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Advertising - B.S.

The advertising major provides a perfect blend of creativity and business acumen, allowing you to launch a successful career in the dynamic advertising industry. With a digital-first mindset and hands-on experience early on, you'll learn how to develop compelling campaigns that connect to audiences and make an impact.

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Advertising is so much more than creating effective, persuasive ads; it's about developing brands and connecting to people. 

The Bachelor of Science degree in Advertising gives students the chance to connect with people through different media forms, by selecting the right audience, uncovering consumer insights and developing strategic and creative messaging, all with a digital-first mindset. Curriculum focuses on the advertising industry and the social responsibilities associated with this exciting form of persuasive media.

Students further develop and hone their skills through a required internship and a variety of extracurricular opportunities.

Explore ways to get involved in the Advertising Major

American Advertising Federation 

Kent State University’s chapter of the American Advertising Federation (AAF Kent State) is a student-led advocacy organization for the advertising industry.

As an on-campus hub for undergraduate and graduate students interested in all aspects of advertising, AAF Kent brings together those interested in advertising, fashion design and merchandising, marketing, entrepreneurship, visual communication design, and communication studies. 

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IdeaBase: Student-Powered Agency

IdeaBase is a Kent State student-powered design agency located in Franklin Hall. IdeaBase bridges the gap between classroom and career by bringing together top-performing Kent State students to tackle real-world client problems. The team represents a variety of backgrounds, including visual communication design, public relations, advertising, digital media production, computer information systems, emerging media and technology, marketing and communication studies students.

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Student Media

In Student Media, students create content for TV, radio, print magazines and newspapers, websites and social media. Together, they reach thousands of people every day, delivering original reporting, information, entertainment and advertising. 

Starting "Day One" of freshman year, students can work for these independent, nationally recognized, nationally award-winning student media outlets. In doing so, students gain relevant exposure to the communication industry, strong peer and faculty relationships and opportunities to launch meaningful careers. 

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Program Information

Program Description

Full Description

The Bachelor of Science degree in Advertising gives students the chance to connect with people through different media forms, by selecting the right audience, uncovering consumer insights and developing strategic and creative messaging, all with a digital-first mindset. Curriculum focuses on the advertising industry and the social responsibilities associated with this exciting form of persuasive media.

Coursework is supplemented with an internship. Other opportunities for experience include news, production, management, sales, performance and advertising positions with Kent State’s award-winning student media. Positions may also be available with IdeaBase, a student-run, full-service integrated marketing communications firm just down the hall from classrooms. Students teams also have the chance to participate in national competitions and make professional connections in the Franklin Advertising student group.

Students graduate ready for a career planning, buying and creating materials for digital and traditional outlets.

Students may apply early to the following master's degree programs and double count 9 credit hours of graduate courses toward both degree programs. See the Combined Bachelor's/Master's Degree Program Policy in the University Catalog for more information.

Admissions

Admission Requirements

The university affirmatively strives to provide educational opportunities and access to students with varied backgrounds, those with special talents and adult students who graduated from high school three or more years ago.

First-Year Students on the Kent Campus: First-year admission policy on the Kent Campus is selective. Admission decisions are based upon cumulative grade point average, strength of high school college preparatory curriculum and grade trends. Students not admissible to the Kent Campus may be administratively referred to one of the seven regional campuses to begin their college coursework. For more information, visit the admissions website for first-year students.

First-Year Students on the Regional Campuses: First-year admission to Kent State’s campuses at Ashtabula, East Liverpool, Geauga, Salem, Stark, Trumbull and Tuscarawas, as well as the Twinsburg Academic Center, is open to anyone with a high school diploma or its equivalent. For more information on admissions, contact the Regional Campuses admissions offices.

International Students: All international students must provide proof of English language proficiency unless they meet specific exceptions. For more information, visit the admissions website for international students.

Transfer Students: Students who have attended any other educational institution after graduating from high school must apply as undergraduate transfer students. For more information, visit the admissions website for transfer students.

Former Students: Former Kent State students or graduates who have not attended another college or university since Kent State may complete the reenrollment or reinstatement form on the University Registrar’s website.

