At Portland State University’s School of Business, the Advertising Management degree blends creativity with business strategy to prepare you for a successful, high-impact career in advertising, marketing, and brand management.

• Business-Focused, Career-Driven: Unlike traditional programs housed in communications or art departments, PSU’s advertising degree is rooted in business. You’ll develop creative talent and business acumen—gaining strategic thinking, budgeting, client management, and analytical skills that make you stand out in today’s job market.
• Powerful Industry Connections and Internship Opportunities: Benefit from PSU’s downtown Portland location and deep ties to the advertising industry. Intern at top agencies, participate in the exclusive Portfolio Workshop, and build real-world experience through Student Work, our independent, student-run advertising agency. You’ll build a network, gain exposure, and get noticed by professionals before you graduate.
• Learn from Faculty with Real-World Advertising Experience: Nearly all of PSU’s advertising faculty are seasoned industry professionals—many still working in the field. They bring current insights, case studies, and connections directly into the classroom, offering students a practical, career-ready education.
• Stay Ahead with the Latest Tools and Trends: The advertising landscape evolves fast—and so does our curriculum. You’ll learn cutting-edge tools, digital platforms, and strategies used by today’s top creative agencies. From data-driven marketing to brand storytelling and content strategy, our program stays at the forefront of industry innovation.
• High Job Placement and Marketable Skills: Portland State advertising graduates are highly sought after. With a strong portfolio, real client work, and a business foundation, you’ll be prepared for roles at global ad agencies, corporate marketing departments, boutique creative shops, and mission-driven nonprofits.

Advertising Program Highlights 

Discover exceptional opportunities for aspiring advertising professionals at Portland State University, located in the heart of downtown Portland — a thriving hub for creative industries and internship experiences.

• Real-World Experience with Local Brands: Students gain hands-on experience through Student Work, PSU’s independent, student-run advertising agency. Collaborate directly with Portland-based companies to build campaigns and portfolios that stand out.
• Industry-Level Feedback and Portfolio Development: Participate in exclusive weekend-long Portfolio Workshops, where students receive personalized critiques from top professionals in the advertising and marketing industry.
• Proven Career Success: Our graduates consistently secure positions at leading advertising agencies, design firms, and marketing departments, demonstrating strong job placement rates and career advancement.
• Diverse, Career-Ready Student Community: PSU’s advertising students reflect the diversity of today's workforce and bring fresh perspectives that align with the evolving needs of employers and global markets.
• Cross-Disciplinary Collaboration: Work closely with peers and faculty across disciplines such as marketing, communications, business, and graphic design — building the teamwork skills essential to agency life.
• National Recognition and Accreditation: Portland State University has been ranked among U.S. News & World Report’s Most Innovative Universities for four consecutive years. The School of Business holds prestigious dual AACSB accreditation, a distinction earned by fewer than 5% of business schools worldwide.

Advertising Management Degree Curriculum

PSU’s advertising management degree curriculum places extra emphasis on strategic thinking. We provide a holistic view of business, markets, consumer behavior, and economic trends, making you more valuable in the job market and on the job. You’ll be equipped to advance quickly into decision-making roles and leadership positions. 

The advertising management degree includes courses in:

• Advertising
• Consumer Behavior and Customer Satisfaction
• Media Strategy
• Creative Strategy
• Advertising Campaigns
• Marketing Research
• Marketing Analytics
• Account Management
• Portfolio Workshop
• FIR Advertising Agency Workshop
• Digital Media Planning and Design

Download the appropriate sequence sheet for additional details about prerequisites, requirements, credits, and suggested sequences:

• Advertising Management Major Sequence Sheet (PDF)
• Business Minor in Advertising Management sequence sheet (PDF)
• Business Minor in Advertising for Graphic Design Majors sequence sheet (PDF)
• Business Minor in Advertising for Communication Majors sequence sheet (PDF)

• Superior instructors. Our athletic and outdoor industry courses are taught by seasoned faculty who have strong connections and first-hand experience in the athletic and outdoor industry. They bring a real-world perspective into the classroom.
• Practical know-how. You’ll learn the ins and outs of the athletic and outdoor industry, acquiring skills and expertise that set you apart in the job market. The program focuses on sales, merchandising, retailing, product management, and other industry-specific subjects. 
• Career connections. PSU’s athletic and outdoor industry program has a high profile in Portland and beyond. Industry leaders helped develop the curriculum, are actively engaged, and seek to hire our graduates. Hundreds of PSU alumni work in the athletic and outdoor industry. 
• Strategic outlook. PSU graduates stand out in the job market and the workplace for their big-picture perspective. You’ll develop an understanding of the athletic and outdoor industry’s cycles and trends, terminology, culture, and an ability to keep ahead of the curve.
• Hands-on experience. As part of our proving ground mission, the Center for Retail Leadership at PSU sponsors summer immersion programs and trips to the industry’s largest trade show, Outdoor Retailer, in Denver, Colorado. You can also get involved on campus with A&O Connect, a student organization that works with industry leaders to organize on- and off-campus events like tours, networking get-togethers, seminars, workshops, and more. 

