How do I Earn an Advertising Degree?

There are many different ways to earn an advertising degree. One of the first things to decide is whether you want to learn online or attend advertising school in person. It's a good idea to research all of your education options before making a decision. What kind of career you hope to have in advertising can guide you when choosing a degree program. Liberal arts, journalism or communications courses may work well for those hoping for a creative advertising career, while business-based electives may be more helpful for people wanting to become account executives and managers.

Research all the possible schools where you could earn your advertising degree, whether these are institutions to attend in person or programs to take online. When researching schools online, you can try search terms such as "advertising degree online." You could also just go to university websites and check if the institution has an advertising school.

Try to find the advertising degree program that best suits your career goals as well as your personality. For instance, some advertising schools have student-run agencies. For some students, this would be the best type of hands-on learning experience possible, but others may prefer learning theory before jumping right into an agency-like setting.

When you've narrowed down your choices to several schools, compare program outlines to choose the best advertising degree program for you. Advertising is an industry that tends to value intelligence, so you should pick a degree program in which you can do well academically. Advertising is also an extremely competitive field and you'll need to stand out from other students with similar degrees.

If you can find a school that arranges student internships as part of its advertising degree program, it could give you an opportunity to get real-world experience in your desired field. Even if the internship doesn't lead to employment with the same agency, you'll have references and experience to include on your resume. This accomplishment can help you stand out from the competition when you start looking for entry-level advertising work.

Whether you aspire to work on the creative, business or research side of advertising, you'll need to understand crucial concepts such as branding, design and research. Successfully earning an advertising degree means being able to apply what you learn to real-life situations in the worlds of business and marketing. Self-motivation and perseverance combined with a passion for the field of advertising can help you earn your degree.