Majors, minors & more
Advertising
Edward R. Murrow College of Communication
- Offered as:
- Major
Overview
The major in advertising focuses on the skills needed to appeal to consumers effectively by designing and evaluating advertising initiatives using a variety of media platforms.
Practical experience and internships are built into the program.
You’ll study the principles and practical applications of writing, market research, creative strategy, long-term relationship building, and management — and you’ll put them straight into practice by preparing media plans and strategy, writing copy, and helping plan and execute complete campaigns for the University’s TV, radio, and multimedia authoring properties.
When you graduate, you’ll have true professional experience and plenty of real-world practice to build on.
- Requirements and core courses
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After completing 30 credit hours of course work — usually in the sophomore year — you can apply to join the communication program.
Your 30 credits should include the four communication prerequisite courses:
- COM 101: Media and Society
- COM 102: Public Speaking
- COM 105: Communication in Global Contexts
- COM 138: Communication Overview
A writing test is part of the Communication Overview course. Admission to the communication program is based on cumulative WSU GPA and performance on the writing test.
Core courses
All communication majors start with two courses that set the stage for everything else:
- COM 210: Multimedia Content Creation
- COM 300: Writing in Communication
The major is built on core courses like these:
- Advertising Principles and Practices
- Creative Media Strategies and Techniques
- Media Planning
- Advertising Agency Operation and Campaigns
The major also includes four elective courses of your choice. This gives you room to customize the major to your own strengths and goals.
Graduation requirements
See the WSU Catalog for degree requirements and talk with your academic advisor about planning and scheduling your courses. All students must meet requirements as outlined in the catalog in order to graduate.
- Scholarships and financial aid
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Washington State University awards millions of dollars in financial aid and scholarships to students every year based on financial need, academic merit, or a combination of the two.
To get all the financial help WSU can provide, start by doing these two things:
- Complete the WSU general scholarship application so you can be eligible for scholarship consideration.
- Complete the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) so WSU can consider you for aid (scholarships, grants, loans, etc.) based on financial need.
For communication majors
In addition to general university scholarships, you could be eligible for awards that are reserved for students in communication majors.
The Edward R. Murrow College of Communication has 19 scholarship funds and awards $50,000 in scholarships and fellowships to communication students each year.
- Careers
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A major in Advertising opens a wide range of career options.
Advertising students often go on to career positions such as advertising or marketing specialist, copywriter, account executive, sales manager, media planner, media buyer, creative director, media sales representative, and public opinion researcher.