Advertising
Program Details
Advertising is all about how businesses create meaningful connections with audiences. As an advertising major, you'll dive into the realm of creative brainstorming, digital media and market research while learning to analyze, write and design captivating ads and ad campaigns.
Here, you'll have the opportunity to focus on work that benefits the community through courses that partner with Cincinnati-based businesses and organizations. You'll also gain experience through interning at local and national advertising agencies and graduate ready for a meaningful, creative career in advertising.
Degree Awarded
Bachelor of Arts in Advertising
Curriculum
The sample course sequence below illustrates class offerings for the Advertising major. Consult the official Xavier University course catalog for detailed registration and advising information.
Fall
- Core 101 - GOA............ 0cr.
- Comm 101 (OC Flag) or Comm 123............ 3cr.
- English Composition or Rhetoric............ 3cr.
- Second Language Elective ............ 3cr.
- Core 100 First-Year Seminar or Theo 111 Theological Foundations ............ 3cr.
- Math 105 (Math a placement level) or Math 116 (Math Perspectives) ............ 3cr.
Spring
- Core 102 - GOA............ 0cr.
- Comm 101 (OC Flag) or Comm 123............ 3cr.
- Historical Perspectives............ 3cr.
- Second Language Elective ............ 3cr.
- Core 100 First-Year Seminar or Theo 111 Theological Foundations ............ 3cr.
- Phil 100 Ethics as Introduction to Philosophy ............ 3cr.
Fall
- Communication Arts Course ............ 3cr.
- Creative Perspectives ............ 3cr.
- Phil 200 Philosophical Perspectives ............ 3cr.
- Social Science elective ............ 3cr.
- Quantitative Reasoning Flag ............ 3cr.
Spring
- Comm 206 (Writing Flag) ............ 3cr.
- Eng 205 Literature and the Moral Imagination ............ 3cr.
- Theology Perspectives (THEO 200+) ............ 3cr.
- Scientific Perspectives ............ 3cr.
- Natural Science elective ............ 3cr.
Fall
- Communication Arts Course ............ 3cr.
- Communications Arts Course ............ 3cr.
- Diversity Flag (COMM 323, 324 or other) ............ 3cr.
- E/R & Focus Flag (COMM 477) ............ 3cr.
- General Elective ............ 3cr.
Spring
- Communications Arts Course ............ 3cr.
- Communications Arts Course ............ 3cr.
- Humanities Elective ............ 3cr.
- General Elective ............ 3cr.
- General Elective ............ 3cr.
Fall
- Communications Arts Course ............ 3cr.
- Communications Arts Course ............ 3cr.
- General Elective ............ 3cr.
- General Elective ............ 3cr.
- General Elective ............ 3cr.
Spring
- Communications Arts Course ............ 3cr.
- General Elective ............ 3cr.
- General Elective ............ 3cr.
- General Elective ............ 3cr.
- General Elective ............ 3cr.
Advertising Courses
Sample courses within the advertising major curriculum:
- Elements of Copy and Design (COMM 237) - Master creative strategy, visual communication and persuasive writing skills while crafting advertisements across various media platforms.
- Audience Survey & Research (COMM 329) - This course is an examination and survey of gathering, analysis and the uses of audience-related information to create effective messages and campaigns. Topics include design, sampling, data collection and statistical analysis. This course reviews quantitative and qualitative research methods most commonly used in the field of communication including broadcast ratings and other syndicated research.
- Media Strategies in Advertising (COMM 332) - This course covers analyzing the characteristics of different media platforms and evaluating their relative efficiencies, equipping you with essential skills for successful advertising campaigns.
- Creative Strategies in Advertising (COMM 430) - Explore the theoretical foundations and creative processes behind developing advertising and promotional strategies. This course delves into the utilization of research data to develop and assess advertising strategies, covering the essential skills to create impactful advertising campaigns.
