Digital Content Management

Digital Content Management is the professional practice of overseeing the entire content lifecycle – from planning and creation to organization, distribution, and performance analysis. It involves managing content across digital platforms such as websites, social media, email, apps, and streaming services. Content managers ensure that digital materials are strategically developed, branded consistently, optimized for user engagement and search visibility, and continually refined based on data and audience feedback. The role often includes using content management systems (CMS), coordinating with creative teams, and aligning digital content efforts with broader organizational goals.

Graduates of the DCM program are well-positioned for a range of careers in marketing, communications, and media. Common job titles include (Source: indeed.com):

• Brand Communications Specialist
• Content Strategist
• Content Writer
• Digital Content Creator
• Digital Content Manager
• Digital Content Producer
• Digital Marketing Coordinator
• Digital Marketing Manager
• Digital Media Specialist
• Digital Project Manager
• Marketing Content Specialist
• Multimedia Producer
• Social Media Manager
• Web Content Editor

Students will graduate with strong portfolios and real-world experience, including a required internship and capstone project, giving them a competitive edge in today’s job market.

The Digital Content Management (DCM) major is designed to prepare students not just to create content, but to strategically manage the full content lifecycle – from planning and branding to distribution, engagement, and analytics. While other communications majors may specialize in particular areas of content creation, DCM focuses on managing content across platforms, with an emphasis on strategy, audience engagement, and data-informed outcomes.

We chose the name Digital Content Management to reflect this broader, more professional scope. While we initially considered Digital Content Creation, we wanted to avoid limiting perceptions of the major to influencer culture alone, which – though an important part of the creator economy – represents only 14% of that space.

That said, students interested in influencer marketing, personal branding, or social media content will find a strong foundation here, especially with courses focused on branding, analytics, audience growth, and the use of AI tools to enhance content creation, personalization, and strategy.

DCM complements our legacy majors by offering a cross-disciplinary perspective on content management and strategy, preparing students for roles that integrate creative production with branding, analytics, and emerging technologies. It supports a wide range of digital content careers, from managing brand content to independent content creation, all grounded in strategic, ethical, AI-enhanced, and analytical skills that reflect the demands of today’s dynamic digital landscape.

The DCM curriculum is built around five key themes that reflect the evolving demands of content-focused careers across industries:

• Analytics and Data-Driven Decision Making: Students explore how content performance is measured using tools like Google Analytics and social insights, and how to optimize content based on audience behavior and performance data.
• Branding and Messaging: Courses emphasize the importance of consistent voice, tone, and design across content, helping students understand how to shape and reinforce a brand identity.
• Content Creation Across Platforms: Students learn how to produce and adapt content for a wide range of digital platforms—including social media, websites, mobile apps, and streaming services.
• Emerging Technologies: Students are introduced to current and emerging technologies—including generative AI, automation tools, and evolving CMS platforms—and learn how these tools impact content creation, personalization, and strategic planning.
• Ethical and Inclusive Communication: The curriculum includes discussion of real-world ethical challenges related to representation, algorithmic bias, audience targeting, and responsible use of data and AI.

These features are threaded throughout the curriculum—from introductory courses to the senior capstone—and prepare students to be thoughtful, agile, and responsible digital content professionals.

You can declare the DCM major starting Fall 2025 through the academic advising website. The major, along with all new and revised courses, will appear in the 2025–26 academic catalog and on OnTrack in August 2025.

Rising juniors may be able to switch into the DCM major, especially if they are currently enrolled in another School of Communications major, due to a shared 17-hour core curriculum. This shared coursework may allow students to complete the DCM major within their final two years, depending on remaining degree requirements and course scheduling.

Adding DCM as a second major as a junior is likely to be more difficult due to limited time for sequencing new courses and completing electives. Students in this situation should meet with an academic advisor or the program director to discuss their specific path and timeline. Advising support for DCM will officially begin in August.

The Digital Content Management (DCM) major, like the legacy majors in Cinema and Television Arts, Communication Design, Journalism, Media Analytics, and Strategic Communications, shares a 17-hour core curriculum. This common foundation reduces the number of additional credits needed when pursuing DCM as a second major within the School of Communications. While Sport Management (SPT) is also part of the School of Communications, it follows a stand-alone curriculum and does not share the 17-hour core. As a result, students double-majoring in SPT and DCM should expect to complete a greater number of additional hours.

