In common with all courses at the University of the Arts London, this course is credit rated. Years one and two must be passed to enter into year three. Your degree is attained through full completion of the third year.
Year 1
Introduction to Advertising: Industry, Culture and Practice (20 credits)
This unit aims to introduce you to your course and its subject specialism as well as to effective learning and studentship at undergraduate level.
It will orientate you to the practices and knowledge needed to understand your discipline and help you to develop your skills for independent & collaborative learning, reflection and your own self development.
Truths, Insights & Storytelling (20 credits)
Explore how successful advertisers of the past and present have defined and view their particular view of the world.
You’ll learn how to develop a set of working practices and skills that will lead you to eventually produce work that can compete in the industry of the future.
Creative Skills (20 credits)
This unit will introduce you to the working practices of the global advertising universe.
Through investigation and exploration, you will discover how advertising professionals work, what they do and why they do it and, using practice-research, you will explore and develop your skills in their methods, procedures and techniques.
Professional Practice (20 credits)
Build on the skills and techniques you have learned in Truths, Insights and Storytelling.
All your practical and theoretical research knowledge, understanding of advertising and communication skills will be brought to bear on developing a project that defines you as a creative practitioner.
Advertising: Theories & Contexts (20 credits)
This unit introduces you to histories, theories and debates which relate to the field of advertising.
It will focus on the development of twentieth and twenty-first century ideas in advertising, media and visual communications and explore the common themes and cross-fertilisations that occur between theory and culture.
Programme Option (20 credits)
Advertising is one of four courses within the Communications & Media Programme of the Media School. It sits alongside courses in PR, Media Communications and Contemporary Media Cultures, The Programme Option Unit allows students from all these courses to meet, mix, work together and get an authentic flavour of the programme as a whole. Option units have recently included:
- Visual Communication
- Global Media Cultures
- Branding & Digital Marketing
Year 2
This year introduces you to the psychological and consumer behavioural aspects that underpin advertising communications, how they relate back to practice and give you the technological tools to future proof. Year two is an important step to enabling you to formulate ideas for your dissertation in the third year. Tutors will be on hand to help you develop the ideas that will eventually form your dissertation.
Advertising Futures (20 credits)
The aim of Advertising Futures is to future-proof your creative skills as a creative, for example as a content creator, advertising artist, art director or copywriter. It will give you the critical and practical tools to become self-sufficient in realising your creative concept through to the finished article, by engaging with cutting edge media and utilising them in the formulation of ideas for advertising communication.
Behavioural Insight (20 credits)
You’ll be introduced to a wide array of research methods including qualitative, quantitative and ethnography. This will lead to persona construction, customer journey mapping and behavioural economics. All these concepts are key elements in account planning, persuasion and strategic advertising.
Creative Strategy (20 credits)
In this unit, you will explore social media, multimedia and integrated plus interactive media. You will be crafting, planning, executing and evaluating a complete digital campaign.
Advertising and The Digital (20 credits)
The aim of this unit is to broaden your perspective of how advertising fits into a larger mediated and digital framework, by providing conceptual tools that will build concrete connections with the other units taught in Year 2.
Collaborative Project (20 credits)
You will be given the opportunity to take part in a collaborative project with students on other courses or with real clients on live projects and in competitions when available.
Programme Option (20 credits)
This unit allows students from across the Communications & Media Programme to meet, mix, work together and get an authentic flavour of the programme as a whole. Recent option units offered have included:
- Media Relations
- Digital Cultures
- Convergent Media: From Radio to Podcasting
- Film Theory & Cinematic Practice
Year 3
In year three you will develop your individual practice and consolidate learning outcomes in the culmination and creation of a portfolio of work and dissertation.
Creative Entrepreneurship (20 credits)
This unit is about entrepreneurship, enterprise and professional networking. We’ll help you to establish your professional presence within advertising networks and associations by supporting the development of a focused effort and skillset that enables you to do so.
Dissertation (40 credits)
This unit provides you with the opportunity to utilise the knowledge and analytical skills acquired on the course in relation to the critical and contextual study of advertising.
Big Ideas (60 credits)
Work on a major project developing several content-led creative/strategic solutions for various brands and products. To do that you will engage in ‘practice-research’ – using practice and strategic thinking to answer your (and your clients’) problems.
