The world of marketing communications is changing at a rapid pace, shaped by digital transformation, data-driven insights, and shifting consumer expectations. At the University of Westminster, our postgraduate course in Marketing Communications equips students to not only keep up with this dynamic environment but also to shape its future. Combining academic rigour with practical industry experience, the course has been designed to provide the knowledge, skills, and professional qualifications that tomorrow’s marketers need.
Alongside distinctive modules in brand strategy, consumer psychology, analytics, digital media planning, and integrated campaigns, students develop hands-on experience with the very tools used in agencies and client-side marketing teams today. This multidimensional approach ensures that graduates understand the full communications ecosystem—everything from crafting an authentic brand voice to running advanced social media dashboards or mapping out programmatic media campaigns.
Importantly, this course is enriched through strong links with key professional bodies that help students stand out in a competitive industry. These include the Institute of Data and Marketing (IDM), which supports and enhances marketing performance through development programmes; the Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR), the world’s only Royal Chartered body for PR professionals; and the Institute of Practitioners in Advertising (IPA), the UK’s Royal Chartered professional institute for advertising, media, and marketing communications agencies.
On completion of the course, students may be eligible to take the IDM Certificate in Digital Marketing and the IPA Global Foundation Certificate, which includes a series of online seminars and a final exam. In association with the IPA, the course prepares students to undertake this qualification. It is also accredited by the CIPR, providing students with membership and a pathway to Accredited Practitioner status.
The Marketing Communications MA/MSc is also professionally accredited, offering students a competitive edge through industry-recognised qualifications. It is accredited by the Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM) under its Graduate Gateway programme, meaning graduates gain exemptions from key modules within both the CIM Level 4 Certificate and the Level 6 Diploma in Professional Marketing. In addition, the course is mapped for certification with the Digital Marketing Institute (DMI), providing students the opportunity to achieve DMI professional certification through membership.
These professional accreditations and memberships significantly boost employability by equipping graduates with practical, career-ready skills and recognised industry credentials.
What truly sets this course apart, however, is its strong emphasis on experiential, practice-based learning. Students engage directly with live client briefs, simulating agency-style project work that mirrors real-world industry challenges. Phillip Holden, Course Leader for Marketing Communications MA/MSc, said, “One thing you can’t buy is lived experience. While many of our students come with work experience in one sector, our course gives them the chance to stretch their skills across a wide variety of industries—from FMCG and finance to charities and start-ups. They work under time pressure, with guidance from expert tutors, and by the time they graduate, they’ve already applied their creativity and problem-solving in practical, high-stakes scenarios.”
Over the years, students have collaborated with major brands including IKEA, Trainline, and Percol Coffee, as well as innovative start-ups like MatchaNow and Boundless. Most recently, a unique opportunity came through a partnership with Sundo, a Belgian start-up founded in 2021 and focused on transforming how we think about sun protection. With a mission to reduce skin cancer through free, accessible sunscreen, Sundo places smart dispensers in public spaces and events across eight countries. These dispensers not only offer a vital health service but also double as advertising platforms rented by brands and public organisations, turning social good into meaningful marketing.
In a three-day intensive workshop, students were tasked with designing a comprehensive 2026 launch strategy to support Sundo’s international growth. Working in teams, they developed everything from global brand positioning and creative campaign ideas to strategic KPIs, market segmentation, media planning, budget frameworks, and rollout timelines. Sundo’s CEO, Jacob Leysen, was deeply impressed by the diversity and quality of work. “The most inspiring part was seeing all the different approaches,” he said. “When you work with an agency, you typically get different plans based on one approach. With these students, every team brought something unique. Their phased strategies were particularly impressive, with each stage thoughtfully building on the last.”
For the teaching team, the collaboration with Sundo highlighted the value of partnerships that prioritise purpose and openness. Phillip said, “Sundo was a great partner and thoroughly involved—open about their aims and limitations. The mission that drives any organisation is crucial. In the same spirit, we encourage our students to continually ask themselves the vital question of “why” – including why am I in this business? Why are things done this way? Why do consumers make certain decisions? This focus on purpose and curiosity is central to how we work at Westminster. Across our courses and modules, students are prompted to dig deeper, challenge assumptions, and connect their learning back to the core values of the University and the School. By returning to the “why”, we not only shape more thoughtful, reflective learners, but also nurture future professionals who approach their industries with curiosity, confidence, and a strong sense of purpose.”
For the students, the experience was both challenging and transformative. The brief not only tested students’ analytical, creative, and strategic skills but also mirrored the type of challenges they will face in professional marketing communications roles. By engaging with a socially conscious brand like Sundo, students experienced firsthand how marketing can drive both business growth and positive societal change.
Katrine Hansen, part of the winning team, described it as one of the highlights of her postgraduate journey. ““Being part of the Sundo workshop was one of the most exciting and rewarding experiences of my postgraduate degree. Over three days, my team and I got to dive into a live business challenge with Jacob Leysen and work on an integrated marketing strategy for their UK launch. It felt like a real agency pitch with late nights, big ideas, and lots of teamwork, and it was amazing to see how much we could achieve under pressure! Winning the challenge was a proud moment, but what really stayed with me was the experience of collaborating with my peers, learning directly from industry professionals, and seeing how classroom knowledge comes to life in practice. It gave me a huge boost of confidence and reminded me why I’m passionate about pursuing a career in marketing.”
With more than two decades of experience in postgraduate marketing education, Westminster continues to evolve its teaching in step with the industry. Graduates go on to work in agencies, global companies, media outlets, and non-profits, often in roles that balance strategic thinking with creativity and analytics. The course remains agile, responding to changes in technology and culture—from AI-powered insights to sustainable business practices.
Phillip said, “Many of our graduates have aspirations to start their own business, but even working in the biggest organisation, someone has to think imaginatively about the future. So-called ‘intrapreneurs’ play with the idea that today’s business model may be redundant tomorrow. AI is a case in point, disrupting sectors like the web did decades ago. What’s more, because our students are trained to search for and build on consumer insights, they are, in some sense, the custodians of the most important assets for an organisation – its purpose, its brand and its customers”.
Choosing the MA/MSc in Marketing Communications at Westminster means joining a programme that’s embedded in the real world. With its mix of academic strength, industry connections, live client briefs, and professional certification, it offers students a strong foundation—whether they’re passionate about brand storytelling, data analytics, digital transformation, or purpose-led marketing. For those ready to step into the future of the communications industry, Westminster offers not just a course but a launchpad.
About University of Westminster
As one of the most diverse universities in the UK, we are a global university with London energy, with more than 19,000 students from 169 countries. To find out more about our Marketing courses, visit our website.
