Graduate Student Spotlight
Whether your goal is to become a top professor at a university, or a leading professional in the media community, graduate school is a great step to be prepared in academia and industry. With applications rolling in, we wanted to sit down with our very own, Greg Song, to discuss his experience in the Masters in Advertising program at The Stan Richards School of Advertising and Public Relations.
1. When did you know you wanted to attend graduate school, and how did you make your decision?
Having spent my undergraduate years majoring in Communication Studies at the University of Minnesota, I always hoped that I would have the opportunity to concentrate on my primary interest of communications: advertising. After finishing my junior year of undergrad, I went back to my homeland, South Korea, and joined the Air Force. I worked in interpreting communications in the military and this professional experience helped me to decide to pursue my postgraduate studies after my military service. Then, I came back to the United States, completed my undergraduate degree and since then I have studied at The University of Texas at Austin’s Masters in Advertising program.
2. How does being an international student help you?
I have no difficulty in being an international student in the Advertising Graduate Program. All of my program's faculty, staff and colleagues are always willing to help me and are active in embracing diversity. I also served as vice president and Asian/Asian-American representative of the Diversity and Inclusion Student Council (DISC) of the department last year. This experience helped me greatly to grow as a member of a diverse society, both personally and professionally.
3. What was the application process like?
During my senior year of undergrad, I prepared to join UT Austin's advertising graduate program in earnest. For instance, I took the GRE to get the graduate school entrance qualification. I also requested letters of reference from my professors and past supervisors that I worked with, prepared my resume, CV and Statement of Purpose essay. When I got the letter from the program, I accepted the offer straight away without any hesitation. This is not only because UT Austin's Advertising Graduate program is well known both locally and globally, but it also has the great advantage of being able to study both practical and academic aspects of advertising.
4. Tell us about your favorite moment in the advertising program.
My primary interest is research and teaching in the field of advertising and media studies. Since my second year in the Master's degree, I have started my research project regarding AI (artificial intelligence), big data advertising and its consumer behaviors. This has been my favorite experience. The intellectual accomplishments I have gained from my research experience are the greatest benefits to me that I’ve pursued in this program. I also have been working as a teaching assistant in several classes and I feel very blessed in giving my academic help to my students.
