Why ASU's New Content Creation Degree Makes Total Sense

As a veteran social media marketer/leader, creator, former Arizona State University staff member, and alum of the Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at ASU (M.S. Digital Audience Strategy, ‘22), I feel uniquely qualified to provide an opinion on their new Content Creation degree offering.

First, I think it’s the right move.

I know what some people are already saying: “Wait… you can get a degree in making TikToks now?” But I don’t think that’s what this is at all.

Over the last twenty years in the industry, I’ve watched the way that communication, jobs, and the skills companies are hiring for have all changed. The university should change too.

The reality: every organization today is a media company.

Startups, nonprofits, Fortune 500, government agencies, and yes, universities are all creating content every single day. You’re telling stories, building trust, educating people, answering questions, and trying to earn attention in an incredibly crowded world.

Those aren’t “nice-to-have” skills anymore. Those are now career skills.

The thing I hope people don’t misunderstand is that this degree shouldn’t be about teaching someone how to go viral. Virality isn’t a career strategy, it isn’t even a business or campaign strategy.

What students should be learning:

…and how to create content that actually serves a purpose.

Anyone can hit the button and publish something, but not everyone can consistently create something people actually care about. And with AI making content easier to produce than ever before, I actually think those human skills become even more valuable. 

Those are becoming the differentiators.

If anyone still thinks "content creator" or "influencer" isn't a legitimate career path, they're paying attention to stereotypes instead of the data.

The creator economy isn't some niche corner of the internet anymore. It's become a legitimate pillar of the global media and advertising landscape.

Goldman Sachs estimates the broader creator economy is already worth roughly $250 billion globally and could approach $480 billion by 2027. More than 50 million people worldwide now identify as creators, although only about 4% earn more than $100,000 annually, illustrating both the tremendous opportunity and the competitive reality of the profession. Brand partnerships remain the largest source of creator income, accounting for roughly 70% of creator revenue.

On the marketing side, brands have voted with their wallets.

The global influencer marketing industry alone is expected to exceed $24 billion in 2026, and it's still growing at a double-digit pace. Research shows the average influencer marketing campaign generates approximately $5.78 in earned media value or revenue for every $1 invested, making it one of the strongest-performing channels in many marketers' media mix. Today, more than 80% of brands maintain dedicated influencer marketing budgets, and nearly two-thirds expect to increase that investment over the next year.

But perhaps the most important shift isn't the money itself. It's where that money is going.

A decade ago, brands chased celebrities. Today, many are investing in creators who have smaller, more engaged communities because they consistently drive stronger trust, conversation, and conversions. Increasingly, companies aren't hiring creators simply because they have audiences, they're hiring them because they understand how to communicate in ways traditional advertising often can't. Recent industry reporting also shows brands are moving toward longer-term creator partnerships and increasingly measuring success through business outcomes rather than vanity metrics like follower counts alone.

To me, that's exactly why a degree like this makes sense. This isn't about teaching someone how to become internet famous, it's about preparing students to succeed in an economy where communication has become one of the most valuable professional skills a person can possess. Whether graduates ultimately become creators, marketers, entrepreneurs, journalists, nonprofit leaders, or corporate communicators, they'll be entering a world where attention is earned, trust is built one piece of content at a time, and every organization increasingly thinks and behaves like a media company.

Are there fair questions? Absolutely. ASU already has programs in digital strategy and strategic communication, so they’ll need to clearly explain where this new degree fits and what makes it different. That’s a legitimate conversation, and one that I think they’ve already embarked on.

But philosophically, I think this is exactly the kind of thing ASU (and other universities) should be doing. One of the things I’ve always loved and appreciated about ASU is that they’re never afraid to evolve alongside the world instead of waiting for everyone else to go first.

The goal isn’t to preserve yesterday’s careers, it’s to prepare students for tomorrow’s. And maybe that’s my biggest takeaway, because I don’t even think we’re entering a creator economy anymore, I think we’re entering a communication economy.

No matter what field you go into, your ability to communicate ideas, build trust, tell stories, and connect with people online is becoming one of the most valuable professional skills you can have. So if this program teaches students how to do that and not just how to make content…but how to make communication MATTER…I think it’s going to be a really smart addition to the curriculum.