Creative Career Kickstart
5-weeks | 2x per week | $1,250
A 5-week intensive designed to help you determine if a creative career is right for you. Collaborative, hands-on, and fast-paced, this program mirrors the reality of agency life—taking you from "curious" to having a mini-portfolio of 3-4 pieces and a starter website.
Stop wondering if you’re creative.
Prove it.
The Miami Ad School Creative Career Kickstart is your bridge to the industry. Over 5 weeks, you will explore creative roles, learn foundational skills, and master the art of presenting and defending your ideas.
This isn’t a lecture series; it’s a simulation of the job. Through hands-on assignments and real-world case studies, you will learn how Copywriters and Art Directors collaborate to solve problems. You will work in teams, receive honest feedback, and iterate on your work until it’s ready to show.
What You’ll Experience:
- Ideas First Philosophy: We teach you to think before you design. Great creative work starts with a strong concept, not a pretty layout
- Creative Teams: You won’t work alone. Just like in a real agency, you’ll pair up to tackle briefs, learning the dynamics of creative collaboration.
- Industry Access: Every Friday features mandatory guest speakers from our 10,000+ alumni network—your first step into the professional community.
- Portfolio Focus: Theory is great, but proof is better. Everything you do here builds toward portfolio-ready work you can use for applications or entry-level roles.
Schedule
February 17th – March 19, 2026
Tuesdays & Thursdays
6:30 PM – 8:30 PM EST
Each session includes a discussion, live lecture, “creative spark” exercise, and homework assignment.
Clarity:
A clear understanding of how the industry works and exactly where you fit in.
Confidence:
The ability to come up with original ideas and present them without hesitation.
Modern Skills:
A foundational grasp of using AI as a creative co-pilot.
Proof:
A mini-portfolio of 3-4 polished pieces and a starter website to launch your career.
Tuition Credit:
If you decide to continue your journey into our 2-Year Portfolio Program, the full cost of this course is credited toward your tuition.
MEET YOUR INSTRuCTOR
Nesiha Tweed Bell
Neisha Tweed Bell is an award-winning creative director, educator, and cultural strategist with 20+ years of experience at global companies including Ogilvy, Publicis, and Meta, where she built and led creative teams across health, tech, and consumer categories. She’s earned recognition from Cannes, One Show, Effies, and Addys and has delivered 300+ workshops and trainings worldwide. Neisha helps professionals, emerging talent, and entrepreneurs learn to evaluate, elevate, and sell their ideas — whether you’re working with AI, a team, or solo. She’s basically the person you call when you need your work to be impossible to ignore.
Who is this program for?
The Career Pivoters: You’re in sales, finance, or admin, but you find yourself critiquing billboards or redesigning the company newsletter.
The "Creative-Curious": You want to see if Art Direction or Copywriting is for you without committing to a full 2-year portfolio program just yet.
The Recent Grads: You finished college but realize your portfolio needs a little more "spark" to get hired.
The Entrepreneurs: You want to learn how to communicate your own brand’s story visually and verbally.
SPOILER ALERT: NO EXPERIENCE REQUIRED. Come as you are. Leave with a portfolio.
Curious?
Let's Chat.
FAQ
Absolutely not. This is a “Kickstart” for a reason. No portfolio, no prior agency experience, and no design background are required. We start from square one. Bring your curiosity, we’ll teach you the rest.
Yes. This program was specifically built for people with busy schedules, 9-to-5 jobs, or university classes. We respect your time while maximizing your learning
All classes are held Live Online via Google Meet. This isn’t a pre-recorded course where you watch videos alone. You will be in a live virtual classroom with instructors and classmates, collaborating in real-time.
Class Days: Tuesdays & Thursdays
Time: 6:30 PM – 8:30 PM EST
We designed this program to fit into a busy life, but like anything creative, you get out what you put in. Beyond the live classes, you will have assignments to work on during the week. Some assignments might be quick brainstorming exercises, while others will require a bit more time to craft and refine. The schedule is manageable for working professionals, but you will need to set aside some focus time outside of class to bring your ideas to life.
Yes, but not the boring kind. There are no essays or textbooks here. Your “homework” consists of creative briefs where you will design ads, write headlines, and solve problems. By the end of the program, your homework will turn into the start of a creative portfolio.
You will need a reliable computer and a stable internet connection. For design work, we use Canva or Adobe Express. Don’t worry about the subscription cost for Adobe—we will provide you with a code for free access to the software for the duration of the program Content
We have great news for you. If you complete the Creative Kickstart and decide to apply for our full 2-year Portfolio Program, 100% of the cost of this course will be credited toward your tuition. It is essentially a risk-free way to “test drive” a creative career before committing to the full degree.
Yes. Upon successful completion of the Creative Kickstart, you will receive a Miami Ad School Certificate of Completion—a great addition to your LinkedIn profile and resume.
JOIN THE CREATIVE NETWORK
Add yourself to the list of 60,000 creatives getting the weekly Miami Ad School newsletter.
