Are you looking to develop your skills in campaign planning and management across paid, owned, earned and shared advertising channels? Would you like to take the next step in your advertising career? This challenging master’s programme can help prepare you for a role in contemporary advertising in an account management, media planning, creative or agile role.
Customer engagement is increasingly key with the benefits of ‘big data’ providing detailed analytics for campaigns. Media planning is becoming more scientific and measurable, moving customers up the loyalty ladder to generate content for brands. Advertising is the catalyst to delivering integrated campaigns and Southampton Solent’s MA Advertising and Multimedia Communications programme prepares students for making a strategic contribution.
Recognising the close relationship with marketing and public relations, the course focuses on emerging forms of advertising which blur the boundaries with journalism and the importance of content marketing. Teaching is delivered by a team of industry professionals and the course covers the development of contemporary integrated marketing campaigns.
As the roles of multimedia advertising management, digital newsroom manager, marketing professional, and corporate PR manager are converging, students are encouraged to develop a collaborative and interdisciplinary approach, and will have the opportunity to gain first-hand experience by preparing campaigns for live client briefs. Students are also encouraged to seek work-placement and freelance opportunities through the University’s student run agency, Solent Creatives, as well as prepare competition briefs for the Design & Art Directors Association (D&AD) and the Young Creative Network (YCN).
Graduates from this course will be well placed to pursue careers in national or international advertising agencies in roles such as account management, media and communications officer, or creative director.
This course is ideally suited to those who are looking to further their career in the advertising and communications industry. The curriculum will appeal to students with a particular interest in the integration of advertising, marketing, PR and journalism to create innovative strategic campaigns.
Year one
Advertising in a World of Converging Communication (30 credits)
This unit covers contemporary advertising practice and theory combining traditional mass media approaches with emerging social media and mobile channels. This unit develops practical skills and a critical awareness of the issues and practices within advertising in a world where increasingly the target audience can skip ads and brands combine paid, owned, earned and shared media to engage consumers. After introducing advertising principles, the unit moves on to explore the digital mix, content marketing, native advertising and immersive, augmented experiences. The traditional advertising roles of art director, copywriter, account manager and media planner are still important industry pathways but are increasingly challenged by agile practice, this unit considers the implications. Assessments are designed to test application of your learning in both theory and practice.
Multimedia Campaign Planning (30 credits)
Students get the practical opportunity to develop and implement a number of campaign activities across a wide variety of platforms, testing their ability to integrate paid, owned, shared and earned media in a PR campaign.
Media Measurement & Evaluation (15 credits)
This unit introduces students to the challenge of measurement techniques applied in advertising, marketing, promotion and PR sectors, including the evolution of RoE (return on engagement)
Research Methods (15 credits)
This unit raises the students’ research skills to Master’s level, including SPSS and other methodologies that are relevant to their particular areas of interest (Shared Unit)
Professional Practice (30 credits)
This unit positions the MA programme in terms of the student’s career aspiration, identifying skill sets and development needs in a PDP, which forms the basis of a freelance/workplace project- and informs the student’s choice of Major Project or dissertation
Major Project/Dissertation (60 credits)
The culmination of the MA degree, where the theory and practice learned in the previous units informs the student’s principal learning outcome- a campaign that demonstrates their professional attainment or a dissertation that critically examines a crucial industry issue, generating original thinking. Both project and dissertation require primary research to a master’s level.
We provide a stimulating learning environment and access to state-of-the-art resources to help you make the most of your time with us. Flexible spaces, Wi-Fi facilities and learning zones all contribute to our lively and contemporary study environment at Solent.
Students will have access to a range of specialist facilities throughout their studies, including Mac computers, professional creative software, digital printing facilities, and traditional printing presses.
Solent also provides a comprehensive media loans scheme, giving students access to high-end photographic equipment.
The course is taught by industry experts who have established practitioner careers and who have strong links within the industry. Students have the opportunity to work on live client briefs and are encouraged to gain a work placement or freelance project.
Past students on the University’s creative advertising courses have benefitted from visits to London-based advertising and creative agencies.
Students who are in work while taking the course have the opportunity to adapt the topic of their assignments in several units to suit the needs of their employers.
