The Times are Changing. Is it Time to Change your Major

This essay is adapted from two articles that first appeared in the Fall 2015 and Winter 2016 issues of AdNews, the newsletter for the Advertising Division of the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication.The times they are a-changin'.- Bob Dylan, The Times They Are A-Changin', 1964They call the 1960s the "turbulent decade" because of all the changes that happened. This sentiment was summed up nicely in Bob Dylan's song of that decade. This fall, my department set out to revise our major and minor curriculum. In researching academic programs, industry statistics and education research to inform and justify our modifications, I found that we are living through one of the most turbulent times in marketing, advertising and public relations history.As we celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Journal of Advertising Education, it is appropriate to consider the changes in the advertising field and advertising education that have occurred since the first issue of this journal in 1996. Anniversaries are for reflection, so let's take a moment to consider what has changed in and around the advertising discipline, and how those changes affect our instruction and curriculum.First, we must acknowledge that the name 'advertising' itself is changing. The Billy I. Ross and Jef. I. Richards (2015) Where Shall I Go to Study Advertising and Public Relations? is the directory to help students select a college or university where a program in advertising or public relations education is offered. The 49th annual edition listed more than 110 college or university programs, yet a look at the names of the programs or departments reveals nearly 50 different versions of names for advertising education.Yes, there are still departments of advertising and public relations, but many programs have changed their names. The specific wording differs, but a wide variety of words are now used to describe our programs, including media, communication arts, communication studies, communication information, communication design, mass communications, mass media, media and culture, and strategic communication. Integration of disciplines and inclusion of marketing seem to be themes, with other variations, including integrated strategic communication, integrated marketing communication, marketing communication and a department of advertising, marketing and public relations.Changes in academic department or program names follow a similar trend in the industry. Agencies have moved away from the name 'advertising,' as they have integrated disciplines and moved into digital and social media. Many ad agencies have rebranded themselves, using terms such as 'digital,' 'integrated,' 'brand,' 'communications,' 'engagement,' 'ideation,' 'consumer connection' and 'experience.' These new words all have a sense of indicating a broader set of capabilities beyond traditional advertising and mass media, with an integration of brand strategy and new specialties in digital media.Many advertising programs and agencies have changed their names, because so much has changed in practice. In the last two decades, marketing communications has experienced significant changes in the field. Unless your program is fairly new, marketing, advertising and public relations have changed dramatically since your major was created. The extent of these changes became very apparent to me as we set out to review our own major and minor, which was developed many decades ago. I knew the facts outlined below, but it really changed my perspective when placing them on a timeline in contrast to when our existing courses and curriculum were de- signed.The World Wide Web has only been around since 1996. Albeit a short-lived existence by most measures, it has changed so much in the profession. Important areas such as digital marketing and e-commerce have grown from zero impact to great importance in the last 15 years.Social media have changed everything even faster. …