ACC offering social media degree

AUSTIN (KXAN) - Many of us might be guilty of it -- spending a little too much time on Facebook or Twitter. But what if we were getting paid for it?

These pastimes have gone from taboo at the workplace to a welcome set of skills.

More and more jobs are requiring applicants to be not only knowledgeable, but proficient, in social media.

Austin Community College will be the first in Texas to offer a degree in social media starting this spring.

Do a quick job search, and you'll see phrases like, "active user of social media," listed as requirements for several positions.

That's prompted ACC to offer a social media degree plan.

"We designed a program that really revolves around these core skills that businesses are stating that businesses are stating that they need," says ACC adjunct professor Jill Brockmann.

Starting in the Spring 2013 semester, ACC will offer the first associates degree in Texas for Social Media Communication. Educators say there's a need.

"I looked at indeed.com," says Brockmann, "I typed  in the words 'social media' and there was almost 500 jobs listed in Austin."

Becoming a pro of sorts in the Facebook world or a Twitter tycoon has some serious potential.

Austin public relations firm Giant Noise just recently created a social media division, saying the demand for the skill set is skyrocketing.

"People, businesses, everybody's communicating with each other with sort of these new channels," says Giant Noise principal Rich Garza. "If we were ignoring that, we wouldn't be able to give out clients the level of service they need."
    
A degree in social media could garner some real attention from employers.

"If there can be folks out there that are actually taking the time and studying, then presumably they'll be a little more proficient and advanced," Garza said.

And, quite fitting--the classes are offered online, with groups meeting for lab time.