A message from
James Tsao, Ph.D.
Professor and Chair

Have you ever seen an advertisement that made you laugh hysterically? Or maybe it left a lump in your throat. Would you like to be part of a team that creates world-class communications like this that persuade, motivate and change minds?

Our master’s degree program in advertising will build upon your undergraduate education and prepare you for an interesting and successful career in the advertising industry—here in the U.S. or just about anywhere around the world.

The intensive, 12-month program begins in July with coursework that gives you a solid understanding of the advertising business. From there, you’ll have the opportunity to concentrate your education and skills in management, strategic planning, Internet, copywriting, art direction or media planning and buying. The program concludes one year later with a campaign pitch to a real client.

You’ll study with an impressive array of professionals, including advertising agency CEOs and academics doing state-of-the-art advertising research, and you will have the opportunity to take workshops with internationally known guest speakers. Some recent campus visitors have included Donny Deutsch, chairman of Deutsch Inc.; Kevin Roberts, global CEO of Saatchi & Saatchi; Will Kussell, former CEO of Dunkin Donuts; and other professionals from agencies such as BBDO, Digitas, EMA, ESPN, Ford, Goodby Silverstein & Partners, Group M, The Martin Agency, Leo Burnett, McCann Ericson, Nielsen and Ogilvy & Mather.

Your education and support won't end at graduation. Our alumni network includes professionals from every major advertising agency in the United States as well as many major markets around the globe. We keep in close contact with all the biggest and best advertising agencies; recruiters from Crispin Porter + Bogusky, Euro/RSCG, Goodby Silverstein & Partners, BBDO, MediaVest, Grey Advertising and many more visit campus and hire our graduates year after year.

If you are serious about making a major impact in the world of advertising, we’re confident you’ll find the program intellectually challenging, rewarding and probably a lot of fun. We welcome you to apply!

Please feel free to contact me at Jctsao@syr.edu if you have questions.