Creativity meets strategic thinking in Suffolk’s advertising program. Our hands-on curriculum will introduce you to cutting-edge techniques for designing compelling advertising campaigns and tracking their efficacy with target audiences. As an advertising major, you’ll build a strong foundation in ad content, market research, and media planning, then apply your skills to real-world client work in class and through internships.
Boston is one of the largest media markets in the country, and professional opportunities in this well-paying field abound. Our graduates go on to work at large, mid-sized, and boutique advertising agencies in major cities across the country, as well as in-house for non-profit, commercial, and government organizations.
As a student in our advertising program, you will:
You won’t just study your major—you’ll experience it through hands-on learning opportunities built into our curriculum.
In this major, students can choose to earn a Bachelor of Science or a Bachelor of Arts in Advertising. You’ll learn to develop impactful ads from the ground up—drafting copy and designing visual elements—and plan campaigns that appeal to target audiences across sectors. You’ll also learn how to conduct market research and create media plans and buying strategies that achieve data-driven marketing goals. Social media courses are featured in the advertising curriculum; however, students can choose to build on those courses further to complete our social media minor.
All advertising majors are required to complete a professional internship in advertising, integrated marketing communication, or social media. The internship course is typically taken during your senior year, although it can be taken your junior year. Students can take up to two different, semester-long internships for academic credit.
View the Advertising Major Curriculum
Learn how to craft and implement effective ad campaigns with a minor in advertising. To complete the minor, you’ll take four required courses—Advertising I: Foundations, Web Design, Media Planning, and Advertising III: Ad Copy and Design—and one elective of your choosing.
View the Advertising Minor Curriculum
Advertising students complement their skills with courses, minors, and double majors in areas such as:
Launch your career in the center of the nation’s fifth largest communication market. Suffolk’s unique downtown location puts you within steps of major media outlets, PR firms, advertising agencies, legendary sports teams, nonprofits, and the hubs of city and state government. You’ll work with a dedicated internship director to explore for-credit internship options, and seize additional opportunities to build your résumé, sharpen your skills, and expand your industry knowledge.
Recent placements include:
In addition to internships, our students participate in many co-curricular media opportunities on campus. Some of these activities can even be taken for credit. Build your network and your skills by:
You can also draw creative inspiration from the work displayed in the Suffolk University Gallery, and from world-class museums within walking distance (or a short T ride) from our campus, such as the Museum of African American History, the Museum of Fine Arts, the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, and the Institute of Contemporary Art.
At Suffolk, you’ll find a supportive community of peers, expert faculty mentors, and alumni who are leaders in their fields. Dedicated internship and career support, along with additional resources—such as The Rosenberg STEP Program, which provides paid on-campus experience, mentorship, and professional development—will help you feel confident in your next steps after graduation and throughout your career.
The Career Center will help you explore career options, plan your path, and land your dream internship or job. You’ll find practical help, like how to write an effective résumé or LinkedIn profile, along with valuable connections to leading employers and successful alumni, including networking events like our annual “Careers in Advertising and Public Relations” alumni panel. A specific Career Community for Marketing, Analytics, Advertising & Public Relations provides events and information tailored just for our students.
Here's a sampling of recent graduates’ current job titles and employers.
Associate Professor & Department Chair of Advertising, Public Relations & Social Media
Email [email protected]
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