IITM BS Market Research (BSMS3002): Syllabus and Tips

Market Research (BSMS3002) is a 4 credit degree level elective in the IITM BS Data Science programme. It teaches you to turn a marketing problem into a research question. Then you collect the right data, analyse it and report findings a business can act on. It has no prerequisite and no corequisite.

The instructor is Ashok Sankethi, CEO of Kaybase Consulting, who has over 25 years of work in the market research industry.

What you learn

The course page groups the topics under five week headings. It does not say how many weeks the course runs in total.

Weeks 1 and 2: From problem to research plan

You see where research fits in marketing and how a research project moves from start to end. The key skill is telling a real problem apart from its symptoms. Then you compare the three main kinds of research design: exploratory, descriptive and causal. Test markets come in here too.

Week 3: Collecting data

This week covers surveys and interviews, how to measure opinions, types of measurement scales, and how to build a questionnaire.

Week 4: How industry uses research

You look at common marketing questions such as launching a new product, segmentation, targeting and positioning (STP), and branding. For each one, you see which research tools firms actually use.

Week 5: Analysis in SPSS

The last block is the heaviest. You enter data in SPSS and start with descriptive statistics, cross tables and charts, including charts that mislead. Then come tests on means and ANOVA. It ends with an overview of multivariate methods: factor analysis, cluster analysis and multiple regression.

How it is assessed

The course page does not list its own assessment pattern. It points to the standard course structure on the programme's Academics page. Check that page for the quiz and exam plan.

Where it counts

• It is one of the degree level electives in the DS electives list. The handbook's course table marks it "DEGREE" with the tag HM.
• The BS degree level needs 4 credits from the HS/MG stream. HM tagged courses look like a fit, but the handbook does not define the tags, so confirm with support.
• It is not part of any minor.
• The March 2026 table marks it as running in May 2026 and January 2027, but not in September 2026.
• The ES handbook also lists Market Research (as MS3002) among open electives that Electronic Systems students can take.

Who finds it hard

• Students with no business background. Words like STP, test markets and branding can feel new.
• Students who rush week 5. It packs a lot of statistics into one block, and SPSS may be new to you.
• Students who design a questionnaire without first writing down what decision it should support.

How to prepare

• Revise hypothesis testing and ANOVA before the term. Business Analytics (BSMS2002) and our Statistics 1 and 2 guide cover the base you need.
• Find out early how you will get access to SPSS, since the analysis week uses it.
• Practise on one small real problem. Write a 10 question survey for a local shop, collect 20 answers from friends, and make a cross table. You will understand scales and bias much faster.
• The prescribed textbooks are Malhotra and Dash's Marketing Research, and Business Research Methods by Zikmund and co-authors. Use one of them for the design weeks.

What to take before and after

If you did the BDM Project at the diploma level, you already collected primary data from a business. Market Research gives that work a formal method. After it, Managerial Economics or Industry 4.0 keep you on the business side of data science.

Common questions

Do I need a marketing or commerce background?

No. The course page lists no prerequisite. It starts from what marketing research is, so a science or engineering student can follow it with steady effort.

Is SPSS the only software used?

The course page names SPSS for entering and analysing data. It does not mention other tools, so plan around SPSS.

Can I count Market Research toward the Economics and Finance minor?

No. That minor needs Corporate Finance, Managerial Economics, and Game Theory and Strategy. Market Research is a separate elective.

Is this course the same level as Industry 4.0 or Financial Forensics?

No. Market Research has a 3xxx code and the table marks it "DEGREE". Industry 4.0 and Financial Forensics have 4xxx codes and are marked L4.