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Advertising, B.A.

If you are accepted into the Advertising emphasis, you will also be admitted to the School of Communications. Our mission is to be “a consecrated community of disciples, scholars, and mentors who strive to walk in the meekness of Christ’s spirit, as we inspire learning through love, faith, and service that prepares each Child of God to share light and hope with the world.”

Membership in this consecrated community comes with shared expectations for students, faculty, and staff (see Elder Paul Pieper’s devotional, BYU: Building a Community of Trust and Respect). By accepting admission to the School of Communications, you agree to uphold the standards and policies that define our learning environment. Your standing in the program is contingent upon ongoing compliance with the following:

Admission Limits and Expectations

Admission to the School of Communications is competitive due to limited resources—such as faculty availability, lab space, and class sizes—and the hands-on, professional nature of the curriculum. To maintain high-quality instruction and content production (e.g., journalism, PR campaigns, advertising, etc.), the number of majors is capped.

You may apply to more than one emphasis, but each requires a separate application. You must rank your applications by preference, and you may apply to the major a maximum of two times (either across two application cycles or multiple emphases in one cycle).

Course Scheduling and Prerequisites

While course schedules offer some flexibility, prerequisite courses must be completed in sequence. These requirements are set by accreditation standards and are essential preparation for more advanced coursework.

How to Apply

To apply to the Advertising emphasis, complete all the required steps listed below. When you're ready, click the “Click Here to Apply Online” button at the bottom of the page to begin your application.

  • You MUST be an admitted BYU continuing day student in order to apply to the program.

  • Students must take the following courses and receive a B or higher in each (a B- will not meet this standard). Typically, there are no exceptions to this rule. Under normal circumstances, students may repeat each course only once to earn a higher grade. However, students who took one of the prerequisite courses during the Winter 2020 semester that was disrupted by the novel coronavirus pandemic had the option of taking a pass/fail grade instead of a letter grade at the end of the semester. Because of these unique circumstances, students who opted to take a passing grade for any prerequisite class in which they were enrolled during Winter 2020 will be allowed to apply. Meeting the minimum standard requirements does not guarantee admission to any school emphasis.

    • WRTG 150 or Advanced Writing Requirement**
    • Communications 101: Mass Communication and Society
    • Communications 230: Introduction to Advertising

    ** Our WRTG 150 requirement must be fulfilled by WRTG 150, ELANG 150, M COM 320, an Advanced Written and Oral Communication GE course (WRTG 311, WRTG 312, WRTG 313, WRTG 315 or WRTG 316) or an equivalent transfer course (Transfer classes from other universities must be cleared by the advisement center prior to applying to the program). We do not accept AP English credits or English 115.

    These courses are typically offered each semester and term. Some courses are also offered through BYU Independent Study and at the Salt Lake Center. Prerequisite courses from other universities or colleges, other than Comms 101 or an advanced writing course, are not transferable.

  • Prepare Your Application

    This academic year (Fall 2026 - Winter 2027), there will be one application period during the winter 2027 semester for admission into the advertising program.

    Students MUST upload a PDF of their Full Progress Report, including the Academic Summary (the last page of the report), as part of the application process. The Academic Summary alone, or an official transcript, will not be accepted and will cause your application to be invalidated. [Click here for instructions on how to find this report.]

  • Advertising Application - 2026

     

    Select whether you are an ASPIRING: (Please choose one.)

     

    Art Director (AD)

    Copywriter (CW)

    Content Creator (CC)

    This does not mean you will be admitted as an AD, CW or CC to the program. It helps us understand what you are most interested in pursuing. As faculty, our job is to help you find the area where you show the most promise.

     

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    REQUIREMENT #1 - Create a Sixty-Second Video 

    This video assignment is done to ensure that the advertising faculty know how you think creatively.

     

    Target:

    The advertising faculty are creative thinkers and we all have the same goal: to make sure we admit creative students who are the best fit for the program.

     

    Your assignment:

    Create a sixty-second video that illustrates your creativity.

     

    YOU ARE NOT ALLOWED TO GET PROFESSIONAL HELP. You may use other students, however, to assist you. This video must be YOUR work.

