Miami Ad School: Find Top Courses & Training Locations

Miami Ad School students have won prestigious awards for their work while still in school, making them high-value candidates for future jobs. Students will have the opportunity to do real design work for real clients while in the program. Their portfolio of work will give them a competitive advantage when it’s time to apply for jobs.

Miami Ad School is an accredited for-profit creative portfolio school with additional campuses in Atlanta, New York, and San Francisco, and partner schools worldwide. They offer multiple bootcamp programs, as well as partnership and diploma programs.

The curriculum is primarily oriented toward creatives, with programs in art direction, copywriting, and design. In more recent years—and particularly in the digital age—the school has expanded its course offerings to include comprehensive social media, strategic planning, and UX design certificate programs.

Founded by Pippa and Rob Seichrist in 1993, Miami Ad School began with a focus on combining creative work with real-world experience. Since then, thousands of students have graduated from the “M.AD School of Ideas, ” and the school’s learn-by-doing approach has led to grads finding leadership positions as well as creative expertise.

Whether you’re planning a career in copywriting, graphic design, or UX design, Miami Ad School’s first-rate portfolio-building system and worldwide professional network can help you land the creative position of your dreams.

School Locations

Miami Ad School has four schools that are accredited by the Council on Occupational Education (COE). This group comprises the original Miami campus and the schools in New York, San Francisco, and Atlanta. International partner schools include locations in Australia, Brazil, Canada, Germany, India, Mexico, and Spain.

Diploma programs, partnership programs, and certificate bootcamps are all offered in-person at the school’s campuses. Some courses are offered virtually as well. Check listings for more details as well as any prerequisite information.

Subjects Taught at Miami Ad School

Creatives thrive at Miami Ad School. Course topics include:

Art direction
Copywriting
Design
Social media
Strategic planning
UX design

You can find out how Miami Ad School’s bootcamps compare to other schools’ programs by using Noble Desktop’s Classes Near Me tool. Check out the strategic planning and social media bootcamps, as well as UX design bootcamps.

What Classes Are Available?

In addition to its partnership and diploma programs in subjects like art direction, copywriting, and graphic design, Miami Ad School provides comprehensive live online certificate programs, which it calls certificate bootcamps. These are multi-week courses taught by expert instructors from companies like Facebook, Verizon, and Google, among others.

The Online Social & Content Strategy Bootcamp delivers an immersive 12-week experience in all things social media—from developing social strategies to creating engaging campaigns. Instructors have included professionals from Google and WhatsApp, and they provide real-world insights as well as guidance on how to succeed in social media. Students partner with a creative team to combine videos, tweets, and ads for a successful campaign, and graduates take home physical and digital copies of their Bootcamp Certificate.

Miami Ad School’s Online Strategic Planning Bootcamp offers an in-depth 10-week program for students whose career trajectory is that of a strategic planner. Industry insiders from companies like David&Goliath, Ogilvy, and Wirecutter provide detailed information and hands-on experience for strategic planning at the professional level. Students learn to see the big picture, understand brand architecture, and develop a campaign in conjunction with a copywriter and art director. Finally, the certificate program concludes with a pitch meeting with the client.

The UX Design Bootcamp at Miami Ad School was created to help beginning design students and working design professionals jump-start their UX design careers. Taught by expert instructors from Facebook, WhatsApp, and other major companies, this intensive 12-week certificate program gives students the tools they need to succeed in the high-stakes design world. Graduates from the UX Design Bootcamp have created award-winning campaigns, and clients include Nike, Lego, and The Gap. From design principles to portfolio-building, this program delivers an innovative curriculum for creative design professionals.

Class Formats

Miami Ad School offers coursework in multiple formats, including online and in-person. While their bootcamps are available live online, other programs may be found in-person at campuses around the world.

The school breaks its programs down as follows:

Art Direction: Portfolio or Master’s program
Copywriting: Portfolio or Master’s program
Design: Portfolio or Master’s program
Photography & Video: Portfolio
Social Strategy: Bootcamp or Master’s program
Strategic Planning: Bootcamp or Master’s program
UX Design: Bootcamp

In the bootcamps, students engage in real-world projects, in conjunction with a creative team that may include an art director, copywriter, and other professionals. Portfolio programs emphasize craft, communication, and creativity. Master’s programs focus on academic theory and hands-on experience with a strong emphasis on portfolio building.

