Creative Advertising

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On this industry-focused course, you will devise campaigns for real products and graduate with a portfolio of work that showcases your talents to prospective employers.

This challenging masters course has been designed by industry professionals and is aimed at graduates who wish to work in the creative side of the advertising industry.

You will explore the theories behind advertising and work to live agency briefs to create advertising across a wide range of media. Studying in an environment that simulates the advertising sector, you will be constantly challenged to push the boundaries of your creativity to find innovative solutions to industry briefs.

The course aims to foster debate across different disciplines and you will study alongside other students in the School of Communications, developing a broader appreciation of media and culture.

We have our own e-learning facilities, social networking sites and blogs to enrich your learning experience, and the majority of course material is available electronically via our online learning platform, myCourse.
By the end of the course, you will graduate with a professional portfolio that will help you to succeed in this dynamic industry.

Creative Portfolio Building: You will work on a variety of creative briefs
on this unit that is designed both for practising advertising creatives and for students who wish to enhance their portfolio. Students work either individually or in pairs, simulating the traditional two-person creative team format favoured by the
majority of mainstream advertising agencies. Regular group critiques and one-to-one portfolio surgeries will provide opportunities for a high level of feedback.

Ideation: This unit promotes and develops creative thinking and problem-solving skills, addressing the need for individuals and teams who can think 'outside the box, and apply fresh ideas to real-world problems. Practical demonstrations, exercises and task simulations will enable you to gain a deeper knowledge of creative tools and their use in generating advertising concepts and ideas. You will record and reflect on your ideas, observations and experiences in an individual portfolio which will take the form of a visual journal. In addition, you will engage in a group project involving the production of a multimedia advertising campaign for
a client.

Cultural Influences on Writing and the Media: This unit offers a broad introduction to late twentieth-century cultural theory framed by the notion of post thinking, incorporating postmodernism, postfeminism, postcolonialism, posthumanism and poststructuralism. Drawing on these theories, you will examine the triangular relationship between societal discourses (relating to gender, sexuality and ethnicity, for example), cultural production and audience. The focus will be on analysing a wide range of fictional, non-fictional and promotional cultural texts, emphasising their complex, fluid and ambiguous nature. The unit aims to place these cultural texts within a global context shaped by the rise of new media communication technologies over the last 20 years.

Professional Practice: This unit has been designed to enable you to plan your long-term career. You will explore and critically analyse the media, publishing and creative industries in the UK and around the world. You will also research the opportunities in your chosen industry and produce reflective and relevant professional development plans. You will be required to secure a work placement, freelance assignments or relevant work-related experience for one month in order to strengthen your knowledge of the industry and refine your skills. The unit is complemented by a programme of guest lectures by representatives
from the media, publishing and creative industries.

Major Project: You will design, execute and present a demanding piece of work that deploys a systematic and in-depth understanding of the skills and debates relevant to your discipline of study. The project can take a number of different forms depending on your discipline and you will negotiate its structure and template with your supervisor. Your project should synthesise approaches and methodologies in the field and demonstrate initiative and autonomy in its execution.

Assessment

This course is assessed using a variety of methods that mirror industry practice. You will take part in workshops and work on live commercial briefs and presentations, using industry-standard media production facilities.

Projects/work experience

You will be encouraged to embark on some work experience as part of the Professional Practice unit. Key to your professional success will be experience of working in an agency environment, and this unit has been specifically designed to assist you in planning your future career.

For entry to a postgraduate degree course, students should hold a good honours degree or equivalent. English Language Proficiency Requirement Applicants whose first language is not English, or who have not received their higher education in English, will be required to produce evidence of their English language proficiency. As a general guide you should have achieved a minimum IELTS score of 6.50, a TOEFL score of 600, or suitable equivalent. However, you should be aware that this is a minimum requirement. Some courses require a higher level of proficiency. English Language Requirements IELTS band: 6.5 TOEFL paper-based test score : 600 IMPORTANT NOTE: Since April 2014 the ETS tests (including TOEFL and TOEIC) are no longer accepted for Tier 4 visa applications to the United Kingdom. The university might still accept these tests to admit you to the university, but if you require a Tier 4 visa to enter the UK and begin your degree programme, these tests will not be sufficient to obtain your Visa. The IELTS test is most widely accepted by universities and is also accepted for Tier 4 visas to the UK- learn more.

Southampton Solent University offers a range of scholarships that provide financial assistance or waive fees for tuition or accommodation. Each scholarship has specific eligibility criteria.

In general, scholarships are stand-alone and cannot be combined with other awards.

National Scholarship Programme
This scheme is available to new home and EU undergraduate students starting a programme of study with us in 2012/13, whose tuition fees are over £6,000 and who have a declared household income of less than £25,000 a year. To be eligible to be considered for a National Scholarship, applicants will need to meet
further eligibility criteria, as detailed on our website.

Foundation Year Scholarships
Students enrolling on Foundation Year courses can apply for a scholarship that would waive their entire fee (£7,420). Eligibility will be determined chiefly by income. Students who meet the initial criteria and reside in Southampton may be eligible for maintenance support worth £3,000. The Foundation Year scholarships cannot be combined with the National Scholarship Scheme.

The Lisa Wilson Scholarship
A number of Lisa Wilson scholarships are awarded annually for new students applying to FdA, HND or BA/BSc degree courses. The scholarships are available to students who have overcome adversity or can demonstrate why they need extra financial help with their studies. The scholarship provides £1,000 per year, reviewed annually.

Care Leavers
The University has been awarded the Buttle UK Trust Quality Mark for Care Leavers, in recognition of our commitment to supporting students who have been in local authority care. The support package includes a £1,500 bursary per year.

The Sport Scholarship
Sport Solent offers different levels of support to student athletes, based on their sporting talent and potential.

The High Performance Academy scholarship awards a discount of up to £1,000 on accommodation in halls,
with further benefits totalling up to £2,500.

Sports scholarships are also awarded, two in cricket and two in basketball, that cover the cost of tuition fees paid in the first year and provide a fees discount of 50% in future years.

CVQO Scholarship
Students studying with CVQO who progress to a full-time undergraduate course at Solent are eligible to apply for
the annual CVQO award. The recipient of this award is entitled to three years free accommodation whilst studying at Solent.

International Scholarships Scheme
We have a number of scholarships for students from overseas. You are eligible if you are applying for a full-time course at Southampton Solent University for 2013 entry, and you are from one of the following areas: Africa, the Caribbean, China, Hong Kong, India, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Singapore, Turkey or the USA. You will also need to be a self-funded, full-fee student and not currently studying or living in the UK.

If this describes you and you have received a definite offer from us, simply complete the overseas scholarships application form and return it to our International Office by 31 July 2012.

Accreditation

The course has close links with the D&AD and prospective employers will be invited to view your work at the D&AD New Blood Exhibition, and at other industry events throughout the year.