     

    CHOOSE ONE OF THE FOLLOWING PROMPTS FOR YOUR VIDEO:

    1. Both Joseph and Daniel in the Bible could interpret dreams. Recreate and interpret one of your most vivid dreams.
    2. Tell us a story of your best personality trait in just three shots (the whole video still needs to be 60 seconds).
    3. A robot wanders into the woods… Finish the story.
    4. If your mind were a room, what would it look like?
    5. Show us the life of an unnoticed detail.
    6. Create a sixty-second video portrait that shows us that you are creative and why you belong in the advertising
      program. (Show, don’t tell with an emphasis on your brand or story.)

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    REQUIREMENT #2 - Create a Portfolio of Your Creative Work

    Upload one PDF that includes these 3 sections. The design and layout of your portfolio should reflect your tastes and talent. The look and feel of the PDF is important.

     

    Section 1 - Your name and your Comms 230 teacher's name

     

    Section 2 - Upload at least 5 examples of creative work that you made completely on your own. Using AI is not allowed for this work. These should be creative examples demonstrating your conceptual thinking. Advertising is about using creativity to solve problems for brands. We want to see how you have solved a problem or communicated something fresh and exciting. Provide a short paragraph for each of your 5 examples explaining your work/concept. (If you are including audio, motion or video content, please include a link to the work in the PDF along with your paragraph description. Most will use YouTube or Vimeo links)

     

    Some examples of creative work may include: logos, print layouts, package design, photography, photos, motion graphics, animations, illustrations, story boards, designs, creative concepts, blog posts, poetry, essays, short stories, radio scripts, tv scripts, screenplays, creative writing samples, manifestos, headlines, thoughtful muses, jokes, cartoons, short films, sharable content videos, mini-docs, branded content, gifs, motion graphics, kinetic typography, stop motion, animation, cinemographs, spec commercials you have written, directed, created, edited and/or produced.

     

    Remember, your work for these portfolio pieces should embody your skill, taste, point of view, and how you want us to remember you. It should be your best work. As a future point of emphasis, you will always be remembered by the worst creative piece in your portfolio, not always the best piece, so please submit your very best work.

     

    Section 3 - Upload your 2 best ads from your Comms 230 class. Please define your role and the role of other team members who contributed to the ads. Provide a short paragraph for each of your 2 examples explaining your work and concept.

     

    Section 4 - Execute the following prompts based on the discipline you are ASPIRING to

    Art Director:

    1. Pick a social issue that matters to you. How would you communicate it visually in a single image or poster with one line of copy?
    2. Make an ad for something invisible.

    Copy Writer:

    1. Write a headline for an ad promoting something that’s impossible to sell (e.g., boredom, gravity, or silence)
    2. Describe a product you love — without ever naming it — in 40 words or fewer.

    Content Creator:

    1. Create a 15-second video story with no dialogue - only sound and image.
    2. Recreate a still image of a scene from a film you like-submit a photo; you can only use your iPhone.

  • There is only one application period for advertising. Applications are due on the second Friday of each Winter semester.

    The Winter 2027 application deadline is January 15, 2027, at 11:59 pm MST. Students who are admitted during the Winter application cycle in advertising will begin their coursework in Spring 2027.

    If you have technical issues while submitting your online application, please email support@slideroom.com between 9:00 am and 9:00 pm CST. You may also consult the FAQ page on their website. PLEASE SUBMIT YOUR APPLICATION EARLY IN ORDER TO AVOID ANY POSSIBLE WEBSITE DIFFICULTIES. PLEASE ALLOW UP TO TWO HOURS TO COMPRESS AND UPLOAD YOUR VIDEO.
Click Here to Apply Online

Please remember that if you are admitted to any of the sequences, you make a commitment to remain in the program for a minimum of three to four semesters. There are no exceptions to this requirement. Advertising creative also requires you to attend one spring term. Advertising strategy requires you to start fall semester.

Apply

Mass Communications, M.A.
Public Relations and Advertising, B.A.
Journalism & Sports Media, B.A.
Media & Society, B.A.