Master's Degree Programme
| About the programme Language: English (See language requirements) | Place of study: Aarhus | Commencement: August / September (no winter intake) |
The MSc in Commercial and Retail Management is based on the growing challenges faced by the consumer goods industry, and has been developed in close collaboration with prominent actors from the industry.
The degree programme prepares the student for a career in HQ functions of the consumer goods industry. It provides the student with an understanding of the industry’s specific challenges, which paves the way for a faster climb up the career ladder.
The students will acquire qualifications in areas such as retail strategy and innovation, consumer behaviour, supplier-relations and business negotiations, pricing, performance management as well as category, stock and brand management.
Today, traditional retail trade is supplemented with e-commerce and various hybrids, and more and more communication takes place on social media. Companies must therefore be able to handle an omni-channel situation where a number of different sales and communication channels must be optimised in relation to each other. In addition, the ability to handle big data is becoming increasingly important in the consumer goods industry. This has led to changes in the relationship between supplier and retailer. The supplier must increasingly consider the entire value chain right through to the consumer, while the retailer must structure its supplier relations with an eye for how to create value for the consumer.
The traditional division of the B2B and B2C markets is thus developing towards a much-needed B2B2C mindset. The degree programme reflects this B2B2C mindset since the courses Supplier- relations and business negotiations and Consumer behaviour in a retail setting cover the entire value chain from supplier to consumer. Furthermore, the students will acquire competences within areas that have a particular focus on the consumer goods industry such as retail strategy and innovation, pricing, performance and margin management as well as category, stock and brand management. Digital transformation and the use of big data will play a prominent role in the programme and will recur in many courses.
The degree programme has been developed in collaboration with prominent actors in the consumer goods industry. These are gathered in a founding partners group consisting of Salling Group, Arla, Bestseller, Danish Crown, MLDK, KFI, Jysk and Rema 1000. The companies play an important role in the degree programme and its courses through guest lectures, internships and Master's theses collaborations. They also offer a number of relevant student jobs. Internships at the above-mentioned companies are an important part of the programme. Students are encouraged to complete an internship, and the participating companies guarantee a significant number of internship positions.
The degree programme prepares the students for a career in various HQ functions in the consumer goods industry. Based on the value chain approach, the students will be able to undertake many functions in either the supply or retail link of the value chain, especially within the consumer goods industry; from category manager or procurement manager to key account manager.
In this section you can learn more about the admission requirements relevant to the master's degree programme in Commercial and Retail Management. Depending on your educational background and your qualifications, there are different ways to meet the admission requirements:
This section is relevant for you, if you have:
The two sections listed below are relevant only for students with a bachelor's degree from a Danish institution:
Below you will also be able to learn more about language requirements and find out whether or not this master's degree programme has a limited intake.
If you have an international educational background, you must meet both the general admission requirement and the specific admission requirements:
You must have a bachelor's degree or equivalent that is comparable to a Danish bachelor's degree in both level and duration (180 ECTS).
For more information about how your bachelor's degree is assessed, please see the national database.
If you meet the general admission requirement, the university will continue on to assess whether or not you meet the specific admission requirements.
You can be admitted to the master's programme if the university assesses that your education has a level, scope, and content that corresponds to the academic requirements specified below.
| Subject area | Number of ECTS |
Methods The following subject areas must be covered:
| 15 |
| Marketing | 7,5 |
| Finance | 7,5 |
| Accounting | 7,5 |
| Organisation and leadership theory | 7,5 |
| Microeconomics | 5 |
| Operations management | 5 |
| Additional ECTS points within the abovementioned areas | 25 |
| Bachelor’s project | 10 |
| Total | 90 |
| Applicants with a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and Commercial Law (HA (jur.)) with commencement of study September 2014 or later from Aarhus University must have passed a total of 10 ECTS within the business economics subjects below: |
|
Certain Professional Bachelor's degrees or similar covering specific subject areas from other Danish institutions have been determined to fullfill the admission requirements to this master's degree programme:
| Required subject areas – Professional Bachelor’s degree in Financial Management and Service from Business Academy Aarhus |
Industry specialisation in Accounting (“Programme specialisation subject A – external accounts” and “Study programme subject B – strategic accounting”) With the following electives:
|
Industry specialisation in Finansielle forretninger (this industry specialisation is only offered in Danish) With the following electives:
|
| Required subject areas - AP degree in Marketing Management in combination with a Professional Bachelor’s degree in International Sales and Marketing from Business Academy Aarhus | Number of ECTS |
BSS module (including Methods 5 ECTS, Finance 5 ECTS, and Operations Management 5 ECTS) | 15 |
For applicants who hold one of the abovementioned professional bachelor's degrees from another business academy, it will be assessed whether the electives correspond to abovementioned electives.