The Professional Practice unit requires students to undertake a work placement or complete a freelance project. Students are encouraged to source their own client (through Solent Creatives) or to find a work placement that is appropriate to their career ambitions. The minimum requirement for a placement is two weeks, however placements and projects can vary in length, depending on client needs.
The Master of Advertising is designed to provide students with the theoretical as well as the practical skills essential for a career in Advertising and related industries. Delivered through an innovative learning experience where course work is balanced with studio-based teaching and learning activities, students will learn from experienced academics and industry-professionals. Throughout the Master of Advertising program, students will be actively involved in the day-to-day requirements and challenges of developing commercial campaign concepts and design communication initiatives for clients in a studio-based learning environment. In addition, creative solution finding methods and techniques will provide highly transferable skills that are in strong demand across numerous industries seeking innovative products and practices and who are focused on user experience.
The Master of Advertising program enables graduates to enter the advertising industry in a variety of roles, ranging from management positions to creative roles in advertising or related professions. Designed and structured around a predominantly studio-based teaching environment, this innovative program prepares graduates for the dynamic culture and inter-disciplinary knowledge base that characterizes the modern advertising industry. A particular focus of this program is for students to develop a strong portfolio of work, which is essential for starting a career in advertising and the creative industries in general. The strategic thinking, visual creativity, public engagement, design and technology skills, strategic management and entrepreneurial outlook developed in this degree also provides graduates with a wide range of career opportunities in the broader field of the creative industries. For students interested in establishing a pathway into higher education, the program provides the opportunity to identify and pursue research projects that could lay the foundation for doctoral studies.
View the Master of Advertising - Program Structure and Sequencing
You must complete the following subjects:
Foundation subjects (6)
Studio subjects (3)
MA Global Advertising and Branding, also known as WSAgab, is a programme designed with both vocational elements and a strong emphasis on research.
The advertising and branding industry is undergoing massive change as new technologies alter the way marketing professionals communicate with their target customers and understand the consequences of their campaigns.
In this programme you will learn how advertising is created. We will explore ‘the advertising pitch’, target audience identification and segmentation, creative strategies, briefs, carry out appraisals of creative ideas and evaluate campaigns. Through a range of set projects and live industry briefs you will build a critical awareness of the advertising industry and the challenges it faces today.
While creative issues and brand design are examined in depth, this programme is aimed at people who wish to manage the process and become the next generation of advertising leaders rather than those who wish to become creatives or designers in their own right.
This is the course page for MA Global Advertising and Branding at the University of Southampton. Find out everything about Global Advertising and Branding and what studying here involves.
In this course page we explain a range of key information about the course. This includes typical entry requirements, modules you can take and how assessment works. We also suggest career opportunities open to you as a University of Southampton graduate of MA Global Advertising and Branding.
If you still have questions, please get in touch and we’ll be happy to answer any enquiries. See our contact us page for our telephone, email and address information.
You will study visual analysis, management practice, theoretical models, communication design, existing and emerging media technologies, the advertising process and management of the collaborative iterative development of branding and marketing campaigns.
In an exciting environment, you will practice critical thinking and analysis of contemporary and global advertising campaigns. Great emphasis will be placed on developing a critical awareness of branded content, as well as of your written and verbal communication skills. This course is for the next generation of advertising leaders!
While creative issues and design are examined and discussed in depth it is aimed at people who wish to manage the process rather than act as creative people or designers in their own right.
You will be able to develop your thinking and skills in the following advertising management challenges:
'A creative development workshop in action'
Click here to download the full Programme Specification.
This innovative programme fuses design with the concepts and principles of advertising, allowing you to develop a range of skills to thrive in a fast-paced and competitive industry.
Taught by the School of Design and Leeds University Business School – one of the world’s top 100 business schools – you’ll take a creative approach to solving communication problems in advertising and branding. You’ll develop your own practice, collaborate with other designers and gain a deeper awareness of how design can convey a brand message, using a range of software and techniques.
At the same time, you’ll study ideas, research and theories in advertising to explore the strategic backdrop of brand communications from the blurring of markets to the ways in which digital technology, such as social media and mobile, have changed the relationship between brands and consumers.
You’ll mix creativity and innovation with advertising strategy to gain a valuable range of knowledge and skills.
