Our Reputation
The first advertising course was taught at The University of Texas (UT) in 1914. In 1948, both the Department of Marketing and the School of Journalism formally recognized an undergraduate major in advertising. From then until 1960, students who wanted a degree in advertising had two choices: a business-oriented curriculum offered by the Department of Marketing in the College of Business - a Bachelor of Business Administration in Advertising or a communication-oriented curriculum offered by the School of Journalism in the College of Arts and Sciences - a Bachelor of Journalism in Advertising.
Graduate courses in advertising were offered in both departments. A Master's of Business Administration with concentration in the Division of Advertising could be sought as early as 1947. The School of Journalism first offered a Master's of Arts in Communication with concentration in Advertising in 1953. From 1960 until 1974, advertising was one of two sequences offered in the School of Journalism.
During the Fall of 1974 the Department of Advertising was established, in the College of Communication, to meet the increasing needs of advertising education. In 1999, Public Relations was added to the department's curriculum. The Department has grown into one of the top programs in the country and continues to strive toward best serving its students and the advertising/pr industry.
How does the advertising program at UT compare to programs at other schools? That is one of the most common questions people ask when considering where to apply. Unfortunately, there is no simple answer. It depends how these programs are judged, and who evaluates them.
The following information is provided so you can see that, by any measure, UT offers a top-tier program.
The University of Texas at Austin
Advertising Department
1 University Station A1200
Austin, TX 78712
Phone: 512-471-1101 Fax: 512-471-7018
advertising@mail.utexas.edu