Kick-off Course - MSc Marketing 

This course serves as the kick-off event for the 2026 MSc Marketing program cohort. You will have multiple opportunities to familiarize yourself with the program contents, explore WU's various study facilities, and meet your classmates as well as professors and faculty members. This is also your first opportunity to start building your professional network by interacting with company partners from different industries.  

Central elements of the course are research presentations by second-year students and a marketing business case developed with company partners.

Research presentations: The three students with the best master's theses will present their work as part of the Marketmind Thesis Award ( our partnering company awards the three best students). You will be exposed to novel marketing questions and see rigorous research methods in practice. You will see the range of topics students work on and get a first look at the research approaches you will be able to develop over the course of this program. 

Business case challenge: Working in small teams, you will analyze the case, develop a recommendation, and pitch your findings directly to company representatives. You will gain hands-on experience in case analysis, structured argumentation, teamwork, and professional communication. 

Further, through team-building activities, you will have the chance to engage with your classmates and get to know each other. 

By the end of this course, students will:

• Be familiar with the contents and structure of the MSc Program in Marketing, as well as important organizational issues
• Have developed their ability to analyze a business case, discuss the case material, develop a recommendation in teams, and pitch their findings effectively in class
• Have strengthened their ability to quickly structure ideas and presentations and to process information efficiently to form coherent arguments
• Have gained insights into timely marketing topics and rigorous research methods
• Have developed their skills in working effectively in teams
• Have begun building their professional network

Full attendance is highly recommended, as essential information on your upcoming two-year studies in the MSc Marketing program will be provided. Through several teamwork activities, you will set the stage for getting to know your cohort and establishing effective team collaboration. 

The minimum attendance for a passing grade is 80% of class hours. Please note that active participation in the research presentations and business case challenge is mandatory to pass the course. 

The course uses a mix of orientation lectures, teamwork in break-out sessions, and student presentations. Team building elements, group discussions, and networking activities are an integral part of the course.

The course is graded as pass or fail. To receive a passing grade, students need to meet all of the following requirements: 

• Attend the research presentations and actively participate in the discussion
• Complete the company business challenge (teamwork)
• At least 80% attendance (full attendance is highly recommended)

This course is exclusively designed for the 2026 intake of the MSc Marketing program. Thus, admission and enrollment in the program is a mandatory requirement for course participation.

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Contact us via e-mail:

msc.marketing@wu.ac.at 

yana.swoboda@wu.ac.at