Undergraduate Advertising

Below is information specifically for the undergraduate advertising sequence. Visit the School’s main undergraduate advising page for general information, including how students see an adviser, graduation worksheets and the student handbook. Read about the graduate advertising program.

Foundation

Students begin in the “foundation” taking introductory courses. After successful completion of these courses students interested in being a Mass Communications student must petition to be accepted into the School and be allowed to take upper-level classes.

MASC prerequisites are noted in parentheses. Note there are additional general education and collateral requirements that students must complete in the foundation. Refer to the VCU Bulletin or appropriate graduation worksheet.

• MASC 101:  Mass Communications
• MASC 201:  Curiousness
• MASC 204:  Story (MASC 101, UNIV 111 & 112, and cumulative GPA of 2.50 or higher)

The advertising sequence has two concentrations, creative and strategic. Students must meet with an adviser to complete one of the following petition forms and a change of major/minor/concentration form.

Petition form for the Creative Advertising concentration
Petition form for the Strategic Advertising concentration

Sequence

MASC 101, 201 and 204 are prerequisites for all upper-level MASC courses. Additional prerequisites are listed in parentheses. Read the official course descriptions.  All courses are three credits.

All advertising students:

• MASC 380:  History of Advertising (204)
• MASC 408:  Communications Ethics and Law
• MASC 481:  Completeness (for Creative – 392 & 394; for Strategic – 398 & 399)
• ACCT 202 or MKTG 301

Creative Concentration

• MASC 300:  Technical Prowess
• MASC 392:  Perspicuousness (204 & UNIV 200)
• MASC 394:  Imagination (204, 300)
• MASC 450:  Style (392, 394)
• MASC 451*:  Invention (450)
• MASC elective
• MASC elective

Strategic Concentration

• MASC 398:  Awareness (204)
• MASC 399:  Empathy (204)
• MASC 459*:  Judgement (398, 399, plus 6 credits of MASC electives)
• MASC 493: Fieldwork Internship
• MASC elective
• MASC elective
• MASC elective

*Senior Capstone

Students are required to complete a total of 120 credits to graduate. Students also need to graduate with 80 non-MASC credits (65 credits must be earned within liberal arts). Additionally, students must earn 45 credits in 300-400 level courses (includes all 300-400, MASC and non-MASC).