Modern portfolio schools emerged in the 1990s, when agencies scaled back on-the-job training. Programs like Miami Ad School, founded in 1993, and Creative Circus, established in 1995, offered intensive instruction in advertising fundamentals and portfolio building to help graduates stand out in hiring rounds.
But the model has drawbacks. Cost is a major barrier: Miami Ad School’s two year portfolio program costs $38,000, while SCA’s three-semester course is about $24,640.
Ad schools can also focus too narrowly on portfolio development meant to catch the eye of advertising creatives at the expense of broader business training, said Alex Grieve, global chief creative officer of BBH.
“I didn’t go to ad school, and I’ve always felt it’s given me an advantage, because I did think differently [when I entered the workforce],” Grieve said. “At ad schools, there’s this kind of obsession with building a portfolio of work that will get you noticed, and not enough on genuine problem solving for clients.”
Linda Carte, a former Miami Ad School instructor and longtime agency creative director, agreed the business side of advertising is sometimes overlooked in ad school training.
“In an ad school or for a student, it might seem unsexy,” she said. “But the business side of it is almost 50%: knowing your client’s business, knowing their concerns, knowing their landscape.”
Since the Covid-19 pandemic, which temporarily halted in-person education, cracks in the ad school model have begun to appear.
“The pandemic was really hard for [Miami Ad School Toronto] because they had a really great, vibrant culture at their physical location,” said Steve Miller, a former instructor. “[The school] lost some of that vibe… that was just the start.”
AI Education
The recent acceleration of AI has made it even more imperative for ad schools to evolve.
Starting with the current cohort scheduled to graduate in September, Miami Ad School introduced a 10-week boot camp called “AI for Creatives.” The course teaches students how to create with AI tools, culminating with a final project of an AI-powered campaign.
