Did you know that some universities are actually adopting social media like Facebook and Twitter as curriculum for college credit? Elon University in North Carolina recently started a master’s program in interactive media with an area of concentration in social media. The content of social media will be present in eight courses, and students that choose this track will also be able to seek internships. A New York Times article indicates that, because the digital world is expanding so quickly, this academic program will be valuable to prepare students for the real world.
This is definitely a good idea because social media will be useful for all sorts of careers. Social networking sites can be used for so many niches. Personally, I think this major should allow students to explore more than just the popular social networking sites.
Cake Financial is a site that this master’s degree program should emphasize. Because it is a website centered on investing, it can be a useful way to get people to communicate with their friends about saving money.
Another website that needs to be discussed is Advogato Free, a social networking site about open source software. If students learn about this, then they will get access to all sorts of software that can help them learn skills like video editing and graphic design. Such a website can be valuable for developing job skills so the graduates of tomorrow will be prepared for the world of work.
Of course, I think it will also be necessary for this program to focus on other social networking sites. The weakness of the New York Times article is that it only discusses a few websites like Twitter and could have been stronger if it talked about other sites.
There are many sites that are geared toward socially conscious individuals, and I think these need to be available to students seeking the master’s degree in social media. Care 2 Green focuses on environmental sustainability, Epernicus allows research scientists to network and make their discoveries widespread, and InterNations bridges gaps between people of different cultures.
The master’s degree in social media needs to highlight these websites as a way to encourage students to address the problems that are plaguing society today, like pollution and global poverty.
Courses in this major will certainly be more useful than the core requirements like U.S. History and College Algebra that students have to take in undergraduate years. In fact, I think these classes shouldn’t be limited to a master’s degree program. Perhaps Elon University, as well as other colleges, should incorporate classes and a major in social media for students seeking a bachelor’s degree.
I think Georgia State University should incorporate such a program, both for undergraduate students and graduate students. In fact, I believe social networking sites would be suitable as content for other majors. Pre-med majors could use Disaboom, a social networking site that allows people with disabilities like cerebral palsy and MS to learn ways to treat themselves.
Art majors could network with each other through deviantART, and sociology or psychology majors could make use of gays.com to advocate for the LGBT community. It can also be useful for professors to use social networking sites to post notes in class and for students in these classes to use such sites as tools for study sessions.
I applaud the efforts of universities to bring social media into classrooms. With the impact that these websites have in society, students will be able to learn more about their areas of study and the world around them if more colleges adopt these ideas.
Too soon for a masters in social media
Published: Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Updated: Wednesday, February 17, 2010
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