Specialist facilities
We have plenty of facilities to help you make the most of your time at Leeds. You’ll be able to develop your practice in well-equipped studios and purpose-built computer clusters so you can build your skills on both PC and Mac. There’s also a computer-aided design (CAD) suite with access to the latest design software and some of the latest design technology, such as digital printing and laser cutting facilities, and colour analysis/prediction labs.
We also have an impressive range of resources you can use for research. We house the M&S Company Archive including documents, advertising, photos, films, clothing and merchandise from throughout Marks & Spencer’s history, offering a fascinating insight into the changing nature of branding and advertising over time.
You’ll begin to develop your understanding of advertising principles from the start of the programme, when you’ll study consumer behaviour and explore how brands can adopt these different theories to inform their marketing strategies.
Focusing on contemporary issues, you’ll look at the process of strategic marketing communications and how strategic marketing works on the global stage. At the same time, you’ll study practical design modules where you’ll learn to visualise creative communications ideas and present your proposals to clients, as well as considering how compelling text within an advertising concept can influence consumers.
In Semester 2 you’ll build on this foundation by exploring integrated communication, developing creative concepts that can work for a range of different media outlets, as well as the broader aspects of campaign planning, print, radio and TV ad production and the ethics of advertising campaigns.
You’ll think about reach, frequency and the often complex question of return on investment and even choose from specialist modules on topics such as social media, sales promotion, brand management and direct marketing.
At the end of the programme you’ll submit a substantial project that demonstrates the knowledge and skills that you’ve gained. You can either complete a dissertation – an independent research project on a related topic of your choice – or develop a communication campaign concept of your own.
Compulsory modules
Optional modules
For more information on typical modules, read Advertising and Design MA in the course catalogue
We use a range of teaching methods that reflects the diversity of the programme, including lectures, seminars, tutorials, practical sessions, online learning and group sessions. Independent study is also an important element of this degree, since it allows you to develop your skills as well as your design specialisms.
You’ll also be assessed by a variety of methods. Obviously these will include your own creative work as you develop campaign concepts in your taught design modules, but also presentations, reflective logs, reports, group projects and written assignments.
This programme will equip you with the knowledge and skills to succeed in a dynamic and expanding sector.
You’ll be a confident strategist, planner, account executive or creative advertiser or designer who also understands the relationship between advertising, brand development and consumers. In addition, you’ll have important skills such as oral and written communication, presentations, research, analysis and commercial awareness.
We’ve designed the programme to prepare you for a range of opportunities working in the creative industries, traditional advertising and design agencies, digital and social media. Alternatively, you may want to explore different elements of advertising and design at PhD level.
Students from this programme have successfully gained employment at both traditional and non-traditional advertising agencies all over the world, and in a wide variety of roles including brand management, marketing and more.
We encourage you to prepare for your career from day one. That’s one of the reasons Leeds graduates are so sought after by employers.
The Careers Centre and staff in your faculty provide a range of help and advice to help you plan your career and make well-informed decisions along the way, even after you graduate. Find out more at the Careers website.
Advertising is everywhere. Always transient, sometimes trivial, yet it can be incredibly powerful in changing our perceptions, our beliefs and our behaviour. Through this programme, you will develop an advanced understanding of how advertising affects the human mind, giving you unique and valuable insight into the industry.
This unique course provides an interface between theory and practice, understanding and skills, by giving you a thorough grounding in the psychology underpinning persuasion, in the context of how it is applied – and how it might be applied more radically – in the communications industry.
The course combines small-group ‘knowledge-exchange’ with innovative student-led teaching, built around our outstanding expertise in cognitive, developmental, social and neuropsychological aspects of advertising. You will benefit from perspectives and contributions from academic researchers, seasoned advertising practitioners, and original commercially-oriented research.
Studying a combination of skills and theory-based modules, you will develop a high-level of technical understanding of the discipline. You will have the opportunity to practise and develop analytical and interpretation skills alongside modules that will enhance your ability to conduct and present psychology research.
Your knowledge and understanding of the psychology of advertising and advertising theory will also develop as you engage with specialist modules focused on these topics. Studying the relationship between advertising and the human mind, and applying your learning to advertising strategy, positioning, brand, and marketing communications will prepare you for the competitive world of advertising and marketing. The advanced skills and knowledge you develop through these modules will be invaluable as you progress into a career or further research.
