Program highlights
- Boost your portfolio. Develop and present a portfolio of projects, research or campaign work that demonstrates your expanded digital communication abilities to employers.
- Learn from expert faculty. Our professors have professional and academic experience in digital communication, media analysis, strategic messaging and new media research.
- Benefit from research-driven curriculum. Beyond basic social media classes, students learn to apply social scientific theory to media planning, content creation and audience targeting across digital platforms.
- Get hands-on social media training. Gain real-world experience through courses that are focused on campaign design, analytics and platform strategy.
- Grow your professional network. Connect with a diverse cohort of fellow students working and/or studying in fields such as communication, journalism, business, technology, education, public administration and more.
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Career opportunities
The social and interactive media graduate certificate positions you at the forefront of digital communication and engagement strategy – whether you’re launching a new career, transitioning between industries or advancing in your current position.
This credential builds expertise in content strategy, audience analytics, digital marketing and emerging media technologies. These skills increasingly prove invaluable in:
- Media and entertainment. Today’s content creators must go beyond storytelling. They use data and platform insights to tailor multimedia content for diverse audiences and maximize engagement roles across rapidly evolving digital channels.
- Digital marketing and communications. Businesses rely on professionals who can interpret analytics, tailor messaging to diverse audiences and navigate the ever-changing digital ecosystem with precision.
- Technology industries. Tech sector employers want professionals who can bridge the gap between complex digital systems and human behavior and apply communication expertise to user engagement, platform development and product marketing.
- Nonprofit and government sectors. Organizations need strategic communicators who can raise awareness, engage stakeholders and drive public participation across social media – especially when operating with limited resources and high public accountability.
- Healthcare and education. Effective digital communication is essential in these sectors to share critical information, build community trust, support health or learning outcomes and counter misinformation. Interactive media tools also enhance public outreach and patient or student engagement.
- Consulting. Social media communication consultants help clients optimize their digital presence, build audience engagement strategies and adapt quickly to platform shifts.
Career paths
- Content marketing specialist
- Crisis communications coordinator
- Brand engagement manager
- Digital marketing specialist
- Digital strategy consultant
- Interactive media developer
- Multimedia content manager
- Social media coordinator
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Curriculum
This 15-credit hour graduate certificate program is future-focused to meet the needs of the rapidly changing media and communication landscape. It provides:
- A strong theoretical foundation on intellectual leadership in social and interactive media
- Opportunities for research/practical application in launching campaigns, analyzing data and driving engagement in real-world contexts
Students can also take coursework associated with the strategic communication certificate for greater insight into the commercial uses of social and interactive media.
Sample courses
- Advertising Research and Practice
- Audience Research and Targeting
- Content Strategies and Platform Distribution
- Electronic Surveillance and Privacy
- Principles of Multimedia Production and Courseware Design
- Seminar in New Media Research
- Social Media Campaigns
- Social Media Seminar
Media and communication graduate certificates at BGSU
In addition to the social and interactive media graduate certificate, the School of Media and Communication at BGSU offers graduate certificates in:
- International/Intercultural communication – Master global communication across borders, cultures and contexts for today’s interconnected world.
- Strategic communication – Build essential skills in public relations, advertising and organizational communication for immediate career impact.
Graduate certificate programs are open to current BGSU graduate students, prospective candidates and working professionals looking to advance their careers or strengthen their credentials.
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The social and interactive media graduate certificate is part of the School of Media and Communication in the College of Arts and Sciences.
Updated: 11/25/2025 01:41PM