Rethinking the Newcastle University Business School (NUBS) Approach to Professional Body Relationships: A Critical Examination of Student Value

Overview, Context and Literature

Universities often collaborate with professional bodies to secure accreditations for a range of business degrees. While these accreditations and their associated “badges” are valuable for marketing purposes, the potential for such partnerships to contribute long-term value to the curriculum and student experience remains an underexplored area (Johnson & Ulseth, 2017; Izuegbu, 2007).

For instance, our relationship with the Direct Marketing Association (DMA) exemplifies how professional body partnerships can transcend basic accreditation (Pepple et al. 2025). Through initiatives such as professional boot camps, inclusive standards addressing hidden disabilities, exam exemptions, and industry engagement opportunities like judging panels, the DMA collaboration has enriched the student experience in tangible ways.

The significance of this partnership lies in its ability to go beyond the mere acquisition of a badge (Dražeta, 2023). It raises a critical question: How can relationships with professional bodies meaningfully enhance the student experience? This paper explores the transformative impact of such collaborations, offering a critical examination of MSc Digital Marketing students’ perspectives on their engagement with the Data & Marketing Association (DMA).

Methods and Thematic Data Analysis

A focus group was conducted in April 2025 with 12 of our MSc Digital Marketing students, taking part in April 2025. The session followed a semi-structured approach (Ruslin, et al 2022), with themes drawn from existing literature to guide the questions (Ruslin, et al 2022). The focus group lasted 1.5 hours, and the data was analysed using template analysis (King, 1998) to identify key themes from the student perspectives on relationships with professional bodies.

Through thematic analysis, six major themes emerged:

1. The role of university ranking in student decision-making.
2. The alignment of professional qualifications with academic degree content.
3. The value students place on practical learning opportunities provided by professional bodies.
4. Student desire for more practice-based digital marketing content.
5. Opportunities for increased face-to-face engagement between students and the professional body.
6. The importance of assessments being aligned with industry-relevant practices.

Each theme drawn from the focus groups revealed key insights and conclusions:

1. The Role of University Ranking in Student Decision-Making

Contrary to some findings in the literature (Johnson & Ulseth, 2017; Izuegbu, 2007), students indicated that professional body accreditation was not a key factor in their decision-making during university selection. Instead, significant emphasis was placed on university rankings, particularly the league tables and membership in the Russell Group. Most students admitted they were unaware of the professional body at the application stage and only became aware of it after commencing their studies.

2. The Alignment of Professional Qualifications with Academic Degree Content

A small number of students expressed interest in undertaking professional qualifications, noting the transferable benefits after graduation. However, they also highlighted a disconnect between the level of the qualifications (typically Level 4) and their postgraduate degree (Level 7). Half of the focus group stressed the importance of qualifications being aligned with the academic level of their degree, while the other half felt the level itself was less relevant, focusing instead on industry applicability.

3. The Value Students Place on Practical Learning Opportunities Provided by Professional Bodies

Hands-on learning and real-world problem-solving were highly valued by students. They expressed strong interest in applying their knowledge to authentic business contexts, such as running live social media campaigns or analysing and using real data to make marketing decisions.

4. Desire for More Practice-Based Digital Marketing Content

Although university rankings influenced their decision to enrol, students voiced a strong desire for more practical content throughout their studies. While some modules were praised for incorporating practical elements effectively, students felt this was inconsistent across the programme. They suggested clearer signposting of how modules align with the activities and standards of the DMA. Currently, they felt this alignment was disjointed and not clearly integrated into the curriculum.

5. Opportunities for Increased Face-to-Face Engagement with the Professional Body

Students expressed a strong preference for meeting representatives from the professional body in person. Due to resource and scheduling constraints, current engagement primarily includes pre-recorded videos and university tutor updates. While students appreciated these efforts, they strongly preferred live interaction, either through in-person sessions or live webinars, believing this would significantly enhance their experience and connection with the professional body.

6. The Importance of Assessments Being Aligned with Industry-Relevant Practices

Students emphasised that their primary focus during their studies is on assessments. While they acknowledged the existence of extracurricular activities, their priority remains academic achievement. This highlights the need to design assessments that incorporate practical, real-world elements in ways that also align with academic objectives. Ensuring industry relevance within assessments is key to maximising student engagement and employability outcomes.

Conclusion

Taking this research forward has led to the dissemination of findings with the professional body, and it will also be shared with other university tutors via DMA. To improve our MSc Digital Marketing programme, the following steps are recommended:

Internal Programme Improvements

• Create a student-friendly roadmap for the MSc Digital Marketing programme that clearly signposts where and how professional skills are integrated across the course.
• Host an annual visit from the DMA at the start of each academic year, ideally face-to-face, to aid student engagement and awareness.

Recommendations for the Professional Body

• Introduce a student-led session, where alumni share their experiences of working with the DMA (e.g., via Creative Data Studio, summer schools, or student competitions). This could be delivered cost-effectively through an online format and opened to all universities.
• Develop an annual hands-on session with Creative Data Studio in the North East, facilitated by the DMA. This would offer students across North East universities the opportunity to work directly with data and a real-life organisation.
• Enhance the DMA Student Competition (a national level) by including additional data in the case study brief. For example, insights from previous campaigns or data on tools such as social media platforms.

References

Dražeta, L. (2023). Education reimagined: ey badges and degrees. FINIZ 2023-Sustainable development as a measure of modern business success, 109-113.

Izuegbu, V. E. (2007). Students as designers of their own life curricula: reconstruction of experience in education through thoughtful deliberative action. Journal of Thought, 42(3-4), 39-53.

King, N. (1998). Template analysis.

Pepple, D. G., Akaighe, G. O., Sambo, A., George-Aremu, O., Bosah, G., & Trollman, H. (2025). Using guest lectures to enhance student employability: pedagogical considerations. Cogent Education, 12(1), 2452076.

Ruslin, R., Mashuri, S., Rasak, M. S. A., Alhabsyi, F., & Syam, H. (2022). Semi-structured Interview: A methodological reflection on the development of a qualitative research instrument in educational studies. IOSR Journal of Research & Method in Education (IOSR-JRME), 12(1), 22-29.

Ulseth, R. R., & Johnson, B. (2017). Self-directed learning development in PBL engineering students. International Journal of Engineering Education, 33(3), 1018–1030.