Postgraduate courses in Consumer Studies

Are you interested in consumer behaviour? Do you like to keep up with changing trends, statistics and trends that relate to consumers? If so, consumer studies might be an area you will find quite interesting. 

There are a number of postgraduate courses in the area for you to specialise in so if you’re interested, have a read of the information below. Why not specialise in an area of your interest and add to your education?

What is consumer studies?

Consumer studies is a subject that helps businesses and management to understand consumers in order to help them to improve their personal and financial well-being. It aims to develop knowledge and skills to see things from a consumer point of view to help them become responsible and informed. 

Job titles in the area include consumer studies professional and consumer researcher. In these roles you will be expected to research and analyze data and statistics and understand and identify different patterns of behaviour by consumers. 

These include tracking spending habits from different groups depending on age, gender, ethnicity, location and more. Your employment could be in fields such as marketing strategists, research analysts, interviewers and in education as lecturers and teachers. 

Courses

There are many courses on offer in the area across the UK. Some courses offer the opportunity to study either part time or full time. Universities may have certain restrictions in place due to Covid-19 and may offer courses online. Courses available include:

Consumer Behaviour

Postgraduate courses in consumer behaviour will allow students to become equipped with knowledge in many different areas. These include  consumer preferences, judgements, decision-making and their behaviour. You will have the opportunity to apply your knowledge in order to improve organisational strategy and success in relation to targets, product placement, marketing and protecting consumers. Modules include Research Design and Applied Statistics, Creating Customer Experience, Marketing Strategy, Consumer Behaviour, Psychology of Marketing and Advertising. 

Marketing and Consumer Psychology

A postgraduate course in marketing and consumer psychology will see students learn how organisations use psychology as a tool in understanding consumer behaviour and apply it to business. You will be able to understand consumer buyer behaviour, add to the process of companies designing innovative products and create effective communication messages. Modules in this course include Classic and Contemporary Social Psychology, Marketing Ethics and Society, Research Skills in Psychology, Advanced Marketing Analysis and Advanced Research Skills in Psychology to name a few. 

There are a number of courses in Consumer Behaviour in different colleges across the UK and so, their specific content may differ from course to course and college to college so be sure to research your course in detail to ensure it is the right course for you. 

Entry requirements

Entry requirements may differ from course to course or university to university. Therefore, it is important to research your specific course in detail to ensure you meet the entry requirements. As these courses are postgraduate courses, you will need a bachelor’s degree. Some courses may accept a 2.2 degree while others will require a 2.1 in a relevant degree. Experience with consumers or in the field is helpful but not a requirement. 

Salary

Your salary in this area will be dependent on a few different things from your experience, your employment type and sometimes location can play a role. It is believed that the average salary of a consumer researcher is around £36,200 in the UK. Entry level salaries will be closer to £23,000 and increase with experience. All figures are based on estimates and intended to be used as a guide only. 

Related Jobs

• Consumer Researcher
• Market Research
• Advertising 
• Marketing
• Management roles
• Entrepreneurs

Potential Employers

Potential employers in the area include:

• Government organisations
• Advertising companies
• Private companies 

Skills and requirements 

Skills and requirements helpful in this area include:

• Excellent communication skills
• Strong verbal skills
• Strong writing skills
• Ability to work well with others
• An open mind
• Understanding
• Research skills
• Accuracy
• Be able to work under pressure
• Ability to notice and understand changing patterns and statistics
• Keep up to date with trends and statistics
• Strong organisation skills
• Good time management skills
• Analytical mind
• Interest in behaviour and psychology