COURSE CURRICULUM

The advertising major includes a comprehensive combination of core curriculum, major-specific courses, ancillary requirements, and optional concentrations designed to prepare students for careers in media, communication, and marketing. Students must first complete general education requirements totaling 44–45 credit hours, which include first-year courses, writing, humanities, sciences, mathematics, history, and social or behavioral sciences. Some of these requirements can be fulfilled through courses within the major, such as public speaking, microeconomics, and introductory communication classes, provided students earn at least a C- grade. The advertising major itself requires 37 credit hours and is divided into foundation, intermediate, and capstone courses. Foundation courses introduce students to mass communication, media writing, advertising principles, audience analysis, and messaging channels. Intermediate coursework builds skills in design, digital media, channel planning, and management, along with electives at the 400 level. Capstone courses focus on advanced applications such as campaigns and strategic execution. In addition, students must complete ancillary courses in design software, research, public speaking, and microeconomics, which support their major coursework and sometimes count as electives. A minor is required for all advertising students unless they pursue a double major, and it must be outside or non-overlapping with the advertising curriculum. Students must also meet residency requirements and complete a minimum number of upper-level courses on campus. Academic policies require a minimum grade of C- in all major, minor, and prerequisite courses, along with a minimum GPA of 2.0 for transfer eligibility. Students may choose from specialized concentrations such as advertising creative, brand management, or integrated channel planning, each with its own set of courses and career focus. The creative concentration involves a selective application process and emphasizes portfolio development, while other concentrations focus on strategic planning, research, and media integration skills.