Birkenstock: Engineered For Slow / Miles Hanson (Copywriting, 2023) & Lindsey Evans (Art Direction, 2023)
Copywriters craft words to tell stories that create ultimate impact.
Often working alongside art directors, copywriters come up with concepts and ideas to solve creative challenges with their storytelling ability. They write everything for all forms of media and all lengths from headlines to taglines to scripts and have a deep understanding of a brand’s voice. In addition, copywriters conceive of big ideas and experiences that create buzz for brands.
If you want to be a Copywriter—or maybe someday a Creative Director—at ad agencies, in-house creative studios for brands, content studios, or tech startups, the Copywriting concentration is for you.
You might be a Copywriter:
If this sounds like you:
You believe in your heart that the right words, in the right order, can lift a mood, change a mind, or change the world
You have been told you have a way with words
You perfectly articulate in one sentence what your friend has been rambling about for 30+ minutes; you often hear “That’s exactly what I was trying to say!”
You are, might be, once were, could be a comedian with your perfectly timed punchlines and knack for storytelling and observational humor
If a day in the life of a copywriter sounds fun:
Crafting words to tell stories that create ultimate impact for a brand and people
Writing headlines, taglines, scripts, and any other long- or short-form content for various mediums—TV spots and streaming ads to radio and podcast ads to website and social media content to print ads and outdoor ads, and more
Conceiving great PR ideas and stunts that win attention for brands
Mastering a brand’s voice and tone
Miles Hanson (Copywriting, 2023) & Rose D’Amato (Art Direction, 2023)
Master’s in Copywriting at the Brandcenter
Studying Copywriting at the Brandcenter prepares you to hit the ground running as a Copywriter at ad agencies, in-house creative studios for brands, content studios, or tech startups.
Alumni Job Placement & Careers
Copywriting alumni work at top agencies, consultancies, brands and more.
Average Copywriting alumni salaries
Our Alumni Salary Survey, fielded every two years, captures our graduates’ average starting salaries, career trajectories, and more. Read the full survey.
Junior – $67,000
Mid – $85,800
Senior – $129,400
Director – $207,000
Executive – $355,350
Copywriting careers & positions
While titles can differ at individual agencies and companies, we’ve gathered the top job titles for Copywriting alum to give an idea of potential career trajectory. Read the full Alumni Salary Survey.
Senior – Senior Creative, Senior Copywriter, Creative Director, Group Creative Director
Director – Executive Creative Director, VP of Creative
Executive – Chief Creative Officer
“VCU Brandcenter gave me a strong work ethic and a thick skin. It taught me the difference between good work and great work. A lot of this business is knowing what it takes to make the latter. You have to go the extra mile when coming up with ideas, selling ideas, crafting ideas. You can’t settle for good. You have to be willing to fight for great.”
Howard Finkelstein(Copywriting, 2005)Group Creative Director / Mischief
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Graduate Program Curriculum
You will not only perfect your craft in Copywriting, but you will also work collaboratively with your classmates across concentrations.
Here’s what you’ll do on all-concentration team projects as a Copywriter, as well as what your teammates will do:
What each concentration does on all-concentration team projects
ART DIRECTORS + COPYWRITERS
Using business insights from creative brand managers and consumer/cultural insights from strategists, develop creative ideas to solve business challenges, engage consumers, and bring brands to life
While copywriters generally focus on writing and art directors generally focus on visual design, most AD/CW teams collaborate on all creative aspects
CREATIVE BRAND MANAGERS
Focus on a client’s business, category, and competitors
Lead internal, cross-functional teams
Ensure creative work meets business objectives; evaluate ROI when possible
EXPERIENCE DESIGNERS
Develop and design digital products and/or physical experiences where brands and people interact
Focus on the user experience for the product or experience they’re designing
Provide guidance and ideas regarding new/emerging technologies
STRATEGISTS
Focus on consumers + culture
Lead research efforts (develop a research plan, conduct field research, and analyze results)
Turn research data into insights; develop strategic direction and work with creative partners to create concepts/work inspired by strategic direction
Here’s what your sixty weeks will look like:
Semester 1 (Fall) / Weeks 1-15
The Business of Branding (All concentrations)
Creative Thinking (All concentrations)
Visual Storytelling (Art Directors + Copywriters)
Problem Solving for Copywriters
Semester 2 (Spring) / Weeks 16-30
Concept Development (Art Directors + Copywriters)
Craft for Copywriters
Brand Engagement
Summer Between Your First and Second Years / Internship
A summer internship is not required, but we’ll give you the tools to help you land a great one at agencies and companies doing some of the industry’s best work. See Placement for more about internships.
Semester 3 (Fall) / Weeks 31-45
Brand Experiences (All concentrations)
Creative Fusion (Art Directors, Copywriters, and Strategists)
Portfolio Development (Art Directors + Copywriters)
Experimentation (Art Directors, Copywriters, and Experience Designers)
Semester 4 (Spring) / Weeks 46-60
Innovation (All concentrations)
Persuasion (Art Directors, Copywriters, and Experience Designers)
Advanced Portfolio for Copywriters
Copywriting Prerequisites
All applicants must have a bachelor’s degree.
While there are no other specific prerequisites for Copywriting applicants, we look for these essential abilities:
Convey a story through words
Both short-form and long-form writing
Recognize how a brand’s personality, tone, and voice behave in the world
Work within a larger team and embrace collaboration
Tuition and fees for the 2025-26 school year (one year of the two-year program):
In-State: $26,960
Out-of-State: $27,650
Tuition and fees are subject to change. We’ll update tuition and fees for the upcoming year when it’s available. Visit VCU Student Financial Services for tuition and fee details.
Parking, room and board, and meal plans are not included in tuition.
Early Applicant Awards
ndcenter students who complete their full application by the Early Deadline (January 15, 2026) and who are admitted within this first round, willreceive:
a guaranteed one-time $2,500 award upon admission
and will automatically be considered for:
a $10,000 award
a full-tuition award for the 2026-27 academic year
No additional paperwork or application materials are required.
Early Applicant Awards are one-time payments that will be allocated towards tuition for the 2026-27 academic year. Early Applicant Award recipients remain eligible to apply for Brandcenter Annual Scholarships.
Applicants who apply by the regular deadline of March 17, 2025 are eligible to apply for Brandcenter Annual Scholarships.
Business-, people-, and leadership-savvy, Creative Brand Managers lead client and agency teams to accomplish business objectives through creative solutions.
Experience Designers use the principles of human-centered design to develop digital products and physical experiences for brands. Please note, we are no longer accepting applications for XD.
