Advertising and Marketing Communications Management at Algonquin College

Turn your creativity into your career.

The three-year Advertising and Marketing Communications Management Ontario College Advanced Diploma program prepares you to take your career into many industries. By combining business theory and creative messaging, this industry-respected program enables you to develop skills in idea conceptualizing, copywriting, layout and production design. You also develop integrated marketing communications strategies through researching what drives target audiences and planning how to reach them effectively.

Experienced industry-connected faculty prepare you to plan, create and implement marketing communications. Key class projects work on real advertising and marketing communications issues with local companies as clients. As well, alumni and industry leaders act as guest speakers in every semester.

Put classroom theory to work through hands-on creation in one of the second-year student-run business unit teams:

• the award-winning Algonquin Times - where teams work on websites, print editions, social media channels, events and apps
• DIGG - the student-run ad agency where every client has a unique problem to be solved
• SLiDE - the in-house marketing department for Algonquin`s DARE District that works with Ottawa entrepreneurs and social enterprises.

The program encourages you to expand your learning and network through optional class trips in second and third year. As a second-year student, you have the unique opportunity to visit and tour select advertising and marketing agencies and visit program alumni in Toronto. As a third-year student, you have the opportunity to visit New York and attend one of the largest industry conferences in the world, Advertising Week.

At the end of the program, take your real-world experience a step further with a six-week job placement within the area of advertising and marketing communications. Upon graduating, be ready to start your career in this field.

There are many job opportunities for graduates of this program. You may find employment with advertising or creative agencies and any organization that has a marketing, communications, media or promotions department. This includes:

• retail
• professional services firms
• technology companies
• associations
• governments

You might even launch your own marketing and communications company.

SUCCESS FACTORS

This program is well-suited for students who:

• Are creative and show initiative.
• Are disciplined in their studies.
• Have strong interpersonal skills.
• Have above-average written and oral communication ability.
• Enjoy problem solving in a team environment.

Careers & Pathways

Careers

Graduates may find employment in the creative and client-service roles in advertising agencies. They may also work in any organization, regardless of industry, that has a marketing, communications, media or promotions department. Opportunities and roles exist in advertising, events, PR, digital, social media, promotions, sales and media fields. With experience, graduates may become self-employed or launch new advertising or marketing communications businesses.

Learning Outcomes

The graduate has reliably demonstrated the ability to:

1. Determine, analyze and respond to clients` advertising and marketing communications objectives by applying principles of marketing and communications.
2. Perform a market segmentation analysis, determine the organization`s target market audience and define the consumer behaviour of each segment.
3. Develop an integrated advertising and marketing communications plan and persuasively present and defend it.
4. Evaluate the effectiveness of integrated advertising and marketing communications initiatives.
5. Develop advertising and marketing communications material in compliance with current Canadian legislation, industry standards and business practices.
6. Develop creative solutions to address advertising and marketing communications challenges.
7. Plan, implement, monitor and evaluate projects by applying principles of project management.
8. Complete all work in a professional, ethical and timely manner.
9. Identify and apply discipline-specific practices that contribute to the local and global community through social responsibility, economic commitment and environmental stewardship.

English Language Requirments

IELTS-International English Language Testing Service (Academic) Overall band of 6.5 with a minimum of 6.0 in each band; OR TOEFL-Internet-based (iBT)-overall 88, with a minimum of 22 in each component: Reading 22; Listening 22; Speaking 22; Writing 22