Master in Marketing

This university master programme in the field of marketing is an attractive opportunity after the bachelor studies in management to specialize in the field of marketing on a high academic level. The major component of this study programme is the main module “Marketing” with courses in English, French, and German that cover the whole field of marketing. In addition to the main module, the students choose a complementary module from one of the following areas: “Innovation and Entrepreneurship”, “Strategy”, “Data Analytics”, “Managing Digitalisation”, or “Communication”. The complementary modules are also comprised of courses in English, French, and German. Within the main module and the complementary modules, the students can choose from a variety of courses. The study programme is completed by an empirical master thesis (with data collection and analysis) on a marketing topic which is at the same time addressed on a high scientific level and relevant for companies. The master thesis can be written in one of the three languages of study. The content of the courses offered and the multilingual study environment make this programme an attractive study offer.

  • Study plan

    Courses

    min. 72 ECTS

    Main module Marketing 

    The students need to take 2 out of 6 core courses and a minimum of 27 ECTS at the University of Fribourg.

    min.

    45 ECTS

    Complementary module 

    The students need to choose one of the following modules and take courses of min. 18 ECTS:

    • Innovation and Entrepreneurship (INNO-ENT)
    • Strategy (STR)
    • Managing Digitalisation (DIG)
    • Data Analytics (DAT)
    • Communication (COM)

    min.

    18 ECTS

    Course «Research Methodology and Data Analysis”

    consists of the two parts «Research Methodology» (Prof. Furrer) and «Data Analysis with SPSS” (Prof. Bambauer-Sachse)

    both parts need to be successfully taken (“pass or fail”); the 3 ECTS will be validated if both parts are passed

    Important information regarding the course Research Methodology and Data Analysis

    3 ECTS

    Optional courses

    A maximum of 6 ECTS can be chosen from all master courses offered at the University of Fribourg.

    6 ECTS

    Empirical Master Thesis with data analysis

    The Master Thesis needs to be written under the supervision of one of the following professors: Prof. Bambauer-Sachse, Prof. Fauchart, Prof. Furrer, Prof. Morschett (Exceptions upon request).

    18 ECTS

     

    90 ECTS

    In addition to this master programme of 90 ECTS, the students can choose a Minor of 30 ECTS in a different domain on master level in order to complete a master of 120 ECTS.

    Duration of the programme:

    3-4 semesters 

    Languages of study:

    English, French, German

    Option of a diploma bearing the distinction “Bilingual curriculum, French/English”, “Bilingual curriculum, German/English”

  • Modules and courses for the Master in Marketing

    Courses in bold letters are core courses. At least 2 core courses have to be accomplished in each chosen module. 

    ATTENTION: Most courses are only offered every two years. Our current timetable, you can find here.

    This list is indicative and non-binding.

    Please do also check here the timetable of the university for the courses of a certain semester.
    If you have difficuty to inscribe for a cours, please contact Andrea Bügger or Marc Grossenbacher.

    Main module: MAR: Marketing

    The students need to take 2 out of 6 core courses and a mini-mum of 27 ECTS at the University of Fribourg.

    • B2B Marketing
    • Customer orientation and complaint management
    • Digital Marketing Communication - Customer Orientation 2.0
    • Marketing Durable
    • Marketing Strategy
    • Product and Price Management
    • Behavioral Economics
    • Digital Commerce in B2C and B2B Markets
    • European Marketing
    • International Negotiations - Success stories from an intercultural background
    • International Retail Management
    • International Services Marketing
    • Management of Innovation
    • Marketing interculturel
    • Nouveaux Trends de l’innovation

    Complementary module

    Students need to choose one of the following modules in which at least 2 core courses have to be accomplished and courses of min. 18 ECTS have to be taken:

