BUZZ
Students ‘will have demonstrable audience growth,’ dean says
Arizona State University students can now earn a degree by learning how to become an “influencer.”
The new content creation major, within ASU’s Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication, prepares students “to become an influencer and strategic storyteller who thrives in the rapidly evolving creator economy,” the program description states.
It was created for students who “dream of monetizing” their social media platforms.
“Program coursework emphasizes content planning, video and podcast production, global perspectives and personal branding,” the description states.
Further, students will “gain real-world know-how through experiences such as the Los Angeles Content Studio, brand content projects, media internships and content creation trips abroad.”
Jessica Pucci, senior associate dean at the school, said students “will have demonstrable audience growth,” AZ Family reported.
“They will have a platform of their choice with real content and real followers and a real audience behind them,” she said.
She added that students will analyze the performance of their content and develop strategies to improve it.
Anna Elizabeth, an influencer and medical assistant in Arizona, praised the new program, saying it would have helped her launch her career.
“There’s editing, there’s marketing strategies of it. There’s like, ‘How do I get PR? How do I get brands to notice me?’” Elizabeth said. “It’s a little bit difficult to understand that portion if you haven’t done it for a long time.”
However, others are questioning the major’s value proposition.
“Will it survive the new federal rule that a degree must give a higher income to its graduates than those without a degree?” ASU Professor Owen Anderson wrote on X.
ASU isn’t the first school to start training students in this growing field.
Last year, Syracuse University launched its new “Center for the Creator Economy,” which looks to train students in content creation, The College Fix reported.
Matthew Pittman, the University of Tennessee professor who went viral for “canceling” class over Taylor Swift’s engagement, told The Fix at the time that the program is relevant in this digital age.
“Creativity is a muscle, and just like any other muscle, the more you flex it, the stronger you get,” the professor said. “The more you try creating, the easier it is to create.”
Graceland University also offers a digital content creation major, according to the school’s website.
The private school in Illinois teaches students “the skills to produce compelling content across the entire range of digital media — video and podcasts to social media, email, and websites,” according to the program description.
Similarly, Grand Canyon University, a private Christian school in Arizona, offers a degree in social media.
“This program focuses on developing the practical skills needed to design and produce digital social media content while supporting the business expectations of an employer,” the description states.
