Major: Marketing

Information page applicable to all universities in Vietnam. Reference data from multiple sources (e.g., UEH) and structured in 3 layers for easy reading: Overview → Study & Career → Advanced Resources.

Layer 1 – Quick Overview

What is Marketing?

  • Market research, brand building
  • Communications & Digital Marketing
  • Effectiveness measurement & cost optimization

Duration & Credits

Duration: 4 years (7 main semesters + 1 internship)

Total credits: 110

General knowledge ~20%Foundation ~30%Major ~40%Internship ~10%

Notable Career Opportunities

  • Brand/Marketing Executive → Manager
  • Social Media / Performance Marketing
  • Research Analyst, PR & Communications

Average Income (Vietnam)

Fresh graduate7–12 million/month
3–5 years15–30 million/month
6+ years30–80+ million/month

Representative Universities

  • Ho Chi Minh City: UEH, VNU-HCM, HCMUT, HCMIU, HSU, UEL
  • Hanoi: NEU, VNU-Hanoi, FTU
  • Da Nang: Duy Tan, DUE

Suitable for whom?

  • Love communications, creative content
  • Interested in data, measurement & experimentation
  • Sensitive to trends & user behavior

Layer 2 – Study & Career Details

Detailed Curriculum

By semester (condensed)

SemesterCreditsNotes
1–238Basics + English
3–438Foundation courses
5–634Major + electives (12 credits)
710Internship & graduation

Representative Courses

  • Basic: Marxist-Leninist Philosophy, Political Economy, Economic Math, Business English
  • Foundation: Microeconomics, Macroeconomics, Accounting Principles, Business Law, International Business
  • Major: Marketing Fundamentals, Consumer Behavior, Marketing Research, Brand Management, Integrated Marketing Communications, Digital Marketing
  • Hot – AI & Technology: Social media & mobile marketing, AI Applications in Marketing, Social Media Data Analysis, ERP, Business Simulation
Subject Explorer – Course Explanations

Click on each course to see: what to study – why it's important – skills – tools – assessment methods – related careers – difficulty – prerequisites – project examples. This section helps you self-assess fit to avoid choosing the wrong major.

MKT101Marketing FundamentalsSemester 1–2 · Prereq: · Difficulty: Easy

Overview: Introduction to the comprehensive 4P/7P, STP, customer journey, and the role of marketing in business.

Why study: Foundation for all specialized courses; Helps screen whether you fit marketing thinking

Skills: 4P Analysis, Customer Persona, Brief Writing

Tools: Canva, Google Docs/Slides

Assessment: Quiz, Small Cases, Presentations

Related careers: Marketing Executive, Brand Intern

Sample project: Analyze 4P for Vietnamese milk brand and propose 3 seasonal promotions.

CBH201Consumer BehaviorSemester 3 · Prereq: MKT101 · Difficulty: Moderate

Overview: Psychology – society – economics influencing purchase decisions.

Why study: Serves STP & positioning; Reduces insight misalignment risk

Skills: Persona, Customer journey, Survey design

Tools: Google Forms, SPSS/R, Sheets

Assessment: Survey, Insight report, Presentation

Related careers: Insight Analyst, Planner, Brand Executive

Sample project: Compare Gen Z urban vs rural behavior during Tet and communication implications.

RES301Marketing ResearchSemester 3–4 · Prereq: CBH201 · Difficulty: Hard

Overview: Design qualitative/quantitative research, sampling, data collection – cleaning, testing.

Why study: Data-driven decisions; Measure effectiveness

Skills: Questionnaire design, Descriptive/inferential analysis, A/B testing

Tools: SPSS, JASP, Excel

Assessment: Midterm + Final, Project with dataset

Related careers: Market Research Analyst, Data Analyst (jr)

Sample project: Brand funnel survey n>=200, improvement recommendations.

BRD302Brand ManagementSemester 5 · Prereq: · Difficulty: Moderate

Overview: Building brand assets, architecture & positioning.

Why study: Core of Brand profession; Long-term ROI impact

Skills: Brand positioning, Brand key, Creative brief

Tools: Miro, Figma

Assessment: Case study, Brand plan

Related careers: Brand Executive, Brand Manager (long-term)

IMC303Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC)Semester 4–5 · Prereq: · Difficulty: Moderate

Overview: Multi-channel communication plan: objectives, messaging, budget, release schedule.