    STR: Strategy
    • Advanced Seminar in Strategic International Management (New! - from spring semester 2025 on)
    • Case studies in international strategy
    • Developing an Innovation Strategy
    • Focal Firms and SMEs in Global Value Chains
    • Fundamentals of International Management
    • Marketing Strategy
    • Marché et stratégie des organisations à but non lucratif (bilingue)
    • Markt und Strategie von Nonprofit-Organisationen (bilingue)
    • Strategic Value Creation
    • Advanced Microeconomics
    • Advanced Project Management & Outsourcing (New! - from spring semester 2025 on)
    • Advanced Topics in Decision Support
    • Collaborative Value Creation in Ecosystems
    • Industrial Organization
    • Intercultural Business Projects
    • Management stratégique (Attention : Bachelor course 4.5 ECTS)*
    • Märkte und Strategien
    • Microeconomics of Competitiveness (MOC)
    • Organisational Economics
    • Strategic Management (Attention : Bachelor course 4.5 ECTS)* (New - from spring semester 2025 on in Englisch, no more in German!)
    • Politiques des marchés et de la concurrence
    • Project Management & Outsourcing in a Digital Era (last time in spring semester 2023)
    • Winning Consulting Projects
    INNO-ENT: Innovation & Entrepreneurship
    • Advanced Entrepreneurship
    • Advanced Seminar in International and European Business (last time in spring semester 2024)
    • Customer-centric Innovation
    • Developing an Innovation Strategy
    • Entreprenariat
    • Management of Innovation
    • Nouveaux trends de l'innovation (New: core course from spring semester 2026 on)
    • Seminar in Social Entrepreneurship
    • Collaborative Value Creation in Ecosystems
    • Esprit et création d'entreprises & entrepreuneuriat social (last time in fall semester 2023)
    • Leadership styles, contexts and success factors
    • Nouveaux trends de l'innovation (elective course until spring semester 2024)
    • Strategic Value Creation
    DIG: Managing Digitalisation
    • Digital Commerce in B2C and B2B Markets
    • Digital Marketing Communication - Customer Orientation 2.0
    • Digital Value Creation
    • Digitalization and Information Systems
    • Nouveaux trends de l’innovation
    • Advanced Project Management & Outsourcing (New from spring semester 2025 on)
    • Advanced Seminar in International and European Business (last time in spring semester 2024)
    • Advanced Seminar in Strategic International Management (New! - from spring semester 2025 on)
    • Big Data Methods
    • Collaborative Value Creation in Ecosystems
    • Communication, organisation et transformation digitale
    • Developing an Innovation Strategy
    • Digital Economy
    • Network Science & Economics
    • Nouveaux médias, médias et usagers
    • Project Management & Outsourcing in a Digital Era (last time in spring semester 2023)
    • Supply Chain Management & Logistics
    DAT: Data Analytics
    • Big Data Methods
    • Databases (Attention : Bachelor course 6 ECTS)*
    • Econometric Methods and Applications
    • Machine Learning (UE-SIN.08022)
    • Méthodes de classification
    • Policy and Impact Evaluation
    • Applied Econometrics (Attention : Bachelor course 4.5 ECTS)*
    • Data analysis and statistics with the R programming language
    • Inférence, évaluation et sélection de modèles
    • Machine Learning (UE-SBL.30002)
    • Programmation scientifique (Attention : Bachelor course 6 ECTS)*
    • Project Seminar: Finance with R
    • Python Programming online
    • Social media analytics
    • Statistique bayésienne
    • Thèmes choisis de statistique multivariée
    COM: Communication
    • Communication et Business
    • Communication, organisation et transformation digitale
    • Communications spécialisées
    • Corporate Social Responsibility and Social Impact
    • Effets et usages des médias et nouveaux médias (Attention : Bachelor course 3 ECTS)*
    • Lecture Business Communication and Strategic Communication Management
    • Master lecture Media Use and Effects
    • Mobilisation Digitale et Persuasion
    • Nouveau médias, médias et usagers
    • Séminaire Master : Digitalisation et communication

    *Attention: Of the total ECTS credits for this Master programme, a maximum of 9 ECTS credits can be chosen in Bachelor courses, if they have not already been validated for a Bachelor programme.

    BENEFRI Course List

  • Fribourg profile

    The choice of many courses in the main module and the possibility to choose one out of five complementary modules that comprise an attractive variety of courses enable the students to personalise their course of study and to focus on specific topics of interest. The BeNeFri agreement allows students to attend additional courses at the universities of Bern and Neuchâtel. Due to the possibility to choose the module “Communication» that is offered by the Department of Communication and Media Research or the module “Data Analytics” that is offered by the Department of Economics and the Department of Informatics, the students profit from the interdisciplinary strengths of our faculty. This study programme and the multilingual study environment (courses in English, French, and German) make up a study offer that is unique in Switzerland.

