Enrich your skills and strategic thinking

The CIM Professional Diploma in Marketing qualification is for ambitious marketing professionals who manage the marketing process at an operational level.

It's ideal if you are:

• moving into a mid-level position and want instant recognition from employers
• a professional who needs a deep understanding of marketing applications and how they work.

Flexible study options

Our CIM courses are designed for busy professionals. Taught part-time to fit around your schedule, they combine distance learning and face-to-face classes one evening a week. You can complete all our CIM courses part-time in 12 months.

For all the courses, there are four start dates a year in January, March, June and September.

How the course is taught

Our CIM tutors are experienced academics and marketing practitioners, with excellent track records of teaching the CIM syllabus. Using state-of-the-art teaching methods and industry software, they're dedicated to helping you pass your exams and gain valuable skills that you can take straight into the workplace. You'll be supported at every stage with one-to-one sessions, phone and email contact.

How you'll be assessed

Modules are assessed either by an assignment, a case study exam or an unseen three-hour exam. Assessments are held four times a year – usually in March, June, September and December – and you'll be fully prepared with mock exams and one-to-one coaching.

BPP extras

Our free careers workshops provide additional skills training beyond the syllabus, showing you how to use your CIM marketing qualification for your desired career. BPP also offers a unique Pass Assurance scheme.

CIM courses tailored to your organisation

Your business can get even more out of our teaching with a tailored CIM course for groups of eight or more. BPP is the sole provider for some of the world's largest companies, with over 35 years of professional training experience in our CIM courses. If you would like to book a CIM course for your business contact our Client Services Team.

Dates and prices

We offer four start dates a year in January, March, June and September. View a full list of start dates and locations. 

June 2012 fees:

• Online Classroom £1,595 
• Part time £2,360

Students will also need to register their attendance at the relevant examination session or their intention to submit their assignment by the set date (four times a year, usually at the start of your course). The date is updated per term and changes can be found at the CIM Learning Zone. 

Structure

The Chartered Institute of Marketing Professional Diploma develops your operational skills, focussing on managing and planning the marketing process. You’ll need to pass four modules, designed to boost your knowledge, confidence and practical ability in important disciplines.

Unit 1 – Marketing Planning Process

On completion of this module you will be able to:

• Evaluate the marketing planning process and its implementation in a range of marketing contexts, including a detailed analysis of the internal and external marketing environments
• Conduct a marketing audit and assess the findings in order to develop a marketing plan that is responsive to market and organisational changes, and underpins the organisation’s marketing strategy 
• Determine the importance of segmentation, targeting and positioning to develop effective strategies which are innovative, cost effective, valuable and maximise the potential of marketing opportunities successfully 
• Recognise the significance of retaining customers through relationship marketing

Unit 2 – Delivering Customer Value through Marketing

On completion of this module you will be able to:

• Develop and manage a brand and product portfolio in the context of the organisation’s marketing strategies and objectives 
• Develop and implement an effective and efficient channel management strategy reflecting the needs of stakeholders 
• Develop an effective and innovative communications strategy that clearly delivers the organisation’s proposition to the market, through effective segmentation and targeting of internal and external markets
• Utilise an innovative and effective integrated marketing mix to reinforce the organisation’s brand values, overall marketing proposition and competitive advantage 
• Determine customer requirements for product and service delivery, to ensure the marketing proposition is customer-focussed, efficient and effective

Unit 3 – Managing Marketing

On completion of this module you will be able to:

• Recommend how a marketing function should be structured and managed to deliver competitive advantage
• Prepare plans for showing how a team should be structured, selected, formed, managed and developed to demonstrate effective performance against objectives
• Critically assess the organisation’s resource needs and capabilities for the marketing team to manage marketing activities effectively and efficiently 
• Prepare appropriate budgets and accounting documentation to support the financial management of the marketing function and its associated activities 
• Critically assess the ongoing financial situation, including manageability of the budget, financial stability and success of the marketing function

Unit 4 – Project Management in Marketing

On completion of this module you will be able to:

• Identify the organisation’s information needs, scope of research projects and resource capability to underpin the development of justified business cases – including risk assessment and mitigation strategies – to support marketing projects
• Using project management tools and techniques, design, develop and plan significant marketing programmes effectively, in terms of quality, resource and delivery 
• Integrate a range of marketing tools and techniques to support the development and implementation of marketing projects 
• Monitor and measure the outcomes of marketing projects through the end-to-end project process

Ways to study

You can study at one of our UK centres, in your own time via our Online Classroom, or with our online and paper-based distance learning packages.

NEW - Online Classroom 

A dynamic study experience that combines the flexibility of distance learning with the support of a traditional classroom. Available for all papers, it's ideal if you can't commit to fixed study sessions. You also get Free Pass Assurance. Learn more about BPP Online Classroom.

Flexible learning

Our Chartered Institute of Marketing courses are designed for busy professionals, so we offer flexible, part-time study that lets you balance work and home with gaining a world-class professional qualification.

You'll study each module with a mix of face-to-face learning (24 hours per module), workshops and online distance learning. 

Face-to-face

Taught classes take place from 6pm to 9pm one evening a week – over a period of nine to 11 weeks leading up to your assessment. These classes focus on key syllabus topics, practical application and exam or assignment technique to get you fully ready for your assessments.

Online learning

Our distance learning course enables you to study at a time, pace and place that suits your lifestyle. This option gives you added flexibility, but it still covers all aspects of the syllabus, so you don't miss out on core subject areas. Throughout your studies, expert support is also available from our experienced tutors.

In the modules requiring exams, there are opportunities to practice and improve your exam technique. In addition to this, a mock exam allows you to practice your technique under exam conditions.

All exams are marked by your tutor who will provide you with feedback, ensuring you are able to provide the examiners with exactly what they are looking for in a good script.

Assessment workshops

Our experienced CIM tutors will give you time management tips and question techniques to help you excel in all your assessments. Each workshop reinforces your understanding of the key theories and scrutinises frequently-examined areas, using past exam questions and assignment models.

Assessment workshops include:

• One day of face-to-face tuition per module
• Intensive question and answers forums
• Exam or assignment technique practice

You'll also have mock exams to practice your technique under real exam conditions. Your tutor will give you detailed feedback so you know exactly what the examiners are looking for.

Self-study

NEW - Online Classroom

A dynamic study experience that combines the flexibility of distance learning with the support of a traditional classroom. Available for all CIM modules, it's ideal if you can't commit to fixed study sessions. You also get Free Pass Assurance. Watch our Online Classroom introduction below.

Entry requirements

To enrol for this course you need to meet one or more of the Chartered Institute of Marketing's admissions criteria:

• CIM Professional Certificate in Marketing (either 2002 syllabus or the 2008 syllabus)
• Any business or marketing Bachelors or Masters Degree (or an equivalent qualification) where a minimum of one third of credits come from marketing (i.e. 120 credits in Bachelors degrees or 60 credits with Masters Degrees)
• Experience in a marketing management role, giving you the ability to meet the learning outcomes of the CIM Professional Certificate in Marketing if required to do so and pass the Entry test to Level Six

If English is not your first language, you'll also need to provide evidence of at least IELTS 6.5 or Trinity ISE III or Trinity ISE IV.

How to apply

• You can apply by completing the application form and sending via post or email to admissions@bpp.com
• Call 0845 077 5064 for more information or to book a personal tour.

Study locations

You can choose to study our CIM Professional Diploma in Marketing at one of two locations – in London and Manchester. Whichever you choose, you will be assured of access to the latest equipment, world-class support and a comfortable study environment.

• BPP London
• BPP Manchester