Top 10 Minors that will Complement Your Ad/PR Major

By Christine Melvin

Advertising is a pretty well-known field and we, as people, see advertisements everywhere we go. College students today are craving to be a part of such a diverse industry, but with so much competition it is crucial you find something that will make you unique. Luckily, there are a lot of options at Grand Valley that can be paired with an Advertising/Public relations major.

Here are the top 10 minors that will compliment your Advertising/Public Relations major:

1. Writing

If you want to go into copywriting, a writing minor might be just what you need. Sure we have a copywriting class, but to really set yourself apart, you might want to consider this minor. At only 18 credits, this minor wouldn’t be too hard to fit in, and the best part – it’s very customizable.

2. Business

Advertising is a part of a business, it’s a very specific part, but none the less it’s business. If you want to one day run an agency, or work on the more technical side of an agency, the business minor may be for you. With 18 credits of accounting, business, and management, this minor would be sure to give you an edge.

3. Marketing

Although Marketing is similar to advertising, it still isn’t the same. The major difference is that Marketing is much broader. Advertising is just one component, or a subset, of Marketing. In the marketing minor, you’ll learn about consumer behavior, marketing strategy, and how to sell a product, along with a dozen other insights that could only be helpful.

4. Language

Knowing how to speak a second language is one of the most impressive skills an applicant can have on their resume. If you’ve applied for a job and they narrow it down to you (a bilingual) and someone else (who speaks only English), chances are they’re going to hire you. Most of our language minors here at Grand Valley have 21 credits, but an easy way to get them is to study abroad. Can you think of anything better than going abroad for a semester, getting half a minor done & probably all of your issues classes? Didn’t think so.

5. Studio Art

Although Grand Valley doesn’t offer a graphic design minor, (I know – I’m salty about it too) this is the next best thing. In the minor classes, you’ll learn how to use the adobe creative suite, and you’ll broaden your creative horizons. This might be just the edge you’ll need to be a fantastic creative director! There are four classes every minor (and major) is required to take, but after that, you get to tailor the minor however you choose!

6. Psychology

Advertising is all about persuading the public. The best way to do this is to know exactly how a group of people will react in different situations. A minor in psychology will make figuring people out a whole lot easier. At 20 credits or 6-7 classes, this is another very customizable minor.

7. Digital Studies

This is a brand new minor at Grand Valley, and it’s one that works with advertising perfectly. You’ll be learning everything there is to know about the digital world, including, but not limited to: multimedia production, social media, and the ethics of a digital culture. As technology advances, so will advertising and this might be the way to advance with it.

8. Photography

Being able to take a good photo and edit it to make it even better is not only a good skill to have in life, but a fantastic skill to have in the advertising world. Sometimes plans get messed up, and professional photographers cancel. How impressed would your boss be if you could take an equally as impressive photo? My guess is very.

9. Accounting

This one may feel like a stretch, but I promise — it isn’t. Knowing how to balance accounts, and work with numbers will be exponentially helpful once you get your first big kid job at an actual agency, or wherever you may end up.

10. Legal Studies

This is another minor that may not make too much sense. Advertising and legal people are always working together to make sure that every advertisement produced meets all of the company’s legal standards. Having a little legal knowledge in your back pocket will make those meetings a whole lot easier, and it may make them less frequent (because you’ll know what they want before they even know it!).

Bonus: Double Major!! Advertising with Film and Video

Film is such an important part of advertising, and knowing everything there is to know about both of these would make your life as a film creative in advertising a whole lot easier. Unfortunately, we don’t offer a film minor at Grand Valley, BUT, a double major never killed anyone; if anything, it just helped them advance their career before it even began.