Grabbing the attention of the consumer with persuasive words and images and making a memorable impression is one of the key strategies marketers use to sell their products. You've spent your whole life on the receiving end of these messages. Now, how about showing the world what you can do? Do you have the next great ad campaign for Toyota, Wendy's or the GAP? The Marketing Communication/Advertising major at Western New England College can develop your talents and teach you the strategies to get your ideas in front of the world.
Is the Major for You?
Are you creative, highly motivated, resistant to stress, flexible, and decisive? Do you have the ability to communicate persuasively, both orally and in writing? Do you have good judgment and strong interpersonal skills? These are just some of the qualities you'll find vital to succeeding in the Marketing Communication/Advertising major that can lead you to a career in those fields.
The Major
In the major, you will learn how to strategize and develop your own creative solutions, present ideas through verbal and written communication, work on teams, and meet challenging deadlines--just the kinds of tasks you'll be required to succeed at in an advertising agency, public relations firm, or corporate Marketing department.
As part of the School of Business, the Marketing Communication/Advertising major offers you a common core of business courses along with a solid grounding in liberal arts. Your coursework includes such topics as accounting, business law, English, ethics, and Marketing.
Adding a minor is an excellent way to complement a Marketing Communication/Advertising major. Western New England College offers nearly 30 options, including Spanish, economics, and public administration.
Click here for a typical sequence of courses.
Faculty
You will be taught in small classes by experienced professors, not graduate students, who take a personal interest in your progress. Their prime focus is teaching and mentoring you. Our students find their professors are always easy to approach and available for one-to-one consultation. They also bring practical experience from the private sector where they have worked as Marketing managers for high profile companies.
Our faculty members are your educational bridge between theory and the "real world." Their diverse backgrounds as educators, business people, and consultants bring you an invaluable educational experience. Their approach is to forge a genuine "learning-based" major designed to integrate and develop your abilities through class work and in the Marketing environment.
Five-year Bachelor/MBA Degree
Today, more than ever, students will need an advanced degree to compete in our highly competitive global economy. The Western New England College Five-year Bachelor/MBA gives students a marked advantage in the job market, while saving on tuition costs.
Internships and other special opportunities
Preparing you for the real world with experiential learning activities is a key goal of the Marketing major. You'll get a firsthand look at how organizations market themselves with interesting class assignments. One example is the start-to-finish project in which one Marketing class worked with the Springfield Chamber of Commerce constructing a survey, analyzing data, and presenting a report. Research projects for other companies provide valuable experience for our students. And in a national contest, our Sales and Sales Management class competes with videotaped presentations that are analyzed and judged by professionals in companies, which then award prizes for the best work.
There are also excellent opportunities for relevant internships through Western New England College's well-developed network of nearly 400 businesses and organizations. For example, our Marketing students have done internships at businesses and organizations such as MeadWestvaco, MSPCA, CityStage, and Mass Export, as well as a local radio station and a shopping mall.
Marketing Communication/Advertising students are active in:-
Alpha Lambda Delta (First-year honor society)
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Alpha Kappa Psi (Professional business fraternity)
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Beta Gamma Sigma (Honor society)
- Management Association
- Sport Management Association
as well as varsity and intramural sports, special interest groups, and student government.
Career Paths
Fields: Product and brand management, sales, advertising, public relations, relationship marketing, and consulting
Outlook: Careers in advertising, marketing, promotions, public relations, and sales management will increase by 12 percent through 2016 (U.S. Department of Labor Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2008-2009).
Opportunities: Hands-on experience and strong communication skills are an excellent basis for launching any career in advertising, public relations, and marketing