Misc

Objectives of the Copywriting Program
The objective of the Copywriting program is to train students to be qualified, highly employable advertising copywriters. They will demonstrate the ability to work with a variety of others to produce creative solutions to a wide variety of advertising projects, for a variety of products and services, across a range of media; and to present their creative work professionally and persuasively to others. Employment opportunities include working as advertising copywriters for advertising agencies, working directly for clients with in-house advertising departments, and freelance.

Entrance Requirements for the Copywriting Program
Prospective applicants are qualified on the basis of a minimum of 10 written ads. Evaluation is based on concepts, headlines and body copy. Non-advertising writing may be included in addition to the 10 ads, along with a list (minimum 5 each) of the books you’ve recently read and the magazines you read most often. The applicant must submit a written statement of their intent and reason for study. The department council reviews the submitted work. Acceptance and placement within the program is determined in this manner. Relevant prior life/work experience or academic credentials are also considered as criteria for placement within the program. All applicants must have a minimum of a high school diploma/G.E.D.

International and foreign students who do not speak English as a first language must either pass the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or demonstrate their English language verbal skills in a conversation with an admissions officer.

Instruction Methods Used in the Program
The Writing program provides training in essential competencies for professional success in the following ways:

1. A professional in the field teaches every class.
2. Student assignments are fully realistic, professional briefs. They are usually given with the same specifications with regard to target audience, marketing objectives and creative restraints that the instructor faces on the job.
3. A great deal of emphasis is put on presentation of work and on business practices.
4. Students are encouraged to join local and national professional organizations.
5. Portfolio Center student work is exhibited in major exhibitions in the profession, and student work is published in major professional magazines.
6. Students are recruited by advertising agencies or directly by clients for assignments to be produced as subcontract employees (much the same as they would be hired as freelance talent) for creating and executing actual projects.
7. Every graduating student’s portfolio is reviewed by a group of prominent members of the advertising profession with the student present to gain feedback, advice and ask questions.

In conjunction with the above elements, copywriting students work with student art directors in many of their classes, just as they would in an actual ad agency. Writing students also work on projects with design, photography and illustration students. These experiences mirror the “real world” so that graduates are well seasoned in the role they will play as professionals.

Instructors use a variety of materials including professional briefs and work orders, sample advertisements, videotapes of television commercials, textbooks and exhibitions. Students are encouraged to subscribe to Communications Arts magazine. Other important industry publications such as Archive, Adweek, and Ad Age are available for students in the library.

Facilities and Equipment Used for the Program
Portfolio Center facilities consist of a two-story brick building. The first floor consists of classroom areas, a large open studio, 3 computer labs, a library and administrative offices. Classrooms are well lighted and equipped with folding chairs and tables, depending on the needs of the class. The bottom floor houses the photography facilities, Student Services (where student artwork is laminated), a classroom, a large work area, a conference area, and administrative offices.

Interior walls are of sheetrock. All the walls in the school are white for exhibition purposes and to maximize light efficiency. The large open studio on the first floor can be partitioned with accordion sound-proof room dividers allowing it to function as four individual classrooms when needed, as an open studio for student work space or as a hall for lectures and seminars. The walls of this space as well as the halls and other classrooms are covered with ongoing exhibits of the best student work from the previous quarter. The exhibition serves as an excellent resource for on the spot teaching reference as well as a record for visitors and prospective students of the quality of student work.

Portfolio Center has an extensive Power Macintosh computer lab consisting of a 45 color Macintosh computer network, all equipped with industry standard removable storage drives, 6 black and white laser printers and 5 color scanners for flat art and film. The computers have over 1,000 type faces installed and are updated as educational licenses become available for the most current versions of programs used within the industry, including Quark Express, Photoshop, Freehand, Illustrator, Lightwave, Microsoft Word and Macro Media Director. Because some students have IBM computers at home, the computers at Portfolio Center have system software that allows the MAC computers to read IBM compatible material. In addition, high-speed T.1 data provide all Mac workstations with e-mail and web access.

Class Hours
Portfolio Center students attend 5 classes per week. Each class is 4.5 hours in length, and may be held from either 8:00AM to 12:30PM, 1:00PM to 5:30PM, or 6:00PM to 10:30PM. Class schedules vary depending on program and quarter level. The Seminar series are held on Thursday mornings (all students must attend). Class schedules vary from quarter to quarter, depending on instructor availability.

Subject Descriptions
Please see attached Copywriting course descriptions preceding this “comments” section, as well as the Copywriting section of the school catalog.