Advertising: a major with transfer students in mind
Welcome to Advertising at Illinois! We’re known a “discovered major” – most of our students are Inter-Collegiate Transfers (ICT) from other UIUC programs.
So, if you’ve joined the B.S. Advertising program or are considering it, this page exists to help at every step. Scroll on for more resources, or click below for application info:
Our program is built for transfer students to succeed
A variety of classes & paths
The B.S. Advertising curriculum offers students a diverse mix of specialties. No two paths are the same: every student gets the essentials and then explores different areas and interests.
From creative and strategy to tech and media, discover what’s for you (and what isn’t).
An accelerated curriculum
Most of our students join after their freshman year, and most still graduate on time!
Our curriculum has a streamlined core and flexible elective requirements. (There’s a good chance you already check a few boxes.) So we can attract great students from all over.
A community that relates
Looking to find your people? In class and clubs, you’ll be around students who began somewhere else and discovered Advertising just like you.
Because we all like creating things, being part of what’s new, and making an impact. And we know how to have a good time.
– Anna Chang ’25 ADV transfer student“Being a part of a smaller college enabled personal exploration, to be able to work closer with professors and peers and build more meaningful connections.”
Minors and Certificates
The Department of Advertising offers a P.R. Minor for students interested in persuasive communications and business relations. This minor works well for many transfer students as it fulfills a lot of ADV elective requirements.
The Media Sales Certificate is great for students interested in sales and business development. With online courses and internship elements, it can fit many course schedules and has practical benefits for job hunting.
Get Involved with the biggest college Advertising club in America
American Advertising Federation (AAF to its friends)
At the largest AAF chapter in the nation, students can work in agency-like settings and get hands-on with real clients, attend student-led workshops on design software, and take industry excursions to Chicago, New York and the West Coast. You don’t even need to major in Advertising to join.
AAF students make lifelong friends and industry connections that are so helpful in the future. For transfers in particular, it’s never too early (or too late) to connect with our world and accelerate your growth!
Frequently Asked Questions
Why major in Advertising?
Advertising is a diverse major that lets students design their coursework and experience around their unique talents and passions. It’s also a growing field that offers good jobs with space to be innovative and creative, and often a culture that is exciting and rewarding. Advertisers have the power to impact people’s everyday lives, and to shape our industry and society.
How do I calculate when I will graduate?
Review the B.S. Advertising degree requirements along with the credits you’ve completed so far. Making an appointment with your advisor to discuss what courses you have left, and what steps and sequences you need to complete them. Note not all classes are available every semester, and things like Study Abroad or summer school can dramatically impact your graduation timing.
What more can I do to get involved?
Our students have many spaces to find others with similar interests (or complementary talents) and explore advertising together. Joining AAF is one big step. Joining our department’s Social Media Lab is another. (Both welcome nonmajors too.) Some transfers feel it’s “too late” to get into extracurriculars or make new friend groups – it’s not too late, now is the perfect time!
Do I still have time to pursue a minor or certificate?
While it should be a priority to graduate, pursuing minors and other certificates can be possible if your required courses allow you. Many classes can fulfill multiple requirements and can be scheduled in a coordinated manner to allow you to graduate on time. Make a meeting with your advisor to confirm if you think you might be able to.
Who can I get in contact with?
The College of Media Student Services Center is a great place to start – they offer both academic and career advising, and work to get to know you and your specific situation and interests. (If you’re not in our program yet, be sure to talk with your advisor in your current college.)
Professors are also great resources for students when they’re trying to learn more about particular topics or the overall program. Advertising professors are passionate about what they do and generally excited to help out. Check out our faculty page to see whose background or area of expertise speaks to you most, and drop them a line!
Where can I follow Advertising on social media?
Instagram: instagram.com/illinoisadvertising/
– Jacob Wagner ’24 ADV transfer student“Advertising let me explore my passions and study what I was really interested in.”