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 through its Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication.
- The program shares much of its curriculum with ASU’s mass communication and media studies degree, but adds electives focused on podcasting, studio production and on-camera presence.
- The announcement drew criticism from people who question whether content creation is a legitimate profession and whether a college degree is useful for a social media career.
- The article says universities are introducing new majors to appeal to a shrinking student population, even as the job prospects for these programs remain uncertain.
- The report notes that content creation courses have already spread across higher education and have sparked criticism.
- ASU declined an interview request about the new program.
Arizona State University has introduced a new bachelor’s degree in content creation through its Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication. The program is positioned as a formal academic path for students interested in creating social media, video or podcast content.
The degree overlaps heavily with ASU’s existing mass communication and media studies program, but it adds specialized electives in areas such as podcasting, studio production and on-camera presence. The article says the university declined to comment further in an interview.
The program has drawn sharp criticism from people who question both the legitimacy of content creation as a profession and the value of a college degree for entering that field. The report says universities are rolling out new majors as they compete for a shrinking student population, while the career payoff of these programs remains uncertain.
“网红”学位？高校押注内容创作者专业，批评者质疑其价值
亚利桑那州立大学通过其沃尔特·克朗凯特新闻与大众传播学院推出了新的内容创作学士学位。报道将其描述为面向有意从事社交媒体、视频或播客内容制作学生的一条正式学术路径。
该学位与学校现有的大众传播和媒体研究专业有较大重叠，但增加了播客、演播室制作和上镜表现等方面的专门选修课。报道还提到，学校拒绝就该项目接受进一步采访。
这一项目引发了不少批评，有人质疑内容创作是否算作一种正当职业，也有人怀疑大学学位对进入这一领域的实际价值。报道指出，在学生人数减少的背景下，各高校正推出新的专业来争夺生源，但这些项目能否真正带来就业机会仍不确定。