<p>I finally figured out what I want to do with my life, and am ahaving trouble deciding what school to go to. Actually, I'm having trouble gathering information about various colleges that would offer to best classes for my major, and is reputable. I live in Jersey, so was looking for colleges located in the tristate area, and considered the New York Institute of Techonology, but am not sure whether this is the best choice. </p>
<p>Google and other search engines have not helped in the process, so I'm turning to you. On collegeboard.com they suggested that if one were to major in Commerical/Advertising Art that the following were "Typical Major Courses":</p>
<p>Advertising layout
Commercial illustration
Design and color
Desktop publishing
Drawing
Graphic Design
Photogrophy
Typography</p>
<p>I need help and advice4 as to what schools to research. I do not want to go to an art school. Any suggestions?</p>
<p>Uh, I've never heard of this major but that's just me. =) </p>
<p>I'd say.. look for schools who are also good in computer graphics and marketing (then the courses you want should be pretty strong), in a big city (I'd think you need quite a lot of on the job experience for a major like this, which is more available in big cities), or a school that lets you create your own major. I don't know if any website puts together a list of most popular majors at each school, but I know there are big thick books that do. Get one and flip through to see which is strongest in what I said. Good luck! =)</p>
<p>If you're looking for advertising, don't look into marketing. Marketing is a business function that includes advertising; however, there is a lot more involved in marketing that you're not going to be interested in if you're looking for advertising. Most business programs deemphasize the advertising portion and emphasize the strategy, brand management and math-oriented aspects.</p>
<p>You'll want to look into an advertising (or perhaps mass communication or public relations) major. A lot of schools put this into their Communications college rather than their arts and sciences college, so look for it there.</p>
<p>The courses you listed are more for art and advertising. My alma mater offered the following courses for advertising:</p>
<p>COM CM 317 Introduction to Advertising
COM CM 323 Design in Communication
COM CM 416 Problem Solving in Advertising (COM CM 317)
COM CM 417 Advertising Copy and Design (COM CM 317, CM 331)
COM CM 419 Advertising Management (COM CM 317)
COM CM 420 AdLab (2 credits per semester) (COM CM 317)
COM CM 471 Communication Internship (senior status and B average) (COM CM 317, 331)
COM CM 508 Video Production for Advertising and Public Relations
COM CM 512 Account Planning (COM CM 317)
COM CM 516 Advertising, Media Planning and Buying (COM CM 317)
COM CM 517 Portfolio Development for Advertising (COM CM 317, CM 331, and CM 417)
COM CM 518 Creating Broadcast Advertising (COM CM 317, CM 331, and CM 417)
SMG SM 299 Management as a System (Intensive)</p>
<p>I can't really recommend a specific college, but keep looking--there are plenty that do offer this major.</p>
<p>Syracuse and Boston U are both the strongest advertising program, but I have to warn you, DON'T MAJOR IN ADVERTISING IF YOU WANT TO GO INTO ADVERTISING.</p>
<p>By the questions you ask, it is not convincing that you have "finally figured out" what you want to do with your life. I think you've expressed some strong interests and possible subject content that you can indeed apply within an advertising career. However, there's a lot that you need to discover about yourself and a lot of changes that will happen in the world between now and the time you graduate from college. </p>
<p>It's too early for you to get too focused on a definitive career in advertising, but certainly it makes sense to keep a focus on it if that is your interest. Advertising has a number of different facets. The side of advertising that is more marketing management related will require you to have some preparation in economics, market research and business management. The side that is seemingly your bent, the creative side, will continue to evolve greatly because of the introduction of technology into the mix.</p>
<p>The creative side will continue to utilize a lot of digital technology tools that will be important to master, but these are only tools that you will need to know. You will have to get very grounded on concepts of advertising and mass communications in order to effectively deliver relevant creative designs. Generally speaking, creative/advertising people work on either the corporate/inhouse side or on the creative/advertising or media agency side. There are many people in this field who are free-lance art directors. </p>
<p>I don't know what your academic profile is, but there are some schools that may be worthy of researching in your region: Pratt Institute, Cooper Union, and perhaps Rhode Island School of Design. These would all be oriented toward your interests for the creative side of advertising. If your bent is more toward the marketing management side, you will do well to also look at a mass communications major at a good liberal arts school. Careers in marketing management have stepped up requirements in education these days, with companies often desiring or requiring an MBA in Marketing. In some industries, such as with Consumer Goods, companies look for specific business schools (i.e., Northwestern's Kellogg School of Business, which has a strong emphasis on marketing management focused on the Consumer Goods industry).</p>