AC: Advertising and Marketing Communications
AC 000 — ADVERTISING COMMUNICATION
1-3 credit; 1 lecture hour
AC 111 — Advertising and Promotion
3 credits; 3 lecture hours
Concepts, perspectives, and methods for the development and implementation of integrated marketing communications programs for producers, manufacturers, and retailers are analyzed and critiqued.
AC 113 — Strategic Planning for Integrated Marketing Communications
3 credits; 3 lecture hours
Students plan and develop integrated marketing communications strategies in order to achieve specific marketing and communication objectives. Through student agency teamwork, they make strategic decisions based on creative strategy development, competitive and market analysis, and research interpretation.
Prerequisite(s): AC 111.
AC 114 — Introduction to Integrated Marketing Communications
3 credits; 3 lecture hours
This course provides students with a broad background to marketing concepts as they apply to integrated marketing communications (IMC). Students explore the role of marketing both within the organization and the external environment in which firms operate. The process of developing marketing with an IMC perspective is addressed, as well as how managers use these elements to gain competitive advantage in a global economy.
AC 141 — Introduction to Journalism
3 credits; 3 lecture hours
Students practice the techniques of newsgathering, newswriting, and developing news judgment. News stories, features, editorials, and broadcast writing are covered in discussions and workshops. Skills in copyediting and headline writing are built through student newspaper and off-campus assignments.
Prerequisite(s): EN 121 or ES 129 or equivalent.
AC 161 — Multimedia Computing for Advertising and Marketing Communications
2 credits; 1 lecture and 2 lab hours
Students develop computer skills applicable to the communications industry, including word processing, spreadsheets, networking, presentations, desktop publishing, and internet research. Through hands-on use, they format such industry-oriented projects as print ads, press releases, and advertising analyses.
AC 171 — Mass Communications
3 credits; 3 lecture hours
Analysis and comparison of mass media and the communication arts as they are used in advertising, marketing, promotion, and the dissemination of public information. Includes an overview of careers available in communications. Students learn communications theory, new electronic media, and their potential applications.
AC 202 — Strategic Planning for Integrated Marketing Communications
3 credits; 3 lecture hours
Students plan and develop integrated marketing communications strategies and plans in order to achieve specific marketing and communication objectives. Through student agency teamwork, they make strategic decisions about marketing and IMC mix elements and plans, based on corporate strategy, competitive and market analysis and research interpretation.
Prerequisite(s): AC 111 and AC 114.
AC 211 — Workshop in Business Communications
3 credits; 3 lecture hours
This course is designed as an introduction to the field of business communications and writing. The emphasis will be on how the corporate world communicates in this digital age and the management skills required for communicating effectively. We will examine various business case studies and have discussions on best practices in solving communication issues companies face on a daily basis.
Prerequisite(s): AC 111.
AC 221 — Publicity Workshop
3 credits; 3 lecture hours
Use of current news, events, and personalities as a basis for writing and evaluating institutional and product publicity releases for news and feature stories. Students plan publicity campaigns and create a press kit.
Prerequisite(s): AC 111.
AC 222 — Sales Promotion
3 credits; 3 lecture hours
Students plan and develop sales promotion activities in order to achieve specific marketing and communications objectives. Both business-to-business and business-to-consumer sales promotion campaigns are developed.
Prerequisite(s): AC 111.
AC 231 — Advertising Copywriting
3 credits; 3 lecture hours
Evaluating, writing, and editing copy for national, trade, and retail advertising and promotion, internal communications, and direct marketing for all market levels. Includes copy-testing techniques and visualization for copy brainstorming.
Prerequisite(s): AC 111.
AC 242 — Fashion Journalism Workshop
3 credits; 3 lecture hours
Fashion Journalism Workshop explores the field of fashion writing, allowing students the experience of writing runway reviews, fashion business news stories, blogs, with emphasis on fashion history and vocabulary, and the social impact of fashion on society.
Prerequisite(s): AC 111 and AC 141.
AC 262 — Multimedia Presentations for Business
3 credits; 3 lecture hours
This course focuses on the planning and preparation of multimedia presentations for use in business. Coursework covers presentations incorporating PowerPoint, integrating still photos, video and voice and mobile. These presentations would be suitable for consumer and trade shows, demos, conferences, exhibits, special events, dealer aids, and sales books.
Prerequisite(s): AC 111 or VP 341.
AC 271 — Audiences and Media
3 credits; 3 lecture hours
This course is designed to provide students with an understanding of the role of media planning and buying in advertising. The course reviews such areas as basic measurement tools and the relationship between marketing and advertising objectives translated into media objectives, strategies, and tactics. Students identify target markets, develop media strategies, and evaluate media alternatives and media-buying approaches.
