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Topic: Grad or Ad School?
| Author | Message |
| BrownEyedGirl02 | Posted – 7/25/2008 1:55:57 PM | show profile | email poster So I've been working for the past couple of years in as a production manager at a small firm. In awhile, I'm going to have to make a decision of where I want to go with the rest of my life. My dream has always been to work at an advertising/PR firm on the creative end. Now, my dilemma arises while I'm contemplating either going to graduate school to study new media somewhere like Syracuse U's New House School of Public Communications, for example OR going to ad school such as Miami Ad School. I know a lot of it boils down to what I ultimately want to do, but I also want to be practical here and do what will be most beneficial in the long run. I don't want to dump a ton of money into grad school and not feel like I've gained enough out of it. Or go to Miami Ad school to put a portfolio together, but then I'm on the track for a job solely in advertising when I might've had more of a window of opportunity by going to grad school I know there probably isn't a right or wrong answer and no easy answer to this. I just wanted to know if anyone might have any advice at all? |
| DQ102 | Posted – 7/25/2008 2:41:25 PM | show profile I write about advertising, and if you want to go into the creative end of the business (copywriter, art director, creative director), go to Miami Ad School, Creative Circus or Art Center in Pasadena. I don't think I have ever interviewed someone who has an M.A. They all go to these ads schools where they put their portfolios together. |
| lenagrove | Posted – 7/25/2008 6:11:23 PM | show profile Check out individual programs There are only a few advertising grad programs that actually have a "creative track"--meaning it's less on the business end. You should find out about professors who are doing amazing work with their students and then see if one of those is the right fit for you. UT Austin used to be very good, but I think several of their key faculty members jumped ship in the past few years. I'd recommend Southern Methodist or maybe Oregon, based on their faculty. |
| lenagrove | Posted – 7/25/2008 6:16:44 PM | show profile Whoops--I just googled SMU's program, and they don't offer a graduate degree. Sorry about that. |
| BrownEyedGirl02 | Posted – 7/30/2008 12:55:24 AM | show profile Thank You Just wanted to thank you that replied. I am going to look more /lean more towards ad school and look at the few programs with an advertising track. I guess I was just unsure if an MBA might still increase my marketability in anyway and I just want to be sure about everything before I spend the money as well, because it is a lot! |
| lenagrove | Posted – 7/30/2008 11:40:52 AM | show profile If you go to graduate school, you can find programs that will pay your tuition and pay you a stipend in exchange for your working as a graduate assistant (teaching Mass Comm 102 labs or being a research assistant for a professor or whatever). So, while you would be poor, you wouldn't necessarily be in debt. I think it's hard to go wrong with getting a master's degree. Good luck! |
| kylem0203 | Posted – 8/5/2008 11:29:51 PM | show profile research research research as a b-school grad student i totally recommend doing the legwork to find the right school up front. Check out these adverstising and marketing programs: http://www.topgradprograms.com/search/results.php?q=advertising Good luck! |
