BUS 190A AAF Internship
The AAF Internship is a 3-credit experiential learning course designed to provide students with hands-on professional experience through participation in the American Advertising Federation (AAF) National Student Advertising Competition (NSAC). Structured as an agency-style internship experience, students contribute to the development of a comprehensive integrated marketing campaign for a nationally recognized client based on the annual AAF competition brief.
Students will apply strategic marketing, advertising, research, creative development, media planning, analytics, and presentation skills in a real-world environment that mirrors professional agency dynamics. The course emphasizes leadership, collaboration, project management, professional communication, and data-informed decision-making while integrating faculty mentorship and industry feedback throughout the experience.
Course activities include market and consumer research, audience segmentation, strategic positioning, campaign development, media planning, creative execution, performance measurement, and live client-style presentations. Students are expected to demonstrate individual accountability and professional contribution through milestone deliverables, reflection assignments, peer evaluations, and final campaign submissions. As a requirement for successful completion of the course, students must actively participate in the live AAF competition, including serving as a live presenter, contributing to preparation and refinement of the final presentation, and participating in all associated competition activities and event responsibilities.
This internship course is intended for upper-division undergraduate students in Marketing, Advertising, Communications, Business, or related disciplines. Students will complete approximately 120–135 hours over a 10–12 week period through meetings, research, campaign development, presentations, and faculty-directed academic work. Instructor approval required. A maximum of 6 units may be earned for this course. Graded Credit/NC
Prerequisite
Faculty Consent required