RIGA STRADINS UNIVERSITY FACULTY OF EUROPEAN STUDIES
DEPARTMENT OF REGIONAL ECONOMICS AND BUSINESS
BACHELOR’ S DEGREE PROGRAMME
“INTERNATIONAL MARKETING AND ADVERTISING”
(CODE 43342 )
TABLE OF CONTENTS
I. Self-evaluation Report
Introduction 3
1. Study Programme Aims and Objectives 4
2. Organization of the Study Programme 4
3. Study Programme Description 5
4. System of Evaluation 6
5. Practical Implementation of the Study Programme 7
5.1. Forms of Studies 7
5.2. Relation Between Contact Hours and Students’ Independent Work 8
5.3. Plan of Studies 8
5.4. Research Activities of Akademic Staff and Student Involvement 8
6. Study Programme’s Prospective Analysis 11
6.1. Study Programme Quantitative Divisions 12
7. Students of the Programme 13
7.1. Number of Students in the Programme 13
7.2. Student surveys 13
8. Evaluation of the Academic Staff Engaged in the Study Programme 15
9. Sources of Financing and Provision of the Infrastructure 16
10. External Relations 17
10.1. Comparison of the Programme with the Programmes of the Highest Educational Establishments 17
11. Programme`s Development Plan 20
12. Continuation of Studies in Case of Liquidation of the Programme 21
II. Appendices
Appendix No. 1 Statement about the takeover of the study 23
Appendix No. 2 List of the Academic Staff engaged in the programme.
And the statement about the compliance of the academic staff with the criteria established for the accreditation of the highest educational
institution 24
Appendix No. 3 CVs of the Academic staff engaged in the Programme 27
Appendix No. 4 Descriptions of the study courses within the study programme 94
Appendix No. 5 Sample of the Diploma to be Issued and the Diploma Supplement 145
Appendix No.6 List of the Programme study courses and academic staff in charge 149
Appendix No. 7 Documents which confirm the content of the Programme and employers’ assessment of the programme 154
Appendix No. 8 List of the rest of the documents required for the accreditation which are located in the Department of Regional Economy and Business 154
Confirmed
at Riga Stradins University
Senate Meeting 21.oktober, 2008
Protocol Nr.1-2/21.10.08.
I. Self-evaluation Report
of Bachelor’s Degree Programme
“International Marketing and Advertising”
RSU Faculty of European Studies
Department of Regional Economics and Business
Riga, LV-1007, 16 Dzirciema Street,
Tel: 67409184
The programme licensed 17.05.2007. Nr. 04055-32
Licence expiry date April 26, 2010
Introduction
The importance of establishing a Bachelor’s degree programme “International Marketing and Advertising” stems from the necessity to train highly qualified specialists in the fields of marketing and advertising. Since Latvia joined the European Union both the demand for high-level specialists and students’ motivation for obtaining a degree in high-demand fields has increased.
The Bachelor’s degree programme “International Marketing and Advertising” is established based on the following principles:
1. Its content reflects the latest international theoretical and practical approaches to marketing theory and advertising. Therefore, the dynamic changes taking place in Latvian and international corporations and organizations, which are related to the expansion of global market opportunities, innovation and new product implementation, rise in consumers’ standards of living and rapid development of communication technologies, have been taken into account when selecting the courses to be included in the study programme.
2. The specialists involved in the realization of the study programme “International Marketing and Advertising” are not only highly competent in the issues related to marketing and advertising theory, but are also engaged in research and are regarded as experts and practitioners in the fields of market research and advertising.
3. The study programme “International Marketing and Advertising” complies with the requirements for a Bachelor's degree programme and the state standards for higher education. Thus, this programme is comparable with other Bachelor’s degree programmes in Latvia and abroad, however, its content is different from that of other similar programmes.
1. Study Programme Aims and Objectives
The significance of the Bachelor’s degree programme “International Marketing and Advertising” is determined by the current demand for highly qualified specialists in the fields of marketing and advertising, which sets high standards of specialist training.