Why study: Connects brand & performance; Optimizes spending

Skills: Media planning, 360° campaign, KPIs

Tools: Meta Ads, Google Ads, Gantt

Assessment: Campaign plan, Pitch deck

Related careers: Account/Planner, Media Planner

DIG401Marketing in the Digital AgeSemester 6 · Prereq: · Difficulty: Moderate

Overview: SEO/SEM, social, content, automation, attribution; end-to-end campaign operations.

Why study: Essential for work; Easy early internships

Skills: Campaign setup, Tracking, Reporting

Tools: GA4, GTM, Search Console, Ahrefs

Assessment: Test campaign run, Final report

Related careers: Performance, SEO, Content

AI405AI Applications in MarketingSemester 5–6 · Prereq: · Difficulty: Moderate

Overview: AI for sentiment, segmentation, CLV prediction & content support.

Why study: Cost savings; Accelerate decisions

Skills: Prompting, Data preprocessing, Dashboard

Tools: ChatGPT, MonkeyLearn, Looker Studio

Assessment: Mini-hackathon, AI report prototype

Related careers: Growth/Automation, Insights Analyst

Career Path & 10 Specialization Areas
0–1 years

Sales/Account, Marketing/Brand, Social Media, Agency

3–5 years

Team Lead / Department Manager

5–10 years

Department Head / Director / CMO

1. Social Media & Digital Engagement
  • Social Media Executive/Manager
  • Strategist
  • Community Manager
  • Influencer Specialist
2. Strategic & Brand Marketing
  • Brand Executive/Manager
  • Product Marketing
  • Marketing Director
  • CMO
3. Performance & Paid Media
  • Performance Specialist
  • PPC
  • Media Buyer
  • Retargeting
4. Growth & Data-Driven
  • Growth Marketer
  • Automation
  • CRM/Email
  • CRO
5. Event & Experiential
  • Event Coordinator
  • Activation
  • Experiential Manager
6. PR & Communications
  • PR Exec/Manager
  • Corp Comms
  • Media Relations
  • Crisis Comms
7. Market Research & Analytics
  • Research Analyst
  • Consumer Insights
  • Data Analyst
  • CI Analyst
8. Agency Roles
  • Account Exec/Manager
  • Creative Director
  • Media Planner/Buyer
9. Content & Creative
  • Content Exec
  • Strategist
  • Copywriter
  • Video/Design
10. SEO & Organic
  • SEO Exec/Manager
  • Technical SEO
  • Link-building
  • Content SEO
Marketing Terms – Reference & Examples
Ads
CPCPitfall

Cost per click.

Example: Spend 5 million, 10,000 clicks → CPC = 500 VND.

Common mistake: Low CPC doesn't guarantee effectiveness if CR is poor.

CPMPitfall

Cost per 1,000 impressions.

Example: 100,000 impressions, spend 1 million → CPM = 10,000 VND.

Common mistake: Good for reach/awareness goals, doesn't reflect conversions.

CPAPitfall

Cost per acquisition.

Example: 100 orders, spend 20 million → CPA = 200k.

Common mistake: Conversion definition must be clear.

CTRPitfall

Click-through rate.

Example: 100k impressions, 2k clicks → CTR = 2%.

Common mistake: High CTR but low CR → landing page/offer issue.

CRPitfall

Conversion rate.

Example: 2,000 visitors, 40 orders → CR = 2%.

Common mistake: Wrong event tracking → false CR.

ROASPitfall

Revenue / advertising spend.

Example: Revenue 200M, spend 50M → ROAS = 4.

Common mistake: Doesn't include COGS/other costs → false optimism.

Finance
ROIPitfall

Return on investment.

Example: Net profit 20M / spend 50M → ROI = 40%.

Common mistake: Different from ROAS – don't confuse.

Strategy
STP

Segmentation – Targeting – Positioning.

Example: Target urban Gen Z sports lovers; position as 'dynamic'.

IMC

Integrated multi-channel communications.

USP

Unique selling proposition.

Measurement
KPI

Key performance indicators for evaluating objectives.

Digital
SEOPitfall

Search engine optimization to increase organic traffic.

Common mistake: Requires content + technical; slow results.

SEM

Search engine marketing (SEO + Ads).

SMM

Social media marketing.

CRO

Conversion rate optimization.

Example: A/B test headlines, reduce form steps.

Tip: Compare ROAS and ROI when evaluating effectiveness; don't just look at CPC/CTR alone.

