Dec 26, 2024

2024-2025 Undergraduate Catalog

Advertising, B.A.

Print Degree Planner (opens a new window) |

The advertising major is an interdisciplinary undergraduate major in the School of Media and Communication. The major provides students with the foundational conceptual and professional skills required in a rapidly changing media environment. These skills include contemporary audience research and analysis, strategic writing and messaging, and media planning and selection in both traditional and digital media. The major’s strong experiential learning component develops student mastery in professional advertising and creative business and communication problem-solving in commercial and non-profit settings.

The advertising major consists of a six-course core, a two-course internship, four additional required courses, a three-course concentration, and a capstone experience. The core provides a strong foundation of theory and practice in different facets of the industry incorporating perspectives from Advertising, Communication, Media Production and Studies. Marketing and Graphic Design, to provide a strong context in marketing-driven and graphic design of creative advertising. A minor is required.

Learning Outcomes

Students are expected to achieve the following learning outcomes:

Explain the different functions, regulations, and roles of advertising in business marketing, the media industry, and society;
Utilize consumer behavior and persuasion theories with audience research to select target audience, develop advertising campaigns’ and evaluate their effectiveness with appropriate data analytics and metrics;
Write advertising copy, understand graphic design principles and develop ethical advertising campaigns and strategies across multiple media platforms including social media for both commercial and non-profit organizations;
Apply knowledge of the strengths and limitations of different marketing communication media and integrate them in advertising campaigns and media advertising sales.

With the advertising major, students may choose between two concentrations to best suit a student’s talents and interests. The student’s concentration options are - creative/production or management/research.

The Creative/Production concentration prepares students for careers in copy writing, print and digital advertising or commercial production, webmaster for commercial web sites or social media manager.

The Management/Research concentration prepare students for careers in advertising sales, account management, account planning, advertising media planning and advertising research.

For specific courses for those concentrations, please review the check sheet for the major. This major requires students to take a minor.

BG Perspective (BGP) Requirements

Must complete at least 1 course in each of the following:

English Composition and Oral Communication
_____________________________ ________

Quantitative Literacy
_____________________________ ________

Must Complete at least 2 courses in each of the following:

Humanities and the Arts
_____________________________ ________
_____________________________ ________

Natural Sciences - at least one Lab Science required
_____________________________ ________
_____________________________ ________

Social and Behavioral Sciences
_____________________________ ________
_____________________________ ________

Complete total required BGP credit hours by selecting courses from any of the above categories:

_____________________________   ________
_____________________________   ________
_____________________________   ________
_____________________________   ________

University Requirements

Designated courses in Humanities and the Arts and the Social and Behavioral Sciences domains may be used to fulfill both the BGP requirement and one of the following university requirements:

Cultural Diversity in the US ____________
International Perspective ____________

Composition Requirement:
WRIT 1120

Total BGP Credits: Must be at least 36

Arts & Sciences Requirements (WLC)

World Languages and Cultures (_ yrs of HS___)

Consult the Undergraduate Catalog or the Arts and Sciences Student Handbook regarding approved course options in the different language and culture areas.
________1010_________________   ________
________1020_________________   ________
_____________________________   ________
_____________________________   ________

Lab Science

_____________________________ ________

Multidisciplinary Component

Select from approved offerings, in consultation with an advisor and a faculty mentor. Four courses total, each with a different subject prefix. At least two courses at 3000/4000 level. Courses applied to the Arts & Sciences MDC may not be used to fulfill other Arts and Sciences degree requirements, nor may they be used to fulfill major, minor, BGP or other program requirements.
_____________________________   ________
_____________________________   ________
_____________________________   ________
_____________________________   ________

Major Requirements

Minor Required

Advertising Core

(18 Hours)

Interships & Capstone

(5 Hours)

Concentration

(9 Hours)

Choose 9 Credit hours from one of the following concentrations listed below.

Creative/Production Concentration

Choose 9 Credit Hours from the Following:

Management/Research Concentration

Choose 9 credit hours from the following:

Additional Requirements

(12 Hours)

Total Hours: 32

* Note: Courses with the asterisk (*) have prerequisites. Please review the course descriptions for prerequisites through the Undergraduate Catalog.

Minor required.

Minor Requirements

(usually 20 hours, no courses from the major may be used)

For Graduation You Will Need:

122 credit hours minimum.
Minimum GPA 2.00.
At least 30 credit hours of BGSU course work.
40 credit hours at the 3000/4000 level.
Completion of all degree requirements, including the BG Perspective Core.
A major, and if required, a minor, specialization or emphasis.

Any substitution or waiver of courses required for your major or minor program must originate in the department/school offering the major or minor and must be approved by the College Office.

To ensure a timely graduation, see a College Advisor during the semester prior to your intended graduation.

Remember to complete an Application for Graduation by the end of the second week of classes during the fall semester or spring regular session, or by the end of the first week of the summer semester. For the specific dates, check your DARS. You may log onto MyBGSU to complete the online application. After the deadlines, you will need to complete an application in person in the College Office.