Athletic and Outdoor Industry Certificate Highlights

• Developed in collaboration with global leaders in the athletic and outdoor industry
• Offered by the PSU’s nationally-ranked School of Business and the Center for Retail Leadership
• Aligned with business concentrations in marketing, supply chain, advertising, HR, management and other fields
• PSU holds elite dual-accreditation in business and accounting from the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB)
• Alumni have an outstanding job-placement record with world-renowned brands, including Adidas, Columbia Sportswear, Cascade Designs, Gerber Gear, Keen, REI, and Nike.

Pathways

Communications, Psychology and Graphic Design, and Textile Arts students: you can combine your major and passion to explore a diversity of career opportunities in the exciting and dynamic athletic and outdoor industry. Certificate courses deliver current industry insights, trends, and case studies. You'll develop project work and a network of industry contacts that you can leverage during your job search. View pathways requirements and schedules.

• Deep industry connections. PSU has built a robust business network over the last 50 years to ensure our curriculum meets industry needs. Focused on innovation. PSU’s MBA program is educating next-generation business leaders to match Portland’s pioneering business models. With courses in pioneering innovation and applied, immersive learning opportunities, you’ll earn a graduate business degree that equips you to anticipate (or generate) trends before your competitors do.
• Values-based. PSU's MBA emphasizes skills that employers desperately need. It’s imperative that businesses become more environmentally conscious and culturally diverse to stay competitive. You'll be prepared to redefine the status quo alongside a diverse cohort of professionals who share your drive and your passion for business that creates positive change. PSU is a leader in social innovation, proven by our rare and prestigious “Changemaker” designation from Ashoka U.
• World-class faculty. You’ll learn from experts who combine real-world business acumen with groundbreaking scholarship and leading-edge research that changes business for the better. Connected and accomplished, our supportive and engaged MBA faculty are incredible resources, helping you advance in your career as well as your graduate business education.

• Workplace skills. The Business Minor emphasizes practical skills that employers value. Students learn to work with budgets, write effective business documents, develop marketing plans, analyze data, and work with useful business technologies and tools. They also learn how to establish a professional presence by fostering clear and confident communication skills.
• Make connections. Drawing on our deep connections to Portland, courses in the Business Minor are taught by industry professionals with first-hand business experience. Instructors offer constructive insight, applied experiences, and career guidance that goes far beyond what can be learned from a textbook. Students in the program also have access to resources within The School of Business, including advisors for career counseling, business student clubs for interest areas, internship opportunities, and networking events.
• Take control. The Business Minor complements all non-business majors at PSU and can be completed in one year. All courses are offered every term, with daytime, evening, hybrid, and fully online sections available each year. In addition, students can double-dip to fulfill University Studies cluster requirements while also obtaining credits toward completion of the minor.

Business Minor Highlights

• Available to all non-business majors
• Focused on practical, marketable skills
• Can be completed in one year
• All courses are offered every term, with day time, evening, and fully online sections available each year
• The five 300-level courses also count towards the Design Thinking/Innovation/Entrepreneurship University Studies Cluster, allowing students to optimize class time and credit hours while advancing to their career of choice

• Results-oriented skills. Our social innovation and social entrepreneurship certificate equip you with the practical know-how to get a new social venture or internal program past the idea stage. It’s not merely an academic exercise—numerous graduates have successfully launched initiatives they designed in the social innovation and social entrepreneurship program. It also teaches some of the most highly-demanded skills by employers worldwide. 
• Strong faculty mentoring. You’ll receive personalized guidance from experienced faculty every step of the way. They’ll help you avoid common mistakes, push you to take risks, and encourage you to persevere through disappointments and challenges.
• Tailored pathways. Specially designed options for MBA or MPA students will help prepare you for a career as a changemaker in your desired field, with courses, assignments, and content created just for those areas. 
• Change happens here. As one of fewer than 50 institutions worldwide to hold Ashoka U’s “Changemaker Campus” designation, Portland State is the ideal place to acquire social innovation skills. We’ve also been named one of America’s “Most Innovative Universities” four consecutive years by U.S News & World Report.

