MS in Advertising
The MS in Advertising provides advanced, focused learning in the essence and practice of the industry-honing skills in strategic thinking and practice. The program helps students develop expertise in account strategy, creative development, consumer insight, media, and account management. It cultivates strong abilities to write, design, and present ideas in a thoughtful, professional, and persuasive manner. Students learn the importance of collaboration by working in creative and account teams.
The program is designed to blend an understanding of traditional advertising campaigns with fast-changing best practices in the area of professional strategies and creative execution. Learning occurs in the classroom, in the community, and during internships. AdLab, the advertising agency operated by students, provides students with the real-world experience of working on an account team for a client who pays a fee for professional–quality services. Students graduating from this program have the knowledge and skillset to enter the advertising industry with both academic and practical expertise. These experiences are enhanced by a challenging variety of individual and team-based projects focused on creative, management, media, brand building, consumer insight, and technological acumen.
Learning Outcomes
- Demonstrate an advanced understanding and application of effective advertising by using strategy, writing, presentation, design, and digital techniques to achieve objectives developed for client-based projects.
- Demonstrate the practice of developing innovative solutions to client problems and opportunities by creating an advertising plan that includes strategy, account management, consumer insight, media, and brand building.
- Demonstrate knowledge and competencies for achieving professional-quality strategic solutions and idea generation using skills in areas such as art direction, copywriting, and video development.
- Demonstrate knowledge and competencies in advertising planning and consumer insight by designing and conducting research to develop creative briefs and advertising planning de-briefs.
- Demonstrate professional skills by working on account teams in AdLab.
- Recognize the ethical and social responsibility issues related to advertising.
Curriculum
Requirements: The MS in Advertising program consists of a minimum of 12 courses/48 credits. Students must also pass a formal faculty review of their online Presentation of Final Work (per COM CM 9XX).
Requirements (5 total courses; 20 credits):
- COM CM 708 Principles and Practices of Advertising
- COM CM 712 Consumer Insight and Account Planning
- COM CM 717 Fundamentals of Creative Development
- COM CM 721 Advertising Management
- COM CM 732 AdLab (2 credits, 2 semesters required)*
*Only 8 credits from AD Lab or Internship can be used to satisfy the 48 credits required for the degree.
Concentration Courses (students must take at least 4 courses; 16 credits):
- COM CM 518 Creative Video Development
- COM CM 519 Interactive Marketing Strategies
- COM CM 527 Brand Experience Marketing
- COM CM 5XX Art Direction
- COM CM 5XX Copywriting
- COM CM 7XX Consumer Insight and Account Planning II (new course)
- COM CM 716 Media Strategies
- COM CM 738 Global Marketing Communication (London)
- COM CM 753 Portfolio Development I
- COM CM 754 Portfolio Development II
- COM CM 909 Professional Project (London)
Electives:
Students must take an additional 12 credits from the below list or the Concentration Course list or other 500-level or higher courses at BU.
- COM CM 535 Political Campaigns
- COM CM 539 Health Campaigns
- COM CM 5XX Design Strategy and Software
- COM CM 702 Advertising and Society
- COM CM 707 Writing for Media Professionals
- COM CM 722 Communication Research
- COM CM 744 Contemporary British Media [London]
- COM CM 809 Graduate Internship (2 or 4 credits)
In addition to the Bulletin, master’s students should refer to the College of Communication Graduate Handbook for a comprehensive guide to policies, academic regulations, and resources.
