BlogMonash UniversityPros and Cons of a Bachelor of Marketing at Monash University

Pros and Cons of a Bachelor of Marketing at Monash University

So, you’re pretty much acquainted with all the details and info on studying a Bachelor of Marketing at Monash — take a quick look here if you need a refresher! 

Now, do you want to know how people really feel about this degree? 

Well, you’ve come to the right place! Meet Mary — she’s a final year Marketing (and Arts) student. We’ve asked her a tonne of questions about her degree so we can give you all the details.

Let’s get started! 

Why should you study a Bachelor of Marketing at Monash?
Top 3 Pros of a Marketing Degree
Top 3 Cons of a Marketing Degree
Mistakes You Shouldn’t Make
Things to Know Before Starting Monash Marketing
What Makes this Degree Different
Motivations for Studying Monash Marketing
Potential Career Paths

Why should you study Marketing at Monash?

A Bachelor of Marketing at Monash is a specialised degree which means it’s a little different from the usual business degree where you major in Marketing. You’ll cover the basic disciplines of Business during the first year and then you get to focus on Marketing units. Marketing Monash - Quote

You’ll learn all about marketing strategy, advertising, buying behaviour and how to build a brand plus all the skills you need to succeed in the marketing world. You’ll analyse case studies, write up reports and develop/implement marketing strategies.

With the option to do an internship subject plus your final year capstone project, you’ll get hands-on learning experiences!

Top 3 Pros of a Marketing degree

#1: Real-world skills

I do think they teach you skills for the real world — like one of my classes, we actually had to come up with a whole advertising campaign and pitch it to a real life business, so that was such a great experience,” Mary told us. 

You also analyse case studies, figure the issue out and then propose a marketing strategy to resolve that issue. So, you’re definitely developing skills that you’ll use once you’ve graduated. 

In your final year, you’ll complete a capstone unit — Strategic Marketing! This subject is the chance for you to use all the knowledge and skills you’ve acquired over the years and put them into practice.

#2: You try everything 

“I like how you get a lot of choice — there’s a lot of variety, you get to try a bit of everything,” said Mary.

“Even though I wasn’t too keen on some subjects that weren’t solely focussed on Marketing, I did find them really helpful as those skills carried onto other subjects and gave me a broader business knowledge,” she said. 

In the first year, you take Accounting for Managers, Microeconomics, Business Statistics and Introduction to Management.

So you get well-rounded skills in the different disciplines of Business which helps with your understanding of Marketing. 

#3: The staff 

The teachers try really hard and they go above and beyond at times,” Mary noted.

The tutors and lecturers try to help you on a more personal level. Most of them are willing to put time aside to help you with anything you don’t understand or any questions you might have. 

If you ever feel like you aren’t grasping concepts and need that extra guidance, don’t be afraid to reach out to your tutors!

As the world of digital marketing continues to evolve, businesses are looking for keen experts to come in and help pave the future! This makes marketing a very employable degree – read more here!

Top 3 Cons of a Marketing degree

#1: Not as close-knit

“As there is a large number of people in the cohort, you most likely won’t be with the same people in every single class, so it is not as close-knit as other faculties,” she said.

When you have different people in your class for each subject, it definitely makes it a little trickier to make friends but if you want to, you will! Plus, you have to remember you’ve only got around 10 contact hours a week so that also makes it hard. 

However, Mary made a really good bunch of friends and they organised their timetables together so they would be in the same class.

#2: Internships not mandatory 

While you don’t have to do an internship as part of the degree, there is the opportunity to do one if you want to. 

It’s definitely a good idea to do the internship subject because then you’re able to get some real-world experience and it counts towards your degree! 

Internships are always a good way to get to see what your future work environment might be like and to start making those industry connections. 

#3: That’s it 

Mary didn’t mention any other cons so that’s all there is for this section. But hey, that’s actually a good sign! There’s no doubt that the skills you learn in Marketing are very versatile and you can end up working in a number of different and exciting roles. 

Any regrets? 

When we asked Mary if she had any regrets about the degree, she told us, “Not really — I’ve enjoyed it so far.

The only regret that she had was during her first year. I probably wish I had studied a little bit harder in my first year for certain subjects,” she said.

So make sure you try and get into a good study routine from the start of uni — it will definitely help in the long run! 

What do you wish you had known before starting Monash Marketing? 

#1: It’s not just Marketing 

You do have to try to do a range of subjects — the information was probably out there, but I didn’t really look into it that you do have to do a little bit of everything,” Mary told us. 

She added, “It might seem a little bit scary to start with but it actually is really beneficial for you.

Learning the basics of accounting, economics, statistics and management means you’ve got a well-rounded understanding of the business world and you’ll find it more useful than you realise when doing all your Marketing subjects. 

#2: There is maths involved

“There’s a lot more math in the degree than I thought there would be,” Mary said. “It’s not too bad, like you can definitely manage it but I didn’t really think I’d be doing any maths.” 

But don’t worry, you’ll pick it up fairly quickly! 

What makes this degree different from the ones offered at other universities? 

#1: Specialisation 

I do like that they offer a specialisation — I’m not sure if other unis really do that so I think it’s really good,” Mary said. 

It means that you can really focus on Marketing and gain expertise in the area instead of having to major in it under the usual business degree — so it’s more tailored to where your interests lie.

It was great that I could learn specifically about Marketing, instead of having to do it as a major and then having to learn other subjects that I wasn’t really too keen on and having to pick a minor in another area that I might not really enjoy,” she explained.

#2: Campus

“Even just like the atmosphere of being at Monash — I really love it and it’s just a really nice campus to go to,” Mary said.

“They do offer a lot of outside opportunities to network with others,” she added.

Take a look at the Monash Marketing Students’ Society (MMSS) because it’s a great way to meet like-minded people and get to know other students studying your degree! They offer various social and career development events such as the annual White Ball, corporate cocktail and industry insight evenings — lots of opportunities to connect and network. 

What inspired you to choose Monash Marketing?

I always loved Business and I really liked Business subjects in high school,” Mary told us. She just couldn’t decide which discipline of Business she wanted to further study after high school. 

She didn’t want to do Accounting or Economics, she wanted something a bit more creative and so when her school’s career advisor suggested Marketing, she thought that sounded like the right option for her! 

In terms of choosing to study Marketing at Monash, Mary said that a lot of her friends were going there and that the university “had quite a good reputation”.

“I’m really glad I chose Monash —  a lot of my closest friends are there and a lot of people who are very like minded to myself,” Mary said.

What are the possible career paths?

Marketing Monash - Careers

There are quite a few different career possibilities when you study Marketing — lucky for you! Now, these are just some: 

  • Brand manager 
  • Marketing research analyst 
  • Copywriter 
  • Media buyer
  • Advertising art director 
  • Public relations officer
  • Social media manager

…and the list goes on!


Tanna Nankivell is a Senior Content Writer at Art of Smart Education and is currently in Germany completing a year of study for her double degree in Communications (Journalism) and Bachelor of Arts (International Studies). She has had articles published on Central News – the UTS Journalism Lab and wrote a feature piece for Time Out Sydney during her internship. Tanna has a love for travel and the great outdoors, you’ll either find her on the snowfields or in the ocean, teaching aqua aerobics or creating short films. 

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