Advertising

Although the large majority of our students will create their own emphasis area using our numerous advertising electives, a number will desire even more depth of study in one area or another. To meet their needs and to better bridge the gap between academia and industry, we offer several application-only programs as enhancements to our general advertising degree. Current enhancement programs offered are Texas Creative for future multimedia copywriters and art directors, and Texas Media for future media strategists and digital specialists.

All students must complete the University’s Core Curriculum, as well as the requirements for the Bachelor of Science in Advertising listed below under Prescribed Work. In some cases, a course required for the BSAdv may also be counted toward the core curriculum; these courses are identified below.

Prescribed Work

1. Three semester hours in English or rhetoric and writing in addition to the courses required by the core curriculum.
2. Three courses with a writing flag; one course with a quantitative reasoning flag; one course with a global cultures flag; one course with a cultural diversity in the United States flag; one course with an ethics and leadership flag; and one course with an independent inquiry flag. The same course cannot be used to satisfy the global cultures and cultural diversity flags even if the course carries both flags. Courses that fulfill flag requirements are identified in the Course Schedule. They may also be used to fulfill other degree requirements.
3. Three semester hours of coursework in the Moody College of Communication dealing with the study of communication issues concerning at least one minority or nondominant group within the United States. Courses that fulfill this requirement may also be used to fulfill other degree requirements. A partial list of these communication and culture courses is given in the Communication and Culture Requirement section under the Moody College of Communication's Degrees and Programs section; a complete list is available in the college’s Student Advising Office before registration for each semester and summer session. The courses are also identified in the Course Schedule.
4. Students must demonstrate intermediate proficiency in a single foreign language. Courses taken to meet this requirement may not be taken on the pass/fail basis.
   Credit may be earned by examination for any part of a foreign language  sequence. An extensive foreign language testing program is available at the University. Students with knowledge of a language are encouraged to take appropriate tests both to earn as much credit as possible and to be placed at the proper level for further study. Students should consult with an academic adviser for information on testing.
5. Statistics and Data Sciences 306, completed in residence. This course also meets the core curriculum mathematics requirement.
6. 12 semester hours of coursework in the McCombs School of Business, preferably three hours in marketing, three hours in accounting, three hours in either legal environment of business or finance, and three hours in management. At least six of the 12 hours must be in upper-division coursework. Marketing 338 may not be used to fulfill this requirement.
7. At least 36 semester hours of upper-division coursework.
8. No more than 12 semester hours of transfer credit in advertising may be counted toward the degree.
9. Enough additional coursework to make a total of 120 semester hours. No more than 42 hours in advertising and no more than 36 hours in any other single field may be counted toward the degree.

Special Requirements of the Major

To enroll in upper-division advertising courses, a student must have completed Advertising 318J in residence with a grade of at least B, and must have a University grade point average of at least 2.25 and a grade point average in courses in the Moody College of Communication of at least 2.00. Students who do not fulfill these requirements will be dropped from upper-division advertising courses, normally before the twelfth class day. The grade point average requirement is waived for the transfer student during the first semester of coursework, while he or she is establishing a University grade point average. Students may enroll in Advertising 318J no more than twice.

In addition, advertising majors must have a grade of at least C in each course taken in the Moody College of Communication that is counted toward the degree and a grade of at least C in each course counted toward the major requirements; if the course is offered on the pass/fail basis only, the student must have the symbol CR.

Advertising majors must take Advertising 370J and 373 or 373H in residence.

Areas of Study

Students majoring in advertising specialize in one of four programs: Texas Advertising Management, Texas Creative, Texas Media, or Texas Sports and Entertainment. Admission to the Texas Creative and Texas Media programs is by an application process; students who are not interested in or accepted into either of these programs will complete either the Texas Advertising Management or the Texas Sports and Entertainment program. All advertising majors must complete the requirements of their specialization, as well as the requirements listed in the preceding paragraph.

