MMM189: Dissertation in Marketing

Module code: MMM189

Module provider: Digitalisation, Marketing and Entrepreneurship; Henley Business School

Credits: 40

Level: 7

When you’ll be taught: Semester 2 / Summer

Module convenor: Dr Echo Feng, email: k.feng@henley.ac.uk

Pre-requisite module(s):

Co-requisite module(s):

Pre-requisite or Co-requisite module(s):

Module(s) excluded: IN TAKING THIS MODULE YOU CANNOT TAKE MMM181 (Compulsory)

Placement information: NA

Academic year: 2025/6

Available to visiting students: No

Talis reading list: Yes

Last updated: 16 October 2025

Overview

Module aims and purpose

The Dissertation in Marketing module enables a focused and independent investigation into a chosen area of marketing, such as digital marketing, international marketing, or sustainability marketing. Depending on their area of interest, students are required to select a relevant topic or issue within their programme area for further research.

Students must demonstrate academic rigour in carrying out the agreed research. This independent study involves clearly defining a research problem, conducting a critical literature review, outlining an appropriate methodology, analysing data, and presenting findings as well as discussion.

The dissertation needs to be well-structured and well-supported throughout, demonstrating critical engagement with relevant literature and presented in an academically rigorous manner.

Module learning outcomes

By the end of the module, it is expected that students will be able to: 

1. Provide an effective introduction that outlines the research topic, explains the motivation and approach, and guides the reader through the structure of the dissertation
2. Establish a clear conceptual and/or theoretical framework, supported by a critical review of existing literature in the relevant field
3. Present a comprehensive analysis of the research material, including, where appropriate, relevant quantitative and/or qualitative data;
4. Develop a critical discussion of the findings, leading to well-reasoned conclusions and implications for policy, practice, or further research.

Additional outcomes: 
Students will develop a clear understanding of the research process and the key challenges involved in conducting an independent study. They will also enhance their ability to apply theoretical models to practical research questions, and improve their skills in the planning, preparation, and production of a comprehensive dissertation.

Module content

• Introduction to topic selection  
• General sessions on research problem identification and interpretation, research design, literature review, quantitative and qualitative methods, research ethics  
• Specific sessions on conducting empirical research, including  hypothesis design, data collection, analysis, reporting findings, robustness checks, writing 

The dissertation research commences with developing a 30-word research topic. Based on this outline, a supervisor is assigned. The student typically proposes the topic and then develops it into a 2000-word research proposal in consultation with the appointed supervisor. Students must also submit a literature review to their supervisors by the beginning of June, which will be used to provide the students with formative feedback on their progress. Students must complete two summative outcomes: a 2000-word research proposal and a Dissertation document with a word count of 10,000 words, which may be supported by ancillary material in appendices. 
The research work must be conducted individually, ethically, and professionally. ​

Structure

Teaching and learning methods

Teaching is comprised of lectures and workshops. Students are also provided with one-to-one supervision for their dissertation over the spring and summer terms. Students are encouraged to apply the skills learned during the lectures to develop research, for which they will produce a research proposal, a literature review, and a 10,000-word dissertation. Students are expected to read the references provided in the module and conduct further independent research. They are also expected to actively participate in the lectures and workshops.

The student is expected to have regular meetings with the supervisor and contact with other staff members, where appropriate, with expertise in the chosen research field. 

Study hours

At least At least 20 hours of scheduled teaching and learning activities, and 5 hours of supervision will be delivered, with the remaining hours allocated for both scheduled and self-scheduled teaching and learning activities.  20 hours have been allocated for self-scheduled completion of formative and summative assessment tasks in both Semester 2 and the Summer period. You will receive further details about how these hours will be delivered before the start of the module. hours of scheduled teaching and learning activities will be delivered in person, with the remaining hours for scheduled and self-scheduled teaching and learning activities delivered either in person or online. You will receive further details about how these hours will be delivered before the start of the module.

Please note the independent study hours above are notional numbers of hours; each student will approach studying in different ways. We would advise you to reflect on your learning and the number of hours you are allocating to these tasks.

Semester 1 The hours in this column may include hours during the Christmas holiday period.

Semester 2 The hours in this column may include hours during the Easter holiday period.

Summer The hours in this column will take place during the summer holidays and may be at the start and/or end of the module.

Assessment

Requirements for a pass

Students need to achieve an overall module mark of 50% to pass this module.

Note that it is a requirement for the MSc Marketing award that students pass this module. 

Summative assessment

Penalties for late submission of summative assessment

The Support Centres will apply the following penalties for work submitted late:

Assessments with numerical marks

• where the piece of work is submitted after the original deadline (or a DAS-agreed extension as a reasonable adjustment indicated in your Individual Learning Plan): 10% of the total marks available for that piece of work will be deducted from the mark for each calendar day (or part thereof) following the deadline up to a total of three calendar days;
• where the piece of work is submitted up to three calendar days after the original deadline (or a DAS-agreed extension as a reasonable adjustment indicated in you Individual Learning Plan), the mark awarded due to the imposition of the penalty shall not fall below the threshold pass mark, namely 40% in the case of modules at Levels 4-6 (i.e. undergraduate modules for Parts 1-3) and 50% in the case of Level 7 modules offered as part of an Integrated Masters or taught postgraduate degree programme;
• where the piece of work is awarded a mark below the threshold pass mark prior to any penalty being imposed, and is submitted up to three calendar days after the original deadline (or a DAS-agreed extension as a reasonable adjustment indicated in your Individual Learning Plan), no penalty shall be imposed;
• where the piece of work is submitted more than three calendar days after the original deadline (or a DAS-agreed extension as a reasonable adjustment indicated in your Individual Learning Plan): a mark of zero will be recorded.

Assessments marked Pass/Fail

• where the piece of work is submitted within three calendar days of the deadline (or a DAS-agreed extension as a reasonable adjustment indicated in your Individual Learning Plan): no penalty will be applied;
• where the piece of work is submitted more than three calendar days after the original deadline (or a DAS-agreed extension as a reasonable adjustment indicated in your Individual Learning Plan): a grade of Fail will be awarded.

Where a piece of work is submitted late after a deadline which has been revised owing to an extension granted through the Assessment Adjustments policy and process (self-certified or otherwise), it will be subject to the maximum penalty (i.e., considered to be more than three calendar days late). This will also apply when such an extension is used in conjunction with a DAS-agreed extension as a reasonable adjustment.

The University policy statement on penalties for late submission can be found at: https://www.reading.ac.uk/cqsd/-/media/project/functions/cqsd/documents/qap/penaltiesforlatesubmission.pdf

You are strongly advised to ensure that coursework is submitted by the relevant deadline. You should note that it is advisable to submit work in an unfinished state rather than to fail to submit any work.

Formative assessment

Formative assessment is any task or activity which creates feedback (or feedforward) for you about your learning, but which does not contribute towards your overall module mark.

Formative assessment is any task or activity which creates feedback (or feedforward) for you about your learning, but which does not contribute towards your overall module mark.
Students are required to provide drafts of the main parts of the dissertation and the final draft. They are provided with the feedback on all written work which allows them to improve their final draft that they submit in summer.

Reassessment

Additional costs