2023-2024

Advertising, Minor

Communication

College of Social and Behavioral Sciences

Students in this minor will study the art and science of advertising, including: the creation of ad copy, layouts, advertising campaigns, and media selection.

  • A minor is earned in conjunction with a bachelor's degree.

    To receive a minor (18 - 24 units) at Northern Arizona University, you must complete a planned group of courses from one or more subject matter areas with a cumulative grade point average of at least 2.0. At least 12 units of the minor must be unique to that minor and not applied to any other minor.

In addition to University Requirements:

  • Complete individual plan requirements.

Students may be able to use some courses to meet more than one requirement. Contact your advisor for details.

No more than fifty percent of the units used to satisfy minor requirements may be used to satisfy major requirements.

Minimum Units for Completion 18
Major GPA 2.5

Purpose Statement

Advertising emphasizes the use of paid media in communication efforts and will often focus on specific calls to action. Advertising focuses on communicating the values of a client organization to important publics in an effort to promote the client’s product, service or event or publicize other important information. Students completing this minor will apply important concepts and skills in advertising to their major field of interest. Students will produce communication material and develop skills in audience analysis necessary for developing and implementing advertising campaigns appropriate for a variety of situations. Students learn techniques demanded by industry to be competitive in today’s job market yet recognize the social and cultural implications that their work has on our broader society.

Student Learning Outcomes 

  • Students pursuing an Advertising minor will focus on the display of tightly controlled messages through the use of paid media. They will develop conceptual, practical, and analytical skills relevant to advertising. 
  • In the conceptual sphere, students will describe typical strategies for segmenting audiences and delivering targeted messages through paid media.
  • In the practical sphere students will master communication software and apply design standards to comprehensive communication efforts. 
  • In the analytical sphere students will use industry-standard research tools to identify target audiences and appropriate media channels for reaching them. They will formulate paid communications and measure the effectiveness and efficiency of those plans through the application of best industry practices. 

Minor Requirements

  • Students enrolled in this certificate may not enroll in or pursue the following due to the number of overlapping units:

Additional Information

  • Students enrolled in this minor may not enroll in or pursue the following due to the number of overlapping units:

  • Be aware that some courses may have prerequisites that you must also successfully complete. For prerequisite information, click on the course or see your advisor.