A Decade of Adaptation

Over the past decade, the Bellisario College at Penn State has built up a minor in digital media advertising and analytics that has become the most popular minor at the university, with 540 enrolled students and counting. This case study, from the developer and director of the minor, provides a point of reference for other advertising, marketing, or communications programs looking to enhance their digital course offerings. The sequence of courses is summarized, with a particular focus on the experiential capstone class—Digital Campaigns. Experiential learning is critical for the successful teaching of applied skills, and the evolution of the Digital Campaigns course provides a roadmap for navigating digital advertising teaching tools, platforms, and other resources. Program success metrics are summarized; limitations and future implications discussed.

Capstone · Capstone course · Curriculum · Digital media · Experiential education · Experiential learning · Online advertising · Innovative Teaching Methodologies in Social Sciences · Innovative Teaching Methods · Management and Marketing Education