Prerequisite(s): AC 111.
AC 272 — Research Methods in Integrated Marketing Communications
3 credits; 3 lecture hours
This course examines the current methods and techniques used to evaluate the effectiveness of marketing, advertising, and promotion. The information-gathering process uses both secondary research data and primary sources. Students create a marketing research project using a variety of research techniques.
Prerequisite(s): mathematic proficiency (see beginning of Mathematics section).
AC 275 — Global Integrated Marketing Communications
3 credits; 3 lecture hours
Challenges and perspectives in global marketing across and within national boundaries as they relate to Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC) practice. The course focuses on cultural, legal, social, economic and competitive factors that affect marketing strategies, the marketing mix and IMC planning in global market environments.
Prerequisite(s): AC 111 and AC 114 and SS 141 or equivalent.
AC 299 — Independent Study in Advertising and Marketing Communications
1-3 credit
Prerequisite(s): a minimum of 3.5 GPA and approval of instructor, chairperson, and dean for Business and Technology.
AC 300 — Campaign Plans and Presentations for Profit and Non-Profit Companies and Organizations
3 credits; 3 lecture hours
Working on actual industry and non-profit cases and projects, students prepare recommendations for campaigns marketing analysis and planning, marketing research, creative, media, promotion, budget, public relations and present.
Prerequisite(s): approval of chairperson or instructor.
AC 301 — Shopper Marketing and Sales Promotion
3 credits; 3 lecture hours
Students learn to plan Shopper Marketing and Sales Promotion campaigns as defined by effective shopper marketing objectives, formulation of shopper personas, understanding shopper behaviors, identification of shopper barriers and the implementation of shopper strategies. These are achieved via Shopper Marketing campaign ideas, appropriate sales promotion activities and powerful activation plans.
Prerequisite(s): AC 111 and AC 114 and AC 272.
AC 311 — Integrated Marketing Communications Management
3 credits; 3 lecture hours
For Entrepreneurship and Art History and Museum Professions students. Case study techniques are used to help students develop criteria for evaluating the planning, budgeting, and execution of integrated marketing communications strategies. Emphasis is on management of advertising, public relations, direct marketing, and sales promotions to achieve marketing objectives.
AC 312 — Multi-Channel Copywriting
3 credits; 3 lecture hours
Explores how to effectively use today’s leading power tools of advertising – TV, Radio, Online/Digital/Social Audio/ Video – to create, craft and execute innovative marketing messages that produce results on the key broadcast platforms used by global, national and local marketers.
Prerequisite(s): AC 231.
AC 321 — Principles of Public Relations
3 credits; 3 lecture hours
Examines the principles and processes underlying the programming of public relations as a management function of marketing. Attention is directed to the specific requirements of interacting with various publics. Students work with public opinion research data on industry-derived projects and cases to design, plan, and write proposals for publicity and public relations programs.
Prerequisite(s): AC 221.
AC 322 — Publicity/Public Relations for Visual Arts Management
3 credits; 3 lecture hours
Designed for Art History and Museum Professions majors, this course examines public relations as a management function in museums. Students study how public relations is used to further museum goals by examining how it relates to exhibitions, fundraising, and retail operations. Working with public opinion research data, students create press kits and public relations programs.
AC 341 — Magazine Journalism
3 credits; 3 lecture hours
Students develop the editorial and marketing skills needed to succeed in today's fast-paced magazine publishing world by creating a magazine prototype directed at a specialized target audience.
Prerequisite(s): AC 141.
AC 361 — Computer Applications for Marketing Communications
2 credits; 1 lecture and 2 lab hours
AC 361 is an intermediate level computer course designed to improve skills in word processing, spreadsheets, desktop publishing and presentation through the use of marketing communications case studies. Emphasis will be on using software applications to solve marketing communications problems and to enhance target audience communication and response.
Prerequisite(s): AC 161 or MG 153.
AC 362 — Video Studio Production
3 credits; 2 lecture and 2 lab hours
Through multi camera workshop activities, students develop professional video studio techniques for content creation, journalism, and communications. Emphasis is placed on understanding the production process as it pertains to marketing applications. Students work on team assignments in video production.
Prerequisite(s): AC 231.
AC 400 — Feature Journalism: Writing Lifestyle and Arts Articles
3 credits; 3 lecture hours
An advanced workshop-style course that explores the techniques and practices of feature journalism, in areas including travel, home, food, beauty, health, and the arts. Emphasis is placed on article analysis, writing and revision with a goal of producing articles for portfolio inclusion.
Prerequisite(s): EN 121 and AC 141 and AC 242 or AC 341.
