About the Program

The B.S. in Advertising Communications prepares students in learning how advertising agencies function as creative businesses that work with clients to reach a specific audience. Students learn the skills needed to excel in various advertising-related occupations, including advertising account executives, art directors, copywriters, media buyers and planners.

The program will prepare graduates to:

Demonstrate knowledge of the relevant milestones of advertising history.

  • Summarize the historical development of the advertising agency.
  • Identify and illustrate the “timeless” principles of advertising.
  • Give examples of and critique successful advertising practitioners and why they succeeded.

Demonstrate knowledge of the role of advertising in society, including the importance of advertising on the economy and the nuances of consumer behavior.

  • Review case studies, identify and analyze advertising that has affected specific social or economic trends.
  • Create an “advertising campaign” to introduce a new product or to reposition an existing product to enable it to reach a target audience.
  • Formulate a fully-integrated advertising/marketing program.

Demonstrate competency in one or more of the following areas:

  • Copywriting--Write copy for a series of advertising efforts: television and radio commercials, direct mail pieces, the internet, print ads for magazines and newspapers and billboards
  • Media Planning--Produce an entire media campaign, including the, research, preparation, budget, planning, demographics, use of data, rationale for media selection, and analysis.
  • Research—Carry out market research for an advertising campaign for a particular product.
  • Account Management--Demonstrate knowledge of the procedures and techniques of all departments of an advertising agency, advertising objectives, the organization and supervision of these departments

Demonstrate knowledge of ethical obligations and social awareness

  • Identify the ethical considerations in advertising
  • Describe situations that are ethically ambiguous and the actions you would take.
  • Identify local, national and global current events and their impact on advertising