Undergraduate attributes and competencies in marketing communications: lessons learned from an advertising course review.

With the advent of new technologies and greater access to information by consumers, the marketing communication environment is experiencing an unprecedented 'velocity of change'. Acknowleding this and the need to ensure that our academic programs meet the vocational needs of the industries we serve, every five years the advertising course at Charles Sturt University undergoes rigorous review to ensure relevence of course objectives, as well as the currency of strategies and content. Whilst much has been written in the literature concerning vocational teaching practices, and to a lesser extent graduate attributes (Waller, 2003; Kerr & Proud, 2005), there appears minimal documentation that specifically identifies what educational skills will be required by both the direct-employer advertising agencies and the client organisations that employ these agencies. This paper firstly sets out to briefly review the state of marketing communications education - are teaching and learning strategies in line with evolving industry requirements - then to identify specific strategies and content for a contemporary advertising program that is both practitioner focused and pedagogically sound, one that is in line with the demends of both the Australian and international marketing communications industry.