ASU's new degree teaches video production, audience analytics, and monetization as the creator economy hits $480 billion. Students graduate with a real portfolio, not just likes.
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Arizona State University thinks making TikToks and building a personal brand is serious enough for a college degree. This fall, the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication will start offering a Bachelor of Arts in Content Creation, a program that teaches students how to build sustainable brands through video and podcast production, audience analytics, digital storytelling, and monetization strategies.
The program comes as the creator economy is projected to reach $480 billion by 2027, according to Goldman Sachs. While some might scoff at the idea of a degree in becoming an influencer, ASU says the curriculum is about more than just chasing viral moments. Students will graduate with measurable audience growth and a real digital portfolio after spending a semester building a following on the platform of their choice.
“I don’t know any content creator who wouldn’t benefit from having world-class faculty whose sole mission is to help you and support your growth as a creator,” Jessica Pucci, senior associate dean at the Cronkite School, told Arizona’s Family news station.
Students will also learn how to evaluate content performance across platforms and develop data-driven strategies to grow their brands. Skills in marketing, advertising, and entrepreneurship increasingly overlap with what the program teaches. Anna Elizabeth, a part-time content creator and full-time medical assistant, said the degree could have shortened the learning curve.
“There’s editing, there’s marketing strategies of it. There’s like, ‘How do I get PR? How do I get brands to notice me?'” she told AZ Family. “It’s a little bit difficult to understand that portion if you haven’t done it for a long time.”
Black creators have long shaped internet culture, yet many still struggle to capture the wealth generated from their influence. A program that teaches intellectual property, brand partnerships, analytics, and monetization could help close that gap by turning cultural capital into generational wealth. As the creator economy continues to grow, the biggest flex may not be going viral. It’s knowing how to build a business that has staying power.
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