Faculty and graduate students in the Department of Marketing and Consumer Studies share a focus on the multi-disciplinary examination of consumer behaviour and marketplace phenomena. The fields of emphasis are:

• Consumer Behaviour
• Marketing

Central to the department's research and graduate teaching program is to help key stakeholders (businesses and policy makers) make informed decisions, formulate effective strategies and policies, improve economic welfare, and facilitate sustainable development by advancing their understanding of consumer decision making and consumer well-being. The Master of Science degree in Marketing and Consumer Studies requires the completion of a thesis or a Major Research Project (MRP) under the guidance and supervision of a member (or members) of the graduate faculty.

Administrative Staff

Chair
Tirtha Dhar (205 Macdonald Institute, Ext. 52023)
tdhar@uoguelph.ca
Graduate Program Coordinator
Yuanfang Lin (202B Macdonald Institute, Ext. 53818)
yuanfang@uoguelph.ca
Graduate Program Assistant Team
mcsmsc@uoguelph.ca

Graduate Faculty

This list may include Regular Graduate Faculty, Associated Graduate Faculty and/or Graduate Faculty from other universities.

MSc Program

Admission Requirements

• Hold a four-year undergraduate degree (from a college or university) or its equivalent with demonstrated coursework and/or training in Marketing, Economics, General Business, Math, Statistics, Psychology, or Social Science, with a minimum average of at least B (73%) in the last two years of study. Coursework and training in these aforementioned areas are expected to provide a strong foundation in business theories and relevant study methodologies.
• All applicants are required to submit GRE or GMAT scores. However, students may be eligible for a waiver of this requirement if they complete their 4-year business degree from a Canadian University or demonstrate their writing skills with a writing sample or published work, and/or their communication skills through performance during interviews. This decision will be made at the discretion of the MCS Graduate Program Coordinator.
• Additionally, all applicants must meet the University of Guelph’s English Language Proficiency requirements for admission. If an applicant’s first language is not English, or their undergraduate degree was not taught at an English-language institution, an English Language Proficiency test will be required.

Applicants for the MSc.MCS - thesis option are urged to visit our departmental website http://www.uoguelph.ca/mcs/ for graduate faculty phone numbers and e-mail addresses to discuss their research objectives with graduate faculty prior to applying.

Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of the Master of Science in Marketing and Consumer Studies program, graduates will have the capacity to:

1. Demonstrate an advanced knowledge of the main theories, methods, and real-world practices in marketing and consumer behaviour by identifying and analyzing current trends, topics within the field, as well as theoretical and / or methodological gaps in the literature.
2. Identify opportunities to advance theories and methodologies in the area of marketing and consumer behaviour and offer insights to real-world marketing practices.
3. Demonstrate the ability to analyze and apply various research methods and analysis techniques to respond to a question in the field of marketing and consumer behaviour, and the ability to handle both primary and secondary data within research design.
4. Conceptualize, design and implement a research study in the area of marketing and consumer behaviour.
5. Apply ethical standards when conducting and reporting academic and applied research in marketing and consumer behaviour.
6. Communicate research findings to academic and professional audiences in the form of clear, well-organized documents and presentations. 

Program Requirements

Students enrol in one of two study options:

1. Thesis or
2. Course work and Major Research Project (MRP)

All students complete 3.00 credits of core courses, as described below.

Core courses

¹

All students attend the graduate seminar every Fall and Winter semester for the duration of their program.

Thesis

The two-year thesis option is designed for students who seek to undertake in-depth, original research that contributes to the academic body of knowledge in marketing and consumer studies. In addition to completing the core courses, students must complete and defend an acceptable thesis of publishable quality. Completion of the thesis option can serve as a foundation for the pursuit of a PhD as well as for independent research in non-academic domains.

Students must complete the 3.00 credits of core courses and a master's thesis, as follows:

Course Work and Major Research Project (MRP)

The one-year course work and Major Research Project (MRP) option provides an opportunity to apply research skills to a practical or applied problem, generating insights relevant to industry and policy contexts. Completion of the MRP option will provide hands-on experience of applied research, which will prepare students for a career in industry.

Students complete 5.00 credits, including the core courses, 1.00 credit from the restricted electives list, and MCS*6400 Major Research Project, as follows:

²

Students may choose an alternate course with the approval of the Graduate Program Coordinator.

Graduate Diploma in Market Research

Admission Requirements

Students who wish to enter the Graduate Diploma in Market Research program will apply to the Department’s Graduate Admissions Committee through the normal University application process.

Candidates will be graduates of a four-year honours degree program (or equivalent) who maintained at least a B average in the final two years of their undergraduate program. They will have an academic background in consumer studies, the social sciences or humanities, or professional or business programs such as marketing, finance, or real estate, and they will submit a discussion paper indicating why they are interested in the Market Research field.

The Graduate Program Coordinator will also act as the primary advisor for Diploma students.

Learning Outcomes

1. Demonstrate an advanced knowledge of the main theories of marketing and consumer behaviour by identifying and analyzing current trends and topics within the field.
2. Critically analyze both theories and empirical findings in a broad range of issues concerning consumer behaviour and marketing.
3. Evaluate and interpret research findings and make connections to current issues in market research.
4. Develop an ethical and professional approach when working in a marketing research context.
5. Communicate market research to professional audiences through well-written documents and presentations.

Program Requirements

The Graduate Diploma in Market Research serves the needs of students who want to extend their knowledge of market research beyond the level they obtained while taking their undergraduate degree, but do not want to undertake a thesis-based degree.

Students are required to take courses in the Fall and Winter semesters. Students will complete a minimum of 6 half credits (3.0 full credits) in total, and enrolment in the marketing and consumer studies department seminar (MCS*6950 Marketing & Consumer Studies Seminar) each semester. The program consists of:

Courses

For courses without a semester designation the student should consult the Graduate Program Coordinator.