July 24, 2024

This paid piece is sponsored by Dakota State University.

A new interdisciplinary degree program at Dakota State University is preparing students to create their own futures by developing in-demand production, multimedia and communication skills heavily desired across industries.

The digital content creation degree will take students beyond the creativity of viral videos and teach them the metrics behind the marketing and the analytics of the data, all while helping them develop business management practices, communication and writing expertise, and even some basic programming skills.

“The digital content creation degree is a great example of an emerging program striving to prepare students for the now,” said Dr. Stacey Berry, dean of the College of Arts & Sciences.

The development of this degree was driven by a response to the demands of the workforce, Berry explained. Feedback from DSU Career & Professional Development, employers throughout the state and recent graduates alerted DSU to the need for a general set of skills in content creation.

“The program is really aimed to equip students to create strategic multimedia content and manage media campaigns across different platforms, different apps, different media channels, and to give them experience with different tools, techniques and methodologies as they build those skills,” said Dr. Haley Larson, assistant professor of English.

The interdisciplinary nature of the degree provides students with a broader and deeper foundational understanding of the many components that go into digital campaigns, like market research, understanding search engine optimization terms, click-through rates, content management systems and bounce rates.

“I think what makes this program unique is that we approach media as the dynamic and evolving processes that they are,” Larson said. “Things often shift as different audiences receive particular messages, and we may want to change the strategy based on a metric that comes up.”

The program isn’t just limited to managing media campaigns. It prepares students to create content from start to finish using industry-standard software and tools like Adobe, Canva, Microsoft Office Suite and social media scheduling sites.

“It’s a real blend of communication and production, as well as strategy, management and problem-solving,” Larson said.

Part of the curriculum will teach students how to prioritize plans, break down campaigns into manageable steps, lead a team through the creative process and communicate clearly to a variety of audiences. These soft skills will help graduates adapt to the constant advancements occurring in media and technology, and prepare them to be lifelong learners.

The need for interdisciplinary schooling and training can be seen already in the workplace, regardless of the field, Berry said. Businesses are feeling the pressure to have an employee who can wear different hats for creating content and develop an online presence through social media, websites and other platforms.

The program also provides a great opportunity for students to double-major in degrees such as digital arts and design, business administration, esports management and English.

“We see it as an easy major to transfer into, as well as a good major for athletes, artists, writers, anybody who’s looking to build their own personal brand or image,” Larson said.

Berry is excited to further develop and establish connections with businesses across the state to continue developing graduates who can fill current and future open positions through the new digital content creation degree.

For information, visit the digital content creation degree page.