July 20, 2023

‘One of the best decisions of my life’

Recent NDSU graduate Madison Meier was on her way to a successful career well before commencement.

The marketing major from Mott, North Dakota, worked remotely as a digital marketing specialist for Steffes, a manufacturing company headquartered in Dickinson, North Dakota, during her time at NDSU. The position evolved from a successful summer internship with the company.

“I chose marketing as my major because I knew that it would take me out of my comfort zone, and I knew that was exactly what I needed to do during my time at NDSU,” Meier said. “Marketing has become a passion of mine and that only happened because I decided to make what I thought at the time was a scary decision. But, it turned out to be one of the best decisions of my life.”

According to Meier, NDSU’s marketing program will challenge your creativity as it concentrates on real-world business challenges. Whether you want to be an advertising manager, content strategist, copywriter or marketing specialist, the program will build your business and interpersonal skills.

“The NDSU marketing department offers a variety of courses, which gives you a lot of flexibility in what your schedule and journey will look like,” Meier said. “What really drew me in was NDSU’s Downtown Campus and Barry Hall. Walking into Barry Hall for the first time felt like home – I love that everyone downtown is going to some type of business class. It’s a great way to connect with people.”

The curriculum blends general education and fundamental business knowledge with in-depth marketing courses. Realistic business simulations will give you hands-on experience dealing with real-world issues. NDSU marketing students also can choose minors or certificates in entrepreneurship and professional selling, a certificate in organizational leadership or the supply chain management track.

And NDSU offers a caring, helpful environment in which to learn.

“My experience with faculty members has been one I will never forget,” Meier said. “Professors are so willing to meet you outside of class if you don’t understand a topic fully. They all want us to succeed and become the best student and person we can possibly be.”

The NDSU marketing program provides broad marketing competencies while allowing students to gain skills in specific areas like digital marketing, professional selling, international marketing and others, according to Rajani Ganesh-Pillai, professor and chair of management and marketing.

“A good proportion of all marketing in organizations is now conducted digitally and therefore courses like digital marketing prepare students with skills to address the needs of employers and be employable upon graduation. Our instructors blend theory and practice in all our classes to make our program relevant, interesting and up-to-date,” Ganesh-Pillai said.

“Prospective students should consider NDSU because of the variety of majors, minors, clubs, athletics and amenities for everyone. NDSU is more than a university, it’s a community,” Meier said. “We are all here to get an education, but we also are making lifelong memories and relationships. The opportunities are endless at NDSU.”

Begin your own journey. Apply to NDSU today.

For more about Meier’s experience and NDSU’s marketing program, visit the university’s official YouTube page.

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