Advertising

Advertising sits at the intersection of creative communication, psychology and commercial strategy. It asks how ideas can be expressed in ways that catch attention, shift perceptions and move people to act, and it draws on skills in visual design, copywriting, brand thinking and media planning to do so. The discipline has been fundamentally transformed by digital media, which has made advertising more measurable, more targeted and more diverse in its forms, from television and print to social media, search, content marketing and out-of-home digital displays.

Studying advertising seriously means engaging with all of these channels and with the strategic and creative thinking that runs across them.

At University of the Arts London, this three-year full-time programme includes a sandwich year and a work placement, integrating extended professional experience directly into your degree. UAL's location at the heart of London's creative industries gives you unparalleled access to the advertising, design and communications sector throughout your studies. The programme develops your creative practice in copywriting, art direction and campaign concepting alongside your understanding of brand strategy, consumer insight, media planning and the commercial context in which advertising operates.

The placement year gives you the chance to work inside agencies or in-house communications teams, building your professional network and your portfolio in a real working environment.

Graduates of advertising programmes go on to careers as art directors, copywriters, brand strategists, media planners, account managers, creative directors, content producers and digital marketers, in advertising agencies, creative consultancies, in-house brand teams and media companies. The creative, strategic and communication skills developed transfer well into public relations, journalism, design and social media management. Further study in advertising, design, communications or brand management is available for those who want to pursue an academic or highly specialist path.