Courses and classes

Advertising communication is a joint effort between various specialists.

The 'artists' - the Art Director (or AD) and Copywriter (or COPY) work together to come up with the advertising message. The AD deals with the visual aspect, the COPY with words and texts.

The Layouter creates elaborate drawings based on the AD/COPY's projects.
The GRAPHIC & WEB DESIGNER designs and creates leaflets, annual reports, posters, packaging, logos and websites.

Advertising at CAD is divided into 4 sections. The first year, however, is common to all and is a chance for students to approach advertising as a whole.

Aside from design, students are also introduced to graphic design, multimedia, C.A.P. (Computer-Assisted Publishing), drawing and layout.

At the end of the fist year, they are able to choose, with help from their teachers and C.A.D. directors, what section they would like to attend.

(3 years + 1 special year)

(3 years* + 1 special year)

At C.A.D., artists - ART DIRECTORS and COPYWRITERS - learn to analyze a briefing and answer it creatively through words and images. ART DIRECTORS gradually learn to express themselves through drawing, to master layout and typesetting so as to make their message attractive and effective.

COPYWRITERS must come up with simple and punchy phrases and write texts that are accurate and convincing at the same time.

* Students who chose copywriting before entering C.A.D. may go straight to the second year provided they have adequate prior training.

(3 years)

LAYOUTERS make precise drawings of the AD/COPY's projects.

At C.A.D., we teach them the tricks of their trade: how to draw fast and well while correctly interpreting the AD's sketches and instructions.

(3 years)

Graphic and web designers are in charge of various aspects of communication: development of corporate identity (logo, graphic charts, etc), graphic design (page layout, image processing, typesetting), packaging, designing and creating websites.

A large part of the training focuses on mastering the relevant software.

The website is the school's main communication tool. It is a platform for students' projects.

2 nd- and 3 rd -year students also run a webzine that's updated every month and includes articles, interviews as well as selected advertisements, exhibitions and websites. These students are in charge of regularly updating the website.

At the end of the third year, students present their final projects to a jury of outside professionals.

Those who pass this exam must then, in order to graduate, undertake a six-month work placement in one or two firms maximum.

1 st year

INTRODUCTORY COURSE

• Study of shapes
• Drawing
• Observation drawing
• The creative process: sources and resources
• Analysis and synthesis
• Artistic culture
• Art history
• English
• Photo
• Advertising design workshops
• Designing techniques
• Typesetting
• Multimedia (Internet)
• Initiation to various advertising and internet cultures
• Layout (marker drawing)
• Drawing
• IT (C.A.P.)
• Production, manufacturing and print
• Advertising theory

2 nd year

Note: from the 2 nd year, some classes are taught in English. Provisions can be made, however, for students who don't master the language well enough.

FOR DESIGNERS:

• Advertising design workshops
• Creation of advertising campaigns with teams of professionals
• Designing techniques
• Art direction
• Copywriting
• Drawing - layout
• Rough
• 3D workshop
• Designing and writing radio ads
• Studio recording of radio ads
• Web design
• Advertising strategy
• IT (C.A.P.)
• Artistic culture
• English
  

FOR LAYOUTERS:

• Layout with 3 different professionals
• Rough
• Drawing - live models
• C.A.P.: finalization
• Advertising strategies
• 3D workshop
  
• Drawing
  
• Artistic culture
  
• English
  

3 rd year

FOR ART DIRECTORS:

• Advertising design workshop
• Art direction
• Creation of advertising campaigns with professional teams
• Fundamentals of ad production (TV and cinema)
• Designing and creating ads
• Photo
• Image processing
• Rough
• Web design
• Artistic culture
  
  

FOR COPYWRITERS:

• Advertising design workshop
• Conceptual copywriting
• Editorial copywriting
• Creation of advertising campaigns with professional teams
• Fundamentals of ad production (TV and cinema)
• Designing and creating ads
• Rough
• Web design
• Artistic culture
  

FOR LAYOUTERS:

• Layout with 3 different professionals
• Rough
• Live model drawing
• Photo
• Image processing
• Artistic culture
  

FOR GRAPHIC & WEB DESIGNERS :

• Type setting
• Corporate design
• Packaging
• Web design: creation of websites
• E-production: study of language of programming for works of integration of websites (CSS, XHTML).
  
• Graphics projects and creation of websites with firms
• Flash
• Image processing
• C.A.P.: finalization
• Advertising strategies
• 3D workshop
• Drawing
• Artistic culture
• English

4 th /Special year

FOR ART DIRECTORS AND COPYWRITERS :

• Creation of real advertising campaigns
• Complete final year campaigns
• Various seminars
• Work on the portfolio: improvement of campaigns + presentation
  
  

FINAL EXAMINATIONS:

At the end of the Special year, students present their two complete campaigns to a jury of outside professionals. C.A.D. degrees are granted by the jury.

1 st year

• A two-week internship in a company's commercial or marketing department during the Easter break.

2 nd year

FOR DESIGNERS:

• 2 weeks in an advertising firm during the Easter break
• 4 weeks in an advertising firm during the summer break.

FOR GRAPHIC & WEB DESIGNERS

• 2 weeks in a finalization/prepress or production studio during the Easter break
• 4 weeks in an advertising firm or web design studio during the summer break

3 rd year

ART DIRECTORS, COPYWRITERS and LAYOUTERS

• 3 weeks in an advertising firm during the Easter break

FOR GRAPHIC & WEB DESIGNERS

• 3 weeks in a graphics or web design form during the Easter break

4 th /Special year

FOR ART DIRECTORS, COPYWRITERS

• 6 months in an advertising firm starting in July, after the 3 rd -year examinations. This internship can be broken into 2 x 3 and take place abroad.

FOR GRAPHIC & WEB DESIGNERS

• 9 months in a graphics and/or web design studio starting in July, after the 3 rd year examinations. This internship can be broken into 3 x 3 and take place abroad.

FOR LAYOUTERS

 

• 9 months in an advertising firm and/or layout studio starting in July, after the 3 rd -year examinations. This internship can be broken into 3 x 3 and take place abroad.
  
  

Note: many students choose to travel abroad for all or part of their final-year internship as part of the "ERASMUS" program.