Amazon Ads Immersion Class Preparing Students for Post-Grad Success
Last spring semester 2025, John Smith, director of corporate engagement, introduced a one credit course to the Providence College School of Business catalogue: Amazon Ads Immersion. Through conversations with PC alumnus Brian Lawler ’94, Head of Industry- Hardlines at Amazon Ads, Smith established PC as one of 11 schools across the country given the opportunity to participate in Amazon Ads Education Alliance.
Amazon created the Education Alliance to empower students, faculty, and institutions with resources and tools to prepare students for careers in advertising, digital commerce, and beyond. This foundation prepares students to pursue careers in digital advertising, sales, account management, ad agencies, and more. As the advertising and digital commerce industry continues to transform at a rapid pace, employees with the necessary business skills are in high demand. The Education Alliance provides students and faculty with access to free training, curriculum, and development opportunities.
Through Amazon Ads Academy, educators and students can become certified in Amazon Ads Foundations. The course is designed to provide meaningful experiential learning, equipping students with in-demand industry tools and showing how these skills apply to their future careers. Each session features a guest lecture from an Amazon representative, alongside industry professionals who demonstrate how they use the same tools in their own work, reinforcing the course’s real-world relevance. The program benefits students by allocating guest speakers, resources, and a course design that provides real world experience that aligns with the college’s commitment to experiential learning. Mary Bryz-Gornia ’25, a student from last semester, recently accepted a role as a Learning, Excellence, and Preparedness Associate at Global Overview—an e-commerce agency specializing in Amazon strategy where one of the course’s guest speakers works. She credited the Amazon Ads Immersion course with equipping her with the skills and experience that set her apart as a candidate.
Students delivered comprehensive pitches showcasing Amazon’s full portfolio of advertising solutions, including Sponsored Ads, Prime Video and Twitch. Lawler shared his own personal view on the collaboration with PC & Amazon, “witnessing the School of Business’s expansion and strategic investments, we established a direct connection to Amazon, enabling students to learn from a global industry leader that drives innovation across e-commerce and advertising. By diving deep into real customer challenges from day one, students gained unprecedented exposure to Amazon’s culture of innovation and customer obsession. This hands-on integration of academic theory and practical execution sets a new standard for business education”.
A defining element of the course was the opportunity for students to collaborate with a local company helping them with real business challenges. The class is continuing its partnership with Genuine Fred, an e-commerce novelty seller on Amazon based in Pawtucket, RI. Students put their learning into practice by creating data driven proposals, presenting to the customer, and refining their ideas through feedback. “As both an Amazon employee and Providence College alumnus, I witnessed our Education Alliance program transform classroom theory into real-world impact. Students presented strategic recommendations directly to an Amazon customer, exemplifying PC’s commitment to experiential learning while gaining invaluable exposure to Amazon Ads” noted Lawler.
Beyond benefiting the students, the course brought a new perspective to its customer. “Participating in the Amazon Ads class was such a fun experience for us at Genuine Fred,” said Charlotte Saul, e-commerce Manager & Designer. “It was exciting to hear insights from a younger generation, a demographic that often represents an untapped perspective for our brand and advertising strategy. Their fresh take on our products and ads gave us new ways to think about how our brand connects with future customers. ”
Students appreciated the class structure, describing it as a unique experience compared to other PC courses. “Despite it being a one credit course, students said they found it challenging, pushing them to think in new and different ways” said Smith. By collaborating with a current customer, students saw the connections between classroom concepts and real-world application. “I really enjoyed how hands-on this class was and how it immediately showed us how the course material was applied to the real world!” said student Carina D’Angel ’27. “The course worked to provide Amazon Ads recommendations based on what we learned throughout the semester, along with three original ideas to help advance the company using tools for eCommerce advertising we gained through Amazon Ads Academy certification training.”
“The partnership with PCBS, led by John Smith, was centered around our unified vision of innovating and transforming the student experience. It elevated PC’s reputation in creating unique opportunities for its students. I’m excited to get back to campus and continue the Education Alliance course for the Fall semester!” Lawler.
