The Division of Marketing and Professional Development is an academic unit within Chester Business School, part of the Faculty of Science, Business and Enterprise at the University of Chester, England. Its teaching and research encompass marketing, digital marketing, tourism, events management and professional development. The division is based principally at the University’s Queen’s Park site in Chester and contributes to undergraduate, postgraduate and professional education.

The division’s institutional history includes the Department of Marketing, Tourism and Events Management, a title documented in academic publications by 2009 and used during the 2010s. Published material from the early 2010s identifies Claire Blanchard as head of the department, while Andy Lyon is documented in that position by 2016. Before becoming head, Lyon had led the University’s tourism programmes.

By 2019, the unit was known as the Department of Marketing, Tourism and Destinations. University appointment records identify Maeve Marmion as Associate Professor and Head of Department from January 2019 to June 2023. Tim Brown subsequently headed the department and was identified under this title in documentation for an academic event held in June 2024.

The later designation, Division of Marketing and Professional Development, appears in University recruitment documentation dated May 2025 and remains in use in documents from 2026. Brown was identified as head of the division in published material from 2025. In February 2026, he was appointed Acting Head of Chester Business School. These records establish the use of successive organisational titles, although they do not conclusively establish the date on which the latest name was formally adopted.

Undergraduate provision in the division’s subject areas includes marketing, digital marketing, events management and international tourism management. Combined degrees connect these disciplines with one another and with business management. Examples include Events Management and International Tourism, Events Management and Marketing, and Business Management and Marketing. Tourism and events therefore remain represented in Chester Business School’s teaching portfolio, although they no longer appear in the division’s formal title.

Postgraduate programmes associated with these areas include the MSc Marketing Management, MSc Digital Marketing, MSc International Tourism and Hospitality Management, and MBA with Specialism in Marketing. Marketing teaching addresses international marketing strategy, digital communications, consumer behaviour, brand management and research methods. Digital marketing provision additionally covers subjects such as search engine optimisation, social media, online advertising and campaign evaluation.

Tourism and events teaching examines tourism businesses, destinations, visitor experiences, sustainability and the economic, social and environmental effects of tourism and events. Undergraduate study incorporates practical activities such as event production, consultancy and work placements. At postgraduate level, International Tourism and Hospitality Management addresses customer experiences, sustainable development and contemporary challenges affecting tourism and hospitality organisations.

Professional learning provision includes Professional Development by Negotiated Studies, available through MA, MSc and MBA awards. This programme enables participants to negotiate study pathways and award titles related to their professional practice, drawing on workplace projects and, where appropriate, recognised prior learning. Doctoral provision includes the Doctor of Professional Studies in Negotiated Management Specialism, which supports practitioner research concerned with organisational and professional development.

Staff associated with Marketing and Professional Development also contribute to research supervision within Chester Business School. Their areas of expertise include tourism and cultural heritage, destination marketing, tourist behaviour, events management, sustainable consumption, professional learning and leadership. The division’s educational activities connect disciplinary study with professional practice through applied research, workplace learning and engagement with external organisations.