The Strategic Planning Boot Camp at M.AD
An immersive 12-week program to jumpstart your career.
The M.AD Difference
The strategist is quickly becoming one of the most fundamental roles in a modern creative team. They’re asked to look into the future and bring back concrete action plans for today—helping to guide the efforts of their creative peers.
A few years ago, we saw this change in progress and built one of the world’s first dedicated programs for strategic planners, using our deep roots in the industry to create something truly unique. Today, this 12-week course represents the finest education in strategy available anywhere.
You’ll learn by doing. A dozen top strategy professionals will be your mentors. You’ll conduct first-person research, find compelling insights, develop strategies and collaborate with art directors, designers and copywriters. Our strategy students and their creative teams have developed new products, helped launch start-ups, and worked with big brands like Starbucks, Ford, and Burger King. On graduation, the professional network and experience you’ve gained in just 3 months will provide a lifetime of value.
The Strategic Planning Curriculum at M.AD
Graduate with the skills and case studies you need to show your future employer you can build brands as a strategic planner.
Learn by doing. Like learning a new language, the best way to learn your trade is through total immersion. In 12 mind-expanding weeks you’ll learn to understand and analyze data, develop insights and write creative briefs. You’ll be partnered with an art director and a copywriter. Your team will develop campaigns based off of your insights. The Strategic Planning Boot Camp culminates with a real project presented pitch-style to the client.
Each week your instructor will be a different strategic expert. A dozen planning directors from top agencies like The Barbarian Group, Google, Droga5 and Ogilvy take you through 3-day sessions that cover different aspects of account planning.
In the final week of the Boot Camp visit a variety agencies and meet with planning directors. See first hand the different types of planning environments. You’ll meet the people in the strategy departments and increase your network of industry contacts.
And it all happens with an innovative curriculum of courses like these:
- Role of a Strategist
- Research Methodology
- Innovation Strategy
- Connection Planning
- Channel Strategy
- Industry Heroes
- Brand Experience
- New Business Storytelling
- Workshop The Pitch
- Strategy Toolbox
- Agency Exposure
- Understanding the Challenge
- Develop Insights and Brand Positioning
Our Teachers Are Industry Insiders
- Larry LukDirector of Brand Partnerships, Localeur
- Soham Chatterjee Global ACD, WhatsApp
- Elizabeth KelleyDesign Director, Principle
- David TannFounder and Creative Director, Tantrum Agency
- Justin Monroe Kwame Adu Global Social Media Marketing & Community Management, THX Ltd
Campuses Across The United States
Schedule A Tour At Any M.AD Campus
Experience the School of Ideas for yourself.
Check out our locations in: Atlanta, Miami, New York and San Francisco
How To Apply
The application is as creative as the career.
Choose a city, program, and start date
Follow the process laid out in the application portal
Review and Submit
Cuándo es la próxima edición
Comienzo de clases: 11 de Julio
Nuestros programas comienzan 4 veces al año: en enero, abril, julio y octubre. Las solicitudes se cierran unos meses antes. Haz clic a continuación para obtener más información sobre nuestro proceso de admisión y da el primer paso hacia la carrera de sus sueños hoy.
Important Program Information
Tuition of $4,850 is due quarterly. It takes eight quarters which is 2 years to complete the art direction program.Total tuition cost for the program is $38,800.
We work tirelessly to make M.AD affordable for students of all backgrounds. For our American students, federal loans can often cover some or all of tuition costs. We also offer a variety of scholarships.
In the past decades, students have come to us from every corner of the world. If you’re worried about getting here, never fear: you’ll likely be able to attend the campus of your choice. Click for more about the visa process.
Have A Question? Reach Out.
Our admissions team love to chat with people like you—answering questions, proposing solutions, and making plans for a creative future. An advisor can help you figure out what’s next in your creative adventure. Maybe that means Art Direction at M.AD.
Download The Course Brochure
- Exclusive video content
- Strategy career facts
- Average salaries
- Information on co-ops and internships
- Example projects for real brands
- Detailed application process
La red creativa
Únete a los 50.000 creativos que reciben el boletín de M.AD.
Hemos construido silenciosamente la red creativa más influyente del mundo. Es hora de que lo aproveches. Cada semana recopilamos el contenido creativo más importante del mundo y lo compartimos directamente en tu correo electrónico de forma gratuita.
Cuando los vientos de cambio cambien de dirección… vas a saberlo primero.