The aim of the Bachelor’s degree programme “International Marketing and Advertising” is to prepare knowledgeable professionals in marketing and advertising, equipping them with theoretical knowledge and practical skills, and to encourage them to pursue their studies at the Master’s level and work in different organizations and agencies.
The objectives of the Bachelor’s degree programme “International Marketing and Advertising” are:
· to promote the acquisition of theoretical knowledge and development of research skills in the field of marketing;
· to provide knowledge in the basic disciplines of economics, business management, marketing and advertising, and to prepare academically educated social science specialists;
· to promote students’ understanding of marketing, as an integral part of business management, and advertising, as a means of communication, and their future development;
· to develop students’ skills in obtaining information and ability to apply theoretical knowledge gained;
· to enable the students to conduct analytical research, using different research methods for solving specific problems, and to apply research findings in practice;
· to develop students’ teamwork skills through planning and carrying out projects and research work and to promote their creative and critical thinking;
· to prepare the undergraduates for their studies at a Master’s level;
· to facilitate students/specialists’ competitiveness in the local and the European labour markets and to ensure that their competitiveness is grounded in sound theoretical knowledge and outstanding competence in marketing and advertising.
2. Organization of the Study Programme
The implementation of the programme began in academic year 2007/2008 after receiving a license Nr. 04055-32. A lot of students showed their interest in the programme: 109 students enrolled on the programme in academic year 2008/2009, 69 of them being first-year students and 40 – second-year students. The realization and development of the programme “International Marketing and Advertising” is included in the strategic development plan of RSU Faculty of European Studies. The programme is provided by the Department of Regional Economics and Business, which offers two Bachelor’s degree programmes since 1998/1999 academic year, namely “European Economics and Business” and “Small and Medium Business Management”. The establishment of the new programme took place within the framework of further development of the department and its necessity was advocated by both the alumni and prospective employers. The department’s staff and the students took active participation in the improvement of the study process, carrying out various student and employer surveys. The quality management development system, introduced in Riga Stradins University, meets international and national standards (LVS EN ISO 9001:2000 un LVS EN 45013:1989), helping to detect all the inconsistencies in the organization and realization of the teaching/learning process. This system implies constant contact with the students, taking into account their suggestions for the improvement of the study process and providing feedback to them. Each year this system is up-dated and improved on the basis of external and internal audits.
3. Study Programme Description
The subjects included in the “International Marketing and Advertising” programme’ curriculum can be divided into three categories (See Appendix 4):
A – compulsory subjects which take up 59% of the programme’s volume ;
B – elective subjects which take up 34 % of the total volume;
C – optional subjects which take up 7%.
Table 1
A, B and C-part subjects’ proportion according to the quantity of subjects and credit points.
Credit points / SubjectsNumber / % / Number / %
A-part / 63 / 53 / 20 / 59
B-part / 33 / 28 / 11 / 34
C-part / 4 / 3 / 2 / 7
Bachelor paper / 20 / 16
A-part subjects (the total number of credit points is 63, and in compliance with the State Higher Education Provisions not less than 50) provide in-depth theoretical knowledge in the basics of economics and business management. B-part subjects (the total number of credit points is 33, and in compliance with the State Higher Education Provisions not less than 20) promote the acquisition of the elements of marketing environment and the study of market segmentation and product positioning methods. To facilitate the development of students’ theoretical knowledge, quantitative and qualitative market research methods are studied. Moreover, to develop practical skills, the following courses are provided: marketing model imitation based on the existing product, international brand building and management and direct and interactive marketing. In addition, the students receive knowledge about advertising as one of the means of communication, about product promotion methods and organization and planning of an advertising campaign. C-part subjects (the total number of credit points is 4) give an opportunity to learn about norms and laws governing advertising, consumer rights protection, etc. “International Marketing and Advertising” programme’s courses have been selected based on the following criteria:
- to avoid duplication of the courses provided by the other two Bachelor’s degree programmes;
- to involve highly-qualified local and foreign specialists and teaching staff;
- to make the study programme meet the latest trends in the field of marketing and marketing theory;
- to follow the direction outlined in the RSU and the Faculty of European Studies’ strategic development plan.
