Does ASU offer a content creation degree?
August 18, 2026
By: Jessica Pucci, Senior Associate Dean and Professor of Practice, Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication
Arizona State University offers a content creation degree. The BA in content creation offers skills that students can use in almost any career field. The ASU content creator degree is not about making social media content in an effort to go viral — instead it’s about developing leadership skills and connecting with audiences through effective digital storytelling.
Forget, for a moment, everything you think you know about social media. Forget that your teenager seems to be on their phone every waking minute (or is it just mine?). And forget that every time you glance over their shoulder, they're watching sports highlights, complete strangers having weird conversations, dance trends, pet videos and unboxings. Then, set aside the instinct to wonder if your investment in your kid’s college degree should really be dedicated to making them better at … whatever they spend their time doing on social media.
What do you learn in a content creation degree?
ASU’s new BA in content creation — one of four new undergraduate programs at the world-renowned Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication — isn't about making viral videos for a living. You’re right to believe that you do not need, nor should you need, a college degree to do that. It's about mastering some of the most valuable professional skills in today's economy: knowing how to inform, persuade, educate and connect with people through digital media. Those skills are in demand everywhere, including at:
- Fortune 500 companies
- Hospitals
- Sports franchises
- Newsrooms
- Government agencies
- Startups
Every organization now competes for attention and influence online (thus the term “influencer”), and every one of them needs professionals who know how to create meaningful content that accomplishes real business goals. And today’s college students are eager to answer the call: 57% of Gen Zers want to become digital creators.
Is content creation a good career?
The opportunities for digital content creators and influencers is only growing. Goldman Sachs estimates that the global creator economy will grow from roughly $250 billion to $480 billion by 2027, driven by businesses investing more heavily in digital communication, influencer marketing and creator-led media. A degree in content creation prepares them to become strategic communicators, producers, marketers, entrepreneurs and leaders in a world where nearly every career depends on creating content that informs and inspires, and where building relationships requires skill and intention.
ASU’s BA in content creation — the world’s first — teaches students how to think critically, communicate ethically, understand media law, analyze data, build businesses and adapt as technology evolves. Those are more than just social media skills: They're leadership skills. And they’re the same enduring abilities that have always defined a great college education; now, applied to one of the global economy’s fastest-growing sectors.
What can you do with a content creation degree?
Most importantly, this degree gives students something previous generations rarely had: ownership. Instead of waiting for someone else to hire them, graduates can build audiences, launch businesses, create brands or work inside organizations that need trusted communicators. Many will begin generating revenue from their work while they're still in college. “The degree doesn’t lead to one job,” wrote Inc. about the degree. “It leads to dozens.”
I wouldn’t encourage my own kids to pursue a degree that focused on chasing the next trend in any field. But our content creation major teaches every student how to create trusted and ethical content with lasting value in a world where effective communication and human connection have become the most important professional skills graduates can possess.
Platforms will come and go. Algorithms will change. And I hope we’re on the tail end of the cat soap opera trend. But people who know how to earn trust, build communities and connect ideas to audiences will always have opportunities to create impact — and their own careers — on their own terms.