IE School of Social and Behavioral Sciences

The Master in Market Research and Consumer Behavior is an innovative program that emphasizes the development of specific expertise and skills that are needed for career success:

• Pioneering program that combines market research and consumer behavior to give graduates a career advantage.
• Employment-focused curriculum designed in conjunction with industry professionals and based on the needs of employers.

The program consists of three main areas spanning in 10 months: Courses, Projects & Activities.

Courses: Cover these four key areas: Business & Marketing, Consumer Behavior, Research & Analytics, Professional Skills.

Projects: Three projects are developed during the master. The first is the Business Challenge which happens over a weekend. Teams will be assigned to solve a case & present their work in front of a panel of judges. After follows the Market Research Challenge that takes place in a 6-week period. This time teams are working on a project for a client, culminating in a presentation to the client and expert judges. The Final project is the Integration Challenge, developed over 8 weeks in teams. This covers all areas of the program, with emphasis on topic chosen by the team members.

Activities: Speakers from different industry areas (market research, advertising, consumer goods, etc) cover a variety of current/hot topics companies are dealing with. This is complemented by hands-on workshops to give students practical skills in tools, methods in topics such as social media, web mining, and market intelligence among others.

See full list of classes: here.

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The program provides students with three intensive opportunities to gain practical, hands-on experience in applying their acquired knowledge and skills to real-world problems:

• The Business Challenge - takes place over a weekend during the first period of the program. Teams work to solve a marketing case and present their recommendations to a panel of experts.
• The Nielsen Market Research Challenge – runs for 6-weeks during the second period of the program. For the 2012 program, Nielsen will introduce the challenge, provide the data, and host the panel of judges who will evaluate each team's results. This is a fantastic opportunity for our students to gain practical experience and work with one of the global leaders in market research.
• The Integration Challenge –developed over 8 weeks in the third period of the program. Teams are self-organized based on common interests and may opt to pursue data-intensive projects, creative projects, psychological studies, projects for real clients, business plans or any other substantive project that meets the objectives of the challenge.

The program is appropriate for both graduating students and young professionals who are looking for a way to pursue exciting and well-paying market research jobs in the private or public sector.

It welcomes graduates with backgrounds from disciplines such as Marketing, Advertising, Social Sciences (Psychology, Economics, Sociology, others) and Applied Sciences (Computer Science, Engineering, others).

The degree consists of three core modules that provide practical training in: (1) Marketing, Advertising & Communication, (2) Consumer Behavior and Psychology, and (3) Market Research & Analytics. Students conduct a substantial real-world project to gain invaluable hands-on training to help them jump-start their careers. Students also receive advanced training in Leadership to develop their skills in influence and persuasion, teamwork, and verbal communications.

Our graduates face a large and growing job market in which there is a high demand for multi-skilled professionals who are able to conduct market research, understand behavior, and translate their findings directly into business decisions. Market researchers work in a wide range of roles in marketing, product development, advertising, public relations, communications and media, consulting firms, non-profits, political campaigns, and public policy. And because understanding markets and consumers is critical to the success of an organization, there are many upward paths for professionals who begin their career in market research.

If you decide to enroll in our Master in Market Research and Consumer Behavior, you will join a thriving community of more than 85 different nationalities that come to IE in Madrid each year for world-class graduate education. Madrid is one of the great cities of Europe, and IE’s campus is centrally located in the beautiful Salamanca neighborhood – only a few stops on the metro from the cultural and historical center of city, and from the many neighborhoods that make up the life of Madrid.

Companies, non-profits and governments are struggling to design their products, services and policies to better meet the needs of their customers and constituencies. As a result, there is a large and growing demand for market research and consumer behavior professionals who can collect, analyze, and interpret information about how people think, feel and make choices.

Being part of the IE Community is more than just being a student. It's also about being a part of a global network of people sharing a set of common goals and ethical values. You will build a network of contacts with your classmates, professors, and associations and clubs, as you will benefit from the corporate relationships that IE has fostered over the years.

Our rigorous selection process is geared towards selecting those candidates that demonstrate the highest potential. The process is divided into three steps:

• Submission of application form an documents
• Personal Interview
• Final decision

The admissions process is a rolling process and as such there is no deadline for application for a particular intake. More information on the Admissions Process in our Detailed Information.

To be considered for admission, a candidate should provide the following:

• Evidence of completion of a Bachelor degree (or equivalent) from an accredited university. Note: Previous exposure to undergraduate-level statistics is helpful (but not required)
• One-page CV
• Two letters of recommendation
• Official university transcripts (certified translation into English or Spanish)
• English language certificate for non-native English speakers (Cambridge Proficiency, TOEFL, IELTS, EOI). A certificate is not required if you completed an undergraduate degree in English
• Photocopy of current passport
• One passport-size photo
• Duly completed application form, including all supporting documents
• Application fee 120€ (non-refundable and payable by credit card or cash)

Candidates pay a non-refundable application fee of 125€ to cover administrative costs.

The tuition fees for the Master in Market Research & Consumer Behavior for the October 2013 intake total 21,200€, including a 1,200€ contribution to the IE Foundation.

IE Financial Aid Department currently offers a range of scholarships and other financial aid options to help you fund your studies in the Master in Market Research and Consumer Behavior. To learn more, click here

Admission is valid for two years, allowing the successful applicant up to two years to reserve a place on an intake, thus allowing students to plan their experience. To reserve a place on the Master in Market Research & Consumer Behavior, intake students are required to make a deposit of 4.000€ + the contribution to the IE Foundation(1,200€)