Program Notes
- BU meets 100% of your financial aid need for first-year US students and permanent residents with demonstrated need
- ACT/SAT Optional—not required
- STEM-designated program
Bring Big Ideas to Life with a Major in Advertising
Agency Experience. Creative Community. Award-Winning Work. Shake up a brand, crack the code on a new consumer segment, or spark a cultural conversation with a major in advertising. BU COM preps you for any job in the ad industry with hands-on projects. Are you into pop culture? Obsessed with strategy? Love to write, design, or dream up wild ideas? Join us at the No. 1 School for Public Relations & Advertising in the U.S. 2025 (College Factual).
A Major in Advertising Starts with “What If …”
You’ll learn from ad industry insiders—professors who’ve created Super Bowl ads, launched and managed global brands, and dreamed up viral campaigns at powerhouse agencies. They’ll help you launch your own big ideas and your career with ad majors who love to ask “what if …”
You learn every aspect of the ad business—brand building, art direction, copywriting, video development, strategy, account management, consumer insights, media, and more. Find your calling and climb higher in this Bachelor’s in Advertising.
You build a jaw-dropping portfolio—BU COM ad majors get unmatched industry experience in AdLab, Creative Cafe, Spring Break NYC Ad Tour, internships, and more. And your courses mirror entry-level ad agency positions with hands-on projects.
What Can You Do with a Major in Advertising?
A major in advertising from BU COM qualifies you for a wider range of roles than many other advertising programs. This is because we let you try out every aspect of the ad industry:
Creative Roles
- Junior Art Director
- Junior Copywriter
- Content Creator
- Social Media Creative
Strategy & Research Roles
- Brand Strategist (Junior/Assistant)
- Consumer Insights Analyst
- Creative Strategist
- Cultural Trends Analyst
Media & Data Roles
- Media Planner/Buyer
- Digital Marketing Analyst
- Paid Social Specialist
- SEO/SEM Coordinator
Client & Account Roles
- Account Coordinator
- Project Manager (Entry Level)
- Client Services Assistant
- Production Assistant
Jobs of Bachelor’s in Advertising Alumni
BU COM ad majors have gone on to roles with:
Agencies
- BBDO
- David Miami
- Digitas North America
- Hill Holliday
- Mischief
- TBWA\Chiat\Day
- Wieden & Kennedy
In-House
- American Express
- Blue Bottle Coffee
- ByteDance (TikTok)
- Fidelity Investments
- Games Research Lab
- HubSpot
- Lego
- Lionsgate
- L’Oréal
- Major League Baseball Players Association
- Puma
- Shiseido
- Visa
Employment Rate for Bachelor’s in Advertising Alumni
97%
of alumni are employed, in school, or in another chosen activity
77% Employed, 20% Continuing Education, 3% Still Seeking
Source: based on 132/171 surveyed graduates of the 2024 class.
Hear from BU COM Alumni
COM grads never ghost us. They swing by to judge portfolio nights, drop internship DMs to your professors, and hire our rookies—so you’ll step onto campus with a built-in crew of industry insiders.
COM grad fires Nick Fury, crafts winning campaign for Marvel
Vanessa de Beaumont (COM’17) had no idea she’d be filming an ad campaign with Samuel L. Jackson barely a year…
Comparing Programs
BS in Media Science: Choose Media Science if you love digging into data, testing messages, and backing recommendations with evidence. It’s ideal for those eyeing consultant or research-heavy roles.
BS in Public Relations: Pick Public Relations if you’re driven to shape public opinion and guide organizations through opportunity or crisis.
BS in Advertising: Pick Advertising if your passion is to invent the big idea and turn it into a multichannel creative that sells.
Learn How to Get a Job in Advertising
You need a Bachelor’s in Advertising centered on real projects to build your portfolio. BU COM coursework mirrors agency work. Get the experience of a junior agency employee while you’re in the classroom—concepting campaigns, shaping strategy, and refining your ideas through professional-grade critiques.
By graduation, “entry level” feels second nature.
Portfolio Course Highlights
We time your portfolio courses around high-stakes, real-world competitions. You can craft work for the global Young Ones (New York) and D&AD (London) awards—and bring home big wins. At the most recent Hatch Awards, BU COM student ideas swept 16 of 21 prizes. Here are just a few student campaigns for real clients:
Choose a Bachelor’s in Advertising Offering Real Experience
BU COM’s world-renowned AdLab + Boston’s top agencies and cool brands give you real chances to get your work out in the world. You won’t just study ads here—you’ll help make them.
Creative Cafe
Show off your rough sketches or polished portfolio to a lineup of creative directors, art directors, and copywriters from agencies like Mullen, Digitas, Arnold, and more at our virtual Creative Cafe. You’ll get instant feedback plus more contacts than two years of interviews could ever deliver.
Spring Break NYC Ad Tour
The Spring Break NYC Ad Tour rockets you into boardrooms at powerhouse shops—think Droga5, Saatchi, Amazon Ads, Giant Spoon, and more—where you’ll quiz the pros and soak up insider tips. The week wraps with a BU alumni mixer, turning spring break into your first big-city networking sprint.
AdLab
Welcome to AdLab—the country’s longest-running, student-run ad agency—where class credit translates to running live campaigns for real clients. You and your team make key decisions, pitch straight to the brand, and rack up portfolio gold while faculty coach quietly from the wings.
AdLab
AdLab is the country’s largest student-run agency, operating out of Boston University’s College of Communication.
Internships
You get on-the-job experience here. Ad majors at BU COM have held internships at:
- DDB
- Digitas
- Giant Spoon
- Havas
- Hill Holliday
- Laundry Service
- Lego
- Mullen
- Ogilvy
- Saatchi & Saatchi
- Wasserman
Learn with Ad Industry Insiders
Learn from legends. BU COM faculty have worked at firms like BBDO, Deutsch, Hill Holliday, MullenLowe, Digitas, and many more. They’ve won awards from Cannes, MITX, Echo, Hatch, OneShow, Clio, and USA Today. They’ve even created ads that are among the all-time top 10 Super Bowl spots.
Get plugged into their contact lists—instant access to mentors, internships, and day-one job leads.
Enjoy Student Life at BU COM
BU life is fast paced, creative, diverse, and full of energy—just like Boston. With 450+ clubs, D1 sports, and a campus in the heart of the city, you’ll never be bored. It’s the kind of place where you can find your people and chase what excites you. And did we mention four years of guaranteed housing?
Visit Us
