Microeconomics | 5 ECTS |
Operations Management | 5 ECTS |
Additional ECTS points within the abovementioned areas | 25 ECTS |
Total ECTS within Economics and Business Administration | 80 ECTS |
*Please note, applicants must have at least 15 ECTS within methods including at least 10 ECTS within quantitative methods or statistics. However only 5 ECTS can be covered by Mathematics.
In order to meet the admission requirements for the MSc programmes in Economics and Business Administration, applicants with a specific professional bachelor’s degree must have completed specific elective courses as part of their qualifying exam. In this table the requirements for elective courses are laid out.
As English is the language of instruction in all subjects, all applicants are required to provide evidence of their English language proficiency.
Please see the page on language requirements.
If you apply for admission with an international Bachelor's degree, you must fill in this appendix and upload it in the application portal. The appendix serves to help the Admission Board assess your Bachelor's degree in regard to the admission requirements.
As from the intake 2022, the Master’s degree programmes in Economics and Business Administration (cand.merc.) only admits a limited number of students each year. Therefore, meeting the admission requirements does not in itself guarantee admission to the programme.
Please note, for programmes with restricted admission special rules regarding supplementary Bachelor’s courses apply. Therefore, we no longer offer pre-assessments for the programme in Economics and Business Administration (cand.merc.).
Read more about supplementary Bachelor’s courses.
If there are more qualified applicants than available seats, the Admissions Committee assesses each applicant based on the average mark (i.e. GPA) of the Bachelor’s degree at the time of application. Marks/grades obtained after the application deadline will not be included in the GPA. The Admissions Committee assesses each applicant’s marks based on the information provided by diplomas and transcripts.
Below is an outline of the courses:
The study programme consists of two semesters in the first year which cover the compulsory courses in the programme specialisation and two semesters in the last year which are reserved for the student's own specialisation.
In the first semester you follow the prerequisite courses that form the methodological and academic basis for the further study programme.
In the second semester you follow the specialisation courses of the programme.
In the third semester you can choose elective courses within your areas of interest. The courses can either be taken at Aarhus BSS during the semester, at the Summer University or at one of our more than 300 partner universities abroad. You can also participate in project-based internship programmes either in Denmark or abroad.
The fourth semester is devoted to the final thesis. You may choose the topic of the thesis freely and so get a chance to concentrate on and specialise in a specific field of interest. The thesis may be written in collaboration with another student or it may be the result of your individual effort.
At Aarhus BSS, we conduct research at the highest academic level.
All researchers employed are engaged in research projects covering a wide range of different subjects and focusing on knowledge and skills considered essential for professional business activities in the global marketplace. All faculty have both research and teaching responsibilities which means that our teaching is continually based on the latest research results.
Aarhus BSS is very internationally oriented. The broad scope of our research activities and educational programmes enable us to attract researchers, teachers, and students from all over the world, and this creates an international environment for research and learning in which academic views are exchanged, experiences are gathered and friendships are formed.
Aarhus University is a leading university in Denmark in building student exchange opportunities. The university encourages all students to spend time studying abroad. Every year, more than 700 students from Aarhus BSS go abroad to participate in exchange programmes around the world at our more than 300 partner universities. About the same number of students from all over the world come to participate in the exchange programme in Aarhus, and this contributes to a truly international learning atmosphere.
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The chart shows the five most common types of work for graduates 1-2 years after finishing their degree. The data is derived from a survey made by Epinion for the Ministry of Higher Education and Science and Aarhus University in 2020.
The specialisation in Marketing Analytics and Strategy gives you the skills to fill a position as
The MSc programme in Marketing Analytics and Strategy qualifies students in state-of-the-art approaches to each of the following strategic marketing areas: marketing research, marketing analytics and consumer insights, customer and brand relationship management, customer experience management, omnichannel management, (digital) marketing management, and sustainability.
More specifically the programme will provide students with analytical competences in relation to: the study of customer behaviour, identification and choice of targets, suppliers and competitors, the design and selection of appropriate marketing studies and models, and the development of marketing plans encompassing the most complex issues of concurrent marketing trends. For instance, students will be able to:
The marketing programme hence prepares students for a wide range of management careers in the private and public sectors including marketing management, relationship and experience management, content and communication management, marketing analytics and research, and consulting, all of which are currently in heavy demand.
We want to help our students find successful careers. Students can always contact our Career Services for advice and assistance with getting onto the Danish labour market. Check out our careers page to see the range of services we offer.
