CIM and CAM have special guidelines and Oxford College of Marketing have adapted these guidelines to help you to enter at the highest level possible. In order for us to advise you, you will need to speak to your local Centre Manager or the Distance Learning Manager Ray Murphy. It may be possible for you to attend our Graduate Foundation Programme to give you a basic understanding of marketing theory and therefore enter the CIM ladder at a more advanced stage.

If you start your studies with us, and are unhappy with your level, please let us know as soon as possible and we will move you to another level.

Beware!
Some colleges follow the CIM guidelines rigorously, not taking into account previous unrelated industry experience or study. This means you may well find yourself having to complete another year of study because you have been put on the wrong course. Also be aware that some colleges who are short of numbers will recommend a course to students in order to fill classes, receive funding and run the qualification. This qualification may not necessarily be the best level for that student.

How long will my course take?

All the timings below are approximate and based upon a typical student who works full time and studies part time. If you have extra time on your hands, it may be possible to fast track through the qualifications. We can generally tailor a course and find tutors to suit you, so if you have any queries about this, please do speak to us.

Introductory Certificate in Marketing - 6 months.
Professional Certificate in Marketing – 12 months
Professional Diploma in Marketing – 12 – 18 months
Professional Postgraduate Diploma (Stage 1) - 12 – 18 months
Professional Postgraduate Diploma (Stage 2) – 6-12 months

Digital Marketing Courses (CAM) about 12 months depending on your exemptions

Communications Course (CAM) about 12 months depending on your exemptions

Diploma in Marketing Communications

Enrolling with Oxford College of Marketing means that you do not have to worry about how long a course will take, because if you do not complete in the recommended time, unlike other colleges we will not charge you more! It also means that if you take your time, you are more likely to do well and pass first time.

Who will teach me?

We use a mixture of marketing practitioners with current experience, consultants, academics and examiners. For all our assignment, distance learning and classroom teaching, we only use English speaking, mainly UK based tutors who have been interviewed by the Oxford College of Marketing Academic team and whose main language is English.

Beware!
Some colleges, in order to reduce their costs, use tutors who are not as highly trained and experienced as ours. You may find their courses are much cheaper - but the advice and support will not be the same as the support given by our specialist marketing practitioners. We only use reliable English speaking tutors who have passed our rigorous interview process.

How long will I receive Support from OCOM?

If you are coming to class as an evening or weekend student, you can come to class until you pass your exams / assignments. Most students who have completed the classroom aspect of the course prefer to use the online learning system and work from home on either past exam practice papers or with their assignment tutor.
If you are a pure Distance Learning student with no classroom attendance, we give extremely generous support terms. For the Introductory Certificate course, we offer support until you pass.
If you take longer, we will only charge you for assignment tutor fees.
Beware!
Some colleges will charge you another full fee if you do not complete a course within 12 / 24 months.

Will someone check I am on the right track?

Throughout your course, you will be contacted by tutors to check that you are managing your workload. If you are working on an examination module, you will need to submit homework for our team to mark and give feedback on.
If you are working on an assignment module, you will be supported by an assignment tutor who will guide you through your project and provide feedback at certain times throughout the timetable. All our students are supported by their Centre Manager and there is also a Learning Support Manager will be available to guide you through the course and be your daily point of contact should you need any help with anything.

Are there any hidden charges?

The only other charges you will need to pay for are your CIM / CAM membership and assessment fees. These differ depending on the level of qualification. Please see the chart below:

	First Year Membership		Assessment fees
Intro Cert	Europe	Other Areas	Assignments	Examinations
Intro. Cert.	£120	£85	£55	£55
Prof. Certificate	£120	£85	£70	£70
Prof. Diploma	£200	£125	£80	£80
Prof. Postgraduate Diploma Stage 1	£280	£165	£90	£90
Prof. Postgraduate Diploma Stage 2	£360	£165	£360	n/a
Subsequent Year Membership – All levels	£120	£85
CAM Qualifications	£140	£85	£85	£65

You may also like to buy some books to support your studies. The costs for these vary.

Beware!
Some colleges will charge you another full fee if you do not complete a course within a certain time frame.

What happens if I need to defer or stop studying due to work or personal reasons?

We understand that life is complicated and always take a compassionate position as far as student’s lives are concerned.

How many hours study should I set aside for study?

This is a little complicated as it will depend on how much prior knowledge you have. We estimate between 5 and 10 hours a week is normal. Be warned - approaching examination time or assignment submission date, you may be putting many extra hours in!

What happens if I fail a module?

If you fail, you will need to retake your module again. If you fail an exam module, we recommend that you revise and practice as many exam questions as you can. There is no extra charge for this.

