Master in Advanced Research in Marketing

• Our program is ranked among the best Masters in Marketing and Opinion Studies in France.
• A teaching team that includes practitioners from research institutes and large companies. They participate extensively in the programme, not giving occasional lectures, but mainly by taking responsibility for entire courses. They provide half of the teaching hours. The other half is provided by recognised academics in marketing, consumer behaviour and research methods.
• Immersion in practice throughout the programme (frequent and multifaceted interactions with research institutes and brands, reflection on concrete cases, work on projects entrusted by partner companies, 6-month internship, etc.) which reinforces the skills expected by the market.
• A curriculum that is constantly being improved thanks to an advisory committee made up of market research practitioners and academics, in order to adapt to a rapidly changing sector.
• Innovative and active teaching methods based mainly on group projects and real case studies.
• More internship opportunities than students. In the largest research companies (IPSOS, BVA, KANTAR, etc.), students are most often offered a job before the end of their internship (up to 85% in the best years).
• Curriculum taught entirely in English to a multicultural group.

Research track
This track is an evolution of the former “Advanced Research in Marketing” Master’s program. It proposes training in research techniques and methods, as well as in-depth theoretical knowledge in marketing. Heavily focused on research methodology and the development of advanced scientific knowledge in marketing, it guarantees the acquisition of an excellent understanding of the research process and a high level of specialized knowledge in marketing. The doctoral program at the Grenoble Doctoral School in Management Sciences (EDSG) is a logical next step for students who wish to obtain a PhD in marketing.

The "Advanced Research in Marketing” track offers excellent training in research through a two-stage pedagogical strategy. The first semester, common to both tracks, focuses on method (Quantitative and qualitative data collection and analysis, text mining, R and Python programming…) and implementation of a research project. The second semester is then differentiated and the research track offers research seminars where students learn how to read and analyze scientific articles, write review papers, and identify innovative and promising research subjects. This translates into the writing and defense of a research-based Master’s thesis, the core component of the program. The Master’s thesis provides students wishing to pursue in a PhD program with the opportunity to test their skills and motivations. Indeed, the process of choosing a subject and a supervisor for the dissertation is comparable to that used for a doctoral thesis.

This track also helps students acquire cutting-edge scientific knowledge in marketing, in particular via the study and analysis of the scientific literature. The program is designed to encourage students to enrich their understanding of marketing concepts and underlying theories through articles published in the best international scientific journals. This perspective aims at developing a true expertise and a critical vision of the marketing field. Such an expertise in marketing is also an outstanding skill for those who are not interested in a PhD and rather wish to target a career in marketing consulting or to prepare for the competitive examinations granting access to secondary education teaching (French CAPET or Agrégation).

A stimulating “flipped classroom” approach to develop critical thinking and synthesis skills
The "Advanced Research in Marketing” track relies heavily on an innovative “learning by doing” approach, in which students develop skills and knowledge in marketing through personal homework then group discussions in class. Theoretical concepts and research methods are researched, analyzed and discussed. Students learn to make sense of this knowledge and enrich it with their own work to prepare for the “Grand Oral” (final synthetic oral exam). In other words advancement of knowledge is the student’s role, the teacher being only a catalyst of ideas. If necessary, he or she sheds light on the specific achievements of the sessions. This is a very demanding, but at the same time exciting and enriching, approach. It helps to improve students' analytical and synthesizing abilities, as well as their critical thinking skills. These skills are particularly sought-after by marketing consulting firms. On the methodological side, the many research projects carried out lead students to develop their personal organization skills, reactivity, as well as the ability to work under strict time constraints and in teams.

An experienced and high-quality faculty staff
The teaching staff of the ARM track is very experienced. In total, they have published hundreds of scientific articles, edited numerous books and supervised dozens of doctoral theses. Their expertise and know-how in these domains enable them to provide students with a fine understanding of what research in Marketing is and what it takes to build a career in academia, beginning with the writing of their Master’s thesis. Some members of staff also have or have had editorial responsibilities and play a central role in the French Marketing Association.

Facilitated access to the Doctoral School in Management Sciences
When students meet all the requirements (that is being awarded excellent academic records including at least 12/20 for their Master’s thesis and securing supervision of their doctoral dissertation with a professor of the team), the ARM track allows them to have direct access to University Grenoble-Alpes Doctoral School in Management Sciences (EDSG). Gathering about 70 students, this doctoral (PhD) program provides complementary training in research over the three years of the writing of a doctoral dissertation, whose defense leads to the degree of Doctor in Management Sciences.

To complete a PhD, it is highly recommended to be funded. There are many possibilities in Grenoble, but obtaining funding is never easy and is by no means guaranteed. It is first and foremost up to the students to do their utmost to identify and apply for possible funding. Thesis supervisors are only there to help identify potential fundings and improve applications. Among these possible sources of funding, EDSG allocates 2 to 3 scholarships every year to management science students. ARM students regularly receive one of these scholarships.