Course lengths vary, from 10- to 12-week bootcamps to two years for portfolio and Master’s degree programs. The Master of Arts in Strategic Design is a 19-month program rather than two years. M.AD Master’s degree students benefit from partnerships with other schools, including Florida International University and Furman University.

Admissions Process

The Miami Ad School admissions process is straightforward. The first step is to create an online M.AD student ID and login.

Second, applicants schedule a meeting with an admissions advisor who can answer questions about everything from fees to student visas. The interview helps students determine which course or program will best meet their goals. Advanced placement may be awarded based on prior education or work experience.

Third, students submit a form detailing their program and location of choice, along with their contact information. Potential applicants can also book a no-obligation call with an advisor rather than scheduling the admissions meeting.

Pricing & Payment Options

The cost for courses at Miami Ad School varies depending on the length of the program. Bootcamps range from $6,000 to $10,000. Portfolio programs cost $38,800, while Master’s programs currently cost $41,250.

Payments for portfolio and Master’s programs are due quarterly, but bootcamp tuition must be paid before the program begins. Tuition may be paid via bank transfer.

U.S. Federal Student Aid is available for Miami Ad School coursework. Applicants are encouraged to visit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) website to apply.

Career Support Services

Miami Ad School describes its legendary Portfolio Review and career matchmaking system as “the world’s most influential creative network.” Students build a professional network of over 100 contacts while still in school, and graduates gain access to leads from multiple agencies. Combine that with a closed LinkedIn group composed of alumni, and Miami Ad School’s placement assistance looks formidable.

Alumni Outcomes

While there are no schoolwide independent surveys outside the school’s website, Miami Ad School reported a 100% placement rate in 2020 for graduates of its Strategic Planning Bootcamp. Niche.com also reports that Miami Ad School – New York alumni earn an average starting salary of around $71,000 per year after graduation.

Most impressively, Miami Ad School alumni have gone on to positions like Vice President Creative at Ogilvy, Head of Content Marketing at Disney+, and Chief Executive Officer of Majority Agency.

What Do Students Say?

Graduates from Miami Ad School report mostly positive experiences, with a majority rating the school four or five stars on niche.com. One student writes, “If you want to be a creative in the advertising industry, Miami Ad School is the most certain and direct path.” Others report that M.AD has done “a great job adapting to the Zoom era, ” and additional comments reference “friendly” and “helpful” staff.

Some students find the challenge of the school’s coursework overwhelming, with one writing, “they assume you have no job or personal life, ” while another says that one class was “a waste of time.” But even this view is countered by others who report, “There hasn’t been one class I’ve taken that I’ve considered a waste of time.”

Overall, student satisfaction runs high, especially among those who go on to highly successful positions.

Pros & Cons

Pros of Miami Ad School

Multiple locations, both nationally and internationally
High-level instructors experienced in the field
Creative teams work directly with each student
Large alumni network
Portfolio Review program

Cons of Miami Ad School

Limited number of certificate bootcamps
Limited topics available
No classes shorter than 10 weeks
No data science or web development courses

Featured Classes from Noble Desktop

Top Certificate Programs

Top Courses

Featured Classes from Noble Desktop

Top Certificate Programs

Featured Classes from Noble Desktop

Top Certificate Programs

Top Courses

Featured Classes from Noble Desktop

Top Certificate Programs

Top Courses

Miami Ad School

School Locations

Subjects Taught at Miami Ad School

What Classes Are Available?

Class Formats

Admissions Process

Pricing & Payment Options

Career Support Services

Alumni Outcomes

What Do Students Say?

Pros & Cons

Top Courses at Miami Ad School

Strategic Planning Boot Camp

UX Design

Subjects Taught at Miami Ad School

Digital Marketing

UX Design

Map of Miami Ad School Locations

Top Certificate Programs

Top Courses

Top Certificate Programs

Top Certificate Programs

Top Courses

Top Certificate Programs

Top Courses

School Locations

Subjects Taught at Miami Ad School

What Classes Are Available?

Class Formats

Admissions Process

Pricing & Payment Options

Career Support Services

Alumni Outcomes

What Do Students Say?

Pros & Cons

Top Courses at Miami Ad School

Strategic Planning Boot Camp

Social Media Strategy Training

UX Design

Subjects Taught at Miami Ad School

Digital Marketing

UX Design

Map of Miami Ad School Locations