Have you ever wanted to be an “influencer,” but you don’t know where to start or if it’s a real job? Well, that’s what a university in Ireland is doing.
The term “influencer” has come a long way, from their 2018 Urban Dictionary definition of “a word Instagram users use to describe themselves to make them feel famous” to an actual dictionary definition of being “someone who generates interest in something.”
As we all know, old jobs become obsolete with the rise of new technology, while new jobs spring up out of the ground because of the same technology, and that’s what’s happening in the $21 billion global influencer market.
With social media influencing becoming a more popular and actual career path among Gen Zs and younger demographics, the academe is also starting to keep up.
The first of its kind
First reported in 2023, the South East Technological University (SETU) in Carlow, Ireland, has officially opened its doors to the first batch of students for the Bachelor of Arts in Content Creation and Social Media, a four-year program with 240 credits.
Here’s what the course description says on their website:
“On finishing our program, you can start an energizing media job in the worlds of business, campaigning, selling, and influencing. Over the course of the program, you will learn to become an expert in social media theory and practice. You will enlarge your talent for connecting with people who are interested in what you have to say.”
According to SETU’s website, the program is a Level 8 Honour Degree, with a student contribution of €3,000 and a tuition fee of €819, for a total of €3,819 (~Php239,172.51).
What does the degree look like?
The four-year degree is divided into two semesters per year, with some semesters offering elective subjects.
Some examples of the subjects you’ll take as an AB Content Creation and Social Media student in SETU covers:
- Digital Marketing
- Media Studies
- Public Relations
- Social Media Marketing and Entrepreneurship
- Creative and Digital Writing
- Creative Video
- Journalism
- Photography
- Crisis Management
- Celebrity Studies
The degree ends with a two-part Dissertation during the first and second semesters of the fourth year.
After you finish the course, the university enumerated some potential job opportunities, such as:
- Content Creation
- Content Writer/ Editor
- Journalism
- Communications
- Social Media/ Content Marketing
- Influencing
- Content Management
- Digital Design
Potential future challenges
While this degree is a good step for the university to “keep students in school,” it will likely face many challenges moving forward.
First, spending four years doing academic work in a formal school setting is very different from four years of doing, testing, and honing your skills by continuously “putting yourself out there.” By doing something on your own, you are not graded by teachers but by social media users.
Second, we don’t know what social media will look like in four years. While this is a well-thought-out curriculum, a lot can happen in a few years. For instance, Facebook and YouTube today are very different from five years ago. Likewise, TikTok wouldn’t have gained the popularity it enjoys now without the pandemic lockdowns. So, it’s hard to tell.
Will this work in the Philippines?
There are already some challenges to keeping students in school, and I don’t think offering a degree in “influencing” will keep them from dropping out, especially with the increasing cost of education.
While this is a novel idea, it’s hard to tell how these kinds of degrees would pan out in the Philippine setting. Maybe the BS in Esports at Lyceum of the Philippines University—Manila (LPU) would be a good case study.