The Lesley H. and William L. Collins College of Professional Studies
Queens Campus, Staten Island Campus
Overview
To be successful in the dynamic and fast-paced field of advertising takes advanced skills and expertise in the areas of copywriting, art direction and production. Advertisers are constantly creating new and innovative ways to reach the public, so the demand for skilled advertising executives is always high.
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 Collins College of Professional Studies, this 120-credit program prepares students for career opportunities as advertising account executives, art directors, copywriters, media buyers and planners.
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]
Department Contact
John Swan
Program Director[email protected]
718-990-7611
Program Tracks
Students majoring in Advertising Communication may take concentrations in the following tracks:
Account Management/Media 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, develop advertising strategies and coordinate activities among the creative, media and research departments.
Advertisements are effective only if placed in the right medium at the right time for the product advertised. Ensuring this is the job of media planners. Students learn to evaluate media for optimum advertising efficiency and place selected media in efficient media plans.
Creative/Production Track
Copywriters create the copy that will reach their audience in print, radio, and television or in digital and social media. Art directors develop the visual concepts that convey the copywriter’s words. Producers are people who take the ideas the creative teams develop and actually bring them to life as finished advertising the consumer sees in the various media they use everyday.
Courses
Common Core — 42 Credits
| DNY | 1000C | Discover New York | 3 |
| ENG | 1000C | English Composition | 3 |
| ENG | 1100C | Literature in a Global Context | 3 |
| HIS | 1000C | Emergence of a Global Society | 3 |
| Modern Foreign Language Requirement | 6 | ||
| PHI | 1000C | Philosophy of the Human Person | 3 |
| PHI | 1024 | Media Ethics | 3 |
| PHI | 3000C | Metaphysics | 3 |
| SCI | 1000C | Scientific Inquiry | 3 |
| SPE | 1000C | Public Speaking | 3 |
| THE | 1000C | Perspectives on Christianity | 3 |
| THE | 1040 series | Christian Responsibilities | 3 |
| THE | Choose any THE elective. | 3 | |
Other Liberal Arts Requirements —9 Credits
| ENG | 1007 to 1073 (not 1040) | English | 3 |
| MTH | 1009 | Calculus 1 | 3 |
| MTH | 1021 | Introduction to Statistics | 3 |
| Choose 3 credits from the following: ANT, ECO, GOV, HIS, PSC, PSY, SOC | 3 |
Required Coursework — 12 Credits
| COM | 1001 | Intro to Mass Communication | 3 |
| COM | 1002 | Multimedia Communication | 3 |
| COM | 2290 | Fund of Media Graphics | 3 |
| COM | 2500 | Visual Aesthetics | 3 |
Advertising Sequence – 24 credits
| ADV | 2100 | Intro to Advertising Comm | 3 |
| ADV | 2301 | Advertising Copywriting 1 | 3 |
| ADV | 2400 | Creative Strategy/Consumer Res | 3 |
| ADV | 3200 | Advertising Production | 3 |
| ADV | 3301 | Advertising Copywriting 2 | 3 |
| ADV | 3400 | Integrated Adv Comm | 3 |
| ADV | 4402 | Modern Adv Account Mgt | 3 |
| ADV | 4600 | Advertising Portfolio | 3 |
Major Area elective – 9 credits
| ADV | 2500 | History of Advertising Comm | 3 |
| ADV | 4601 | Seminar in Adv Comm | 3 |
| ADV | 5001 | Advertising Internship | 3 |
| ADV | 5002 | Advertising Internship | 3 |
| ADV | 5003 | Advertising Internship | 3 |
| COM | 2209 | Survey of Television Prod | 3 |
| COM | 2280 | Intro to Motion Graph & Animation | 3 |
| COM | 3101 | International Comm: Europe | 3 |
| COM | 3102 | International Comm: Asia | 3 |
| COM | 3292 | Publications Graphics | 3 |
| COM | 4600 | Ind Research | 3 |
| PHO | 2201 | Photojournalism | 3 |
| SPE | 1010 | Speaking for Success | 3 |
Business Area – 6 Credits
| MGT | 1001 | Principles of Management | 3 |
| MKT | 1001 | Principles of Marketing | 3 |
| Choose 3 credits from any: ACC, BLW, Eco, MGT, MKT | 3 | ||
Free Electives - 18 Credits
Students are required to complete the same 42 credit Core Requirements.
Other Liberal Arts Requirements —6 Credits
| MTH | 1009 | Calculus 1 | 3 |
| MTH | 1021 | Introduction to Statistics | 3 |
| Choose 3 credits from the following: ANT, ECO, GOV, HIS, PSC, PSY, SOC including 1007, 1027, 2440. | 3 |
Required Coursework — 12 Credits
| COM | 1001 | Intro to Mass Communication | 3 |
| COM | 1002 | Multimedia Communication | 3 |
| ENG | 1006 | Effective Business Writing | 3 |
| SPE | 1010 | Speaking for Success | 3 |
Advertising Sequence – 24 credits
| ADV | 2100 | Intro to Advertising Comm | 3 |
| ADV | 2301 | Advertising Copywriting 1 | 3 |
| ADV | 2400 | Creative Strategy/Consumer Res | 3 |
| ADV | 2500 | 3 | |
| ADV | 3400 | Integrated Adv Comm | 3 |
| ADV | 3401 | 3 | |
| ADV | 4402 | Modern Adv Account Mgt | 3 |
| PRL | 2100 | 3 |
Major Area elective – 9 credits
| COM | 2201 | Intro to Broadcast and Announcing | 3 |
| COM | 2204 | Sport Broadcasting | 3 |
| COM | 2209 | Survey of Television Prod | 3 |
| COM | 2280 | Intro to Motion Graph & Animation | 3 |
| COM | 2290 | Fund of Media Graphics | 3 |
| COM | 2401 | New Media | 3 |
| COM | 2402 | The Business of Radio | 3 |
| COM | 2403 | Management in Comm | 3 |
| COM | 3101 | International Comm: Europe | 3 |
| COM | 3102 | International Communications – Asia | 3 |
| COM | 4600 | Independent Research | 3 |
| TVF | 2402 | The Business of Television | 3 |
| ADV | 5000s | Advertising Internship | 3 |
Business Area – 6 Credits
| MGT | 1001 | Principles of Management | 3 |
| MKT | 1001 | Principles of Marketing | 3 |
Free Electives - 15 Credits
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:
- Category 5 - St John’s Student Run Ad Agency
- 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 Lesley H. and William L. Collins 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.
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