Students in the Cronkite School’s Digital Audiences Graduate Certificate use measurement skills to develop strategies and tactics to grow audiences through search engine optimization, search engine marketing, paid and organic social media campaigns, and digital content creation.
The digital audiences certificate program prepares students for work in digital audience engagement through a data-driven, content-focused curriculum. Working hands on with current, industry-grade tools and practices, students discover how to create digital content and campaigns intended to reach target audiences. Students use audience data to identify target audiences and then formulate effective content across websites, search engines and social media. Students then track the impact of digital content, analyzing audience behavior and content performance. They put this knowledge into practice in real-time, tactical exercises using "live" tools such as Google Analytics and Facebook Audience Insights, as well as simulated environments. Graduates who earn this certificate will be ready to drive strategy execution and digital audience engagement, and be competitive in the fast-changing fields of social media, digital content and audience development.
The certificate has far-reaching appeal and application. Corporations, advocacy groups, entrepreneurs, government agencies, community groups, news organizations and nonprofits all need professionals who can execute campaigns to reach large online audiences in order to increase sales, advertising, donations, political support and community cohesion. This certificate will prepare professionals to advance their own careers and advance the work of their employers by creating content to engage digital audiences.
This graduate certificate differs from the Cronkite School's Master of Science in Digital Audience Strategy in a few ways. This graduate certificate does not include the master's capstone course or additional coursework outside of the digital audiences core curriculum such as Media Law and Digital Media Entrepreneurship. This narrower scope allows students to focus on tactical skills needed to execute digital campaigns rather than preparing them to lead development and management of organization-wide digital strategy.
For those looking to update their skills, take on new digital responsibilities or more effectively promote their work online, the graduate certificate is an excellent opportunity. For those looking to manage digital audience strategy, the Master of Science degree program may be the best option.
Award-winning program:
- For over 15 years, the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication has earned the best record (96 awards) in the Society of Professional Journalists' national "Mark of Excellence" competition.
- Cronkite reigns first in the nation for record-breaking Hearst Journalism Awards (the Pulitzer Prizes of college journalism).
- Cronkite has the best record of any journalism school for the international Robert F. Kennedy Journalism Award for reporting on social justice issues.
- Based on student work around video journalism, Cronkite won the very first Edward R. Murrow Award.
- Cronkite has earned more awards of any school in the nation from the Broadcast Education Association's Festival of Media Arts.