Social Innovation and Social Entrepreneurship Certificate Highlights

• Online courses exceed the nationally-recognized Quality Matters rubric for excellence in online education
• Accelerated two- and four-week field studies that augment classwork with real-world experience
• Work on your idea, in your own areas of interest and passion, while learning top skills demanded by employers
• Open to students from any program, inside or outside The School of Business

• Artificial Intelligence for business. The Business Technology and Analytics program features artificial intelligence training across its curriculum. The upper-division courses prepare future business leaders to utilize artificial intelligence in data analytics and beyond.
• A supportive network of local leaders. Portland is full of companies at the leading edge of the Silicon Forest, from established global brands to a host of exciting startups. Professionals from these companies mentor PSU students, partner with instructors on capstone projects, serve on insightful panels and host tables at career fairs.
• Prestigious faculty invested in your success. Our seasoned instructors bring a wealth of applicable knowledge to every class. Highly-published and widely recognized experts — including one with a Ph.D. from the London School of Economics — populate our faculty, giving you the opportunity to learn from people working on industry-defining research.
• A launching pad for a thriving career. With a 70% average placement rate for students with a business technology and analytics education, employers are excited to work with our graduates. We’ll give you the skills and tools; you’ll build the connections and business community that will provide opportunities in a future-proof career.
• Nationally recognized education. The School of Business holds dual accreditation in business and accounting from the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB), a distinction awarded to only 1% of the world’s business schools. A degree from PSU gives you education with real-world application and name recognition among employers.
• Diverse student groups and community. Deepen your professional and personal development with opportunities outside the classroom, including student groups and associations in a variety of fields, mentorship programs, and academic programs including study abroad. As the most diverse campuses in Oregon, PSU offers ways to connect and learn that you won’t find elsewhere in the state.

Business Technology and Analytics Degree Highlights

• Option to earn while you learn. Targeted 6- to 12-month employment at a company located in the tech center of Oregon will help you become the hybrid business and tech professional needed in today’s workforce.
• User-friendly online platform promotes collaboration and interaction, so you'll belong to a learning community while maintaining the flexibility to take courses on your own schedule
• Hands-on learning from a school that spent four consecutive years on U.S. News & World Report’s “Most Innovative Universities” list.
• Curriculum that builds both theoretical and practical knowledge in decision-making, business communication, and sustainability.
• Proficiency in foundational analytics languages VBA and SQL, skills that are increasingly prevalent in regional job postings.
• Opportunities to build experience working with large data sets, extracting meaningful information, and making decisions that improve business performance.
• Community and connection, including the Business Analytics Club, a student-led organization offering leadership development, peer support, and networking.

• Expert input. We have strong relationships with some of Portland’s most successful entrepreneurs, including many who graduated from PSU. You’ll get to interact with and learn from peers who were in your shoes not long ago—and made the leap into entrepreneurship.
• Risk-taking spirit. PSU has made U.S. News & World Report’s “Most Innovative Universities” list every year since 2015. We support creative ideas and embrace new theories at every level, and we even have a dedicated Center for Entrepreneurship that supports initiatives generated by students, faculty, and community members. If there’s such a thing as an “entrepreneur gene,” we’ve got it. 
• Nuts-and-bolts knowledge. Contrary to the popular myth, it takes more than guts and vision to succeed as an entrepreneur. It also requires tangible skill and attention to detail. The entrepreneurship certificate provides instruction on how to write business plans, attract investment, acquire permits, allocate resources, craft sales messages, and countless other behind-the-scenes tasks.
• Inclusivity and responsibility. At PSU, entrepreneurship is for everyone—regardless of age, gender, race, religion, sexual orientation, or any other characteristic. As an urban campus with the most diverse student body in Oregon, we welcome all of our business students into our entrepreneurship program. And we show you how to do business in a manner that respects all cultures, sustains the environment, and supports your community.

Entrepreneurship Certificate Highlights

• Four straight years on U.S. News & World Report’s “Most Innovative Universities” list
• One of fewer than 50 campuses worldwide to earn Changemaker designation from Ashoka U
• Campus-wide Entrepreneurship Alliance lets aspiring student entrepreneurs network, pool resources, share ideas, and explore entrepreneurial ecosystems on campus and in Portland
• Support from on-campus Center for Entrepreneurship with mentoring, non-credit programming, and events
• Deep connections in the Portland business community

• Get the knowledge and skills employers are looking for. Our program provides you with a comprehensive study of, amongst others, real estate finance & investment, development, law, economics & market analysis, and property & asset management. It allows you to improve your financial, business, critical thinking, communication, leadership, and data analytics skills.
• Get familiar with industry software applications and databases. Our program allows you to improve your financial modeling skills in Excel and Argus, data visualization skills in Tableau, and market research skills with ArcGIS Esri Business Analyst, Costar, and Bloomberg.
• Learn about emerging trends. Our curriculum emphasizes cutting-edge topics such as emerging technologies & innovation (e.g., PropTech, FinTech, AI), data analytics, impact investing, climate risk, and ESG to prepare you for the commercial real estate industry of tomorrow.
• Get hands-on experience. Our courses have an experiential learning approach with applied projects, case studies, property tours, and guest speakers.
• Learn from the best. Our courses are taught by award-winning real estate scholars and seasoned industry experts. Meet our faculty.
• Build your career. Develop your professional network through networking events, property tours, alumni, and other events organized by the Center for Real Estate. Fast-track to industry designations (e.g., CCIM, CPM, MAI), get career development advice from real estate experts, and participate in the mentorship program. Get career support from The School of Business Career Center. Click here to learn more about the career outcomes for our MSRE graduates.
• Get Scholarships. The Center for Real Estate offers a variety of scholarships based on funds raised from commercial real estate firms. All admitted MSRE students are eligible to apply. If you know a current student, alumni or Center for Real Estate board member, ask them to submit an application for a $2,000 Referral Scholarship for you before you submit your application to the MSRE.

