VML and MU School of Journalism team up for social media course

Kansas City marketing agency VML has helped design a new class at the Missouri School of Journalism called Advanced Social Media Strategies.

In the class, which will start this semester, graduate and undergraduate students will plan, develop and implement social media for the journalism school’s social media accounts.

Though colleges sometimes consult the industry on what to teach and often have guest speakers from companies, VML’s involvement for this class is much more extensive. The firm helped develop the course, and two VML staff members will teach it along with the MU professor.

“Collaborating with top professionals provides a tremendous opportunity for Missouri School of Journalism students to develop strategic social media skills using the industry’s leading tools and techniques,” David Kurpius, dean of the Missouri School of Journalism, said in a release announcing the partnership.

Social media has grown in importance in marketing, and nearly half of the school’s students major in strategic communications, which includes marketing and public relations. VML noted a recent study in which more than half the firms surveyed said recruiting candidates with the right mix of digital skills, including social media, was “challenging” or “very challenging.”

This story was originally published January 12, 2016 at 11:32 AM with the headline "VML and MU School of Journalism team up for social media course."