Creative Advertising with Integrated Foundation Year

UCAS code: FY09

Here's what Falmouth University says about its Creative Advertising with Integrated Foundation Year course.

Turn your ideas into powerful advertising campaigns.

Develop your skills by entering the creative industries on an Integrated Foundation Year degree.

If you’re interested in taking on a new subject that you’ve not had the opportunity to study in depth before, or have been out of education for a while, then our Integrated Foundation Year courses might be for you. These four-year courses include an introductory year to help you build the core skills needed for specialist degree-level study.

This is a chance for you to let your imagination run wild and explore your creativity, expand your professional skills and develop enhanced subject knowledge in the domain you want to study. We’ll help nurture your expertise in problem solving, risk-taking, designing and making as you develop your abilities through five core modules.

After your foundation year, you’ll have a deeper knowledge of your subject, a clear understanding of your strengths, a developed practical and technical skill set and the confidence to excel in your chosen degree subject when you join other students for the rest of your course.

This Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM) accredited course will help you become an imaginative and media-savvy advertising professional. Blending theory with hands-on learning, on this course you’ll graduate with a standout portfolio to showcase your ideas and strategic thinking across advertising, brand strategy and campaign delivery.

Learning in a studio environment that mirrors real industry practice, you’ll plan and develop creative advertising campaigns in response to industry-aligned briefs for brands, which have previously included Peloton, Starbucks and Seasalt.

In a rapidly evolving industry, staying ahead of the curve is essential. You’ll build core skills in areas such as digital storytelling, art direction and creative problem solving, while exploring behavioural research and gaining a thorough understanding of the contemporary advertising landscape and your place within it.

Whether you’ve got ambitions to be an art director or creative strategist, this dynamic course will give you the practical skills, resilience and industry awareness required to not only turn advertising into a successful career, but to help shape its future.

You will: Develop technical, design thinking and production skills in your chosen specialism. Learn teamwork, leadership and project management skills through a variety of learning environments. Develop critical thinking and creative problem-solving skills through the development of unique and innovative projects. Complete your chosen degree over a four-year period. Work on industry-aligned briefs and become an expert in pitching your ideas, just like you would to a client. Explore how generative AI is affecting the strategic choices made in advertising and media campaigns, how to harness its potential and avoid its pitfalls. Learn to use behavioural science and psychology to design creative campaigns that drive social change. Prepare for your future career by collaborating in industry-simulated environments with students from other courses. Have the chance to interact with guest speakers and industry professionals, laying the foundations for your future professional network. Students have previously worked with global agencies including Sky Creative, Ogilvy London, McCann Central, Accenture Song, Iris Worldwide, and We are Social. Have the opportunity to showcase your work at industry awards like D&AD New Blood in London and the South West Design + Digital Student Awards in Bristol.

Creative Advertising BA(Hons) is accredited by the leading professional marketing body, The Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM). This means students who successfully complete the full undergraduate degree are part-accredited for qualifications CIM offers professional marketing practitioners.

We'll help you become an imaginative, change-making and future-focused advertising professional.

You’ll learn to generate and pitch innovative ideas for a range of channels including social media and other digital platforms. You’ll learn how to utilise emerging technologies in the creative process, such as using AI programmes for idea generation, pitching and creating mock-ups.

You’ll also explore the magic of radical creativity and storytelling – the kind of human imagination that AI can’t replace.

Foundation Year: In your foundation year, you'll study five core modules. These are all designed to help you explore the foundational elements of both creative practice and your chosen specialism. You'll gain relevant technical skills, learn to experiment and take risks, develop an understanding of professional practice, have opportunities to work across disciplines and collaborate with other students on live project briefs.

After your foundation year, you'll have a deeper knowledge of your subject, a clear understanding of your strengths, a developed practical and technical skillset and the confidence to excel in your chosen degree subject.

Modules: Explore Technique Apply Industry Launch

Year one: In your first year, you’ll be introduced to the fundamentals of advertising; exploring the steps involved when developing an advertising campaign and building a set of core skills as a professional foundation. Through workshops, tutorials and studio-based activities, you’ll build skills in art direction, copywriting, planning, pitching, and creative problem solving. You’ll also look at how research and insights underpin impactful campaigns, as well as the opportunities and ethical challenges posed by AI.

Modules: Writing Studio Creative Problem Solving Design and Art Direction Adland Agency Life Strategy in the Age of AI

Year two: This year is all about starting to define your own creative approach. Applying the skills you’ve already learned, you’ll progress beyond ad creation to multimedia, multichannel campaigns. You’ll take a deeper dive into the inner workings of brands and develop important planning and research skills like data collection and analysis.

You’ll develop advanced knowledge of behavioural science and psychology and how they drive social change. Responding to an industry-aligned brief, you’ll have the opportunity to pitch your ideas and potentially see your campaign idea go into production.

In preparation for your future career, you’ll get to grips with the inner workings of the advertising industry. You’ll also hone your teamworking skills and deploy your visual and written skills for different media, as well as reflect on the implications and impact of new media.

Modules: Social Media and Digital Cultures Creating Brands Behaviour Change for Good Campaigns Work Futures

Year three: Your final year is all about creating a standout portfolio that reflects your creative passions and professional aspirations. Underpinned by thorough research and critical thinking, you’ll produce campaign plans, pitches and digital content ready to launch your career.

Supported by tutors, you’ll tackle industry-aligned briefs and enter global competitions which might include D&AD New Blood in London & Southwest Design + Digital Student Awards in Bristol.

Modules: Major Project - Development Advanced Campaigns Major Project - Showcase Industry Portfolio

As part of our process of continuous improvement, we routinely review course content to ensure that all our students benefit from a high-quality and rewarding academic experience. As such, there may be some changes made to your course which are not immediately reflected in the content displayed on our website. During your course, module content may be updated or optional modules withdrawn in order to maintain the best academic experience. Any students affected will be informed of any changes directly.

Foundation Year assessments are 100% coursework based.

Assessment will take place at the end of each module, and you'll get feedback and evaluation throughout the year. You'll be assessed through visual, verbal and written assignments, including your portfolio and a reflective journal. In your foundation year all assessments are pass/fail to encourage students to take risks and engage with the feedback provided.

Progressing in your specialism

Students studying on courses with an Integrated Foundation Year must successfully complete and pass all foundation modules before they can progress to the next stage of their course.

Assessment is based on a combination of: 100% of your assessment will be coursework. Practice-based modules will be assessed on the presentation of visual work, including sketchbooks to show process Theory-based modules will be assessed on a mix of written reports or illustrated essays In the final year, you’ll be assessed on your final year project and your portfolio - culminating in an exhibition of your final-year work

You will receive feedback in a range of formats: In-class discussion with tutors about work-in-progress One-to-one tutorials with your module tutors Informal group presentations Group discussion and crits to get peer feedback on ideas Academic support and feedback on written assignments are available in tutorials or with academic skills tutors Asynchronous feedback offered through emails or ‘soft’ deadlines of practical work Opportunities to get feedback from visiting guest speakers from industry or portfolio crits