During the year, you will also complete a dissertation project, supported by an academic supervisor. This will be an opportunity for you to demonstrate everything that you have learnt and put theory into practice. You will develop your data-handling skills as well as your ability to accurately and appropriately present your research.
In addition, your dissertation can be completed in parallel or sequentially with an industry placement. This would give you the opportunity to gain hands-on experience, while applying your skills and knowledge to address a real-world, industry-focused challenge. This practical, relevant experience of working for an external organisation (and the networking opportunities this brings) is hugely beneficial when applying for jobs at the end of the course.
This course is designed for graduates who come from a wide range of disciplines and plan to pursue a career in advertising or communications, or who wish to refresh their skills or shift focus to a more planning-based trajectory. It is also suitable for those who wish to undertake further research into the psychology of advertising and related fields at PhD level.
You will study a range of modules as part of your course, some examples of which are listed below.
Core
Optional
Information contained on the website with respect to modules is correct at the time of publication, but changes may be necessary, for example as a result of student feedback, Professional Statutory and Regulatory Bodies' (PSRB) requirements, staff changes, and new research.
Do you have a passion for creative communication? Would you like to improve your employability within the advertising industry? This challenging master’s programme focuses on the development of hands-on creative advertising techniques, helping you to build a set of skills that you’ll use throughout your career. You’ll also develop a thorough understanding of relevant academic theory, exploring popular culture and the ways in which it is shaped by promotional media.
Southampton Solent University’s MA Creative Advertising curriculum focuses on industry relevant workplace skills, teaching students to function as part of a professional advertising business. These skills include idea generation, working to a brief, research, copywriting, strategy and presentation. Students will also complete a master’s project, which is an ideal opportunity to focus on the specific areas of advertising that interest them. For further details on the course’s academic content, please visit the ‘course content’ tab.
Students benefit from creative guidance throughout the course, receiving regular feedback from the tutoring team, other students and specially invited advertising professionals. This feedback helps students to craft a portfolio of commercially appealing work, and encourages them to reflect on their own creative process.
Advertising students at Southampton Solent may get their first taste of the industry by freelancing at Solent Creatives, an on-campus advertising and marketing agency that specialises in connecting students with business clients. This offers students the opportunity to gain work experience, create additional work for their portfolios and make industry contacts.
Students are encouraged to take on work experience throughout their studies. Advertising students have previously secured placements at Saatchi & Saatchi, McCann Erickson, EHS 4D, Chemistry Communications, B&Q, Channel 4 (Jersey) and Palmer Hargreaves.
Following this course, you will be well placed for a variety of careers in national or international advertising agencies. Students will work on competition briefs for organisations such as the Design & Art Directors Association (D&AD) and the Young Creative Network (YCN).
Solent’s creative advertising master’s degree is ideally-suited to those looking to progress their career in the advertising industry. The course will help those looking to further develop their career by covering creative strategies, building a creative portfolio, and professional practice.
We provide a stimulating learning environment and access to state-of-the-art resources to help you make the most of your time with us. Flexible spaces, Wi-Fi facilities and learning zones all contribute to our lively and contemporary study environment at Solent.
Students will have access to a range of specialist facilities throughout their studies. These include Mac computers, professional creative software, digital printing facilities and traditional printing presses.
Solent also provides a comprehensive media loans scheme, giving students access to high-end photographic equipment.
Suitable roles for graduates include:
Our experienced teaching team has strong links with high-profile professional bodies, enabling you to develop useful contacts in the advertising world and to meet key industry figures.
You will be encouraged to complete work experience and we’ll help you to find a suitable placement, if possible at a top agency. Leading creative directors will be among those to critique your work, giving you valuable feedback.
Industry guest lectures, agency visits and careers events will help to boost your insight into the advertising industry and your network of contacts.
You’ll also have the chance to develop your industry connections and freelance portfolio through real-world work for Solent Creatives, our in-house creative agency.
We’ll encourage you to complete work experience as part of the Professional Practice unit. Through this you’ll gain real-world experience of working in an agency environment, helping you to plan your future career. You’ll also have the chance to develop your industry connections and freelance portfolio through working for Solent Creatives, our in-house creative agency. Students are invited to pitch for work at Solent Creatives, our on-campus creative agency. These projects involve real businesses and are ideally suited for portfolio development.
