Advanced Diploma in Journalism

at Centennial College - Story Arts Centre Campus Canada

The Advertising Account Management program will prepare you for a successful career in the client service area of the advertising, marketing and communications industry.
If you like creating, planning, managing and working in collaborative teams, this communications and media program is for you. Because the advertising industry needs specialized account managers who understand the full scope of the industry, courses will cover areas such as:

• Advertising
• Digital, mobile and social media platforms
• Event marketing
• Direct marketing
• Management of integrated communications plans from inception to final production

Not only will a team of seasoned advertising professionals teach and mentor you as you acquire new skills and confidence for the industry, but you'll also have the opportunity to apply your knowledge to the real world. The Advertising Account Management program at Centennial College is the only post-graduate offering of its kind in Canada that includes a full 14-week field placement in the advertising and marketing communications industry.

During your field placement, you'll obtain knowledge of the day-to-day operations of account management and gain hands-on experience to highlight in your portfolio and on your resume. Many students have been offered full-time or contract positions during their field placement.

The Bachelor of Public Relations Management, Honours program at Centennial College's Story Arts Centre is a unique, first-of-its-kind offering in Canada that combines public relations and business studies. In four years, this program will prepare you for an exciting career in public relations (PR), social media and corporate communications.

The Bachelor of Public Relations Management, Honours program, offered by the School of Communications, Media, Arts and Design in collaboration with the School of Business, will balance the theory, principles and application of PR with a solid foundation in business principles through ten core business courses.

During your time in the program, you'll complete real-world projects that will allow you to apply your newly-acquired knowledge. From writing media releases to planning events, you'll engage in practical scenarios that will ground the core classroom concepts of this four-year degree.

To prepare you for a variety of careers, the Bachelor of Public Relations Management courses will include a strong focus on:

• Writing
• Social and digital media
• Research and communications planning
• Strategic communications
• Corporate communications

You’re sitting at home, flipping through the channels on a lazy Sunday morning. You pause on a commercial for a new cartoon that will be premiering the following week and a smile creeps across your face. As you continue to watch the commercial, your smile gets wider as a sense of pride puffs your chest out a little. The commercial ends and you turn off the TV to take in the moment.

You just witnessed the very first commercial for a show you helped to produce, and you can’t help but feel elated.

Children’s media is a key component to the Canadian entertainment industry. With rapid growth of the market, the demand for trained professionals is growing with it. Luckily, Centennial College offers a one-of-a-kind program that allows you to build and develop just the right skills to enter this line of work. The Children’s Media program provides you with hands-on experience, and prepares you for various career paths in the industry.

In only 3 semesters, you will build the capabilities to create content for children’s media, as well as learn how to manage and market various products. You’ll learn and master the true art of storytelling and put it to work with script writing. Video production and project coordination will come by as second nature after you complete your first two semesters at Centennial College.

Your final semester is where all your skills get to shine during your work-placement period. This is your opportunity to find the area of children’s media that speaks to you! Whether it be in licensing and merchandising, or in the writer’s room, the Centennial College Children’s Media program will put you on the right path to getting there.

• While in the program, you will receive front line experience in:
• Creating a brand plan
• Starting and developing content for a YouTube channel
• Working alongside a client relevant to the industry – Scholastics Canada being just one of the clients who partner with the students
• And so much more!

This will allow you to enter the workplace with a variety of experience in different sectors and completely understanding what to do in any situation. Graduates of this program have been known to be hired into the field within six months to a year of graduation, and two alumni received daytime Emmy nominations in 2018!

That moment you felt earlier after watching your first tv commercial will become a daily experience, and that experience will lead to so many more magical moments. With the Centennial College Children’s Media program, there are endless possible ways of how you can create the best moments for someone’s childhood.

The Publishing - Book, Magazine and Electronic program is one of the most prestigious programs of its kind in Canada. Through hands-on education, it will prepare you for employment in a wide variety of areas in the publishing industry.

Established in 1974, this unique and award-winning publishing graduate certificate program has earned several accolades for academic excellence and for the career success of its graduates.

In this School of Communications, Media, Arts and Design program, you'll learn to:

• Be an integral part of the team that helps to shape the evolution of Canada's cultural and literary landscape;
• Publish e-books;
• Help build the careers of the next generation of writers in the publishing industry;
• Take part in publishing the bi-yearly On the Danforth magazine.

Your experience in the Publishing program will be rounded out by an industry field placement at a book or magazine publisher in Toronto. During this time, you'll acquire critical working experience, industry knowledge and professional relationships as you initiate your new career.

A career in book, magazine or online publishing promises a world of innovation, stories and culture that integrates your creative, marketing and business skills.

Program Highlights

• The accelerated two-semester format will cover all facets of the publishing process, including e-books and online magazines.
• You'll complete a six-week field placement in the industry.
• The graduate certificate you'll earn reflects a high standard of learning.

