A Brief Glimpse Inside the Advertising Program at Rowan University
Meet Nathan Astorga, a recently graduated Advertising major and Rowan College of South Jersey transfer student from Sicklerville, NJ (Camden County.)
When we spoke with Nathan last semester, he was wrapping up his last coursework to earn both a bachelor’s of art in advertising, as well as a bachelor’s of art in public relations. He shares that between the coursework he’s completed through his classes and internships he’s had in the field, he feels prepared to launch his career. Nathan dreams of having a long-term career in advertising or journalism for a major company located near a central hub city such as LA, New York, or Philadelphia. [Editor: since our interview, Nathan has since graduated cum laude (with honors) and has accepted a marketing and sales role with Take 5 Oil Change. Congrats, Nathan!]
Rowan University’s Office of Career Advancement (OCA) supports the professional growth of both students and alumni, and will continue to serve as a resource for Nathan long into his future: he will always be able to set up an appointment with a career counselor or ask for a resume review. OCA also hosts themed career fairs, both fall and spring semesters. STEM majors, accounting majors – they all have their own fairs. Ric Edelman College of Communication & Creative Arts students (where the advertising major and public relations major are) also have their own career fairs at Rowan University.
A self-starter, Nathan also takes online courses to keep sharp on current advertising trends, and he is self-taught outside of school. Rowan University students have free access to LinkedIn Learning through their student credentials, which supports Nathan’s path for independent, supplemental learning.
The advertising major and the public relations major are both housed with the same department, in the same building, sharing the same faculty and academic advisor. This makes it more streamlined for students like Nathan to be able to double major, and still graduate on time – even as a transfer student – like Nathan did.
This approach also benefits students in other ways. With the departments combined, students are exposed to inter-disciplinary pre-career opportunities and are encouraged, and expected, to collaborate with classmates from within both majors. The department hosts the student groups Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA), which has the distinction of being the chapter with the most awards won when compared to other chapters across the United States. ProfAgency is the student-run public relations and advertising agency that works with real clients in the community. Students are encouraged early on to join, with student representatives visiting Introduction to Advertising and Introduction to Public Relations courses to let students know about these wonderful opportunities.
Through his senior capstone courses for each major, Nathan further developed his interest in copywriting and campaign planning. As shared on his LinkedIn, Nathan says, “I led multiple campaign planning presentations for U.S. Navy event coordinator, Julianne Dodd, who assisted in promoting the new submarine, the USS New Jersey. The campaign plan consisted of multiple advertisements, marketing and audience research with a step-by-step guide to crafting a successful campaign for the Navy christening ceremony in Monmouth County hosting 5,000 people.”
Nathan’s coursework prepared him for this level of performance by blending foundational concepts and theories with real-world practice. Under the guidance of faculty, Nathan worked on mock campaigns for Fender Guitar, The Smithsonian, and C.F. Martin & Co., all of which highlight creative writing, design, knowledge of the product and market. Nathan says that these experiences helped to instill confidence in him as he approached graduation.
He also shares that Professors John Moscatelli, Dr. Alison Novak, and especially Professor Lou Rodolico have been impactful to him. He says that these professors in particular have set him on the path of success to be more confident and concise in his messaging and deliberate in molding of an idea that will bloom into a campaign.
Now beyond the classroom, Nathan will continue to incorporate the foundations of what’s he’s learned into his career. With courses such as Media Planning, Advertising Strategies, Integrated Marketing Communication and more, Nathan is now ready to showcase his drive to be in the advertising industry.
Written by: Jordyn Dauter, junior double major in dance & elementary education