Student Career Outcomes (2024)

The MSRE is a degree for working professionals with:

• Late afternoon and evening courses.
• Remote learning opportunities to provide more flexibility for work and school life.
• The ability to complete the program in 11 months (full time) or 15 months (part time).
• Center for Real Estate scholarships.
• A cohort start in Fall quarter.

• Career Readiness. Set yourself apart as a strong candidate with an outstanding writing portfolio that demonstrates a level of communication and critical thinking skills that recruiters notice. This is a rare and highly valuable advantage few programs offer. An application-focused capstone project will further enhance your resume and build your professional network.
• Professional orientation. The Master of Taxation serves a wide range of professional needs. It supports current tax practitioners and accountants who seek career growth, lawyers and business leaders who need tax knowledge to achieve their objectives, and undergraduate accounting majors who need a fifth year of education to meet CPA requirements.
• Convenient schedule. Our classes are synchronized with professional recruiting cycles. The program’s summer start for full-time and part-time students gets students ready for fall interview season; the fall start for part-time students provides an alternate starting term; the winter term is structured to accommodate full-time employment during tax season, and the spring term begins after April 15.
• Results-oriented curriculum. You’ll focus on relevant, high-impact subject matter in the Master of Taxation program. Course material applies directly to real-world tax practices, uses industry-standard technologies, and reflects the current state of tax law and the global economy. You’ll move far beyond annual tax returns and gain the ability to analyze tax issues at a strategic level.
• Expert faculty. Our Master’s courses are taught by seasoned tax professionals who have years of experience. Our faculty come from Big 4 accounting firms, regional firms, global corporations, law firms, and the government. All are experts in their fields.
• Rigorous academics. Portland State holds elite dual accreditation in accounting and business from the Association to Advance Collegiate Colleges of Business (AACSB), placing us in the upper echelon of U.S. business schools. We also have a long list of “best-of” honors from U.S. News & World Report, The Princeton Review, CFA Institute, and other organizations.
• High-touch hybrid format. Our interactive hybrid courses enable you to communicate regularly with faculty and build close relationships with peers. You’ll also spend one weekend at the beginning of each term on our campus in downtown Portland, deepening your connections with instructors, fellow tax practitioners, and potential future employers.

Master of Taxation Highlights

• Offered by PSU’s nationally-ranked School of Business
• Ranked among nation’s best hybrid business programs by U.S. News & World Report
• Convenient, flexible hybrid format with one required in-person residency each term
• Unique program schedule synced with accounting recruitment cycles
• Elite dual accreditation in accounting and business from AACSB

• Program flexibility. Retail is rarely a 9-to-5 career. The consumer retail certificate can be completed through in-person or online coursework, or through a hybrid of the two – meaning you can pursue your education in the format that works best for you. 
• A pathway to a four-year degree. This 20-credit certificate program builds a bridge from your RMC to a bachelor’s degree. All credits transfer, giving you applicable coursework and skills to pursue a four-year program in business, HR, marketing, finance, and more. 
• Rigorous academics. The School of Business holds a dual accreditation (in business and accounting) from the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB), a distinction awarded to only 1% of the world’s business schools. Our certificate programs feature coursework with the same instructors who teach our undergraduate and graduate classes. 
• Relationships and industry networking. PSU’s Center for Retail Leadership facilitates creative collaboration between students and industry partners.
• A supportive, diverse community. As part of The School of Business, you will have access to a wealth of support that includes your fellow students, instructors, career advising, and connections to local business professionals. Scholarships are available for students pursuing this certificate program. 

Consumer Retail Pre-Baccalaureate Certificate Highlights

• Hands-on learning from a school that spent four consecutive years on U.S. News & World Report’s “Most Innovative Universities” list.
• Market-based education for professionals in all areas of the retail industry.
• Ability to transfer the credits from WAFC’s RMC to a PSU business bachelor’s degree program.
• Curriculum that incorporates sustainability, diversity and inclusion in retail. 
• Community and connection, including opportunities to network with regional business professionals.  
• Opportunities to grow into the next phase of your career and improve income and employment outlook.