Accredited by the Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM), our Masters in Advertising and Marketing allows you to gain specialist knowledge in marketing communications and advertising, alongside comprehensive understanding of key areas of marketing such as strategy, consumer behaviour and research.
Taught by specialists with professional experience and research expertise, you’ll gain the skills and knowledge to prepare for a successful career in marketing communications.
The course offers a balanced academic and practical programme, giving you the opportunity to apply your knowledge to genuine business situations. You’ll explore contemporary developments in marketing and marketing communications theory and practice.
Dedicated modules will introduce you to key concepts, frameworks and approaches, whilst equipping you with the skills you need to work in a professional marketing communications or advertising environment. You’ll also select optional modules allowing you to focus on areas that suit your career plans.
Academic excellence
The Marketing division at Leeds University Business School is one of the leading centres of research in marketing in Europe. As part of our research, we engage with companies, senior executives and academics across the globe.
Our research makes an important contribution to your learning on the MA Advertising and Marketing; our academics bring their world-leading expertise to you in the classroom. The Global and Strategic Marketing Research Centre is the Business School’s established and esteemed centre of excellence for scholarly research work.
This programme is accredited by the Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM), giving you the opportunity to gain professional qualifications through CIM Graduate Gateway. This means you can work towards CIM qualifications during your studies, and will receive exemptions from selected assessments.
CIM is the leading professional body for marketers worldwide and exists to develop the marketing profession, maintain professional standards and improve the skills of marketing practitioners.
CIM qualifications are highly sought after by employers, which ensures you are equipped with the best opportunities for a successful marketing career.
Throughout the year you’ll study core modules covering different aspects of advertising and marketing.
You will build your understanding of the ways in which brands communicate with their audiences with modules in marketing communications and PR and corporate communications. From there you’ll explore theories and practices of different types of advertising, and examine how organisations plan and develop their media strategies in a changing media landscape. In addition you’ll also gain an insight into important marketing functions of marketing which support brand communications.
Optional modules will give you the chance to shape the programme to suit your interests or career plans. You could focus on sales promotion, brand management and other fields such as social media, digital and interactive marketing.
The course culminates in a final project, which allows you to demonstrate the knowledge and skills you’ve gained while focusing on a single topic in-depth. Two options are available – you could complete either a standard research dissertation on a topic of your choice, or a consultancy project, allowing you to work with an external business on a real marketing problem.
Throughout the course you’ll also benefit from a Professional Skills and Employability module, dedicated to developing the key skills employers are looking for when recruiting marketing graduates. Read what our students say about the opportunities for professional development.
Compulsory modules
You’ll take eight compulsory modules, plus your dissertation, which can be either a research dissertation or marketing consultancy project.
Optional modules
For more information on typical modules, read Advertising and Marketing MA in the course catalogue
We use a range of teaching methods so you can benefit from the expertise of our academics, including lectures, workshops, seminars, simulations and tutorials. Company case studies provide an opportunity to put your learning into practice.
Independent study is also vital for this course allowing you to prepare for taught classes and sharpen your own research and critical skills.
Assessment methods emphasise not just knowledge, but essential skills development too. You’ll be assessed using a range of techniques including exams, group projects, written assignments and essays, in-course assessment, group and individual presentations and reports.
Graduates of the MA Advertising and Marketing can expect to have a wide and varied range of career opportunities in marketing communications agencies and in-house marketing departments.
Previous graduates have become brand managers, research managers, account executives, business development specialists, sales managers and even started their own businesses. Employers include marketing agencies within the advertising and communications sector, retailers, communications groups, commercial banks, education and recruitment agencies.
An increasing number of graduates are working within the rapidly expanding digital, direct and interactive marketing industry.
Our dedicated Professional Development Tutor provides tailored academic and careers support to every student. This means you will develop the academic skills to successfully progress through the course, and also the professional skills you will need to secure employment and start a successful career.
You can expect support and guidance on career choices, help in identifying and applying for jobs, as well as one-to-one coaching on interpersonal and communication skills.
Read more about our careers support.
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