AC 402 — Digital Analytics for Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC)
3 credits; 3 lecture hours
This course empowers the student with the knowledge of best practices for data collection and interpretation that leads to higher profits, an improved customer experience and creates measurable value to the business. Drawing from case studies and practical applications, students explore the key concepts, techniques and practices of web, mobile, social media and e-Commerce communication analytics, and how they can successfully leverage data to achieve communications objectives and improve business performance.
Prerequisite(s): AC 361 and DM 435 and MA 321.
AC 404 — Public Relations: Cases; Campaigns; and Strategies
3 credits; 3 lecture hours
Students develop and refine their critical thinking skills in selecting, creating and applying tools, techniques, and principles of public relations to a variety of managerial cases and problem situations. Using real-life case studies, they track current public relations issues, and evaluate successful and unsuccessful PR initiatives.
Prerequisite(s): AC 221 and AC 321.
AC 405 — eCommerce & Omnichannel Marketing Communications for Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC)
3 credits; 3 lecture hours
In this course, students learn how to plan for eCommerce Marketing (from a Marketing Communications perspective) from the definition of the objectives to the formulation of personas, the development of traffic generation, conversion and (re)generation strategies and tactics, the integration of Omnichannel capabilities and how to evaluate performance.
Prerequisite(s): DM 435.
AC 411 — Brand Management
3 credits; 3 lecture hours
Students study the critical elements of brand management--the role of brands and the concept of brand equity--using integrated marketing communications strategies and tactics to build brands. They learn to build brand equity by employing brand elements and leveraging secondary associations through brand extensions, co-branding, and forming strategic alliances with third parties.
Prerequisite(s): AC 321 and AC 362.
AC 412 — Creative Strategies
3 credits; 3 lecture hours
Advertising strategies are developed to solve marketing communications problems and build strong brand identities. Students research industry-derived projects and evaluate relevant market factors to create effective strategies.
Prerequisite(s): AC 231.
AC 413 — Corporate Communications
3 credits; 3 lecture hours
Students develop the skills necessary to create communications that successfully influence an organization's internal and external publics. The course trains students to identify emerging business trends, interpret annual reports and related business documents, and convey business news in a clear, concise style through a variety of business communication and public relations tools.
Prerequisite(s): AC 321 and SS 242.
AC 423 — Special Events Marketing Public Relations
3 credits; 3 lecture hours
Students learn how to integrate special events into a client's marketing communications program. The strategies, planning, and execution of special events are studied using specific cases. Students work with industry clients to produce an event.
Prerequisite(s): AC 321.
AC 424 — Marketing Communications: An International Perspective
4 credits; 4 lecture hours
This course focuses on the principles and processes of the marketing communications industry in England. Through seminars and field experience, students work with marketing communications companies to design, plan, and implement communications programs. Includes an internship experience with the British communications industry. Approximately four weeks in June.
Prerequisite(s): AC 221 and approval of instructor.
AC 425 — Marketing Communications in China
3 credits; 3 lecture hours
A four-week work-study internship course in China. Students attend lectures and seminars and are exposed to the business practices of marketing companies conducting business in China. They assist business executives in planning and executing marketing communications campaigns for various products and services.
Prerequisite(s): A.A.S. degree, and AC 221 or AC 231 or AC 271, and approval of instructor.
AC 461 — Electronic Media Production
3 credits; 2 lecture and 2 lab hours
Technical and creative aspects of electronic media are stressed as students write, direct, edit, and produce trade and consumer videos and commercials. The coursework develops video production capabilities and encourages familiarity with a fully equipped, multi-camera studio. Preproduction and postproduction functions are analyzed and evaluated.
Prerequisite(s): AC 362.
AC 462 — Video Field Production
3 credits; 2 lecture and 2 lab hours
The operation and application of portable video and editing equipment to meet fashion marketing, corporate communications, and broadcast journalism objectives and strategies. Through the hands-on experience of writing, producing, directing, and editing a 5-minute infomercial and a 30-second television commercial, students learn planning, budgeting, and digital postproduction techniques.
Prerequisite(s): AC 362.
AC 471 — Media Planning
3 credits; 3 lecture hours
Examines the relationship between the marketing plan and media planning. This course develops students' understanding of pre- and post-placement media analysis and research. Students develop a media plan utilizing research data and reports from current case histories.
Prerequisite(s): AC 271 and MA 222.
AC 472 — Social Media for Integrated Marketing Communications
3 credits; 3 lecture hours
This course analyzes social media from a marketing communications strategy perspective, and examines the new media landscape where traditional and social media co-exist. Students learn how social media strategies can be used effectively in marketing communications programs, what social media platforms should/should not be used, how to build engagement and how to measure, track and evaluate performance and effectiveness.
Prerequisite(s): AC 321 and DM 435.