Texas Advertising Management Program

This program is designed for students interested in a variety of professional careers, including account planning and advertising management positions in a wide range of advertising, sales promotion, direct response, promotional products, and related agencies. Students planning to work for advertisers, such as manufacturing or service companies, rather than for agencies, may also meet their goals through the Texas Advertising Management program. The program focuses on an integrated approach in which communication problems are addressed with a variety of tools, including advertising, public relations, sales promotion, and direct response. Students must complete:

1. Advertising 378 (Topic 20: Account Planning)
2. Three hours chosen from:
   1. Advertising 378 (Topic 4: Direct Marketing)
   2. Advertising 378 (Topic 11: Leadership and Ethics)
   3. Advertising 378 (Topic 17: Integrated Communication for Nonprofit Organizations)
   4. Advertising 378 (Topic 19: Online Consumer Research)
3. Three hours chosen from:
   1. Advertising 377M (Topic 1: Advanced Media Research)
   2. Advertising 377M (Topic 2: Advanced Studies in Media Sales)
   3. Advertising 377M (Topic 3: Digital Metrics)
   4. Advertising 377M (Topic 4: Nontraditional New Media Concepts)
   5. Advertising 377M (Topic 8: Digital Insights)
   6. Advertising 377M (Topic 9: Media Investments)
   7. Advertising 377M (Topic 10: Media Showcase)

Texas Creative Program

This program is designed to mold talented students into skilled advertising copywriters and art directors. To achieve that goal, it focuses on the creative and strategic thinking required to make the highest quality advertising messages. The program consists of Advertising 343K, Portfolio I; Advertising 468K, Portfolio II; and Advertising 468L, Portfolio III. In these three courses, students are expected to learn conceptual and critical thinking skills, computer design and page layout skills, and copywriting. The sequence also helps students develop the portfolio of creative work that is required of those seeking jobs in advertising.

Students who complete Advertising 325 with a grade of at least B may apply for admission to the Texas Creative program. Applications are generally distributed during the last week of class, and decisions are posted the following week. Students who are accepted into the program may enroll in Advertising 343K the following semester; those who are not accepted may apply again the following semester, but students may apply only twice. Student work is reviewed each semester, and advancement through the program is contingent upon the quality of portfolio development.

Texas Media Program

This program is designed to help students develop the characteristics that define success in advertising media planning, buying, sales, new media development, and metrics. Because advertising media is a broad and quickly evolving industry, the program offers a variety of courses, allowing students to focus their training and allowing the program itself to adapt to industry developments.

Students who complete Advertising 345J with a grade of at least B may apply for admission to the Texas Media program. Applications are distributed during the last week of classes. Admission decisions are made at the end of the semester and students admitted to the program are notified by a Secure Academic Note prior to the next add/drop registration period. Those who are not admitted may apply again the following semester, but students may apply only twice.

All Texas Media students must complete Advertising 377 (Topic 1: Advanced Media Strategies), 377 (Topic 3: Digital Media), and 377M (Topic 7: Media Negotiation). In addition, Texas Media students may choose to take at least one additional media upper-division course, which can be counted as an advertising elective. Advertising 377 or 377M may be taken concurrently if all prerequisites are met. Most students complete the program in two semesters.

Texas Sports and Entertainment Program

This program is designed to give students the knowledge to develop decisions in sports communication. The program complements the student’s education by developing their proficiency and knowledge in this area of specialization. Students must complete Advertising 305S, 348S, and at least one other 378S topic.

The Consent Procedure

Part of the prerequisite for some advertising courses is consent of the instructor received prior to registering. To be able to register for such a course, a student must first ask for and receive the instructor’s consent. The student may be invited to an interview with the instructor or may be asked to provide supporting materials, such as an application or an essay. The student is responsible for knowing the deadline to apply. Consent forms are available from the student’s adviser and in the Department of Advertising.

Major Requirements

1. At least 36, but no more than 42 semester hours of advertising, of which at least 24 hours must be upper-division. The following courses are required: Advertising 318J, 325, 344K, 345J, 350 or 468L, 370J, 353, and 373. The student must complete Advertising 318J, 370J, and 373 or 373H in residence; 318J must be completed with a grade of at least B.
    
2. At least six semester hours of coursework must be taken in the Moody College of Communication but outside the department. 
    
3. No Moody College of Communication course to be counted toward the degree and no course to be counted toward major requirement 1 above may be taken on the pass/fail basis, unless the course is offered only on that basis.

In addition, the following coursework is required to complete the following programs:

Texas Advertising Management: Advertising 378 (Topic 20); 378 (Topic 4, 11, 17, or 19); and 377M(Topic 1, 2, 3, 4, 8, 9, or 10).

Texas Creative: Advertising 343K, 468K, and 468L (note: Advertising 468L is part of the 24 required advertising hours for Creative students).

