Online Master's Degree in Digital Content Strategy


Program Overview

Our online Master's Degree in Digital Content Strategy trains graduates to find, use and analyze information and data to solve organizational problems. You will build skills you can use immediately while broadening your thinking and encouraging a mindset for adapting to the ever-changing digital landscape. 

With certificates in Social Media Strategy and Data Interpretation and Communication, you can become the information expert in your organization. As a digital troubleshooter, you will be able to bridge the gap between those with big ideas but little understanding of how to turn those ideas into reality and those with technical skills who lack the broader vision needed to move beyond the status quo.

The online program is divided into two certificates. The master's degree is earned by completing both certificates, but students may choose to earn just one certificate. 

  • Certificate in Social Media Strategy: Course focuses on the skills needed to create, analyze and optimize social media content and campaigns. Students will learn to define and analyze audiences for and with social media and to measure the effectiveness of social media strategies.
  • Certificate in Data Interpretation and Communication: Course teaches students strategies for finding appropriate data, organizing data, interpreting data and explaining data in meaningful ways. This certificate does not provide skills in deep statistical analysis. Rather, students gain a better understanding of using quantitative and qualitative data to solve problems or answer questions in a variety of fields. Courses in data interpretation and communication must be taken sequentially.

Students may work on either of these certificates independently, building credentials even before they complete a master’s degree.

Hours Required (30 hours)

JMC 860: Information Insight I (3)

JMC 861: Data Collection I (3)

JMC 862: Data Collection 2 (3)

JMC 863: Data Analysis (3)

JMC 864: Data Visualization and Presentation (3)

JMC 865: Analyzing Audiences (3)

JMC 866: Social Media Strategy (3)

JMC 867: Social Media Metrics (3)

JMC 868: Information in Context (3)

JMC 869: Information Insight II (3)


How it works

  • The program requires 30 hours of coursework to earn a master's degree.
  • The program starts with Information Insight I, which introduces students to online learning, explores the concepts, problems and opportunities in digital content strategy, and lays the foundation for further program work, including work on a possible capstone project. All students must take this course.
  • After completing the introductory course, students take courses in the social media sequence, the data communication sequence, or both. All courses are eight weeks.
  • After completing both certificates, students enroll in Information Insight II, an eight-week summer course in which they complete a capstone project.

Online Program Requirements

Degree Requirements: All journalism master’s candidates must complete a minimum of 30 graduate credit hours in Digital Content Strategy with at least a B (3.0) average.

Total Hours Required (30 hours)

Enrollment requirements after completing course requirements: A student must enroll for at least 1 hour of credit in the semester in which he or she graduates. 

Courses