Is an MA Advertising degree worth it? Thank you!

Replies7

  • @Stephany Damyanova
    Dear Stephany,
    Thank you so much for your insights - I really appreciate it! I can imagine the disappointment and yes, the difficulty of building a network in that case is something I had overlooked!
    Thank you so much for this incredibly helpful advice,
    I really appreciate it very much!
  • @Bethany Jones Dear Bethany,
    Thank you so much for your insights! I've also done English (and Management) for my Undergraduate degree, and am also wondering how to make the necessary connections without the MA.
    This is really very helpful advice, thank you so much!
    I really appreciate it!
  • Hi Kinjal,

    I did an MA in Advertising and Design and I do think it helped me, but ultimately it wasn't worth the financial investment. I came from a journalism background and the first semester was super useful for me as I knew nothing about the advertising world (didn't even know what a brief was), but the assignments after that were all the same - get a brief work in it, submit, and we didn't end up learning much more throughout the degree. Pair that with some not so great lecturers, who really stifled creativity, and I was left quite disappointed with the experience.

    The degree also didn't help me get a creative job - I think it's all about the contacts you make and being at the right place at the right time. Most of my coursemates were from overseas and went back after graduating so I was left with no creative network as well.

    It's a fun experience and it won't be harmful to anything but your finances - if you're an absolute beginner in advertising, it might be a good choice, but if you have knowledge and experience in the industry I'd advise you to look into other ways of learning.

    Good luck :)

  • I can't tell you whether it's worth it, as I never did one.
    But I can tell you what I missed trying to catch a 'break' in advertising as a creative and not having done an MA in Advertising (or a BA for that matter - I studied English).

    I missed meeting a partner and being set student briefs with them, I missed networking through tutors and I missed the financial burden.

    I don't think there's much you'd learn on a course that someone hasn't written in a book or you'd learn on the job. But networking has certainly been a challenge without an uni/portfolio school to make introductions.
  • I would say that depends on what your BA is in, where you do your MA and where you want to work. Sorry if this isn't very helpful - but I don't think the answer is that clear cut!

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