The Communications and Media Fundamentals program at Centennial College is an intensive one-year preparation undertaking. If you're looking for a pathway to pursue further post-secondary education, consider this certificate program, which will help you to develop communication skills while offering an introduction to the communications and media industries.

With guidance from experienced Communications and Media Fundamentals faculty members and practical application of theory, you'll obtain competencies for short- and long-term success.

In this media program's courses, you'll:

• Partake in creative exploration and experimentation with contemporary digital and social media production tools;
• Create and maintain forums on social media networks using rich media applications;
• Apply theoretical principles to produce practical and focused written communications and media solutions;
• Research and describe media forms, audiences, platforms, and "traditional" and "non-traditional" communication methods;
• Use appropriate vocabulary, terminology, basic numeracy and communicative strategies necessary for the communications and media environment;
• Apply developed English language skills to a presentation portfolio;
• Write and present in basic narrative formats for a variety of media platforms;
• Examine roles and responsibilities of global citizenship in personal and professional contexts;
• Examine beliefs, values and behaviours that form individual and community identities and the basis for respectful relationships;
• Apply knowledge of communications and media workplaces, environments, and practices to develop job search strategies and early career success strategies.

Program Highlights
When you successfully complete Communications and Media Fundamentals, you'll receive an offer to these College's School of Communication, Media, Arts and Design three-year advanced diploma programs:

• Advertising and Marketing Communications Management
• Journalism
• Broadcasting and Film

Interactive Media Management at Centennial College prepares students for various user experience design, project management and communications roles in a wide range of industries. Graduates possess the ability to develop digital strategy, create effective content, design intuitive interfaces, conduct user research and execute digital projects. 

You'll find this graduate certificate program, facilitated through the School of Communications, Media, Arts and Design at the Story Arts Centre. The program aims to create exemplary professionals with interpersonal and ethical decision-making skills. Interactive Media Management alumni excel in diversified industries including mass media, digital entertainment, creative agencies, corporate communications, game studios, marketing and advertising firms, non-profit, education, health, government organizations and software design firms. Moreover, freelancing and creating small business opportunities are also successfully pursued by graduates.

Your courses will teach you how to plan all elements of an effective interactive digital experience, starting with assessing what your audience needs to accommodating their needs through the interface, its design and the words it contains. By the end of the program, students work on two real-world client-driven projects and publish their digital portfolios.

The interactive digital media industry is booming and the demand for interactive media management experts continues to grow. To help meet this demand this collaborative and project-driven program will emphasize:

• Digital Strategy
• UX Design
• Content Strategy and planning
• Interactive storytelling
• Analytics
• Digital project management (gant charts, budgets, project management, agile methodology)
• Researching and surveying the interactive media management landscape

Centennial College's Advertising and Marketing Communications Management program is all about tapping into your creative talent and strategic thinking and using business savvy to generate new and exciting ideas. If you prefer to watch the Super Bowl for the commercials, this program is for you.
Taking place over three years, the courses in this advertising program will begin by building a foundation in all aspects of the industry, which will prepare you for the final year of study when you'll choose to specialize in account management, digital creative, or media buying and planning. Additionally, this program is the only Greater Toronto Area college advertising program to include a full-semester 14-week field placement.

In the Advertising and Marketing Communications Management program, you'll:

• Learn the entire advertising process, including creative development, research, developing strategies, campaign planning, production, and media planning and buying;
• Learn to produce content within the range of advertising genres;
• Gain the ability to tell clients' stories with persuasive advertising;
• Plan and develop campaigns on multiple platforms;
• Develop your instincts and strategic abilities while meeting deadlines in a professional and creative environment;
• Be led by a team of seasoned advertising instructors who possess vast industry expertise;
• Complete your training with an industry field placement, during which you'll acquire experience in the day-to-day activities of the advertising world.

Program Highlights

• The Advertising and Marketing Communications Management program will mirror working world standards, including firm deadlines, multitasking, working under pressure and delivering professional presentations.
• Hands-on practice with onsite professional software and media planning systems will be an essential program element. 
• You'll gain insight and experience in the core areas of agency operations: digital creative, media planning/buying and account management.
• The Interactive Advertising Bureau recognizes the program as offering the largest breadth of digital/mobile curriculum.

The Professional Writing – Communications program will prepare you to work as a versatile communications professional. This graduate certificate program will combine assessing audience needs and delivering thoughtful and relevant content with effective project management techniques as you develop the skills to write and produce copy for a variety of professional settings and styles.

