PROGRAMME SYLLABUS

Degree of Master of Science (60 credits) with a major in Business Administration

Filosofie magisterexamen med huvudområdet företagsekonomi 

Strategic marketing is essential for businesses that want to grow, adapt, and stay competitive in a global economy. This programme equips you with the tools, analytical mindset, and international perspective needed to design and implement marketing strategies that align with corporate goals and business models.

The curriculum equips you with a strong foundation in customer-oriented business strategy and insight-driven marketing. These are two essential areas of expertise for strategic marketers as professionals in this field are expected to support or lead business growth initiatives, manage new product development and conduct strategic marketing planning. To help you prepare for such roles, the programme offers you nine courses where theory and practice intersect, enabling you to build both deep conceptual understanding and practical, hands-on skills.

You will develop your ability to design, implement, and evaluate marketing strategies that drive sustainable business growth. You will develop expertise in strategic marketing planning, brand management, and the use of marketing metrics and customer data to produce forecasts and actionable insights. The curriculum also emphasises evaluation of products, markets, and customer segments, as well as the management and enhancement of customer experiences across the entire customer journey. In addition, you will gain knowledge in digital and social media marketing and learn to assess the risks and ethical implications of strategic marketing decisions.

The programme concludes with a Master’s thesis, an in-depth research-based project that brings together everything you have learned. By applying strategic marketing concepts to a complex, real-world issue you will demonstrate your data and research literacy, including a solid understanding of research design, methodological rigour, and structured analysis. The thesis is an opportunity to deepen your expertise in a topic that particularly interests you.

At Jönköping International Business School (JIBS), theory and practice are closely intertwined and a particular strength of the programme is how it combines strategic outlook with skills training. By working with cases and projects, and from hands-on experience when interacting with real companies, you will enhance your analytical, research, collaborative, and communication abilities. With the rising demand for professionals who can combine marketing skills with strategic thinking and ability to work with data-driven insights, your skills will be highly sought after worldwide.

JIBS is a truly international business school. As a student in one of our master’s programmes you will join a vibrant and diverse international learning community. The variety of academic and cultural backgrounds among students fosters an environment where you meet with different perspectives and develop the cross-cultural skills essential for success in today’s global business world.

By completing this programme you will have advanced expertise in Strategic Marketing and an up-to-date skills portfolio. You will be well prepared for taking various marketing roles in organisations, ranging from global companies to innovative start-ups. Typical positions include Brand Manager, Product Marketing Manager, Category Manager, Growth Marketing Manager, and International Marketing Manager, as well as roles in Customer Insights, Marketing analysis, or consulting.

Knowledge and Understanding

Master of Science Competence Goal 1:

JIBS' Graduates have comprehensive and advanced expertise in their major and can effectively apply this knowledge to international contexts.

Translated in the following programme-specific learning outcome:

P – ILO 1: Apply advanced marketing concepts to translate company-level goals and objectives into strategic marketing decisions and marketing plans across international markets.

Skills and Abilities

Master of Science Competence Goal 2:

JIBS' Graduates are advanced in analytical and critical thinking, and research skills, enabling them to conduct rigorous academic work.

Translated in the following programme-specific learning outcome:

P – ILO 2: Design and conduct rigorous empirical investigations of marketing phenomena, applying advanced analytical reasoning and research methods to derive actionable insights for strategic marketing decisions.

Master of Science Competence Goal 3:

JIBS' Graduates excel in communicating and networking within the complex dynamics of global academic and business settings.

Translated in the following programme-specific learning outcome:

P – ILO 3: Work effectively in cross-cultural teams and present, discuss, and defend marketing strategies and insights to diverse professional audiences.

Judgement and Approach

Master of Science Competence Goal 4:

JIBS graduates can integrate ethical and sustainable practices within business environments.

Translated in the following programme-specific learning outcome:

P – ILO 4: Integrate responsibility, sustainability, and legal aspects in strategic marketing decisions.

Mission Driven

Master of Science Competence Goal 5:

JIBS graduates have an entrepreneurial mindset and lead in framing challenges and developing innovative solutions.

Translated in the following programme-specific learning outcome:

P – ILO 5: Take the lead in strategic marketing processes, consider alternative interpretations of market information and show how different scenarios require the development of different products, brands or marketing solutions.

Course changes can occur, as long as they do not substantially affect the programme’s content and learning goals.

Semester	Course Name	Credits	Main field of study	Specialised in	Course Code
1	Data-driven Decision Making	5	Informatics	A1N	J2DDMD
1	International Market Assessment and Strategy	5	Business Administration	A1N	J2IMAA
1	Strategic Brand Management	5	Business Administration	A1N	J2SBMJ
1	Strategic Marketing and Business Growth	5	Business Administration	A1N	J2SMAB
1	Understanding the Consumer	5	Business Administration	A1N	J2UTCS
1	Working Across Boundaries	5	Business Administration	A1N	J2WABJ
2	IMC Strategy and Planning	5	Business Administration	A1F	J2ISAP
2	Marketing in Society	5	Business Administration	A1F	J2MISX
2	Master Thesis in Business Administration	15	Business Administration	A1E	J2MTID
2	Research Methods in Marketing	5	Business Administration	A1F	J2RMIM

The programme is campus-based with on-site participation and mandatory sessions included. To pass a course, you need to fulfill all the course requirements. Examination is executed through different forms of assessment (including written, oral, participatory). Several methods of assessment can be applied within a single course.

You will be offered examination and re-examination opportunities in accordance with: Regulations and Guidelines for first, second and third cycle education at Jönköping University.

Most courses are graded according to the following six levels: A-E constitutes a pass and FX or F is equal to a fail. Some courses and/or assignments are graded with Pass or Fail.

This programme runs for only one year and therefore has no continuation requirements.

To obtain the Master of Science (60 ECTS) with a major in Business Administration, you must complete the course requirements of at least 60 credits at the higher education level that were not used for the bachelor’s degree, with at least 45 credits overall in second-cycle courses and at least 30 of those in business administration including a 15 credit Thesis course in Business Administration.

To obtain the Master of Science (60 ECTS) with a major in Business Administration, with a focus on Strategic Marketing, you must complete: (1) the requirements for the Master of Science (60 ECTS) with a major in Business Administration, (2) all mandatory programme courses as listed in the above contents section, or their equivalent, (3) a Master’s thesis (15 credits) that covers a topic with relevance to Strategic Marketing.

Preparatory/Foundation courses cannot be included/counted towards the JIBS degree.

Student involvement and our cooperation with the JIBS Student Association (JSA) is crucial for the quality assurance work. The work is conducted at a school-, programme- and course level.

At the school level, students representing JSA are voting members of JIBS Council for Undergraduate and Master’s Education (CUME). For each programme, student representatives are appointed to represent the student perspective in meetings with the Programme Director. Sessions are organised regularly at a programme level, to discuss the general impressions, connections and overlaps between courses, and within-programme progression. The students are also part of the Programme Development Group, where faculty members meet to discuss the overall content and progression of the programme. At a course level, students meet with the course Examiner during as well as after the course to discuss potential improvements of the course design and delivery.