The Chartered Institute of Marketing has continued to offer the Professional Diploma in Marketing for a number of years (QCA level 6). The CIM also still offers Postgraduate Diploma in Marketing (QCA level 7) which was launched in 2004.
The CIM has designed their syllabus around the statements of marketing practice, which were developed by the Standard Setting Body for marketing under the direction of the Chartered Institute of Marketing. These statements identify the practical tasks that marketers undertake within their marketing career. These standards are available on the CIM website
Links with other papers
The Marketing Planning syllabus was developed to provide the key skills and knowledge required by an operational marketing manager. This module replaced the Marketing Operations module in the old CIM Advanced Certificate. It aims to prepare marketers for practice at management level and does consider operational issues as well as strategic marketing decisions. The general basis of this module is the marketing planning function and the implications for the operational decisions.
The CIM examination route
The examination paper for the Marketing Planning module is in two parts. Part A is a mini case study with three or four compulsory questions and this is worth 50 per cent of the examination. Each element of the syllabus will be tested in some way in Part A. Part B of the paper is made up of four questions, of which candidates are required to answer two and each question is worth 25 per cent of the paper.
The CIM assignment route
The CIM offer an assignment route for all modules within the Professional Diploma qualification. Therefore, certain CIM study centres may now offer the assignment route as an alternative to the examination route.
The assignment route requires candidates to complete coursework instead of sitting an examination for the Marketing Planning module. The Chartered Institute of Marketing devises the coursework and assessment criteria and these are then delivered at the study centres which have been given CIM approval to run this type of assessment rather than the examination.
Core section: This attracts a 50 per cent weighting and is often about the creation of an effective marketing plan. The word count for this would be 3000 words.
This is worth 25 per cent weighting and requires two pieces of work (where the candidate can choose 2 out of 4 areas). Examples of such areas are: the role of environmental analysis; a report on the potential for a new Internet-based service; a report on the extended marketing mix in not-for-profit organisations; an external analysis of an organisation of choice. Each assignment would be 1500 words.