For applicants who hold another professional bachelor's degree, the degree will be assessed according to the requirements described in the section “International and other qualifications”.
We cannot assess in advance whether your specific degree will meet the above requirements. Therefore, we recommend that you apply for the programme if you believe that you meet the academic requirements. In this regard, it is a good idea to compare your degree with the programmes that provide direct admission.
The following Bachelor's degree programme(s) from Aarhus University entitles you to an offer of admission to the Master's degree programme in Commercial and Retail Management:
Bachelor's degree programme in Economics and Business Administration (HA)
Please note that you must apply for admission to the Master's degree programme within three years of completing your Bachelor's degree programme.
Learn more about Legal right of admission.
Certain Bachelor's degree programmes from Aarhus University and various other Danish Universities have been determined to meet the admission requirements to this Master's degree programme in Commercial and Retail Management:
* With a diploma older than 2010, your Bachelor’s degree will be assessed according to the specific admission requirements described under the section: “International and other qualifications”.
You must fill in this appendix and upload it to the application portal. The appendix helps the Admission Board to assess your application.
Download appendix
This master's degree programme has a limited intake.
Because of the limited intake all qualified applicants will be prioritised according to a set of selection critieria (see below).
Meeting the admission requirements does not automatically ensure your offer of admission. Only if you have a specific bachelor's degree from Aarhus University with a so-called 'legal right of admission' will you be guarenteed an offer of admission to this master's degree programme.
If there are more qualified applicants than available student places, the selection will be based on the following criteria (each criterion counts for 1/3):
Grades from the qualifying degree
Grades achieved in relevant subject fields:
Marketing
Methods
Please note that grades achieved after the application deadline are not included in the grade point average (GPA).
Relevant subject fields (measured in ECTS). In this assessment, ECTS credits that are a part of the admission requirements described under “International and other qualifications” are not included *.
Marketing
Methods
* The relevant subject fields are evaluated based on the following point system: 1 point per additional ECTS within the relevant field. You can earn a maximum of 15 points in this criterion. Example: If you have 10 ECTS in a relevant field where the requirement is 7.5 ECTS, you will receive 2.5 points.
In order to be admitted to this programme you must meet the university's english language requirements.
Students with bachelor's degree from Aarhus University with a so-called 'Legal right of admission' are exempt from the English language requirement.
Unfortunately, Aarhus University is not able to assess your qualifications beforehand. In order for your qualifications to be assessed you must apply for admission. To learn more, please go to Assessment of your qualifications.
Below is an outline of the courses:
The degree 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. The course “Introduction to Value Chain Management” will be completed with an exam in week 43.
In the second semester you follow the specialisation courses of the programme. The semester consists of two blocks of three courses. The first three courses will be ending with an exam before the Easter holidays.
In the third semester, you can choose elective courses within your areas of interest. The courses can be taken either at Aarhus BSS during the semester, at the AU Summer University or at one of our more than 300 partner universities abroad. You can also participate in internship programmes either in Denmark or abroad.
The fourth semester is devoted to the Master's thesis. You may freely choose the topic of the thesis and thereby 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. When the thesis has been submitted, it is defended before the academic advisor as well as an external examiner.
Introduction to Value Chain Management (5 ECTS)
When: First semester (ends in week 41)
Exam: Take-home assignment (8 hours)
Course responsible: Lars Esbjerg
Making products and services available for consumption or use in different markets typically involves a number of different, mutually dependent companies connected through value chains. Value chains should be understood as orchestrated networks of organizations that facilitate the creation of value for and by consumers. The course focuses on developing and maintaining relationships between a focal firm and its customers, channel members, suppliers, competitors and other actors in its network that are relevant for the creation of value for and by consumers. Specifically, the course takes a B-to-B-to-C perspective in order to highlight that the activities of different actors in value chains are interdependent.
Topics include:
Value creation, joint value creation in value chains, commodity chains, networks, inter-organisational relationships and value chain governance, digitalization of value chain management, and logistics across the supplier-retailer-consumer value chain.
Consumer Behaviour in a Retail Setting (5 ECTS)
When: First semester (after week 43)
Exam: 4-hour written
Course responsible: Tobias Otterbring
Understanding how consumers select, purchase, use, and dispose products and services, and how they satisfy their desires, is pertinent to successfully managing the marketing function. Within retailing, these behaviors become even more complex, since consumers interact with a number of factors (e.g., store environment, assortment sizes, presence of other buyers) that influence their decision-making procceses, purchase patterns, and choice behaviour.