  • Learning outcomes and career openings

    The university Master of Arts in Marketing is designed to optimally prepare the students for a marketing career on management level in companies or other organisations, but also in marketing research institutes or for a scientific career in the field of marketing.

    The well-founded and specialized university study programme in marketing provides the students with the important marketing concepts and methods needed for a deep understanding of how to conduct marketing analyses and how to lead decision processes in the field of marketing or marketing research of companies or market research institutes. The graduates of this study programme are highly qualified to pursue their marketing career in many different fields, e.g. as:

    • Abteilungsleiter regionaler Einkauf
    • Analyste de marché
    • Chef.fe de la stratégie marketing
    • Chef.fe du marketing international
    • Chef.fe du service clients
    • Chef.fe de projet - Produit, Services et Qualité
    • Chef.fe de projets digitaux
    • Chief Commercial Officer
    • Chief Marketing Officer
    • Client Relationship Manager
    • Client Support Senior
    • Conseiller.ère marketing
    • Customer Experience Designer
    • Customer Support Specialist
    • Digital Sales and Sales Development Manager
    • Events & Hospitality Specialist
    • Graduate Trainee - Marketing & Communications
    • Group Brand Manager, Global Brand Manager
    • Head Marketing and Launch Excellence
    • Head of eCommerce
    • International category manager
    • International Events and Exhibitions Project Manager
    • Key Account Manager
    • Marketing & Communication Specialist
    • Marketing Communications Manager
    • Marketing Manager
    • Marketing Strategy Manager
    • Projektleiterin Kampagnen
    • Regional Sales Manager
    • Reponsable commercial / des ventes
    • Reponsable de produit
    • Responsable de la communication
    • Responsable de la tarification / des prix
    • Senior Beraterin für Marktforschung
    • Senior Consultant
    • Senior Data Product Manager
    • Service Designer
    • Strategische Einkäuferin
    • Vice President Digital Portfolio and Business Development

    Entreprises : 

    • SBB
    • Schweizer Post
    • Postfinance
    • Kambly
    • Intersnack
    • Bosch
    • Zalando
    • Decathlon
    • Roche
    • UBS
    • Privera
    • Swisscom
    • Omega
    • Boeing
    • Aldi Suisse
    • Sanitas Krankenversicherung
    • Raiffeisen
    • Mondelez
    • Lidl Schweiz
    • Doetsch Grether
    • Fossil
    • Berner Kantonalbank
    • Nestlé
    • Helen of Troy
    • Holcim
    • Schweizer Radio und Fernsehen
    • McKinsey & Company
    • BKW
  • Admission to the Master in Marketing
    • Holders of a bachelor’s degree awarded by a Swiss university are admitted to a master’s degree programme without any preconditions if they have earned 60 ECTS in management at the bachelor level and if they have successfully attended a course that is equivalent to the course Marketing Research offered at the University of Fribourg. Otherwise, the course needs to be attended at the University of Fribourg.
    • University bachelor in another domain or bachelor degree awarded by a foreign university:
      • Admission “sur dossier”: Each dossier will be examined. In the case of an admission, the admissions delegate can, after consulting the department of management, request the acquisition of additional knowledge. 
      • Application file: In addition to the documents required by the Office for Admissions of the University of Fribourg, the following documents need to be submitted:
        • motivation letter
        • a GMAT result for holders of a foreign Bachelor degree from outside the EU or the EFTA
      • The 60 ECTS Minor in Management of the SES Faculty, or recognised as equivalent, is required.
    • For the holders of a “Bachelor HES” in Management, candidates may be admitted to the master with a complementary programme of 30 ECTS. 

    In any particular case (e.g. foreign degrees and bachelor degrees older than 8 years), the candidate is not automatically admitted to the Master in Marketing. The admissions delegate reserves the decision of admission “sur dossier”.

    Admission

     

  • More Information