MS Advertising at University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Programme overview

Illinois in 1946, when Charles H. Sandage, the "father of advertising", arrived on campus. His vision of educating the future of the industry was grounded in theoretical and foundational courses emphasizing the "why of advertising" - not just the "how." Our courses provide the theoretical, research, and strategic decision-making skills essential for any career in advertising or advanced degree program.

Faculty: College of Media | Study mode: full-time | Location: Champaign, IL, United States

What you will study

Required courses listed include ADV 550 Foundations of Advertising; ADV 580 Advertising Theory; ADV 581 Quanti Research Methods in Adv; ADV 582 Qualitative Rsrch in Advert; ADV 587 Graduate Seminar I.

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Application information

Entry requirements

Students are required to complete 36 hours towards the degree, including a professional project or thesis requirement. Full-time status requires 12 hours per semester, making it possible to complete the degree in three semesters. Admission is only granted for fall semester. View all College of Media undergraduate and graduate degree

Domestic applicants: USD 15,712 a year (2026-27). Illinois resident rate. Tuition only for new and continuing graduate students, Fall 2026-Spring 2027 at full-time (12 credit hours per term). Non-Illinois U.S. resident tuition for this programme: $33,008. Excludes campus and mandatory fees, health insura Source

International applicants: USD 33,008 a year (2026-27). International rate. Tuition only for new and continuing graduate students, Fall 2026-Spring 2027 at full-time (12 credit hours per term). Excludes campus and mandatory fees, health insurance, housing and other expenses as the source states them separately Source

Not all graduate programmes offer admission in all terms; term availability is set by each programme of study.

Graduate applicants apply online through the Graduate College application; deadlines and term availability are set by each programme. Medicine, law and veterinary medicine applicants apply directly to their colleges.

Apply through the official page: https://grad.illinois.edu/admissions/apply

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