Advertising Communication, Bachelor of Science

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment in the advertising industry is expected to grow by 12 percent through 2018, especially for companies that specialize in digital media. In New York City, media-related fields grew by 10,500 jobs last year, a 6.6 percent boost and studies predict growth will remain strong for the next 20 years.

You can prepare for this competitive field through the Bachelor of Science degree in Advertising Communications. Offered by the College of Professional Studies, this 120-credit program prepares students for career opportunities as advertising account executives, art directors, copywriters, media buyers and planners.

Students majoring in Advertising Communication may take concentrations in the following tracks:

• Advertising Account Executive Track
  An account executive is the liaison between an advertising agency and its clients. To prepare for this challenging position, students learn to analyze competitive activities and consumer trends, report client billing, forecast agency income, develop advertising strategies and coordinate activities among the creative, media and research departments.
• Media Planning/Buying Track
  Advertisements are effective only if placed in the right medium at the right time. Ensuring this is the job of media planners. Students learn to evaluate newspapers, radio broadcasts and other media for optimum advertising efficiency. Students also learn to serve as media buyers, who negotiate with media representatives to put the approved plan into effect.
• Creative Track
  Copywriters create the copy that will reach their audience in print, through radio or on television. Art directors develop the visual concepts that convey the copywriter’s words. Together, they are the creative team that actually produces trillions of dollars in sales of advertisers’ products and services.

Admission

For more information about admission to this and other acclaimed undergraduate programs at St. John’s University, please visit Undergraduate Admission online. Or contact us directly at the campus of your choice:

Admission Office - Queens Campus
718-990-2000
[email protected]

Admission Office -  Staten Island campus
718-390-4500
[email protected]

Courses

• Advertising Communication Creative Track
• Account Management/Media Planning & Buying Tracks

Advertising Communication Creative Track

Common Core — 42 Credits

Other Liberal Arts Requirements —9 Credits

Required Coursework — 12 Credits

Advertising Sequence – 24 credits

Major Area elective – 9 credits

Business Area – 6 Credits

Free Electives - 18 Credits

Account Management/Media Planning & Buying Tracks

Students are required to complete the same 42 credit Core Requirements.

Other Liberal Arts Requirements —6 Credits

Required Coursework — 12 Credits

Advertising Sequence – 24 credits

Major Area elective – 9 credits

Business Area – 6 Credits

Free Electives - 15 Credits

Career Outcomes

The B.S. in Advertising Communications prepares students to regard advertising agencies as creative businesses that work with clients to reach a specific audience.

The program will prepare students to:

• Identify and illustrate the principles of advertising including the development and history of the advertising field
• Gain a thorough understanding of the role of advertising in society as well as the nuances of consumer behavior
• Develop expertise in the areas of copywriting, media planning, research and account management
• Become aware of the ethical obligations and social awareness that impact advertising

Additional Information

Students majoring in Advertising Communications at St. John's benefit from faculty and alumni with extensive contacts in New York City's advertising industry. This network provides outstanding internship and job placement opportunities, helping to prepare students for leading positions as account executives, media planners or buyers, copywriters or art directors.

Students also gain an academic and professional edge by joining any of St. John's more than 180 student clubs and organizations. Clubs that may be of special interest to Advertising majors include these:

• Advertising Society
• Communications Club
• Management Club
• Society for the Study of Modern Visual Culture
• Communication Arts Film Society
• St. John's University Television Club (WRED)
•  WSJU-Radio

Advertising majors also may apply to a variety of honor societies, including these:

• Alpha Delta Sigma: The St. John's chapter of the national advertising honor society is an opportunity for students to network while supporting their classmates through efforts such as peer mentoring.
• The College of Professional Studies Honor Society: Members are recognized for academic excellence and demonstrable involvement in their churches and communities.

Of course, students also benefit from outstanding University-wide facilities and resources for which St. John's is widely known.

Facilities include high-tech classrooms, up-to-date computer and science laboratories and a 1.7 million-volume University Library. Our new D'Angelo Center is a five-story, 127,000-square-foot University and Student Center with classrooms, lecture halls, a Starbucks Café.

Students take advantage of St. John’s location in dynamic New York City. Our faculty and Career Center have strong ties to employers and other professional and educational resources throughout the New York area. Students also make New York their classroom through innovative courses like Discover New York.