SMU's Temerlin Advertising Institute Set to Launch Innovative Graduate Program

Dallas (SMU) — Focusing on the creative talents and business acumen required to be successful in today's rapidly evolving world of advertising, Southern Methodist University's acclaimed Temerlin Advertising Institute for Education and Research will launch a unique graduate program in advertising in August 2009, emphasizing both social responsibility and highly effective campaign strategies for the future marketplace.

"Globalization, social media and other advances of this digital age have created tremendous opportunities for marketers to deliver their messages to the public in innovative ways," said Dr. Patricia Alvey, distinguished chair and director of the Temerlin Advertising Institute. "However, only those advertising professionals who fully embrace both the business and creative aspects of the advertising disciplines, as well as the enormity of change in the global consumer marketplace, will be truly prepared for the business environment of tomorrow."
  
SMU's faculty spent 18 months studying 150 advertising programs across the country in order to identify what was working and what was not before designing the university's own program. The cutting-edge program will groom tomorrow's leaders and is designed to be home to a lively and invigorating environment where students will investigate what's new and what's next in the marketplace.
  
"Temerlin Advertising Institute wants forward-thinking, risk-taking visionaries, who want to take the advertising industry to new levels," Alvey said. "We also want those who want to do something globally important, not those who simply want more information, or those who just want to delay entering the workforce."
  
Applications will be accepted through Feb. 15, 2009, for the 36-credit-hour program, which is open to students from all levels of professional experience. Students will operate in teams, and subjects covered will include theories of persuasion, problem-solving strategies, social responsibility, account planning, and new media strategies, as well as intensive practical experience. Only 20 students will be accepted to the program each year and each applicant must have previous work experience or an excellent undergraduate record.
  
Graduates can expect to work professionally, either domestically or internationally, in advertising agencies, media companies and/or corporations as account executives, art directors, copywriters, strategists, media planners or in many other areas of the industry.
  
According to Advertising Age, combined advertising and media employment in June 2007 reached 1.63 million across the United States. It is the highest level since the 2001 recession and, while jobs remain plentiful, those who are best prepared to address the challenges of tomorrow will be the ones to assume leadership positions within the industry.
  
"The Master of Arts in advertising from the Temerlin Advertising Institute takes a refreshing approach to building tomorrow's advertising leaders," said Sam Bloom of Camelot Communications Ltd. in Dallas. "It mixes a fast-paced, forward-looking curriculum with real-world, hands-on experience. The program provides its graduates the cutting-edge skills and know-how they need to thrive in today's industry."
  
Producing graduates prepared to contribute at a high level is important, said Liener Temerlin, the high-profile advertising legend who is the namesake for the Institute.
  
"This unique blend of forward-thinking curriculum, social responsibility and professionalism will create graduates who will be prepared to step into leadership roles in the industry very quickly at a time when the industry is seeing some of its greatest challenges. State-of-the-art is a phrase that's overused, but in this case it is a very accurate description of this well-designed graduate program."

The graduate program will take full advantage of its location in one of the nation's top advertising markets and will regularly call upon some of the nation's leading industry professionals for their expertise. In addition, the program will include a five-week cultural immersion tour.
  
"This new program fulfills all of our highest aspirations to leverage the great strengths of Dallas, provide innovative and relevant curricula and let the world know that SMU, Meadows is creating the next generation of thought leaders, today," said Dr. Jose Antonio Bowen, dean and Algur H. Meadows chair and professor of music at Meadows School of the Arts.
  
Financial aid will be available, including several Temerlin Fellowships to be awarded each year. More information and applications can be found at http://www.temerlin.smu.edu/graduate, by e-mail at taigrad@smu.edu or by calling 214-768-3090.
  
"We are very excited that we have created an advertising program to help future leaders develop the skills and the new ways of thinking they'll need to reach tomorrow's enlightened and globally concerned consumers in manners that truly honor them," Alvey said.

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