Liberal vs. professional advertising education

Abstract

The issue of liberal vs. professional education is central to theconversation about advertising education. Practitioners influencethe development of advertising curricula, so it is necessaryto have data representing their views. A national survey wasconducted with 366 practitioners in the United States. Findingsshow that practitioners believe a four-year college degree isimportant. They also believe that the best educational formatincludes a balance of liberal and professional education. Practitionersbelieve soft skills should be taught, though the mostattainable entry-level jobs require digital technology skills.Digital technology also is identified as the most significant challengefor the field.