One of America’s top party schools launches ridiculous degree that’s annoyed everyone

Arizona State University (ASU) has built a reputation as one of America’s biggest party schools, but its latest academic offering has people asking whether the real major is chasing clout.

The university is launching a bachelor’s degree focused on content creation, teaching students how to build an online audience, grow their personal brand and turn social media into a career. In other words, yes, getting credit hours for TikTok is now officially a thing.

School officials insist the program is much more than teaching students how to dance in front of a ring light.

Jessica Pucci, senior associate dean at ASU’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication, told Arizona’s Family the curriculum is designed to give aspiring creators professional-level guidance from faculty dedicated to helping students succeed in the rapidly evolving creator economy.

She said that students won’t simply be posting videos for fun. They’ll learn how to analyze performance metrics across multiple social media platforms, experiment with different content strategies and use data to improve audience engagement.

Their capstone project takes things a step further. Each student will choose a platform, whether it’s TikTok, Instagram, YouTube or another social media site, and spend the semester creating content, growing an audience and documenting measurable results.

By graduation, Pucci explained that students will leave with something more tangible than just a diploma. They will have a real online following, published content and proof they’ve successfully built a digital brand.

But while ASU sees the program as preparing students for one of today’s fastest-growing industries, social media users weren’t exactly smashing the “like” button.

Many questioned whether a four-year degree is necessary for skills that countless creators taught themselves online.

“No offense but I learned how to do it in my bedroom at 14… YouTube is also free… ppl should spend money on tuition for something a bit harder to learn,” one Instagram user wrote.

Another wasn’t sold on the investment, commenting, “I fully support parents who do refuse to pay their child’s ‘education’ in THIS field.”

Others accused the university of cashing in on internet culture.

“So basically the school wants to financially benefit from a trend without providing an actual skill,” another commenter wrote.

Not everyone was rolling their eyes, though.

Some argued that content creation has become a legitimate business, and one that can pay surprisingly well.

“Probably more lucrative than 80% of the other majors lol,” one supporter commented.

Another said they were on board with the idea, provided students also leave college with practical life knowledge.

“I support it, as long as they actually learn basic life skills too — like mortgage, savings, buying property, taxes etc.”

Whether it’s viewed as a forward-thinking career path or the ultimate chronically online college major, one thing is certain. ASU’s newest degree has already done exactly what it’s designed to teach students —generate engagement.

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