Master of Science in Marketing and International Business (MScMIB)

Lingnan University’s MSc in Marketing and International Business trains students for global business

Ready for the Global Marketplace

The one-year full-time postgraduate programme, Master of Science in Marketing and International Business (MScMIB), trains business leaders and professionals for the dynamic global marketplace and corporate world.

Changing with the Times

The technological advances of the past 10 years, along with the internet, have irrevocably changed our lives, if not our entire civilization. The pace of life is faster than ever, as are our communications. Everyone around the world, be it a friend or a merchandiser, can be “connected” by a few clicks. Globalisation, digitalisation and technology are, in turn, rapidly transforming the business world.

Meeting the Demand for Jobs in Hong Kong

“International business comprises a large and growing portion of the world’s total business,” says Prof Ling Peng, the former Programme Director of Master of Science in Marketing and International Business programme. “Almost all companies, large or small, are engaged in international trade and business. Most of them sell their products to suppliers from foreign countries, and compete against products and services that come from abroad. From a human resources point of view, specialists and professionals who can perform effectively and responsibly in a diverse environment and market are highly sought-after,” she says.

Prof Peng adds that China’s accession to the World Trade Organisation (WTO), and Hong Kong’s entry into the Closer Economic Partnership Arrangement (CEPA) with the mainland, intensifies the demand for professionals with international business knowledge and up-to-date skills. “Our master’s programme strives to build up much-needed marketing and international business expertise for the Hong Kong community and the mainland. We aim to equip students with critical skills for the marketing and international business domain. We want to boost Hong Kong’s competitiveness while complementing the development of China.”

Inspiring Leaders with Global Vision

The full-time Master of Science in Marketing and International Business programme enables degree-holders to advance their knowledge and skills in marketing and international business. It helps graduates to understand the theories and practices of marketing and international business; demonstrate a global outlook and an understanding of cultural diversity, and its implications for marketing and management; analyses consumer and organisational buying behaviour, and its implications for marketing strategy; looks at international business concepts and trends in a way which internationalises business models and practices; and applies consulting skills to international marketing decisions and operations.

One-to-one Supervision makes all the Difference

“We provide a high-quality education that prepares students with diverse academic backgrounds for careers in marketing and international business. To achieve this, we use a balanced curriculum, liberal-arts oriented small-class teaching, an individualised personal advisory system, and outcome-based learning assessments,” Prof Peng says. The consulting project is the module that makes the programme unique and outstanding. “The objective of the Master of Science in Marketing and International Business course is to prepare students to solve real-life business problems with informed managerial decisions, and implement viable solutions effectively. The emphasis is on applying principles of marketing, and theories and concepts of international business.”

In the consulting project module, under the supervision of academic advisers, students work in groups to solve the actual problems of companies. They analyse the problems facing companies in the marketing sector and in international business, and then propose marketing and international business strategies, and action plans for implementation. “Every student on the master’s programme is assigned an academic adviser for the study period, and receives support on academic matters, and other issues, such as career prospects,” she says.

Professional Accreditations and Qualifications

Prof Peng says that workshops and extra-curricular activities are offered to broaden the skills and knowledge of students. These include ethical character training sessions, professional development workshops, a CV writing and interview skills workshop, corporate visits, field trips, and career talks. “Graduates of Master of Science in Marketing and International Business are eligible for associate membership of HKIM, HKMA and CIM,” she says.

Special Features of Master of Science in Marketing and International Business

• Teaching and Learning: To adopt a student-oriented teaching and learning approach and emphasise close faculty-student relationship
• Professional Networking Activities: To provide students with whole-person and career development opportunities through professional networking activities
• Consulting Project: To enable students to put theory into practice, and deliver meaningful services to the community upon undertaking consulting projects

Programme Curriculum

Core Courses (Six courses)

1. MIB501 Consumer Behaviour
2. MIB502 Applied Marketing Research
3. MIB503 International Marketing Management
4. MIB504 International Trade and Investment
5. MIB505 Services Marketing and Customer Relationship Management
6. MIB506 Consulting Project (6 credits, Year-course)

Elective Courses*

(Choose 3 electives: ALL from Marketing or 2 from Marketing + 1 from International Business):

Marketing Cluster

1. MIB601 Innovation and New Product Development
2. MIB602 Integrated Marketing Communications
3. MIB605 E-commerce and Social Media Marketing
4. MIB606 Financial Services Marketing
5. MIB607 Big Data Marketing

International Business Cluster

1. CDS513 Purchasing and Logistics Management for eBusiness

2. MGT604 Strategic Management

* The offering of elective courses is subject to sufficient demand and faculty availability. Pre-entry Course.

Applicants with a non-business degree and those without a course in Marketing or Economics are required to pass a pre-entry bridging course prior to the start of this MSc Programme.

Professional Recognition

1. Chartered Institute Marketing (CIM)
2. Hong Kong Institute of Marketing (HKIM)
3. Hong Kong Management Association (HKMA)

Graduation Requirements

• complete a total of 9 courses of 30 credits, including 6 required courses and 3 electives courses
• achieve a minimum CGPA of 2.67

Entry Requirements

Applicants should:

• Hold a bachelor's degree with a first class or second class honours awarded by a recognized tertiary institution or have equivalent experiences and qualifications, which will be considered on a case-by-case basis; and
• Meet the English Language Proficiency Requirement below:
  • TOEFL: minimum acceptable score of 550 (paper-based test) or 213 (computer-based test) or 79 (internet-based test) or
  • IELTS: minimum acceptable score of 6.5 or
  • anequivalent score in a recognized test, or an equivalent qualification to prove his/her language proficiency which will be considered on a case-by-case basis**.

Note:

• Applicants with some working experience will be preferred.
• The English language requirement is applicable only to applicants graduating from universities with a non-English medium of instruction.
• Applicants with a non-business degree, and those without a course in Marketing or Economics are required to pass a pre-entry bridging course prior to the start of this MSc Programme.