Besides, the students enrolled on the programme also study foreign languages – English, German, French or Spanish. Some of the offered courses are delivered in English, since language competence plays an important role in establishing and maintaining business relationships, as well as for reading specialist books in the original.
Students’ professional growth is facilitated by attending guest lectures, which are given by notable Latvian and foreign specialists, scientists and marketing and advertising agencies’ executives. The lectures offered include:
- “www.badab.lv or What Can Go Wrong in Advertising” Ģ. Ozoliņš, Director of the advertising agency Euro RSCG Rīga;
- “Leadership and Motivation” A.Vīksna, Executive Director of the publishing house Business Information Service;
- “Advertising Market and its Development” V.Tilgalis, Manager of the advertising agency Mediapool Latvia.
-
4. System of Evaluation
Study process as well as the evaluation at the department of Regional Economics and Business takes place in accordance with unified principles. The system of evaluation in each particular course of studies is provided in the description of the study course. Knowledge is assessed in a ten-grade scale and the sum of all grades forms the final assessment.
Acquisition of the study material is evaluated with the following check-up forms:
Attendance of the lectures and seminars;
Participation and the quality of answers at the seminars;
3. Summaries of a lecture or a seminar and problem essays, the aim of which is to develop the ability to reproduce the acquired material and the ability to record relevant and important information;
4. A report or an individual project. The aim of the report is to develop the students’ ability to analyse, to see the basic problems of the issue, to evaluate alternative opinions, to offer one’s own opinion and giving its justification;
5. An examination. The schedule of examinations is drawn up in accordance with the terms of study course realization within the system of learning cycles, i.e. at the end of study courses, providing 5 free days before each examination.
At the end of each module students take examinations. Evaluation of students’ knowledge and skills is of complex nature. Both the first and the second year „International Marketing and Advertising” study programme students receive the final mark in all the courses planned for a particular academic year. The main components which form the grade are the students’ activity and knowledge they show during the seminar classes, evaluation in the tests, the quality of essays and summaries, grades of the report and the examination.
The student’s knowledge and skills are evaluated on an on-going basis, and the complex nature of the evaluation motivates the students to work systematically throughout the whole semester. During the academic year check-up of the acquisition of the study material is carried out, the dates for submission of essays, reports, course works are tightly controlled. At the end of spring term the defence of course works for the first and the second year students takes place, each student receives a grade not only for his/her own work but also for the review of the peer’s work.
At the end of the internship, which takes place in summer after the second year of studies, each student submits an internship report and an evaluation sheet from the internship supervisor, which serves as a basis for the internship grade. At the end of each semester the students are informed about the average final mark, which is calculated taking all the marks of the semester. The department carries out a systematic work with the students having academic debts, they are summoned to the meeting of the department where they give explanations about the causes of their debts and undertake obligations to settle them.
5. Practical Implementation of the Study Programme
5.1. Forms of Studies
The process of studies is organized according to the module system. It means that the students simultaneously study only three profiling study courses and some of the non-profiling courses – languages or the C part subjects. The main forms of studies within the study programme are lectures, where the study material is delivered in accordance with the study programme and the description of the study course; seminars and practical classes as well as the students’ independent work. The following teaching/learning methods are employed within the programme: concretization of the acquired theoretical knowledge during the seminars; analysis of the problem situation; tests; preparation of home assignments and reports; development and defence of individual and group projects. The number of the students who take part in seminars is not more than 20-25, which gives a possibility to check the students’ knowledge and readiness for the seminar qualitatively. The lecturer works out a course description for each study course, which is the basic document reflecting the main principles of the study process – aim of the course, objectives, content (themes of the lectures and seminars, list of literature, questions for the seminars, themes for the reports). In order to make the acquisition of the material easier, the copies of the compulsory literature and handouts are prepared.