Despite a new influencer-focused degree in Ireland, many Singaporean students prefer short courses or modules instead.
A new bachelor’s degree in content creation and social media, launched in September 2024 at South East Technological University in Ireland, is sparking mixed reactions among Singaporean youth. While the course is groundbreaking and grew from a successful summer crash course taught by TikTokers, many students in Singapore are not keen on pursuing a full degree in the field.
Interest in Shorter, More Practical Learning
Despite the degree’s innovative nature, only a few Singaporean students expressed interest. Many believe that learning content creation is useful, but would prefer to take shorter courses or modules rather than committing to a full degree program.
For instance, 18-year-old Amir Arfan, studying aerospace machining at ITE, sees the benefit in content creation but thinks it might not align with his current interests. He feels the skills taught would be useful for future career opportunities. Similarly, 19-year-old Chloe Ong, studying mass media management, supports the idea of social media education but thinks it would be better as a module rather than a full degree. She believes social media skills, especially for platforms like TikTok, can be learned easily through free resources available online.
Mixed Reactions and Concerns
Other students, like 17-year-old Shaun Umipig, expressed a willingness to take content creation courses as part of their broader curriculum but felt a degree dedicated solely to the subject might not be necessary. On the other hand, 20-year-old Nurin Qistina Mohammed Faizal, also studying mass media management, views the degree as redundant, believing that such skills can already be learned through existing courses.
Some students, like 18-year-old Nathalia Lee, are outright skeptical, citing the uncertainty of a career as a full-time influencer and the lack of formal qualifications among influencer educators.
Despite these reservations, the program’s potential to offer practical and unique curriculum designs that combine content creation with business and media management skills could still attract some students in the future.
