Minor in Advertising
Imagine creating a 30-second spot for the Super Bowl or an interactive Internet campaign for a corporate client. The online Advertising minor prepares students for a variety of careers in the fast-paced and exciting field of advertising. Typical job areas include advertising sales, graphic design, creative services, copywriting, media buying, account planning, and market research. Students in the Advertising minor gain an understanding of the complex role of branding and how companies build successful brands through media and creative strategies to persuade a designated target audience.
The Advertising minor can benefit students in a variety of academic disciplines, including graphic design, English, fashion design, marketing, business administration, psychology, communications, sociology and history.
Advertising Minor Requirements
Students in colleges and units outside of the College of Media may earn a minor in Advertising by completing the following courses and meeting the requirements as stated below. The Advertising minor is not available to students in the College of Media unless they are pursuing the College’s Multidisciplinary Media Studies (MDMS) major. The majority of courses for the Advertising minor are offered exclusively online and some may require summer enrollment. Note that additional online course fees apply. Students should also consult the WVU Undergraduate Catalog for course descriptions and information.
1) MDIA 101 – Media & Society, 3 hours
Can be taken on campus or online. Examines the relationship between media,
culture and society, with emphasis on the history, structure, and organization
of the mass media.
2) ONE of the following:
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ADV 201 – Advertising & Society, 3 hours
Can be taken on campus or online. As a social institution, advertising plays a critical role in our daily lives. This course examines the social, economic and legal aspects of advertising.
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ADV 215 – Principles of Advertising, 3 hours
Can be taken on campus or online. An introduction to all sides of the advertising field and to the process, quantitative, strategic and aesthetic, by which the sales message is planned, produced and delivered.
3) ADV 309 – Advertising & Creativity, 3 hours
Prerequisites: MDIA 101, ADV 201 or ADV 215
Must be taken online. Examines advertising copy and design concepts. Develop
your own advertisements and learn to critically analyze existing ad campaigns.
4) ADV 409 – Advertising Research & Media, 3 hours
Prerequisites: MDIA 101, ADV 201 or ADV 215
Must be taken online. Introduces the selection and evaluation of different media
used in advertising campaigns. Learn to analyze and select audiences, compare media
and conduct media research.
5) ADV 419 – Advertising Strategies, 3 hours
Prerequisites: MDIA 101, ADV 201 or ADV 215
Must be taken online. Examine the concept of branding. Learn how to use advertising
to help create powerful brand loyalty by analyzing case studies of successful and
unsuccessful branding attempts.
To earn a minor in Advertising, a student must earn a minimum overall GPA of 2.0 in all courses required for the minor and have 9 distinct credit hours in the minor not shared with other degree requirements. However, College of Media MDMS students must earn a C- in every course in the minor and all 15 credit hours must be distinct to the minor and not shared with other degree requirements.
To register for these courses or to pursue a a double-minor, triple-minor or the College’s Multidisciplinary Media Studies (MDMS) major, contact Aaron Hawley at 304-293-3133 or aaron.hawley@mail.wvu.edu.
Online courses are taught completely via eCampus. Students need to plan on logging into eCampus daily during the week but can do so at the time of their own choosing. Students should budget the same amount of time for an online course as they do for on campus courses.