VCU Adcenter ranked nation’s top advertising program

By Mike Frontiero
VCU School of Education

The VCU Adcenter, Virginia Commonwealth University School of Mass Communication’s graduate program in advertising, has been ranked the No. 1 advertising program in the United States by Creativity magazine based on a survey of creative directors and hiring managers at the country’s leading advertising and design agencies.

The magazine’s first formal advertising and design school review appears in the March 2005 issue and rates programs for overall quality, innovation and the quality of the graduates. The VCU Adcenter ranked first overall and first in each of the three categories.

“The Adcenter constantly monitors trends in the industry and adapts the curriculum to stay one step ahead,” said Rick Boyko, managing director of the VCU Adcenter. “Adcenter students are prepared for an industry that is rapidly evolving, and they’re taught to think of advertising as an industry that challenges the conventional view of marketing.

“Ranking number one in every category of the survey is testament to the innovation of our program and the quality of our students and full-time faculty,” he said.

VCU Adcenter faculty bring extensive practical and real-world experience to the program, many having owned their own companies, headed agencies or served as creative directors. The students have garnered many national and international advertising industry awards, including the Clios, One Show, Art Director’s Club, ANDYs and ATHENAs. They also have worked on national advertising campaigns for clients that include Martha Stewart Living, NASCAR, Napster, and Lux soap.

“Where some schools spend so much time on the visual pun or solution, VCU Adcenter doesn’t get caught up in gimmicks or the ‘what’s hot now’ executions,” said one of the survey respondents. “They are constantly pushing the envelope creatively by thinking for themselves instead of just a new twist on what’s been done.”

Creativity magazine is a trade publication that chronicles emerging trends in the fields of advertising and design.

A copy of the review is available by contacting Ashley Sommardahl at 804-828-8384, or visit www.adcenter.vcu.edu/html/news/articles/adschoolreview05.pdf.

The Adcenter is currently organizing its internship program and end-of-the-year portfolio review for agency recruiters. For more information, please contact Ashley Sommardahl.