Master's Degree in
Advertising and Brand Responsibility
Making a living matters. So does making a difference. Our Advertising and Brand Responsibility Master's is the first graduate program of its kind, preparing you to advise and work for brands that prioritize sustainable development along with cultural and economic responsibility. In one year, you'll build the creative and strategic skills to do work that benefits people and the planet.
Program at a Glance
- Degree: MA in Advertising and Brand Responsibility
- Format: In-person, daytime, cohort-based
- Duration: One year / 3–4 ten-week terms
- Location: Eugene, Oregon
- Credits: 46+
- Cohort Size: 16–20 students
- Capstone: option of a capstone project, an internship, a portfolio, or a thesis
- Focus: Brand responsibility, creative strategy, advertising and cultural impact, sustainability and green brand strategy, entrepreneurship
Advance Your Career with a Brand Purpose Graduate Degree
Agencies and brands increasingly hire for a skill set most programs don't teach: the ability to build effective campaigns and to weigh what a brand owes the communities and environments it operates in. This master's program builds both.
You'll develop transferable skills in creativity, strategy, research, storytelling, entrepreneurship, and data analysis, and you'll apply them to real campaigns, case studies, and client work. Alongside a tight-knit cohort, you'll graduate ready to create the change you want to see in the world and get paid to do it.
Applications for the 2026 cohort can be submitted until July 31.
Questions? Reach out to us at sojcmasters@uoregon.edu.
Take Flight Into a Purpose-Driven Creative Career
Our master's program prepares you to lead in roles across brand strategy, creative and account planning, corporate social responsibility, sustainability communication, and independent consulting. Graduates leave with an ethically grounded, transferable skill set that agencies and brands are actively hiring for.
The Only Advertising Master's Built Around Brand Responsibility
This is the only advertising graduate program in the country that centers brand purpose and social responsibility as its foundation, not as an elective or a specialization. Traditional advertising and marketing programs teach how to build effective campaigns. Ours adds the harder question of whether a brand's work benefits people and the planet, not just the bottom line. You'll work with real clients on real brand challenges, guided by faculty who research and practice ethical, purposeful communication.
Student Work
As an Advertising and Brand Responsibility Master's student, you'll take on capstone projects and client work that apply brand strategy to real social and environmental challenges, building a portfolio that shows employers what you can do.
Study in the Beautiful Pacific Northwest
Named for renowned journalist Eric W. Allen, who founded the SOJC more than 100 years ago, Allen Hall sits at the heart of the University of Oregon's green, walkable campus in Eugene. During your year here, you'll get expert guidance, access to a suite of cutting-edge technology, and daily collaboration with faculty and peers.
You'll also work in the Experience Hub, part production studio, part research center, part hands-on lab, where students and faculty develop content and study the media from every angle.
Dive In to the Details
Choosing a graduate program is a big decision, and we want you to feel confident in yours. Consult our answers to frequently asked questions and reach out to our graduate recruiter any time.
Let's start with what you'll actually learn in our Advertising and Brand Responsibility Master's program:
- How to build brand strategy and campaigns with social responsibility at the center
- How to develop creative ideas and copy for purpose-driven brands
- How to run strategic communication research and analyze data
- How to apply ethical decision-making to advertising and brand work
- How to communicate corporate social responsibility and sustainability
- How to launch and advise purpose-driven brands and ventures
Meet Our Faculty
Troy Elias
Advertising and Brand Responsibility Master's Program Director; UO Associate Vice Provost for Diversity and Inclusion
Born in Trinidad and Tobago, Dr. Troy Elias knows firsthand what it means to navigate new worlds. Now he's reshaping how brands and media talk about climate change — centering equity, amplifying underrepresented voices, and training the next generation of responsible communicators.
