Advertising Program
San Jose State University offers the only degree-granting advertising program at a public university in California. Our award-winning program offers a Bachelor of Science in Advertising (Creative Track) and a Bachelor of Science in Advertising (Management Track).
Right: San José State University advertising students and 2007 Chevy Super Bowl College Ad Challenge finalists Anna Pogosova, Kelly Sherman, and LouLou Quintela.
Program requirements
The advertising degree program requires students to take a total of 120 units. Of those, 40 must be in the School of Journalism & Mass Communications and 80 outside.
Advertising majors must select an academic focus (12 units) or a minor (15 units) to be taken outside JMC.
Advertising majors choose between "creative track," which leads to a career in copywriting or design; and "management track," which leads to a career in account management or strategic planning.
Advertising courses
Advertising majors must complete a minimum of 18 units of ADV courses, culminating with ADV129 in their final semester. A complete list of advertising courses (beginning with ADV) and an alphabetical list of all other JMC courses is here.
Required non-advertising JMC courses for all advertising majors
All advertising majors are required to take the following JMC courses:
- MCOM72 Mass Media & Society
- MCOM100W Writing Workshop
- MCOM101 Media Law & Ethics
- One of: MCOM70 Visual Communications; MCOM105 Diversity in Mass Communication; MCOM106 Global Mass Communication
- One of: MCOM103 History of American Media; MCOM104 Mass Communications Research
- MCOM111 Internship
All advertising majors are required to complete a 240-hour professional internship in the field of advertising before graduation. For more information about the internship program, click here.
Required support courses for creative track
- ENGL71 Introduction to Creative Writing
- BUS130 Introduction to Marketing
- one literature elective
- one art elective
Required support courses for management track
- BUS90 Business Statistics or STAT95
- BUS130 Introduction to Marketing
- BUS90 Business Statistics or STAT95
- one literature elective
- one art elective
Recommended schedule
Recommended four-year schedule for a student majoring in the creative track.
Recommended four-year schedule for a student majoring in the management track.
Scholarships
Advertising majors are eligible to apply for many different scholarships, some offered through the School of Journalism & Mass Communications, some offered through the College of Applied Sciences and Arts. National awards and scholarships are available, too.
MAIP (Multicultural Advertising Interns Program) is a national internship program that places students from under-represented groups in major advertising agencies around the country. This is a highly competitive and very prestigious internship. In 2007, SJSU student Rita Kandamkalam won a MAIP internship. Applications are available online in September.
The Vance and Betty Lee Stickell Student Internship is awarded annually to 20 students. Applications for this internship are administered through the AAF. Applicants must be nominated by the faculty supervisor of the Spartan Ad Society, and must be a member of the SAS. Nominations are due in February. Only one student per school may be nominated to apply for this internship. Maria Muniz from SJSU was a 2006 Stickell Intern.
Student organizations for advertising students
Advertising majors are encouraged to join the Spartan Ad Society (SAS). Top speakers from advertising agencies and the media come to the campus, or we go visit them. SAS members get involved with the ADDYs and other local advertising competitions, and are always the first to hear about advertising scholarship and internship opportunities. SAS members automatically become members of the American Advertising Federation (AAF) and the Silicon Valley Ad Club.
Advertising majors make up the advertising sales staff of The Spartan Daily, San José State University's daily student newspaper. The Daily averages eight pages per issue of which about 40% is advertising. Currently the advertising staff generates more than $300,000 a year in ad revenue. The Spartan Daily is the second largest daily newspaper in San José, and students assume all management and staff positions in both the editorial and advertising departments.
Students taking ADV116 comprise the advertising sales staff of the Daily for one semester. ADV116 can be taken two semesters for credit and can take the place of MCOM111.
Advising
Undergraduate and new student advising is available at regularly scheduled hours. Stop by the main office of the School of Journalism & Mass Communications in Dwight Bentel Hall, or call 408-924-3240 to find out when an advisor is available.
If you have completed courses at other colleges or universities that may satisfy the requirements of ADV91 or MCOM72, do not enroll without consulting an adviser.
If you are transferring from another school, make an appointment with an advisor and be sure to bring all your records and transcripts with you.
General education requirements
Visit the SJSU Student Advising Center to make sure you have covered your General Education requirements before enrolling in any advertising courses. The Student Advising Center can also answer questions about the transferability of credits from other institutions.
Transfer students
A maximum of 12 units of California community college course work may be applied to the advertising degree. Courses that are accepted include: (1) those equivalent to school lower-division offerings as required for a given program or sequence; (2) other community college courses in mass communications subjects (a maximum of three units from this category may be applied to elective requirements in the major).
If you are transferring from a four year university you must consult with the SJSU Student Advising Center or the JMC undergraduate advisor to determine which courses will be accepted.
Advertising faculty
Students are encouraged to find out more about the advertising program by talking with any of the advertising faculty:
