The Ultimate Cheat Sheet on Getting a Global Strategic Communications Creative Master’s Degree from Florida International University in partnership with Miami Ad School

By Adriana Dickerson

The Global Strategic Communications Creative Master’s Degree from Florida International University (FIU) in partnership with Miami Ad School allows the creative and the intellectual to peacefully co-exist in one environment. It is one of the few unique programs of its kind. For those yearning to gain creative training in advertising and broaden their scholarly minds with the credentials of a degree, this program is for you. The following is the ultimate cheat sheet to effortlessly obtaining a Global Strategic Communication Creative Master’s Degree from Florida International University from application to graduation.

Step 1 – A Graduate Program for the Creative

No need to search any further the Global Strategic Communications Creative Master’s Degree from Florida International University will allow you to stand above and beyond the competition in the advertising industry. This graduate program is unique because it provides insights of the creative side of advertising and exposure to marketing theory. FIU has a partnership with Miami Ad School where creatives, like you, will hone in on their talents as an art director or copywriter.

Step 2 – Admissions Deadlines and Application

The most important step to getting a Global Strategic Communications Creative Master’s Degree from FIU is staying aware of the admissions deadlines for both Florida International University and Miami Ad School. These dates can be found on their respective websites. FIU: http://gradschool.fiu.edu/deadlines.shtml Miami Ad School: http://www.miamiadschool.com/advertising-school/miami#information6

Due to the fact that Florida International University is on a semester schedule and Miami Ad School is on a quarter schedule, deadline dates will not always match up. Take note of this!

Once you are familiar with each school’s deadline, feel free to fill out the general application for FIU that includes demographics, previous education, etc. You will receive your own FIU identification number allowing you to save, edit, and return to your general application on your My FIU account found here:  https://my.fiu.edu.

Miami Ad School requires that you request an application for the desired city you wish to study. In this case, you would choose Miami! Similar to FIU, there is a general application to complete that you must send into the school.

Step 3 – GPA requirements

Florida International University requires that you have a 3.0 GPA in order to be a competitive asset at the university. Although there are exceptions to this rule, in terms of work ethic and creative, your GPA will allow you to stand above and beyond the many applicants.

Step 4 – Essays

The Florida International University application requires two essays: a letter of intent and an essay written in response to a specific prompt. The letter of intent should resemble that of a cover letter and answer why you need this program to be successful in the advertising industry. Be truthful, be yourself. Think of your letter of intent as a mini interview where you should introduce yourself to the admissions panel. The general essay aims to discover your writing style. The prompt will most likely be related to a global strategic communications problem. The essay should be well-research via scholarly articles and websites and thoroughly written. Remember to grammar and spell-check!

Step 5 – Letters of Recommendation

Too often during the application process applicants will choose people to write their recommendation letters that will not positively showcase their talents. Unfortunately, this will hinder the success of your application. It is important to choose who knows you well and can offer specific examples of your performance and how your contribution to the graduate program is well worth your admittance. Avoid choosing people simply based on their title or status, for they might not provide the best letter.

Step 6 – Miami Ad School

You’ve completed and sent your FIU application for review. Congrats! Now it is time to complete the Miami Ad School application. You will have a few extra weeks to complete this application because of the later deadline. Miami Ad School tailors their application for those that identify as an Art Director or Copywriter. All Miami Ad School applicants will have a written form of the application to complete, but the most important aspect of the application is your creative samples/portfolio. This can range from sample think-pieces, to poems, to logos, to graphic designs, to poems, etc. Anything that you feel showcases your creative capacity should be submitted on behalf of your portfolio. This submitted portfolio will surely grow as you progress through your studies at FIU and Miami Ad School.

As a small reminder, Miami Ad School requires excellent proficiency in Illustrator, InDesign, and Photoshop as a student. There are classes online such as https://www.lynda.com one may take if a student lacks proficient knowledge of these programs. Additionally, Miami Ad School hosts their own creative software classes in order for a student not to fall behind.

Step 7 – Next steps after Admittance

Work, work, work, work, work!

Congrats! You have put blood, sweat, and tears into your application and now it is time to shine. Your coursework will be split into two categories: portfolio and degree. In order to graduate with a degree in Global Strategic Communication Creative Master’s degree from Florida International University you must diligently work to gain knowledge from both categories.

At FIU you will learn various aspects of the business side of advertising such as Account Planning and Research Methods. Whereas, Miami Ad School coursework will teach you everything creative there is to know about becoming a successful art director or copywriter.

It is EXTREMELY important to utilize the resources around you. Your professors and teachers will be professionals in the field that you are trying to enter. Take advantage of their expertise. Ask questions. They are there to help, not hinder you. They want to see you succeed.

Another aspect to complete in order to get your degree is completing your internship in the advertising industry. Your internship will allow you to think, collaborate, and tackle modern communication problems through creative advertising. Your internship will allow you to put the skills you’ve obtained during your studies to work!

Step 8 – Graduation

You came, you saw, you conquered and now it is time for graduation. The biggest and most important thing is to remember about obtaining your degree is applying for graduation. This is the most crucial step to getting your Global Strategic Communication Creative Master’s degree from Florida International University. Your My FIU account https://my.fiu.edu will direct you to the necessary paperwork you need to fill out in order to graduate. If you do not apply for graduation on time, you will not graduate. Did I mention to apply for graduation?

Now that you have been given the ultimate cheat sheet to obtain a Global Strategic Communication Creative Master’s Degree from Florida International University in conjunction with Miami Ad School from application to graduation, it is your job to put your resources to use. Utilize both your right and left brain to the fullest capacity  in order to get the most out of your Master’s Degree and there’s no doubt that you will stand out above the competition.

Feel free to check out Florida International University (http://sjmc-med.fiu.edu/gsc/) and Miami Ad School’s (http://www.miamiadschool.com) websites for more information.