Hiring Companies & Notable Agencies
Large Enterprises/Brands
  • Unilever, P&G, Nestlé, Vinamilk, Masan
  • Shopee, Lazada, Tiki, MoMo, VNG
  • Vingroup, Sun Group, FPT, Bayer VN
Agency & Media House
  • Ogilvy, Dentsu, TBWA, BBDO, Leo Burnett
  • GroupM, Mindshare, Publicis, Novaon
  • Redder, Golden Communication, SEONGON, GTV SEO
Management Trainee (MT) – Vietnam Tracker
ProgramIndustryTimeline (annual)Key BenefitsEntry Requirements
Unilever UFLPFMCGMar–AprRotation 3–4 departments, mentor, management trackGPA ≥ 7.0/10; Good English; ≤2 years exp
P&G MTFMCGFeb–MarSpecialized training, global projectsGPA ≥ 3.0/4.0; Fluent English
Nestlé MTFMCGApr–MayMulti-department rotation, leadershipGPA ≥ 7.0/10; Good English
Shopee Graduate ProgramE-commerceJun–JulRotation mkt/ops/product; mentorGPA ≥ 3.0/4.0; Good analytical skills
Lazada Future LeadersE-commerceJul–AugSEA regional rotationGPA ≥ 3.0/4.0; Willing to relocate
VNG Fresh GradTechSep–OctProduct rotation, technical & business mentorGPA ≥ 7.0/10; Teamwork skills
Vingroup MAPMultiMay–JunMulti-industry rotation, large projectsGPA ≥ 3.2/4.0; Leadership potential
Masan Young TalentFMCG/RetailAug–SepFMCG & retail rotationGPA ≥ 7.0/10; Good English
GroupM GraduateMediaApr–MayMedia planning/buying/digitalGPA ≥ 3.0/4.0; Media passion
IPSOS/NielsenIQ GPResearchJun–JulMarket research, analyticsGPA ≥ 7.0/10; Data analysis skills

*Suggestion: universities/Edunest can update application links by recruitment season.

Layer 3 – References & Advanced Skills

Marketing Tools & Software (grouped by purpose)
1) Campaign Management & Ads

Meta Ads Manager, AdEspresso, Qwaya, Hootsuite Social Advertising

2) SEO & Competitor Analysis

Ahrefs, SEMrush, Moz, Google Search Console, Screaming Frog

3) Content & Design

Canva, Adobe CC, Figma, VistaCreate

4) Video Marketing

Premiere Pro, Final Cut Pro, CapCut, Animoto, InVideo

5) Automation & CRM

HubSpot, Marketo, ActiveCampaign, Keap, Zoho, Salesforce, Pipedrive

6) Analytics & Tracking

GA4, Hotjar (heatmap), Mixpanel, Looker Studio, Tableau

7) Social Listening

Brandwatch, Sprout Social, BuzzSumo, Talkwalker, Emplifi

8) Research & Survey

SurveyMonkey, Typeform, Google Forms, Qualtrics, Toluna

Sample Course: Consumer Behavior

Consumer Behavior provides psychological – social – economic foundations to understand why consumers buy and how marketers turn insights into STP strategy & tactical implementation.

  • Vietnam Case: Gen Z vs Millennials; urban (Ho Chi Minh City) vs rural differences; Tet season, wedding ceremonies.
  • Content: culture, social class, reference groups, personality/motivation/emotion, memory – learning.
  • Learning outcomes: mapping decision journey, identifying influencing factors, translating insights into strategy, building data-driven segment profiles.
Recommended Textbooks (EN & VI)
English
  1. Schiffman & Wisenblit – Consumer Behavior (13e)
  2. Michael Solomon – Buying, Having, and Being (13e)
  3. Hoyer, MacInnis, Pieters – Consumer Behavior
  4. Hawkins & Mothersbaugh – Building Marketing Strategy (14e)
  5. Adele Revella – Buyer Personas
Vietnamese
  1. Consumer Behavior – Dr. Le Thi Thu Ha
  2. Consumer Behavior: Theory & Practice – Assoc.Prof.Dr. Nguyen Thi Minh An
  3. Marketing Fundamentals – Kotler & Armstrong (translated)
  4. Consumer Psychology – Nguyen Cong Khanh
  5. Modern Marketing – Philip Kotler (translated)
Online Learning Resources (YouTube, Websites, Vietnam)
YouTube
  • Neil Patel
  • HubSpot
  • Marketing Examples
  • Google Analytics/Ads (Official)
  • Ahrefs
International Websites
  • HubSpot Blog
  • Adweek, Marketing Week
  • Social Media Examiner
  • Think with Google
Vietnam Sources
  • Brands Vietnam
  • Advertising Vietnam
  • Vietcetera
  • CafeBiz, CafeF
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