Admission policies for undergraduate students may be found in the University Catalog.

Some programs may require that students meet certain requirements before progressing through the program. For programs with progression requirements, the information is shown on the Coursework tab.

Current Kent State Students: Active Kent State students who wish to change their major to Advertising must have a minimum 2.000 overall GPA to be admitted.

Learning Outcomes

Program Learning Outcomes

Graduates of this program will be able to:

  1. Demonstrate preparation for working in a global and diverse society.
  2. Develop SMART objectives to clarify and define communication goals.
  3. Apply strategic thinking and planning to build and execute elements of advertising campaigns.
  4. Analyze audiences using primary and secondary research.
  5. Craft well written material in a variety of lengths and formats to effectively communicate messages to a range of audiences.
  6. Create visually compelling materials to effectively communicate messages to a range of audiences.
  7. Apply best practices when utilizing a range of platforms for message delivery.
  8. Demonstrate professionalism in written, verbal and nonverbal communications, including maintaining strong ethical principles.
Coursework

Program Requirements

Major Requirements (courses count in major GPA) (min C- grade in all courses)
EMAT 10310MY STORY ON THE WEB 3
or MDJ 20011 PRODUCTION FUNDAMENTALS
MDJ 20001MEDIA, POWER AND CULTURE (DIVD) (KSS) 3
MDJ 20004ADVERTISING WRITING AND STORYTELLING 3
MDJ 20008RESEARCH AND MEASUREMENT IN ADVERTISING AND PUBLIC RELATIONS 3
MDJ 21001PRINCIPLES OF ADVERTISING 3
MDJ 21015FOUNDATIONS OF STRATEGY AND COMMUNICATION 3
MDJ 31002ADVERTISING COPYWRITING (WIC) 13
MDJ 31003ADVERTISING MEDIA PLANNING 3
MDJ 31004DIGITAL ADVERTISING 3
MDJ 31007DIGITAL ANALYTICS IN ADVERTISING AND PUBLIC RELATIONS 2
MDJ 31011ADVERTISING STRATEGY DEVELOPMENT 3
MDJ 40006LAW OF MEDIA AND JOURNALISM 3
or MDJ 40016 LAW OF ADVERTISING AND PUBLIC RELATIONS
MDJ 40011ETHICAL ISSUES IN INTEGRATED COMMUNICATION 1
MDJ 40027RACE, GENDER, CLASS AND DIS/ABILITY IN MEDIA INDUSTRIES 3
MDJ 40092INTERNSHIP (ELR) 1
MDJ 41099ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS (ELR) 3
or MDJ 41199 CAPSTONE: CAMPAIGNS IN ADVERTISING AND PUBLIC RELATIONS (ELR)
Media and Journalism Electives, choose from the following:6
CCI 45091
SEMINAR IN MEDIA AND MOVEMENTS (ELR)
MDJ 40092
INTERNSHIP (ELR)
MDJ 40201
PUBLIC RELATIONS PRACTICE: PUBLIC AFFAIRS
MDJ 40202
PUBLIC RELATIONS PRACTICE: CRISIS COMMUNICATION
MDJ 40295
SELECTED TOPICS IN MEDIA AND JOURNALISM
MDJ 41075
POLITICAL ADVERTISING
MDJ 41150
GLOBAL ADVERTISING AND PUBLIC RELATIONS
MDJ 41192
PRACTICUM IN ADVERTISING AND PUBLIC RELATIONS (ELR)
MDJ 41395
SELECTED TOPICS IN ADVERTISING AND PUBLIC RELATIONS
Additional Requirements (courses do not count in major GPA)
UC 10001FLASHES 101 1
College of Communication and Information Core Electives, choose from the following:9
CCI 10095
SPECIAL TOPICS IN COMMUNICATION AND INFORMATION
CCI 40089
BRANDING AND SOCIAL MEDIA STRATEGIES FOR ITALIAN LIFESTYLE (ELR)
CCI 40095
SPECIAL TOPICS IN COMMUNICATION AND INFORMATION
CCI 40189
ITALIAN POP CULTURE
CCI 40289
ITALIAN CINEMA (ELR)
CCI 40389
DOCUMENTARY FILMMAKING (ELR)
CCI 40489
MULTIMEDIA EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING (ELR)
CCI 45089
INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCE IN THE COLLEGE OF COMMUNICATION AND INFORMATION (ELR)
CCI 46089
INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCE IN THE COLLEGE OF COMMUNICATION AND INFORMATION (ELR)
COMM 15000
INTRODUCTION TO HUMAN COMMUNICATION (KADL)
COMM 35852
INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION (DIVG)
EMAT 25310
CREATIVE CODING
EMAT 33310
HUMAN-COMPUTER INTERACTION
LIS 30010
INFORMATION FLUENCY IN THE WORKPLACE AND BEYOND
UXD 20001
INTRODUCTION TO USER EXPERIENCE DESIGN
VCD 13000
VISUAL DESIGN THINKING
Kent Core Composition6
Kent Core Mathematics and Critical Reasoning3
Kent Core Humanities and Fine Arts (minimum one course from each)9
Kent Core Social Sciences (must be from two disciplines)3
Kent Core Basic Sciences (must include one laboratory)6-7
Kent Core Additional6
General Electives (total credit hours depends on earning 120 credits hour, including 39 upper-division credit hours) 228
Minimum Total Credit Hours:120
1

