Marketing is critical to the success of any business. The advantages of studying marketing at UQ include learning practical skills from leading academics and participating in extracurricular activities to prepare for exciting future career opportunities.
If you’re wondering where to study marketing, you can’t go past UQ. We’re ranked #1 in Queensland for business and management studies, and the Business School has over 40 years of experience in providing marketing education and research.
But what makes UQ one of the best universities to study marketing at isn’t just our rankings; it’s the people behind them. When they’re not in the classroom, our academics are translating the latest research in advertising and branding, quantitative marketing and service design into practice.
Prepare for a rewarding career in the marketing industry by learning from their expertise, gaining practical experience and making the most of extracurricular activities.
How to study marketing at UQ
You can complete a marketing major in our Bachelor of Business Management and Bachelor of Advanced Business (Honours) programs.
Why study marketing at UQ? Here are 5 compelling reasons
1. Proven graduate outcomes
According to Jobs and Skills Australia, marketing and advertising roles are expected to grow by 10% in 5 years to 2028 (Employment Predictions 2024).
If you’re considering where to study digital marketing to gain valuable tech-savvy skills that will span industries, we’ve got you covered. UQ has a 93.6% graduate employment rate (Graduate Outcomes Survey 2023) and studying marketing with us will prepare you for a diverse number of roles including:
- marketing coordinator
- search engine specialist
- junior brand manager
- campaign manager
- marketing automation specialist
- market research analyst
- digital marketing specialist
- social media coordinator.
Our graduates have secured marketing jobs in various industries and companies, including ANZ, Taco Bell, Australia Zoo and Queensland Health. You could also find yourself working in exciting industries and for businesses you’re passionate about with a marketing qualification from UQ.
UQ business management and commerce graduate Linh Diep is an account director at leading Brisbane-based marketing agency Ogilvy and founder of Assisterhood, a mentorship program for under-represented communications professionals.
Linh says her studies helped her move confidently into the marketing industry after graduation.
“My undergraduate study taught me the nuts and bolts of what makes a business, including marketing and finance operations, and understanding consumer behaviour,” she says.
Learning about people, gaining insight into how they work, understanding how people change and how they behave is vital to the work I do every day in my job.
2. Australia's first student-run marketing agency
Did you know UQ is home to Australia’s first student-run communications and marketing agency? Newish provides students with a place to apply the marketing skills learned in the classroom to real clients and their projects. Under the guidance of faculty advisers and industry mentors, members of Newish learn how to:
- apply strategic thinking to make key decisions
- handle project planning and delivery
- manage finances
- demonstrate leadership and management skills
- negotiate with clients and manage client complaints.
Depending on your career goals, you can gain practical experience in marketing strategy, public relations, client services, human resources, web development, product design, social media and more. This opportunity is exclusive to UQ students and can position you for success in future internships and job opportunities.
UQ graduate Nicole Petzer majored in marketing and worked at Newish for 9 months during her undergraduate studies. She recommends joining Newish to anyone considering a career in marketing and communications.
“It gives you the opportunity to explore your passions in a safe space while pushing you to grow and develop professionally," Nicole says.
Joining Newish truly was a pivotal moment in my career. It gave me the opportunity to gain real industry experience, find my creative voice and grow confident in my own abilities.
Read more about Nicole and how she launched her own social media agency while studying.
3. Dedicated career support services and exciting internship opportunities
One of the major advantages of studying marketing at UQ is that you’ll have access to a Careers and Employability team exclusive to business, economics and law students. The specialists in this team have extensive recruitment and industry experience. They can give you individual coaching and feedback on your resumé as well as practical tips to help you land exciting career opportunities.
By taking part in initiatives like our Student Work Experience Program or work-integrated learning courses, you'll network with some of the top companies in the world. UQ’s strong industry connections can also help you land exciting internships. The practical experience and networks you'll gain from participating in these opportunities is invaluable, and they can also help you stand out from the crowd in a highly competitive job market. It was certainly beneficial for current Bachelor of Business Management student Melanie Seje, who completed an internship with a local startup during her third semester.
“Working closely with the team, I saw firsthand how innovative marketing strategies could significantly impact a company's growth and success,” Melanie says.
“This experience not only honed my practical skills but also solidified my interest in a marketing career.”
Here are a few of the organisations where our students have completed marketing internships in the past:
- BAMBRICK Media
- Beginning Boutique
- Red Havas
- TikTok Australia
- Clique Social Media
- Disrupt Digital
- Deloitte
- Tourism Events Queensland
- KPMG
- World Vision Australia
- Football Queensland
The Student Work Experience Program allowed me to get my first real taste of marketing experience, which led to my first job in the industry.
Read more about Jai’s experience studying the Bachelor of Advanced Business (Honours).
4. Practical in-class experiences
Our courses have been developed to equip you with practical tools and frameworks that can be applied in your career. These are just 2 examples:
- In our Marketing Strategy course (MKTG3501), you’ll apply marketing knowledge to develop marketing strategies and address simulated real-life scenarios.
- In the Digital Marketing and Social Media course (MKTG3506), you’ll develop digital marketing plans for a specific client.
Melanie describes how a group project undertaken in one of her courses helped her multidisciplinary team apply research to marketing problems.
"This project aimed to address a real-world marketing challenge faced by a local organisation,” she says.
We conducted surveys, interviews, and data analysis to uncover insights and develop evidence-based recommendations for the organisation.
5. Exciting student life
UQ also offers students the opportunity to have fun and meet peers outside of their studies. You can attend exclusive networking events, join a sports team or immerse yourself in culture at the UQ Art Museum. If you're keen to make friends or pursue different interests, there are over 200 clubs and societies to explore, including the UQ Marketing and Advertising Society (UQMAS).
Want to see the world while gaining invaluable cross-cultural experience to expand your future career prospects? You can study overseas while earning credit for your degree with our short-term and semester-long exchanges.
Business management student Olivia completed a Startup AdVenture experience to Vietnam during her studies, where she undertook a placement at affiliate marketing company AdFlex.
“I gained personal confidence in networking, public speaking, cross-cultural competency and creativity.”
“I also gained practical experience applying marketing planning and strategy for a unique business model,” Olivia says.
“The experience confirmed to me that I’d love to start my own business or contribute to another startup one day.”
Read more about Olivia’s Startup AdVenture experience.
So, is UQ the best place to study marketing? We’ll leave that up to you decide. But if you found yourself getting excited about the prospect of being a UQ marketing student while reading this article, UQ might be the best place to study marketing for you.
Explore the marketing major in UQ’s Bachelor of Business Management or Bachelor of Advanced Business (Honours) to discover more reasons you should put us as your first QTAC preference.
