About the Program
A career in advertising means entering a world where creativity meets strategy, storytelling meets persuasion and art meets commerce. This two-year diploma program will help you develop the skills to enter this dynamic industry, while gaining hands-on experience with real clients.
Each semester of the program offers a building-block process delivered by award-winning industry experts. In first semester, you will learn the fundamentals of advertising and how it fits within the wider of world of branding and marketing. You will then have an opportunity to specialize in one of two streams based on your career goals:
- Creative stream — learn the fundamentals skills for a creative career as an art director, copywriter, designer or content creator
- Business stream — explore marketing, branding and account management for a career as an account executive, project manager or strategic planner
Credential Awarded
Ontario College Diploma
Duration
4 Semesters (2 Years)
Starts
January, September
Program and Course Delivery
This program is offered in Seneca's hybrid delivery format with some courses available in Seneca's flexible delivery format. Some coursework is online and some must be completed in person. Students will need to come on campus to complete in-person learning requirements. For courses offered in the flexible delivery format, professors use innovative learning spaces and technology to teach students in a classroom or lab and broadcast in real time to students attending remotely. In flexible courses, students have the choice of coming on campus or learning online.
Skills
Throughout this program you will develop the following skills:
- account management
- advertising
- art direction
- content creation
- copywriting
- design thinking
- interpersonal skills
You will have access to a diverse range of hands-on learning. During the program’s third semester, you will develop a strong portfolio you can use after graduation. In fourth semester, the creative and business streams work together to create an integrated advertising campaign — an approach that mimics the collaborative and cross-disciplinary nature of the modern advertising industry.
This unique structure allows you to develop key skills and gain relevant experience. In addition, you may also have the opportunity to participate in national and international contests, such as the D&AD New Blood Awards, the National Advertising Challenge and the Cannes Lions Awards.
Your Career
Graduates of this program may explore the following career opportunities:
- account executive
- art director
- content creator
- content producer
- copywriter
- marketing communications co-ordinator
- social media co-ordinator
- strategic planner
Affiliations/Associations
Our Seneca Agency
Seneca’s student-run agency, Studio 67, gives students the opportunity to put theory into practice by working directly with clients on marketing and media projects. You will apply the concepts learned in your courses to design, pitch and execute strategies with real organizations. With this hands-on experience in your repertoire and on your resumé, you will graduate industry ready.
Discover Studio 67
Program Learning Outcomes
This Seneca program has been validated by the Credential Validation Service as an Ontario College Credential as required by the Ministry of Colleges and Universities.
As a graduate, you will be prepared to reliably demonstrate the ability to:
- Determine clients’ advertising and marketing communications objectives by applying creative problem solving skills and marketing principles.
- Determine an organization’s target market/audience, market segmentation, and strategic insights into consumer behaviour by applying research skills to gather and analyze market data.
- Generate creative ideas and concepts or adapt existing concepts by using marketing principles and creative copywriting techniques.
- Defend the selection of the media/communication platform and the recommendations for a product or service by demonstrating the alignment to market segmentation, consumer behaviour, and marketing communication objectives.
- Suggest techniques to measure the effectiveness of an advertising and marketing plan.
- Prepare communication material for a range of audiences and modes of delivery by using visualization techniques and communications technologies.
- Work with various multi-media, digital platforms, and technology to support current and the adoption of emerging industry standard practice.
- Adhere to ethical and regulatory guidelines to create socially responsible and inclusive advertising and marketing campaigns.
- Support the management of projects by applying scheduling, task coordination, and organizational skills for timely completion of a project.
- Support collegial relationships by using communication and facilitation skills to ensure professional service delivery.
- Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD), or equivalent, or a mature applicant
- English: Grade 12 C or U, or equivalent course
Canadian citizens and permanent residents may satisfy the English requirements for this program through successful Seneca pre-admission testing.
Recommended upgrading for applicants who do not meet academic subject requirements.
International Student Information
International admissions requirements vary by program and in addition to English requirements, programs may require credits in mathematics, biology, and chemistry at a level equivalent to Ontario’s curriculum, or a postsecondary degree or diploma, equivalent to an Ontario university or college. Program-specific pre-requisite courses and credentials are listed with the admission requirements on each program page. To review the academic requirements please visit: Academic Requirements - Seneca, Toronto, Canada (senecapolytechnic.ca).
Pathways
As a leader in academic pathways, we offer a range of options that will allow you to take your credential further in another Seneca program or a program at a partner institution.
To learn more about your eligibility, visit the Academic Pathways web page.
