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Ghana’s UPSA and CIMG unveil new BSc applied marketing programme
By our African Marketing Confederation News Team | 2026
Partnership aims to produce a new generation of globally competitive marketing professionals in Ghana.
The University of Professional Studies, Accra (UPSA), in partnership with the Chartered Institute of Marketing, Ghana (CIMG), has officially launched a Bachelor of Science (BSc) in Applied Marketing programme, the first of its kind in the sub-region to integrate an academic degree with a direct pathway to professional marketing qualification.
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The programme enables students to earn a UPSA degree while simultaneously meeting requirements for the CIMG Professional Marketing Qualifications (PMQ). Graduates will automatically qualify for the Professional Diploma in Marketing under CIMG, positioning them as ‘Chartered Marketers in the making’ and ready for immediate industry impact.
Approximately 40% of the course load is aligned with CIMG professional papers, ensuring that academic instruction is closely integrated with industry standards. The curriculum focuses on emerging and high-demand areas including Artificial Intelligence in Marketing, Marketing Metrics, Ethics and Sustainability Marketing, and Strategic Brand Management.
The initiative was conceptualised under the tenure of immediate past CIMG National President, Dr Daniel Kasser Tee, whose vision promoted stronger integration between academia and professional practice.
The current CIMG National President, Mr Michael Abbiw, described the programme as a major step forward in Ghana’s education landscape, noting that it bridges the gap between theory and professional mastery while creating a pipeline of ethical, innovative marketing leaders.
Embedded professional content
CIMG Chief Examiner, Dr Francis Mensah Sasraku, emphasised the strategic curriculum alignment, stating that graduates will be automatically eligible for CIMG’s Professional Diploma in Marketing due to the embedded professional content.
UPSA Vice-Chancellor, Professor John Kwaku Mensah Mawutor, reaffirmed that the programme aligns with the university’s statutory mandate to deliver both academic and professional education, equipping students with a comprehensive understanding of marketing within a broader business context.
The programme has received formal approval from the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC), endorsing it as a forward-looking model that strengthens collaboration between academia and industry to meet evolving labour market demands.
Through CIMG’s partnerships with the African Marketing Confederation and the Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM-UK), qualifications earned under the programme will carry international recognition, enhancing graduates’ global competitiveness.
“The launch reinforces UPSA’s leadership in professional education and strengthens CIMG’s mandate to regulate and promote marketing practice in Ghana, producing a new generation of globally competitive marketing professionals,” the two organisations say in a statement.
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