Continuing Education

On a number of occasions I have referred to the Masters of Marketing Research Program at the University of Georgia as being one of the best, if not the best, advanced degree programs in Market Research.  It was the first MMR Program, starting in 1980.  Recently, the University of Georgia MMR faculty joined with faculty from several other institutions to put together a Self Study Program on the Principles of Market Research under the sponsorship of the University of Georgia Center for Continuing Education and the Market Research Association.  I congratulate them in their wisdom in putting together a program representing the fundamental principles and essential skills of the market research process.  At the same time, the program is designed with flexibility.

The program conveys the basics of planning a study, sampling, data collection, measurement instruments, analysis and communication of results.

The program is designed to allow for individual study as well as group study.  In the case of Kimberly Clark, for example, under the guidance of Jeff Drake, New researchers take the course as a group, with a senior researcher leading a discussion for each of the course's ten sections.  Kimberly Clark generally has 4 to 6 people in each group and they complete the course in about a year.  The Sorensen Associates approach has been individual study facilitated by an in-house moderator.  Other companies such as IBM have chosen to utilize personnel from the University of Georgia to help in the facilitation.

I highly recommend this program as an introduction to marketing research for those people who use market research in their day-to-day business as well as a refresher course for practitioners.

You can learn more about the program by visiting the University of Georgia Center for Continuing Education web site at www.uga.edu/mmr/program/index.html.

WWW.MRLIBRARY.COM

Sorensen Associates has introduced a new web site, The Market Research Library.  This site is loaded with information for the modern-day researcher.  There is not enough space here to cover all the resources presented at this site.  Stop by for a visit.  I think you will find it interesting.

Just another thought:

Tell me, and I'll forget
Show me, I may remember.
Involve me, and I'll understand.