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 largely overlaps with ASU’s mass communication and media studies degree, but adds electives in 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 helps launch a social media career.
- The story says universities are introducing new majors to attract students as the pool of college-age enrollees shrinks, even though the job outcomes of such programs remain debated.
Arizona State University has launched a bachelor’s degree in content creation through its Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication. The program is designed around work in social media, video and podcast production, and is presented as a nontraditional career path that can now be studied at the college level.
The curriculum closely tracks ASU’s existing mass communication and media studies major, with added electives focused on podcasting, studio production and on-camera presence. ASU did not grant an interview for the story.
The launch has drawn criticism from people who question whether content creation is a legitimate profession and whether a college degree offers much value for someone aiming for a social media career. The article says the program is part of a wider push by universities to create new majors as they compete for a shrinking student population, even as the job prospects for such degrees remain in dispute.
“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 Walter Cronkite 新闻与大众传播学院开设了内容创作学士学位。报道指出，这一专业面向社交媒体、视频和播客内容生产，属于一种较为非传统的职业路径，如今已进入大学课程体系。
该课程设置与学校现有的大众传播和媒体研究专业高度重叠，差别主要在于增加了播客、演播室制作和镜头前表现等选修内容。报道还提到，亚利桑那州立大学没有接受采访。
这一举措遭到质疑，批评者认为内容创作是否算得上正当职业仍有争论，也怀疑大学学位对进入社交媒体行业的实际帮助。报道说，这也是高校在适龄生源减少背景下推出新专业、争夺学生的一部分做法，但这些专业能否真正对应就业机会，仍存在争议。