Texas Media: Advertising 377 (Topics 1 and 3), and 377M (Topic 7).

Texas Sports and Entertainment:  Advertising 305S, 348S, and any 378S topic.

1. At least 30 but no more than 36 semester hours of communication studies. At least 15 hours must be in upper- division coursework. Each student must complete one of the following tracks:
   1. Corporate Communications
      1. Communication Studies 306M, 313M, and 332K. 
      2. Six semester hours chosen from the following courses: Communication Studies 310K, 316L, 320, 335, 336D, 337, 338, 339L, 341, 346, 350M, 353S, 370K, and 372T.
      3. 15 additional semester hours of communication studies.
   2. Human Relations
      1. Communication Studies 306M and 332K
      2. Nine semester hours chosen from the following courses: Communication Studies 314L, 315M, 330, 334K, 344K, 354, 355K, 357, 358, 370K, and 371K
      3. 15 additional semester hours of communication studies.
   3. Political Communication
      1. Communication Studies 306M, 317C, and 332K
      2. Nine semester hours chosen from the following courses: Communication Studies 320, 331K, 332, 333, 340K, 342C, 342K, 345, and 370K.
      3. 12 additional semester hours of communication studies.

2. At least six semester hours of coursework must be taken in the  Moody College of Communication but outside communication studies. 

3. No Moody College of Communication course to be counted toward the degree may be taken on the pass/fail basis, unless the course is offered only on that basis.

Order and Choice of Work

First Year

1. The student must take three courses from the following group each semester:
   1. Rhetoric and Writing 306.
   2. Courses to be counted toward the American history, American and Texas government, social and behavioral sciences, mathematics, and science and technology requirements of the core curriculum.
   3. Courses in a foreign language.
   4. Courses that meet flag requirements.
2. Enough additional coursework to raise the student’s course load to 15 or 16 hours each semester. Courses should be chosen with the guidance of a college adviser.

First-year students may not take two beginning foreign language courses in the same semester. First-year students may not take more than eight semester hours in one department.

Second Year

1. The student must take three courses from the following group each semester; four are recommended:
   1. English 316L, 316M, 316N, or 316P, and any three-semester-hour course in English or rhetoric and writing.
   2. Courses to be counted toward the American history, American and Texas government, social and behavioral sciences, mathematics, and science and technology requirements of the core curriculum.
   3. Courses in the foreign language, unless the language requirement has been fulfilled.
   4. courses that meet flag requirements.
2. Advertising 318J.
3. Statistics and Data Sciences 306.
4. Enough additional coursework, if needed, to raise the student’s course load to 15 or 16 hours each semester. Basic courses in business, studio art, and computer sciences are especially recommended.

Third and Fourth Years

1. Any remaining courses in the core curriculum and the prescribed work.
2. The remaining courses listed as major requirements.
3. Upper-division electives chosen to support the major. Advertising majors normally emphasize economics, government, history, English, sociology, psychology, marketing, or management.​

Requirements

• If you are not a U.S. citizen or permanent resident and will not graduate from a Texas high school, select the ApplyTexas option to apply for freshman admission as an international applicant.
• Pay the $75 application fee—$90 for international applicants—when you submit your ApplyTexas application. 
• Along with your ApplyTexas application, submit at least two essays.
• If you are an international applicant, you must submit documentation showing that you have completed an accredited secondary school series equivalent to that of a U.S. high school.
• Submit an official record or transcript (mark sheet) that shows all your secondary school work and grades (or marks) starting with ninth grade and continuing through at least the end of 11th grade. You should also include copies of your official final examinations taken at the end of the secondary school program, including external exams such as the General Certificate of Education (GCE) “O” and “A” level examinations, school leaving certificates and matriculation exams.
• If the documents you are submitting are written in a language other than English, you must also submit complete and official English translations together with the original-language records.
• Send us official transcript(s) documenting any college credit earned while in high school (dual credit counts!).
• TOEFL: 550 (paper test), 213 (computer-based test) or 79 (internet-based test)
• IELTS: An overall band of 6.5 on the Academic Examination
• Résumé
• Ask someone who knows you well to write a letter about your character and accomplishments. Letters of recommendation are appreciated but not required.

Scholarships

• Endowed Scholarships
• Presidential Scholars Program
• Texas Exes Scholarships