Topics include:
Servicescapes and the retail atmosphere, Future perspectives on retailing, Consumer behaviour processes (motivation, perception, attention, and learning), Choice architecture and decision-making processes, New media and technology in the retail space, Social influence, Factors influencing consumer buying behaviour, Consumer behaviour in online and offline contexts, Customer journeys and touchpoints, and Consumer behaviour methods
Retail Strategy and Commercial Innovation (10 ECTS)
When: First semester
Exam: Two small take-home assignments + 4 hour written exam
Course responsible: Sascha Steinmann
The course introduces students to the topic of retail strategy with a particular focus on the management of innovation and current trends.
Topics include:
Store formats and their dynamics, Horizontal and vertical channel strategies, Multi-channel and omni-channel strategies, Central concepts and theories of a retail market strategy, The strategic retail planning process, Innovation and trend management tools, Current trends in retailing and the consumer goods industry (such as digitalization and sustainability).
Commercial and Retail Research Methods (10 ECTS)
When: First semester
Exam: Take-home assignment (group) + Oral 30 minutes (individual)
Course responsible: Birte Asmuss and Irene Pollach
The course progresses from the methodological and statistical foundations taught in a typical undergraduate program in Economics and Business Administration. It provides students with knowledge of the designs, data collection, and data analysis techniques commonly used in management and marketing research, with special emphasis on the methods most applicable for Marketing Research. The course will equip participants with the advanced methodological knowledge, understanding and skills required for successful completion of the Master of Science Programme in Marketing. Importantly, the course provides students with practical skills for research design, data collection and analysis
Topics include:
Research design, research questions, role of theory in research designs, quantitative and qualitative research, mixed methods designs, survey designs, experiments, interview data, preference measurements, factor analysis, regression analysis, cluster analysis.
Pricing Strategy (5 ECTS)
When: Second semester (ends before Easter)
Exam: 3-hour written
Course responsible: Birger Boutrup Jensen
Setting the price correctly is fundamental to a firm’s profitability in a competitive business environment. Yet, firms in diverse industries implement ad-hoc rules and trial-and-error approaches to pricing that significantly reduce profits. Sustainable and profitable pricing stands on three legs: costs, competition and customer value. Some managers focus too much on costs, while others focus too much on competition. Decisions made in this way typically are lacking.
Topics include:
Pricing as strategy, Pricing psychology, Odd-pricing, Price promotion types, Price setting and adaptation, Product line pricing, Price sensitivity effects, Price segmentation, Pricing research methods, Online pricing considerations, Dynamic pricing.
Supplier-relation and Business Negotiation (10 ECTS)
When: Second semester
Exam: Two small written assignments + 4-hour written exam
Main course responsible: Peter Kesting
The business negotiations part focuses on two particular goals: to improve the participants’ theoretical understanding of negotiations and to enhance their individual negotiation and decision-making skills. The concept of the course is guided by the basic assumption that both goals can be best achieved by practical exercise. Thus, the course mainly emphasizes on the simulation and critical analysis of different negotiation settings.
Topics for the first part include:
Introduction to the nature, structure, and course of negotiations, Basic negotiation techniques (bargaining techniques, collaborative negotiation etc.), Improving negotiation power, International/cross cultural negotiations, Electronic negotiations, and Mediation and conflict resolution.
The second part of the course (the supplier-relations part) will first introduce students to sourcing in the context of retail and commercial companies and their, respective, value chains. Focus will mainly be on up-stream activities related to managing the supply base. Students will learn about the particular challenges of sourcing in a retail and commercial setting, placed in between production and consumption, and its complex dependencies with other management tasks.
The search, evaluation and selection of suppliers will be the starting point. In this connection, the emerging opportunities connected to global sourcing, use of intermediaries and e-sourcing will be key topics. A holistic understanding of the process from producer to end-consumer, which includes not just sourcing, but logistics, promotion, branding, in-store management and sales among others, will characterize the course. Managing, maintaining and optimizing supplier performance will form a key part of curriculum also. The course will also provide detailed insights into the critical task of developing and implementing strategic sourcing choices, including supply base design, supply risk management, and supplier management and differentiation. Hence, students will gain knowledge on the management of supplier relationships in retail and commercial settings.
Category, Stock and Brand Management (10 ECTS)
When: Second semester
Exam: 48-hour take-home assignment (case-based)
Main course responsible: Sascha Steinmann
The course introduces students to the topic of category, stock and brand management.
The course covers the following topics, among others:
Performance Management (5 ECTS)
When: Second semester (starts after Easter)
Exam: 4-hour written
Course responsible: ECON
The course introduces students to the topic of performance measurement and profit management with a particular focus on measurement and the implications of decisions. The course covers the following topics, among others:
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The degree programme prepares the students for a career in various HQ functions in the consumer goods industry. The students’ understanding of the specific challenges of the industry paves the way for a faster climb up the career ladder. Based on the value chain approach, the students will be able to undertake many functions in either the supply or retail link of the supply chain, especially within the consumer goods industry; from category manager or procurement manager to key account manager.
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.
