Advertising

The School of Journalism and Mass Media at the University of Idaho offers a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) or Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in Advertising. This popular program equips you with the creative skills, production tools and mass media knowledge needed for a successful career in the dynamic and challenging field of advertising.

As an advertising major at the University of Idaho, you’ll study all aspects of the billion-dollar advertising industry and its important role in American society. Through engaging classroom discussions, case studies and projects for real-world clients, you’ll learn to envision, plan and execute effective advertising campaigns designed to sell products or services to a variety of audiences.  Courses in business, marketing, graphic design and other disciplines give you the well-rounded perspective and global awareness you need for a career in advertising or for graduate study.

Our students graduate with valuable practical experience – an expectation of many future employers. During your junior year, courses address the creative side of advertising as well as the media planning dimension.  Seniors take a capstone course that simulates work at an advertising agency. Each year, our top advertising students participate in the American Advertising Federation’s student competition.  Our UI team develops a campaign for a real-world client and presents it to judges at the regional level.  Students may also gain media experience by selling and designing advertisements for the university student newspaper or magazine.

The School of Journalism and Mass Media (JAMM) faculty members know what it takes to succeed in the real world. Each has worked professionally in journalism or mass media, and they draw from these personal experiences to ensure you have the knowledge and skills that employers want.

Additionally, our strong ties to the regional media industry open doors to many excellent internships and job opportunities. Field trips, guest speakers, alumni events and other activities give you the chance to network with practicing professionals from around the world.

Prepare for Success

Advertising is a fast-paced, creative profession that demands outside-of-the-box thinking. To succeed, you should be a good problem solver with strong written, oral and interpersonal communication skills. You must be a good team player and be able to work under pressure to meet deadlines. Prepare in high school by taking courses in writing, public speaking, art and economics. We also encourage you to get involved in your high school newspaper and business-oriented clubs.

Your First Year

During your first year in the program, you will complete lower-division media courses required by the School of Journalism and Mass Media (JAMM). All students must successfully complete the following courses with a C or better to enroll in upper-division JAMM courses:

• JAMM 100 – Media and Society*
• JAMM 121 – Media Writing*

You will also complete university core requirements, including:

• English 102 – Writing and Rhetoric
• Communication 101 – Public Speaking
• Math (3 credits)
• Science (7-8 credits)

The School of Journalism and Mass Media is part of the College of Letters, Arts, and Social Sciences (CLASS). We encourage students to pursue a minor or second major from other CLASS departments, such as international studies, history, political science and foreign languages. A minor in graphic design from the College of Art and Architecture is also an excellent complement to an advertising degree.

What You Can Do

With a Bachelor of Science or Bachelor of Arts in Advertising from the University of Idaho, you’ll be prepared for a wide range of career opportunities. You may become a:

• Advertising agency executive
• Sales representative
• Branding manager
• Account manager
• Marketing and communication specialist
• Promotions manager
• Public relations specialist
• Creative director
• Integrated marketing specialist
• Political consultant or campaign manager
• Copywriter

You may also pursue a graduate degree in the field.

Opportunities

Thousands of graduates of the School of Journalism and Mass Media have gone on to successful careers in advertising, journalism, photography, public relations, television and film production, and other fields where strong writing skills and the ability to quickly organize information are valued. We consistently produce some of the most qualified advertising graduates in the nation. With a degree in advertising from the University of Idaho, you will be positioned for a career with:

• Advertising agencies
• Nonprofit organizations
• Corporations
• Government agencies
• Newspaper or magazine publishers
• Radio and television stations/networks
• Public relations firms

Current Research

University of Idaho faculty members in the School of Journalism and Mass Media are recognized nationally and internationally for their work in advertising, journalism, public relations, and radio, television and digital media production. Professional expertise and current research interests include:

• Marketing, creative and public relations work for corporate giants such as B.F. Goodrich, Mitsubishi Motors and McGraw-Hill Publishing
• Community fund-raising and public issue campaigns
• Freedom of the press among Native American tribes
• Production of TV and film documentaries
• Research on political reporting, civic journalism and the relationship between public opinion and public policy
• Research in history of mass media; social and cultural movements; social welfare, labor, and immigration history; and women in the West
• Science writing on outdoors and environmental topics, including the worldwide story on the University of Idaho's famous first equine clone
• Public radio reporting and broadcasting
• Energy, environmental and financial journalism

Activities

Learn more about your chosen field and gain exposure to real-world media professions by getting involved in the following student groups: 

• Ad Club: Provides advertising majors the opportunity to visit agencies in Seattle or Portland each spring.
• Society of Professional Journalists: Allows journalism majors to interact with regional reporters and editors to discuss ethical and professional issues.
• Public Relations Club: Invites guest speakers to campus. Gives students opportunities for job shadowing.
• Native American Journalists Association: Open to students from all backgrounds interested in the complexities of reporting about Native American issues.
• Digital Media Club: Open to all students who are interested in film, television, video and digital media production.  Digital Media Club allows members to experience working collaboratively while developing their writing, producing, directing, acting/performing, shooting, editing and sound recording/mixing skills.

Hands-On Experience

As a student in the School of Journalism and Mass Media, you will have many opportunities to gain the valuable practical experience that you need to jump-start your career after graduation. Hands-on learning opportunities include:

• Ad Competition: Student advertising teams from across the United States compete every spring in the annual American Advertising Federation student competition. Selected students meet three times a week to conduct research, design a campaign and prepare a media plan on behalf of a national client. In 2007, the team placed second in the regional competition. Our student teams have also qualified three times in the past for the national competition.
• Internships: On-the-job experience is key to your readiness for the real world. We maintain strong connections to the media industry, which create outstanding opportunities to learn your profession alongside some of the region’s top media experts.
• Senior Capstone: Advertising Campaign Strategies, an intensive semester-long course, gives you a chance to apply your professional training and classroom learning to projects for real-life clients.
• Student Media Outlets: Build your professional skills by working for a University of Idaho independent student media outlet, including Blot magazine, The Argonaut student newspaper and KUOI-FM radio.
• Radio-TV Center: Develop technical skills and learn firsthand about the television industry at the recently renovated Radio-TV Center, adjacent to the School of Journalism and Mass Media.

Online & Outreach

Multicultural High School Journalism Workshop : A free weeklong workshop designed to help high school students and recent graduates from around the West learn more about the news business. Participants work with University of Idaho journalism faculty and practicing professionals to write newspaper stories, produce radio news reports and appear in a TV news program.

Faculty Involvement

The school prides itself on its advising and mentoring. Faculty members hold extended office hours, and they work closely with student clubs and organized off-campus field trips. All skills classes (reporting, editing and production) are capped at 20 students, which allows plenty of personal attention.