Here’s a breakdown of the additional credit hours required to add DCM to another major in the school:

These totals reflect overlapping coursework between majors and the need to complete all distinct DCM courses and electives. Careful planning is essential to completing both majors on time. With early advising and strategic course selection, both majors can typically be completed within four years. Your academic advisors can assist you in developing a customized academic plan that aligns with your goals.

The DCM major includes 12 credit hours of electives, designed to give students added flexibility to customize their learning experience, build specialized skills, and create depth in an area of interest.

These electives can be used in two powerful ways:

1: To shape a focus area within other School of Communications disciplines major: Students can concentrate their electives in a related field to develop an informal track or area of emphasis. For example:

• A student interested in nonfiction storytelling or news might take three courses in Journalism (JOU).
• A student focused on short-form video production could take three courses in Cinema and Television Arts (CTA).
• A student drawn to branding, copywriting, and agency-style creative services might choose electives in Strategic Communications (STC).
• A student passionate about visual design and layout might focus on Communication Design (CDE).
• A student interested in analytics and optimization could take additional Media Analytics (MEA) courses.
• A student with a focus on sport might explore Sport Management (SPT) electives related to sports and media, sport marketing, or sales and promotion.

2: To accelerate completion of a second major or bring in outside expertise: Students may apply up to 12 credit hours from a second major, whether inside or outside the School of Communications, toward their DCM electives. This allows students to shorten the time required to complete a double major while adding depth in a complementary discipline.

For instance, a student double-majoring in Marketing and DCM may count up to 12 hours of MKT coursework toward DCM electives. This built-in flexibility makes it easier to complete a double major without adding significant time to your degree.

In both cases, students are encouraged to work with their faculty advisor to select electives that align with their personal interests, career goals, and professional development.

Not necessarily. All School of Communications faculty advise students across multiple majors, not just those within their department. Additionally, Vic Costello, DCM program director, is available as either a primary or secondary adviser and happy to support your progress in the major.

Yes. Courses like DCM 2500 Digital Content and the Creator Economy, MEA 2800 Data-Driven Strategies for Digital Media, and DCM 4970 Digital Content Management Capstone will appear in OnTrack and the catalog when the 2025–26 updates go live in August.

The fall 2025 course schedule was finalized before the Digital Content Management major was officially approved in April. The major will formally launch in August 2025, when it appears in the academic catalog and OnTrack, along with the new and revised course offerings.

We plan to offer DCM 2500 in spring 2026 and will begin rolling out additional courses then. However, not all DCM courses will be offered right away, and the full schedule is still being finalized. Students can continue taking courses from the School of Communications core curriculum and existing courses that count toward the DCM major in the meantime.

A DCM internship should involve work in a communications-related field, particularly in areas like social media, content creation, digital marketing, digital storytelling, photography, branding, or audience engagement. For example, a position managing a team’s social media or creating branded content for an organization would be ideal.

If you’re double majoring outside of a communications major (e.g., in Sport Management), you must satisfy the internship requirements for both majors. In such cases, you will complete two internships for academic credit – one for each of your programs. Be sure to coordinate with your advisers in each program to ensure the internships meet the expectations of both departments.

Yes. While the capstone course (DCM 4970) is reserved for students majoring in Digital Content Management, all other courses in the curriculum are open to non-majors, provided you meet the prerequisites and space is available.

No, there is not a standalone minor in Digital Content Management. However, students who are not majoring in one of the six School of Communications majors – Cinema & Television Arts, Communication Design, Digital Content Management, Journalism, Media Analytics, or Strategic Communications – may pursue a Communication minor. The minor requires COM 1000 and four elective courses, which can include DCM-specific coursework. This allows non-majors to develop digital content skills in areas such as branding, storytelling, and analytics.

Digital Content Management is a stand-alone program within the School of Communications, similar to Media Analytics. It is not housed in a single department but is managed by a program director rather than a department chair. The DCM major is designed as a cross-disciplinary program, taught by faculty across multiple departments within the School of Communications.