Ad School Buddy - Brandcenter Overview

AD SCHOOL

USA & CANADA

Many of these can be developed while you are working. But the VCU program will give you a great headstart that others may struggle to match.

Budding’s thorough, current, & honest guide to Advertising Education in USA & Canada.

BUDDY

You will experience some of the best industry talks and forums available.

VCU BRANDCENTER

2023 / 24 EDITION

BuddingCreative.com

OVERALL GRADE:

A+ To review the full ad school report, go to www.buddingcreative.com

OVERVIEW VCU Brandcenter is the gold standard for excellence in advertising education.

From the moment you set foot in the Brandcenter, you feel part of a group of smart, talented, and deeply committed people from diverse backgrounds, all working toward a common goal.

It is part creative studio, part business school. As a student, you’ll graduate with: • A master’s degree in business • A portfolio of work • A healthy appreciation for the power of original thinking The programs focus on depth and breadth. No matter your concentration, you’ll gain a deep understanding of how to craft your work through hundreds of hours of practice and critique.

You’ll learn how consumers think and how the industry works — and how to collaborate with your teammates to get the best ideas.

Under the guidance of faculty with extensive industry experience, you will also learn how to present, persuade and sell your work.

Along the way, you’ll tackle real projects and meet industry leaders.

You may find yourself presenting work to executives from companies like Apple, Droga5, Disney, Wieden + Kennedy, Google or Nike.

It is not a stretch to say that this is the most highly regarded Masters program in North America.

REPUTATION It is rare to find a Brandcenter graduate unemployed upon completion. In fact, many top agencies actually apply to have Brandcenter students intern with them over the summer.

EMPLOYABILITY Every other year, VCU conducts an in-depth alumni survey covering several key metrics.

You can download the entire report from the website, but we will quickly cover a few highlights: 87% of students had one or more job offers prior to graduation.

62% had earned a promotion or raise within their first year of work.

81% agree that Brandcenter was worth the investment.

They also outline average starting salaries for each of the areas of concentration, as well as the work hours each puts in.

KEY TAKEAWAYS Best in Class This is one of the most highly regarded programs by the advertising industry. Although it is only two years long, the quality of student is very high.

They seem to have found the best balance between ground-breaking creativity and strategic rigor.

Students are in high demand VCU has the luxury of picking the best students from the many applicants. Immediately, agencies know that there is something special about a person just by getting into the program.

Incredibly intense program By all accounts, the academic experience is incredibly rewarding. However if you are the kind of person who likes a balanced life, you might find the VCU program to be demanding.

Sets a great platform for future promotions Your creativity will get you your first job. But your leadership skills, strategic rigor, business acumen and problem solving abilities will get you promoted in the future.

You might not need a program like this to build those skills.

Many of these can be developed while you are working.

But the VCU program will give you a great headstart that others may struggle to match.

Excellent industry contacts You will experience some of the best industry talks and forums available.