An Advertising Degree prepares you for careers in marketing and promoting products. The advertising sector has a high demand for creative people who can understand consumers. While it welcomes people from many different backgrounds in business, psychology and fine art, one of the best ways to break into the field is through an Advertising Degree. Let’s address each question that you may have if you’re considering enrolling in an advertising degree.
Table of Content
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What does an Advertising Degree involve?
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What courses will you study?
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What levels of Advertising degrees are offered?
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Can I complete an Advertising Degree online?
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Occupational Outlook after Advertising Degree
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Advertising Sales Agent and Managers Wages
An Advertising Degree attempts to teach a diverse set of skills. The core courses focus on marketing. Students develop an understanding of how products are sold in the marketplace. They learn how each product is defined uniquely in terms of its attributes and target market. This training in business skills helps students understand how to focus on the core message of an advertising campaign.
There are several courses on general and consumer psychology. Students of an advertising online degree need to understand how consumers think while making a purchasing decision. An Advertising Degree trains you on how to develop an emotional connection with consumers so that advertisements have a stronger impact.
An Advertising Degree also attempts to develop design and skills in fine art. People working in advertising will often need to develop advertising concepts through quick sketches and storyboards. An online advertising degree thus involves significant practical work to develop relevant skills. Students will get a chance to propose themes for different advertising campaigns. An Advertising Degree will often involve interaction with industry professionals to judge advertising ideas and provide feedback to student efforts.
There is an increasing emphasis on quantitative skills in an Advertising Degree. Employees of advertising agencies need to be able to measure the success of their advertising campaigns. This is represented as statistical data indicating the number of people reached and the monetary return obtained. A considerable chunk of advertising is moving online and as a result an Advertising Degrees focus on technical and computer skills so that those in advertising can devise successful campaigns for consumers online.^
Every university offers a slightly different set of courses. You’ll usually be required to take compulsory courses as well as some elective modules. This will not only help you fulfill the credit hour requirement but you’ll also be able to tailor your program according to your academic and professional interests. Examples of courses that you may study include:
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Advertising and Society
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Digital Communication
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Advertising Management
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Strategic Brand Solutions
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Contemporary Mass Communication
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Fundamentals of Creative Development
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Interactive Marketing Communications
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Advertising degrees are offered at various levels. You should take into account you prior qualifications and future career objectives while choosing a degree.
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Associate’s in Advertising
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Bachelor’s in Advertising
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Master’s in Advertising
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Some universities may also offer diplomas and certificates in advertising
You may find advertising being offered as a concentration within a marketing program. The program curriculum of most of the marketing programs covers topics on advertising as well.^
An Advertising Degree is one of the most popular offerings of online colleges. These online courses comprise of video lectures that can be downloaded and watched at your convenience. Tutorials and assignments can be completed and submitted online. Many of these online programs are developed through feedback from employers. This ensures that the programs are up to date with the current demands of the industry. Before you enroll in an online program , check the accreditation status as well as the credentials of the faculty and alumni network.^
The largest employer of Advertising Degree graduates are advertising agencies. They are responsible for managing campaigns for many other companies. Such agencies are keen to hire people who have a flair for design and communicating a message. They are particularly interested in portfolios of past work experience. The projects you complete in the course of your Advertising Degree will provide an excellent portfolio to increase your chances of a job offer. Besides advertising agencies, all consumer companies maintain a high demand for graduates of an Advertising Degree to manage in-house advertising.
Below is a list of some of advertising related positions along with their salaries as reported by the Bureau of Labor Statistics:
Advertising, Promotions, and Marketing Managers
They collaborate with other team members and develop marketing plans and promotional campaigns in order to generate and sustain consumer interest in the services offered.
Median Salary (2012): $115,750
Advertising Sales Agents
They develop and maintain relationship with potential clients in order to enhance company image and sell advertising services.
Median Salary (2012): $46,290
There are many other options that you may explore with an advertising degree. The type of job that you get will essentially depend on your level of qualification, relevant work experience and personal skills.^
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics^
Advertising managers and sales agents are the main occupations you can apply for with an advertising degree. Advertising managers’ salaries increased at the rate of 14% from 2010 to 2013 (mean annual wages).
States with the highest employment level in this occupation:
State
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Employment
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Employment per thousand jobs
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Location quotient
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Hourly mean wage
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Annual mean wage
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California |
1660 |
0.11 |
1.26 |
18.13 |
37720 |
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Florida |
1130 |
0.14 |
1.68 |
17.97 |
37370 |
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Illinois |
960 |
0.16 |
1.92 |
17.9 |
37240 |
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Texas |
760 |
0.07 |
0.78 |
16.62 |
34570 |
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New York |
650 |
0.07 |
0.85 |
20.12 |
41840 |
How Long Does It Take to Complete a Degree in Advertising?
There are various institutions in the U.S. that offer a 4-year bachelor’s degree, a 2-year master’s degree and a 3 to 5-year doctoral degree in advertising. The University of Texas at Austin, the Michigan State University, the Pennsylvania State University, the University of Florida and the University of Georgia are some of the best institutes that offer these degrees. Normally, these degrees are offered on campus as full/part-time programs. High school graduates who wish to build a career in advertising should begin with a bachelor’s degree.
What Are the Requirements to Complete a Degree in Advertising?
The requirements to complete a degree vary for each university and the chosen degree level. For instance, the students of a bachelor’s degree in advertising offered at the University of Florida must complete 124 credit hours to graduate. On the other hand, the students of the same degree offered at the Pennsylvania State University must complete 120 credit hours to graduate. Similarly, the requirements to complete a master’s degree would be different than those of a doctoral degree.
How Much Can I Make after Completing a Degree in Advertising?
Graduates of a bachelor’s degree in advertising may work in the field as Advertising, Promotions and Marketing Managers. In contrast, some graduates choose to get further education for better job prospects. In 2018, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported an annual median income of$132,620 for Advertising, Promotions, and Marketing Managers.
Source: bls.gov
Frequently Asked Question(s)
Q:Can you tell me the benefits of going for an advertising degree online?
A:If you are going for an advertising degree online, you can avail several benefits that are not a part of on campus programs. Online programs are quite convenient and flexible, allowing students to make their own schedule and learn at their own pace. Working professionals can also enroll in online programs, as these programs can fit in their hectic schedule. Besides, online programs are cost effective as students do not incur additional costs such as travelling or hostel accommodation.
Q:Can you tell me about the core courses offered in an online advertising degree?
A:The core courses offered in online advertising degree help students to have a solid foundation in the field of advertising. These courses also prepare students for the advanced courses in advertising. Courses include mass communication, writing for media professionals, advertising and society, principles and practices of advertising, digital communication, fundamentals of creative development, design and new media, and strategic and brand solutions.
Q:How to get a career in advertising?
A:In order to get a career in advertising, you will need at least a bachelor-level degree. Degrees in advertising and marketing are offered at the diploma or certificate, associate, bachelors, and master's level. The precise route you take will depend on your career goals and objectives. Degree courses normally include courses such as the fundamentals of creative development, digital communication, advertising management, advertising and society, and interactive advertising communications.
Q:How to get a job in advertising?
A:In order to get a job in advertising you would first need to complete a college degree in advertising or marketing. Most employers are also keen to hire individuals who have some work experience under their belt so it is highly advisable that you either do an internship while completing your degree or seek to get some experience before applying for jobs. Portfolios may be filled with the projects you completed while doing your advertising degree. Candidates may look for jobs at advertising agencies, consumer companies, etc.
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