The innovative courses in this program will encompass a wide range of communications disciplines and vocational skills, including:

• Web copywriting
• Technical writing
• Proposal writing
• Writing for social media
• Content marketing
• Presentations and speech writing
• Content management
• Information design and data visualization
• Digital storytelling

As a Professional Writing – Communications student, you'll have the advantage of creating a diverse and professional portfolio that will include training modules, complex visual aids (such as infographics) and compelling layouts for various print and virtual platforms (brochures, newsletters, websites and more). With your well-rounded training, you'll be able to launch a writing career that will go the distance, taking on a range of roles in both the profit and non-profit sectors.

Centennial College's Graphic Design program prepares you for a multidisciplinary design career, and has a graduate employment rate that exceeds 80 per cent. Facilitated at the Story Arts Centre, the courses in this advanced diploma program take a hands-on approach in an intimate studio environment, rather than having you sit passively in large lecture halls. With small class sizes, you have lots of opportunities to work one-on-one with your professors.

In this college graphic design program, you:

•  Master industry-standard Adobe software including Photoshop, Illustrator and InDesign
•  Learn creative problem solving and design thinking
•  Design for print, including advertisements, magazines, books and packaging
•  Design responsive websites, mobile apps and create exciting motion graphics
•  Explore drawing, photography, illustration and type design
•  Learn professional practice skills to land a great job or start your own design business
•  Contribute something unique and innovative to the design community in a thesis course
•  Learn on the job and get course credits through an industry field placement in your final semester
•  Interact with industry professionals
•  Become a student member of the Association of Registered Graphic Designers of Ontario (RDG Ontario)
•  Learn from professors who are current and professionally active in the design industry

Please note:This program requires you to have and use a mobile computing device that meets or exceeds the recommended hardware and software requirements. 

Program Highlights

• The Centennial College Graphic Design program is formally recognized by RGD Ontario, which represents more than 3,000 graphic designers, managers, educators and students across Ontario.
• A combination of multidisciplinary design skills and practical experience sets you apart from the competition.
• You will be more flexible in your design solutions and more desirable in the marketplace.

The Graphic Design program will develop your abilities to:

• Think creatively and design effectively for print, motion, and interactive media.
• Execute your ideas professionally in any medium.
• Communicate effectively with employers and clients.
• Start your career in any facet of the design industry.
• Market yourself as a freelancer or start your own business.
• Affect social change through your design problem-solving skills.
• Understand all aspects of industry standard workflow, from initial creative, through to print production or interactive prototyping.

The Advertising - Creative and Digital Strategy program addresses the high demand for creators in the digital field of advertising and marketing, which is growing faster than all other areas in the advertising industry.

This Advertising Graduate Certificate program takes place at the Story Arts Centre in Toronto and blends Centennial College's experience in digital media with our strengths in business and marketing. The program focuses on helping you create engaging digital experiences built on solid creative strategy. You become immersed in the digital field and learn how to develop breakthrough creative advertising campaigns.

Through your courses, you acquire the necessary skills in creative strategy, writing, developing creative concepts, art direction, collaboration, presentation and entrepreneurialism. During a field placement, which is part of the second semester, Creative and Digital Strategy students take part in team assignments, working in a collaborative environment in the real world.

You’ll also learn new technologies and platforms that keep you informed about recent innovations in the digital creative field.

The program focuses on five key areas:

• Creative strategy, to ensure advertising meets clients' business objectives.
• Digital storytelling, to build on the power of storytelling in developing impactful creative advertising.
• Brand engagement, to create strong connections with consumers.
• Entrepreneurship, to foster key business skills that encourage innovation and risk-taking.
• Emerging platforms, to ensure you are up-to-date on the latest in digital technology impacting the advertising industry.

In this program, you:

• Gain an understanding of the digital creation process from a creative director's point of view.
• Learn how to craft a creative digital strategy that delivers results.
• Develop a strong portfolio and case studies for prospective employers.
• Enhance presentation skills to help sell ideas.
• Understand the impact of technology on creative development.
• Foster digital storytelling skills to bring brands to life online.
• Analyze and solve business and marketing challenges for clients by applying innovative creative and digital techniques.
• Complement in-class education with a field placement that will provide the opportunity to work in the industry and hone your skills.

Please note:- This program requires you to have and use a mobile computing device (i.e. laptop, tablet) that meets or exceeds the recommended hardware requirements. 

Program Highlights

• This Creative and Digital Strategy program gives you the opportunity to turn a degree or diploma into an exciting career in a growing field in the advertising industry.
• You learn how to create digitally-centric creative portfolio pieces using current industry design and writing standards.
• Faculty members have extensive industry experience and can help you connect to the industry by tapping into their personal networks.
• The program is offered at the Story Arts Centre, which is about 15 minutes from most advertising and digital marketing agencies in Toronto.
• At the Story Arts Centre, there are numerous opportunities to collaborate with students in a range of other marketing and communications-focused programs to enhance the learning experience.