An 'influencer' degree? Colleges bet on content creator major as critics question its value
- Arizona State University has launched a new bachelor's degree in content creation.
- The program is offered through the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication.
- Critics question the legitimacy of content creation as a profession and the value of a college degree for this career.
- Other universities are also introducing content creation courses to attract students.
- The effectiveness of such degrees in leading to jobs remains debatable.
Ask a teen what they want to be when they grow up, and there's a fair chance being an influencer is on their list. Digital media and the people who star in it have been cultural mainstays for teens' entire lives, so creating social media, video or podcast content seems a natural, albeit nontraditional, career path. And now they can earn a college degree in that very field.
Arizona State University recently launched a new bachelor’s degree in content creation, offered through its Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication. The curriculum overlaps with that of ASU’s mass communication and media studies degree, with the major departure being a slate of specialized electives on podcasting, studio production and on-camera presence.
ASU’s announcement was met with swift criticism from many sides — from people who feel content creation is not a legitimate profession to those who question the value of a college degree in launching a social media career. But the ASU program is not the first of its kind. And the university, which declined an interview request about the new program, is not the first to offer content creation courses.
Universities, eager to compete for a shrinking student population, are rolling out new majors intended to prepare students for today’s careers. Whether they lead to jobs can be up for debate.
‘网红’学位？高校押注内容创作者专业，批评者质疑其价值
问问青少年他们长大后想成为什么职业，成为网红的可能性很高。数字媒体及其明星人物在青少年生活中一直是文化的主流，因此创作社交媒体、视频或播客内容似乎是一条自然的、尽管非传统的职业道路。而现在，他们可以在这个领域获得大学学位。
亚利桑那州立大学最近推出了新的内容创作学士学位，该项目通过沃尔特·克朗凯特新闻与大众传播学院提供。课程与ASU的大众传播和媒体研究学位重叠，主要的区别在于提供了一系列关于播客、工作室制作和镜头前表现的专业选修课程。
ASU的公告遭到了来自各方的迅速批评——有人认为内容创作不是一个合法的职业，还有人质疑大学学位在启动社交媒体职业中的价值。但ASU的项目并不是首个此类项目。该大学对新项目的采访请求未予回应，也不是首个提供内容创作课程的大学。
为了在不断缩小的学生群体中竞争，高校正在推出新的专业，以期为学生准备当今的职业。至于这些专业是否能带来就业，仍然存在争议。