Academics»Digital Social Media (MS)

Program Information

Application guidelines

Learning Objectives

If you are interested in working in the digital and social media sector of the co-evolving media and tech industries, if you want to be a social media professional or an entrepreneur in this area, if you want to understand the science and practice of digital social media, then the MS in Digital Social Media is the graduate degree program for you.

The MS in Digital Social Media equips students with the practical skills, critical knowledge, and state-of-the-art strategies to succeed in a cutting-edge career in the digital and social media sectors. Beyond learning the fundamentals of digital and social media industries theories and methods, students pursue a customized curriculum towards the design, incubation, and execution of a rigorous, portfolio-building, capstone project.

Topics include entrepreneurship, innovative uses of emerging technologies, creation of content and strategy, production, programming, research, and representation as well as the science of persuasion and opportunities in emergent media industries, e.g., videogames and social media entertainment. 

Regarding the program’s STEM designation, the Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) code is 09.0702 and the CIP code title is “Digital Communication and Media/Multimedia.” More information can be found here.

Learning objectives

You will gain a broad understanding of the underlying social science theories and the human behaviors that underpin human activity in the digital sector. Overall, you will develop expertise in the practical skills, critical knowledge, and state-of-the-art strategies to succeed in a cutting-edge career in the digital and social media sectors, whether focused on a business, nonprofit, activity, product, service or opportunity. Upon completion of the program you will have:

  • Learned how to be successful in using social media for marketing, public relations and monetizing products and services in the digital age, and learned the tools of evaluating their product and their strategies through digital analytics and research methodology
  • Learned how to use currently available platforms and tools (such as social networks, mobile apps, microblogging platforms, and sharing technologies) and use these strategically to enhance the efforts of their products or clients
  • Gained knowledge about the use of social media and other digital strategies to engage audiences in digital products, businesses, sites and apps
  • Developed expertise in the challenges and strategies for success in transitioning a business or product to digital
  • Designed and executed a rigorous, portfolio-building, capstone project