Food Business and Marketing with Placement Year
Entry requirements
A level
Access to HE Diploma
Cambridge International Pre-U Certificate - Principal
Extended Project
In recognition of the excellent preparation that the Extended Project Qualification provides to students for University study, we now include achievement in the EPQ as part of a formal offer. Eligible applicants would receive two offers, our usual offer plus an alternative offer of a B in the EPQ and one grade lower in their A level subjects
GCSE/National 4/National 5
GCSE Maths C (or 4), English Language or English Literature C (or 4).
International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)
Scottish Higher
T Level
Minimum grade C in the Core Component.
UCAS Tariff
We've calculated how many Ucas points you'll need for this course.
About this course
**If you want a commercial career in one of the most fundamental, dynamic and innovative sectors of the global economy, our BSc Food Business and Marketing with Placement Year course is the degree for you.**
Our BSc Food Business and Marketing with Placement Year course will prepare you for the food industry of the future by providing training in business, management and marketing.
Throughout your degree, you will:
- explore the key challenges facing UK, European and global food businesses, including food processors, retailers, food services, and start-ups
- gain an understanding of current issues in the food sector, such as rising costs, sustainability, and consumer health and wellbeing
- develop valuable digital marketing skills.
- you'll have the chance to apply your skills to real food business and marketing problems – contributing to the creation or launch of new food products, for example, or designing social media campaigns and marketing communication plans.
You will also have the opportunity to undertake an exciting marketing project as part of a student team. You'll complete mock-consultancies, develop research proposals, carry out market research and present your findings. You’ll also interact with different food businesses through field visits, guest speakers and placements.
During your final year, you will complete either an applied marketing project or a longer independent research project on a food-related topic that inspires you. Past projects have covered a variety of topics, including consumer attitudes towards plant-based food and social media influence on young adults’ food choices.
If you're thinking of starting your own food business, this course also offers opportunities to gain entrepreneurial skills and insight.
**Learning environment**
You'll study in a School that is ranked 11th in the world for Agriculture and Forestry (QS World rankings by subject 2022), with its own farms and specialist facilities.
Our multidisciplinary staff have expertise that spans agri-food economics, consumer behaviour, marketing, and agriculture – enabling you to gain food chain insight from farm to fork.
**Accreditation**
This course is recognised by the Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM) as an Accredited Degree, enabling graduates to receive exemptions from all but one module of the Certificate in Professional Marketing or Certificate in Professional Digital Marketing qualification, or exemptions from all but two CIM modules for the Diploma in Professional Marketing qualification or Diploma in Professional Digital Marketing.
**Placement**
This four-year course includes an integrated, year-long work placement between your second and final year. Placements can be located anywhere in the UK, and occasionally take place overseas.
You could work in a wide variety of areas, including food product development, account management, category management, brand development, and business administration. Recent students have worked at major companies such as Unilever, Warburtons, and Waitrose.
Our dedicated placements officer can offer advice and support in finding your ideal placement, as well as developing your CV and interview skills.. They will continue to support you throughout your placement year.
For more information about securing and completing a placement, please visit our Important Information page.
To learn more about the course and Department, please visit the Agri-Food Economics and Marketing website.
Modules
We will be updating this page with module information over the coming weeks.
Tuition fees
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The Uni
University of Reading
School of Agriculture, Policy and Development
What students say
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Student voice
Who studies this subject and how do they get on?
Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)
Marketing
Teaching and learning
Assessment and feedback
Resources and organisation
Student voice
Who studies this subject and how do they get on?
Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)
After graduation
The stats in this section relate to the general subject area/s at this university – not this specific course. We show this where there isn't enough data about the course, or where this is the most detailed info available to us.
Business and management (non-specific)
What are graduates doing after six months?
This is what graduates told us they were doing (and earning), shortly after completing their course. We've crunched the numbers to show you if these immediate prospects are high, medium or low, compared to those studying this subject/s at other universities.
Top job areas of graduates
As only a small number of students take courses in this subject area, there isn't much information on what graduates do when they finish, so bear that in mind when you review any stats. Management, finance and business roles are common, but it's a good idea to ask tutors what previous graduates taking specific courses went on to do when you're at an open day.
Marketing
What are graduates doing after six months?
This is what graduates told us they were doing (and earning), shortly after completing their course. We've crunched the numbers to show you if these immediate prospects are high, medium or low, compared to those studying this subject/s at other universities.
Top job areas of graduates
Want to join a fast-moving, diverse industry that's at the cutting edge of tech? Try marketing! A lot of the jobs are in London, but graduates don't just go to work in advertising agencies — all sorts of industries do their own marketing these days, and with the rise of digital and mobile technology, a lot of marketing is done in quite innovative ways using a wide range of methods. Common industries (apart from advertising and PR) include recruitment, online retail, higher education, banking and IT. A lot of jobs in this industry are handled through recruitment agencies, so if you get in touch with them early, that might give you a headstart for some of the jobs available. But be careful — unpaid working is not the norm in the marketing industry, but it is more common than in most sectors.
What about your long term prospects?
Looking further ahead, below is a rough guide for what graduates went on to earn.
Business and management (non-specific)
The graph shows median earnings of graduates who achieved a degree in this subject area one, three and five years after graduating from here.
£26k
£35k
£44k
Note: this data only looks at employees (and not those who are self-employed or also studying) and covers a broad sample of graduates and the various paths they've taken, which might not always be a direct result of their degree.
Marketing
The graph shows median earnings of graduates who achieved a degree in this subject area one, three and five years after graduating from here.
£26k
£35k
£44k
Note: this data only looks at employees (and not those who are self-employed or also studying) and covers a broad sample of graduates and the various paths they've taken, which might not always be a direct result of their degree.
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Post-six month graduation stats:
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Graduate field commentary:
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The Longitudinal Educational Outcomes dataset combines HRMC earnings data with student records from the Higher Education Statistics Agency.
While there are lots of factors at play when it comes to your future earnings, use this as a rough timeline of what graduates in this subject area were earning on average one, three and five years later. Can you see a steady increase in salary, or did grads need some experience under their belt before seeing a nice bump up in their pay packet?
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