A minimum C grade must be earned to fulfill the writing-intensive requirement. If course is not being used to fulfill the writing-intensive requirement, a minimum grade of C- must be earned.

2

A maximum of 4 credit hours of Physical Activity, Wellness and Sport (PWS) courses may be applied toward the degree program.

Progression Requirements

  • No grade lower than a C- in a MDJ course will be counted toward graduation or as a prerequisite for a subsequent class.

Graduation Requirements

Minimum Major GPA Minimum Overall GPA
2.000 2.000
Roadmap

Roadmap

This roadmap is a recommended semester-by-semester plan of study for this major. However, courses designated as critical (!) must be completed in the semester listed to ensure a timely graduation.

Plan of Study Grid
Semester OneCredits
MDJ 20001 MEDIA, POWER AND CULTURE (DIVD) (KSS) 3
MDJ 21001 PRINCIPLES OF ADVERTISING 3
UC 10001 FLASHES 101 1
College of Communication and Information Core Elective 3
Kent Core Requirement 3
Kent Core Requirement 3
 Credit Hours16
Semester Two
EMAT 10310
or MDJ 20011
MY STORY ON THE WEB
or PRODUCTION FUNDAMENTALS
3
MDJ 21015 FOUNDATIONS OF STRATEGY AND COMMUNICATION 3
Kent Core Requirement 3
Kent Core Requirement 3
Kent Core Requirement 3
 Credit Hours15
Semester Three
MDJ 20004 ADVERTISING WRITING AND STORYTELLING 3
MDJ 20008 RESEARCH AND MEASUREMENT IN ADVERTISING AND PUBLIC RELATIONS 3
College of Communication and Information Core Elective 3
Kent Core Requirement 3
Kent Core Requirement 3
 Credit Hours15
Semester Four
MDJ 31011 ADVERTISING STRATEGY DEVELOPMENT 3
Kent Core Requirement 3
Kent Core Requirement 3
General Elective 6
 Credit Hours15
Semester Five
MDJ 31003
or MDJ 31004
ADVERTISING MEDIA PLANNING
or DIGITAL ADVERTISING
3
MDJ 31007 DIGITAL ANALYTICS IN ADVERTISING AND PUBLIC RELATIONS 2
Kent Core Requirement 3
Kent Core Requirement 3
General Electives 3
 Credit Hours14
Semester Six
MDJ 31002 ADVERTISING COPYWRITING (WIC) 3
MDJ 31003
or MDJ 31004
ADVERTISING MEDIA PLANNING
or DIGITAL ADVERTISING
3
MDJ 40027 RACE, GENDER, CLASS AND DIS/ABILITY IN MEDIA INDUSTRIES 3
General Electives 6
 Credit Hours15
Third Summer Term
MDJ 40092 INTERNSHIP (ELR) 1
 Credit Hours1
Semester Seven
MDJ 40016
or MDJ 40006
LAW OF ADVERTISING AND PUBLIC RELATIONS
or LAW OF MEDIA AND JOURNALISM
3
Media and Journalism Elective 3
General Electives 9
 Credit Hours15
Semester Eight
MDJ 40011 ETHICAL ISSUES IN INTEGRATED COMMUNICATION 1
MDJ 41099
or MDJ 41199
ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS (ELR)
or CAPSTONE: CAMPAIGNS IN ADVERTISING AND PUBLIC RELATIONS (ELR)
3
College of Communication and Information Core Elective 3
Media and Journalism Elective 3
General Electives 4
 Credit Hours14
 Minimum Total Credit Hours:120
Program Delivery
  • Delivery:
    • In person
  • Location:
    • Kent Campus
Accreditation

Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communications (ACEJMC)

Career Outlook

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects increasing demand for advertising-related careers through 2031. Median salaries for the paths below range from $62,800 to up to $133,380. 

19%
Marketing Research Analyst
8%
Public Relations Specialists
5%
Sales/Account Manager
10%
Advertising/Promotions Manager

Where Our Grads Work

ADVERTISING GRADUATES OF THE LAST DECADE WORK FOR NATIONALLY KNOWN ORGANIZATIONS, AGENCIES AND MEDIA COMPANIES LIKE:

    • Nestle 
    • TTI Floorcare
    • Harley Davidson Dealer Systems, Inc.
    • Macy's 
    • Nike
    • GNC
    • Cleveland Clinic
    • Talking Rain Beverage Co.
    • KeyBank
    • Brokaw Agency (Cleveland)
    • Marcus Thomas LLC (Cleveland)
    • Geometry Global (Cleveland, New York City)
    • T3 (Austin, Texas)
    • Starcom Media (Chicago)
    • MullenLowe (Los Angeles)
    • Oath/Yahoo (San Francisco)

Mike Jackson, '78

After studying journalism at Kent State in the seventies, Mike Jackson, '78, wanted to be the next Walter Cronkite, in that he had a big love for news. Kent State was where he gained more introspection about the world, after he had attended integrated Catholic schools in his hometown of Youngstown during his youth.  

But after being exposed to advertising and attending graduate school at the University of Southern California, he really found a love for marketing.  

“I needed to figure out a way to just pay for my education because I was paying for it myself,” Jackson said. “I landed a job as a kind of market representative for Coca-Cola.” 

He got the job during his time at USC and was able to juggle both work and classes. This was his first role at a major company, and he loved it. And it was only the beginning of his impressive career.  

Ten years later, Jackson went on to work for companies such as Pepsi and Coors as the operations manager and the vice president of marketing, respectively. He managed the second-largest advertising media budget at General Motors as the head of Marketing for North America. By moving up the ranks and working in various positions, he expanded his roles and also gained experience in fields like manufacturing and distribution.  

“I love all aspects of demand building: whether it was PR, whether it was marketing, whether it was pricing, whether it was distribution, whether it was production,” Jackson said. “I love being in the mix and working with all of that.” 

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Kent State alumnus Chase Wilcox, ‘21, began his career through a direct message on social media to his now-employer, DNC Media, while he was still a student.

An advertising major, Wilcox completed his degree during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, when Kent State and other universities across the world ceased the majority of in-person activities and moved to online instruction. Attempting to make the best of an unusual situation, Wilcox decided to take all online courses and moved to Florida, where he began successfully doing social media content for smaller brands on TikTok.

Once he grew his TikTok account to more than 100,000 followers, Wilcox began direct messaging companies, like DNC Media, for opportunities to develop his skills further.

DNC Media is a boutique agency located in Florida that specializes in growing businesses through growth consultation, video creation and monthly content campaigns.  

His day-to-day work life focuses on three main things: brand strategy, video production and paid advertising. He helps develop client branding, brand objectives, content strategies and budgets for paid advertising, amongst other things.Most of the agency’s clients are in the travel and tourism industry, like Cultured Vine, a luxury concierge service in the Napa Valley region, and Atlas Ocean Voyages, an intimate yacht-style cruise line.