The two-year creative advertising concentration at the University of Alabama where students can build a competitive portfolio while earning their undergraduate (BA) or graduate (MA) degree in advertising.
We help students do just one thing.
Minerva helps students work hard to make great work. That’s it. Well that, and helping them build a strong foundation of strategic and conceptual problem-solving skills. And yeah, we also coach them on basic professionalism, industry literacy, and network building too. But, that’s it. Well, that and emphasizing the importance of not acting like entitled little jerks. Oh, and we subtley but constantly push the benefits of retaining a growth mindset. But really, the first thing is pretty much the only thing.
Great humans making great work.
It’s honestly exhausting trying to keep up with all the stellar output from our amazing alumni. They’re constantly putting out new work that builds interest, generates buzz, encourages brand love, impacts culture, and wins awards.
“Breaking into the advertising industry is easy. You just gotta have time and money.”
– Gates Keeper
If that sounds like a fake quote, that’s probably because it is. But traditionally, it was the truth. The old way of breaking into the creative side of advertising involved having (or borrowing) an additional $30,000-$50,000 (or more) and spending two more years at a portfolio school after graduation.
Minerva removes this barrier to entry.
Since 2015, Minerva has provided a clear, accessible route into the creative advertising industry for University of Alabama students.
Minerva offers students the opportunity to develop the strategic awareness, conceptual thinking skill, and strong work-ethic agencies are looking for from entry-level talent. They finish the two-year concentration with a competitive portfolio that shows off their abilities and a growth mindset that sets them up for long-term success.
The process is working.
Just like our alumni do at some of the most notable and respected agencies in the world.
… just to name a few.
Students choose between two creative tracks
Advertising creatives work in copywriter/art director teams. When a partnership is firing on all cylinders, the line between the two roles can get real blurry, real fast. That said, it’s good to have a primary focus. After the first semester in Minerva, students must choose which creative track they will pursue.
Copywriting
Copywriters machinate with their art direction partner to come up with the big idea. Then, they write a lot. They write brand manifestos with just the right turn of phrase to deliver those clever double and triple entendres. They write headlines that make you laugh and cry and then laugh at yourself for crying. They write the scripts for the commercials that everyone’s talking about at brunch, brand stories that read like best sellers, and social media content that makes the audience tap the heart.
Copywriters either already knew what the word “machinate” means or they looked it up. They’re the ones in the friend group who can make complicated stuff sound simple, can tell you the real meaning behind the lyrics, and know the difference between “affect” and “effect.”
Art Direction
Art directors are aesthetic architects. They work with their copywriting partners to come up with the big idea and then bring it to life visually. With an eye for graphic design and the skills to execute it, they craft brand identities that can make folks fall in love. They design layouts that make you stop, stare, turn away, and then come back hunting for the easter eggs. They make visual choices for commercials and videos that can make people second guess skipping. They design social content that encourages sharing like a kindergarten teacher.
Art Directors are the ones everyone in the friend group trusts to take good photos. During a road trip, they point out the terrible kerning on billboards. They know what kerning is. They probably didn’t read the description for copywriting, but if they did, they probably didn’t know (or care) what the word “machinate” meant.
For a quick look at the curriculum map for the creative concentration, check out the basic course plan. For all the nitty-gritty details, take a look at the comprehensive advertising major handout.
Follow us @uaminerva on the picture one, the video one, the unhinged one, and the business one.
Or, you can holler at us minerva@ua.edu.
Minerva is part of the Department of Advertising & Public Relations in the College of Communication & Information Sciences at the University of Alabama.
ROLL TIDE