Marketing Communications (with placement year)

Creative thinking to produce ‘ideas that work’ is at the core of what we do. The marketing industry spans advertising, social content creation, brand activations, planning and PR. You will develop a wide range of skills from art direction, copywriting, design, strategy and content creation.

Our industry award winning tutors have considerable marketing communications industry experience spanning advertising, brand development, creative direction, copywriting and strategy. You will learn how creative communication works, through strategic and insight-based thinking, that will connect brands to consumers in an interesting and meaningful way.

We currently work with leading national and international agencies. You will work on live briefs and pitch to agency partners, which in the past have included McCann, Ogilvy, Leo Burnett, BBH, Dentsu, Havas Lynx, AKQA, Social Chain, Creative Race and TBWA. In a constantly evolving creative world such links make sure our course reflects what is going on in industry and culture right now.

You’ll have the opportunity to enter prestigious and internationally renowned awards such as D&AD New Blood, Cannes Future Lions and the DMA Breakthrough Award. Our connections can lead to creatives from top agencies offering mentoring, work crits, live briefs and the opportunity for work experience.

We encourage students to find the aspect of the industry that they feel most interested in and pursue a path into it through first-hand experience of working with inspirational industry creatives.

Year one – You will learn why brands exist, how they behave, how they communicate their values, and what it takes to move the masses. You will learn how, and why, marketing communications play an important role in bringing brands to life, and explore the fundamentals of marketing communications through new and traditional media channels. You’ll learn how to think in strategic and divergent ways, to create ideas that work to answer specific business challenges.

Year two – You will explore the different roles within the industry and start to develop your own practice. Through creative industry, tutor, and self-set briefs, you will develop your creative identity by exploring different professional roles including art director, copywriter, strategist, and content creator planner.

Year three* – This is where you use the tools you have developed and bring together the theoretical and practical aspects of your practice to create work to take to industry. You will refine your specialism, plan your career path, network and build meaningful relationships with industry. The degree culminates with a portfolio of ideas that work, guided by a resilient professionalism that demonstrates critical thinking skills and an understanding of theoretical problem solving.

*If you choose to study this course over four years, this will include a placement year (also known as a sandwich year, work placement, industrial placement, or year in industry), which provides a fantastic opportunity to enhance your employability and gain practical experience in your field of study. The placement year typically occurs after year two and before year three. Read our placement year FAQs at www.leeds-art.ac.uk/undergraduate-placement-year-faqs.