With an assignment module, you need a personal tutor to help guide you through the project and provide feedback. Your original fee includes one assignment tutor per assignment module. So, if you fail, you will need to pay for tutor support again. This is between £120 and £150 depending on what level you are studying.

If you fail the Analysis and Decision module of the PGDiploma, you will be charged half the fees again to re attend classes.

What are your pass rates?

Our exam pass rate for the last 4 years has been between 83% and 87%, We are consistently within the top 2 performing CIM accredited colleges.

Our assignment pass rate is 95%.

Oxford College of Marketing students have also received special prizes for outstanding exam and assignment papers:
Global prize winner for Strategic Marketing Decisions 2009 Professional Post Graduate Diploma Lauren McPeak.
Global prize winner for Managing Marketing in Practice 2008 Professional Diploma Anna Johnson.
Global prize winner for Managing Marketing Performance 2007 Professional Post Graduate Diploma Laura Horncastle.

I need to change my study mode – is this OK?

Oxford College of Marketing have 13 centres in the UK, which run a mixture of part time evening, intensive weekends or blended learning and pure distance learning. If you find that your study mode is not suiting you or you wish to change venue, just let us know!

Can I study the modules in any order?

As a Distance Learning student you can start anytime - so this is not an issue for you.

For classroom students, we do have a preferred order of study but please do not panic if you find yourself enrolling after September. We provide catch up weekends, webinars, podcasts and extra syllabus material to make sure that students can enrol successfully throughout the academic year.

Where can I get my books from?

As a Distance Learner you will get 4 books from us – but if you want any more books you can order them form CIM Direct or Amazon.

Which books are recommended?

Full book lists are available on the online learning System when you are enrolled.

My first language is not English, do I need to prove my written English is of a certain standard?

International students
You will need to have a high standard of written English to complete your studies. If English is not your first language, the College will require written evidence that you will be able to complete the work (such as achievement of English Language competency IELT level 6.5 or above). A language test may be required. Should your assignments require corrected English, you will be charged an additional £60 an hour for the services of our special English tutor.

What do you get from us?

The latest E-learning technology with webinars, course notes, text book references, web site references, examples and analysis of exam questions, self progress tests, PowerPoint slides and podcasts to act as aide memoirs to each section and video provided by Oxford Learning Lab.

Never feel alone, always feel supported. All courses and levels are totally supported and have access to the online learning system and the support team (by telephone or email). Support to the help desk is unlimited.

Will I be given proper guidance?

We use a mixture of marketing practitioners and experienced marketing lecturers. For all our assignment, distance learning and classroom teaching, we only use English speaking, mainly UK based tutors who have been interviewed by the Oxford College of Marketing Academic team and whose main language is English.

Beware!
Some colleges, in order to reduce their costs, use tutors who are not as highly trained and experienced as ours. You may find their courses are much cheaper - but the advice and support will not be the same as the support given by our specialist marketing practitioners. We only use reliable English speaking tutors who have passed our rigorous interview process.

Will someone check I am on the right track?

Who are our tutors?

You will get superb tuition from real marketing practitioners with current experience, consultants, academics and examiners.

Our online e-learning System

Your study materials include and our online student learning system gives you the backup you need to be able to study anywhere in the world – at home, at work or when travelling. It enables you to plan and read ahead; giving you total control over your learning materials and the flexibility you may
require to suit your lifestyle. Whether you are studying with us in the evenings, over the weekend or entirely online, our online learning System provides a 24/7 gateway to your learning. We take care to ensure that the distance learning option is not a solitary process. You receive ongoing contact from the College and support at all times.
Oxford College of Marketing has introduced the latest Web2 technology. To visit the online learning System demosite please go to www.oxcomlearning.com

Log-in with the username - demosite and password - trynow (both case
sensitive).
Click on the OXCOM Demonstration and then use the options on the left –
green side of the screen to navigate around the site.
To access the sample material, please click the Course Materials (also in
the green column) and then select one of the study levels.
These are great examples of what our Student Learning System can give
you – whatever level or mode of study you are interested in.

How can I pay for my course?

Self funding students – paying by installments or by module
If required a payment plan option is available. When applying for all four modules, an initial payment of 25% of the course fees plus VAT is payable on application with the remainder in 6 monthly installments by standing order. An initial payment of 50% plus VAT is payable on the Introductory Certificate and the Chartered Postgraduate Diploma Stage 2.
Students can also pay for separate modules.
Self funded students may also pay their balance by credit / debit card, credit transfer or cheque.
The initial installment/payments must be paid in advance and no tuition, access to our online learning System or books (for Distance Learning students only) will not be provided until this payment has been received by the college.
Credit card payments
It is possible to pay for your course with a credit card, but you will be liable for an extra 3% charge.