- Senior Seminar (COMM 439) - Merge your knowledge from the advertising major to craft an original advertising campaign tailored for a real-world client. Produce deliverables that not only meet client needs but also serve as valuable additions to your professional portfolio, providing hands-on experience in the field of advertising.
Advertising Careers
99% of undergraduate Xavier students, including those in the advertising major, are working, volunteering or in graduate school within six months of graduation (Class of 2022). Explore Xavier's Career Outcomes Dashboard to view career outcomes by major.
Recent student job placements (among all communications majors): Procter & Gamble, ESPN, Fifth Third Bank, NCAA, Macy's, Amazon, Four Entertainment Group, Total Quality Logistics, Mercy Health, ABC
Careers for advertising majors: Account Executive, Campaign Manager, Communications Specialist, Content Coordinator, Digital Advertising Specialist, Marketing Coordinator, Marketing Manager, Media Planner, Promotions Manager, Public Relations Manager, Sales Manager, Social Media Marketing Assistant
More: Xavier's Career Development Office assists students in their search for employment by offering individual career counseling sessions, conducting workshops and maintaining an employer database. More than 100 nationally known companies visit the campus annually to interview graduating seniors for open positions.
Advertising Clubs
- The Advertising Club- The Advertising club, part of the nationally renowned American Advertising Federation (AAF), specializes in uniting creativity and advertising within the Xavier Community.
- Business Leaders for Tomorrow- Members explore business processes firsthand by networking with and learning from various business leaders in Cincinnati and beyond. Events from past years have included trips to Silicon Valley and Chicago, job shadowing days and guest lecturers.
- Xavier Marketing Club- The Xavier Marketing Club is associated with the American Marketing Association. The club offers students the opportunity to gain a broader, realistic, more practically oriented exposure to marketing activities. The Marketing Club strives to improve each member's marketability in today's highly competitive job market.
- Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA)- The Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) is a national, student-managed organization offering a campus program of speakers, skill-building activities and social events.
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Gain Expertise in an Advertising Program Focused on Real-World Learning
Advertising courses blend theory with hands-on experience, equipping you with a strong portfolio to impress potential employers. In your senior capstone course, you'll create an original advertising campaign for a real client, allowing you to apply your skills in a professional setting and enhance your portfolio.
Kickstart Your Advertising Career in Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati, Ohio is a city with a thriving advertising industry, so you'll have access to countless internships, job opportunities and networking events that will enhance your academic experience and career prospects.
Experience a Transformative Education
With a focus on social justice and ethical decision-making, you'll not only develop your creative skills but also learn to use advertising and media as a tool for positive change. Engage with a supportive community that encourages critical thinking, empathy and a deeper understanding of the human experience.
Graduate With Honors
Are you looking for an academic challenge? The University Scholars Honors Program offers incoming students a more challenging curriculum and close support from professors while completing their undergraduate degree. Acceptance into the program is highly selective and includes a $2000 travel grant.
Advertising Major at Xavier University
Advertising is an academic major in which students learn to connect marketers to consumers through creative and strategic campaigns. The Bachelor of Arts in Advertising is a four-year program designed to not only teach students what it takes to be an advertising professional, but also how to apply the skills and principles they learn. Students explore all facets of the industry, including fundamentals of advertising, media planning, research and management.
Xavier University’s College of Arts and Sciences challenges students to develop an integrated understanding of humanity, the world, and God by pursuing the questions raised in Xavier's core and departmental curricula. The College of Arts and Sciences is the oldest and largest college at Xavier University. The college provides an excellent liberal arts education in the Jesuit tradition that prepares students for careers, professional or graduate school, and life in a global society.
Xavier University is a private university located in Cincinnati, Ohio, providing a liberal arts education in the Jesuit Catholic tradition. Founded in 1831, the University is the sixth-oldest Catholic university in the nation. It has been ranked among the top 10 master's-level universities in the Midwest by U.S. News & World Report for the past two decades. The Princeton Review names it one of the "Best 385 Colleges in America."