Advertising
Advertising is so much more than creating effective, persuasive ads; it’s about developing brands and connecting to people.
With a focus on strategy, Kent State advertising graduates are prepared to contribute productively to the ever-evolving, ever-expanding, global industry of persuasive communication in a variety of settings. You'll find our graduates working for agencies, corporations, media companies, not-for-profits and government agencies.
With a curriculum focused on strategy, students learn the skills necessary to develop effective communications, including selecting the right audience, uncovering consumer insights, developing insight-based strategy, conceptualizing and creating effective messaging, and selecting the most effective media. Kent State's degree in advertising provides deep instruction on specific skills, culminating with full advertising campaign development.
National Recognition
A team of Kent State advertising and design students took second place nationwide in the 2019 Effie Collegiate Competition. The competition is modeled after the professional competition of the same name, calling on the next generation’s advertising, marketing, design and communication students to work on real world business challenges. Subaru served as the client, sponsoring this year’s challenge to create a marketing campaign to reinvent the car buying process for Millennials and Gen Z.
Career Outlook
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects increasing demand for advertising-related careers through 2026: marketing research analysts (23%), communication managers (10%), sales/membership account managers (8%), advertising/promotions managers (6%) and graphic designers (4%). Median salaries range from $51,000 to $117,000.
Advertising graduates of the last decade work for nationally known organizations like:
- Nestle
- TTI Floorcare
- Harley Davidson Dealer Systems, Inc.
- Macy's
- Nike
- GNC
- Cleveland Clinic
- Talking Rain Beverage Co.
- KeyBank
They also work at media companies and agencies throughout the country:
- 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)
Student Experience
Students further develop and hone their skills through their required internship and a variety of extra-curricular opportunities:
- Franklin Advertising: Advertising-focused student group that forms professional connections through agency tours, speaker series (local and national industry leaders) and a trip to NYC for Advertising Week each fall.
- Ideabase: Kent State's fully functional, professional advertising/marketing firm serving local businesses
- Student Media: Opportunities to serve as advertising representatives to the local community, publication marketing managers for student-run publications and in content creation jobs (social media, sponsored content)
- Study Abroad: Communication-based programs offered in Lisbon, Florence and Prague