UK’s Social Media Masters Degree Not So Silly
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The UK’s Birmingham University is offering a one-year masters program in “social media” and many short-sighted individuals seem to think it is a silly waste of time and money:
Offering courses on how to use social media for business and marketing is one thing. But an entire degree on it? As Politico columnist Ari Melber posits on Twitter, It’s about as brilliant as a degree in email would have been ten years ago. (via)
Here is how the program is described in the GuardianUK:
Students on the £4,000 one-year Social Media degree, offered by Birmingham City University, will explore how we communicate on the websites and how they can be used for marketing.
Other modules on the course will teach students how to start a blog and podcasting techniques. The course is being advertised through a video on the university’s website.
It seems to me, especially in this challenging economic climate, that spending a year mastering the tools of communication online is a far more valuable investment than, say, a two-year masters in English Literature or many other areas of study we’ve all come to accept as “valuable.”
Sure, the basics of social media are not all that complex, but those who are able to master and manipulate those networks stand to end up far ahead of the pack.
If I had the money in hand, I would probably go take the program myself.
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Tags: Birmingham City University, Birmingham University, facebook, social media, Social network, twitter, uk, United Kingdom
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March 31, 2009 6:33 am
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Social Media University « Marenated — April 17, 2009 @ 1:17 pm
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By Jeff, March 31, 2009 @ 6:47 pm
From the point of view of a psychologist, I think that the psychology and social impact aspects of on-line social networking are significant, Master’s worthy subjects of inquiry. The potential impact on society of this new form of communication is staggering.