Who Should Take this Program?
This program is designed for individuals who wish to take the lead in developing sound social media strategies and understanding the application of social media tools and technology in raising brand awareness and connecting with an organization’s community. The program is beneficial for managers in marketing, PR and communications, entertainment/gaming producers, consultants involved with web analytics, business managers and entrepreneurs, and professionals involved in online community development.

By taking this program, participants gain the knowledge and skills to:

• define what an online community is and learn to apply the right social media tools to a community model
• build a strategic social media framework and plan a social media marketing campaign
• understand consumer behavior and audience profiling on different social networks
• analyze, define and evaluate social metrics for ongoing business optimization
• know how emerging technologies are affecting social media governance, and understand the privacy issues and risks when engaging in and using social media
• define monetization and determine which models best match business goals
• identify “best practices” for social media and how to create a social media plan.

Format
The UBC Award of Achievement in Social Media is offered in both an in-class format or 100% online. Courses are offered throughout the year and participants register and pay for courses on a course-by-course basis. Applications are accepted on an on-going basis.

In-class: The UBC Award of Achievement in Social Media (in-class) program consists of six, four-week courses which total a minimum of 72 hours of instruction. Courses are delivered in an evening seminar learning environment at UBC Robson Square in downtown Vancouver. In-class courses are designed to be engaging seminars where both instructor and students are encouraged to participate and interact in dialogue, discussions, and class presentations.

100% online: The UBC Award of Achievement in Social Media (100% Online) program consists of six, six-to-eight-week courses which total approximately 228 hours. Courses are delivered on an online learning platform environment. Online courses are structured to provide a positive learning environment for participants to engage in and interact with the content and class discussions. In an online course, additional time for individual study and reading is required to review the course material for assignments. Tutors facilitate throughout the course and are available to provide feedback via email and through discussion forums. Courses are delivered online over approximately six to eight weeks and involve an average of six to ten hours of study per week

Each online course is:

• includes reading online course material and case studies, as well as participating in online discussions, activities, quizzes and independent study.
• assessed through individual discussion posts and assignments or virtual team projects
• assigned completion/submission dates for each assignment. (usually weekly)
• taught by highly qualified online tutors with direct industry knowledge and experience in adult education.

Find out more about online learning.

Program Fees
There is no fee to submit an application; however, a one-time $175 administration fee is due upon acceptance into the program.

Course Fees
In-class program: fees are paid on a course-by-course basis and total approximately $2,700 CAD based on current course prices

100% Online program: fees are paid on a course-by-course basis and total approximately $3,925 CAD based on current course prices.

Students should be aware that books or related course materials may constitute an additional cost in some cases. Fees are subject to change.

Assessment Methods
The in-class curriculum consists of six required courses, with each course running over a period of four weeks. Assessment is based on assignments, projects and class participation.

The 100% online curriculum consists of a six required courses, with each course delivered over a period of six-to-eight weeks online. Assessment is based on assignments, projects, online learning activities, and discussion forums.

Graduation Requirements
To be granted the UBC Award of Achievement in Social Media, participants must successfully complete the required six courses. In addition, participants must attend a minimum of 90% of scheduled classes or seminar sessions (in-class), and/or complete all readings of lectures, readings and online learning activities (100% online) with a minimum of 60% on all graded assignments, to successfully complete program requirements. Upon graduation, participants receive a UBC Award of Achievement in Social Media.

The UBC Award of Achievement in Social Media is comprised of six required courses which participants must successfully complete in order to receive the award. With courses offered throughout the year, participants register for them at their own pace and have up to two years to complete the six courses.

Each in-class course is approximately four weeks in length and involves attending seminar sessions. Each 100% online course is approximately six-to-eight weeks in length and involves reading and engaging in online content and activities. Emphasis is placed on acquiring conceptual and practical skills in developing social media strategies, metrics and marketing plans for an organization. Courses are taught by highly qualified instructors and/or online tutors with direct industry knowledge and experience in adult education.

Note: Curriculum and program requirements for completion are subject to change.

Required Courses	Delivery Format	Length	Upcoming Offerings
Social Media Fundamentals*	In-class	4 weeks	TBA	More
Social Media Fundamentals*	100% Online	6 weeks	Sep 10-Oct 22 Oct 29-Dec 10	More
Social Media Metrics	In-class	4 weeks	TBA	More
Social Media Metrics	100% Online	6 weeks	May 28-Jul 9 Sep 24-Nov 5	More
Social Media Strategy and Marketing	In-class	4 weeks	TBA	More
Social Media Strategy and Marketing	100% Online	6 weeks	May 21-Jul 2 Sep 17-Oct 29 Nov 5-Dec 17	More
Social Media Governance	In-class	4 weeks	4 Tue, Jun 18-Jul 9	More
Social Media Governance	100% Online	6 weeks	Oct 22-Dec 3	More
Social Media Monetization	In-class	4 weeks	TBA	More
Social Media Monetization	100% Online	6 weeks	Jun 4-Jul 16 Oct 8-Nov 19	More
Social Media Project**	In-class	4 weeks	TBA	More
Social Media Project**	100% Online	8 weeks	TBA	More

*Note: This course is recommended prior to taking other UBC Continuing Studies social media courses. For those taking the UBC Award of Achievement in Social Media, Social Media Fundamentals is a required course.

**Prerequisites: Social Media Strategy and Marketing (ID206), Social Media Metrics (ID223), Social Media Governance (ID226), Social Media Monetization (ID220)

Note: To postpone or waive the prerequisite(s), you must fill out the Prior Learning Assessment form to request permission.

Courses of Interest	Length	Upcoming Offerings
Summer Institute in Social Media: Introduction to Social Media Tools and Community Engagement^	1 week	Mon-Fri, Jul 15-19	More
Social Media Tools Workshop^^	1 day	TBA	More
Build Your Profile with LinkedIn^^	Half-day	Sat, May 25	More
Social Media: Building Game Play into your Strategy^^^	4 weeks	TBA	More

^Completion of the Summer Institute in Social Media may be applied as a course credit equivalent of Social Media Fundamentals (ID200) face-to-face toward the UBC Award of Achievement in Social Media.

^^These workshops may not be applied as a course credit to the Award of Achievement in Social Media.

^^^Recommended Prerequisites: Social Media Fundamentals (ID200), Social Media Strategy and Marketing (ID206)

Courses in the UBC Award of Achievement in Social Media are taught by highly qualified instructors and/or online tutors with direct industry knowledge and experience in adult education.

• BEAUSOLEIL, Angele
• GRAYSON, Rochelle
• JUTRAS, Tristan
• KRAKE, Monica
• RICHTER, Kristin
• WATKINS, Njeri
• YASKOWICH, Marty

Applications to the program are accepted on an ongoing basis. A $175 non-refundable administration fee is due upon acceptance into the program.

To apply to the UBC Award of Achievement in Social Media, you need to:

• meet the admission requirements (see below)
• fill out an online application form and provide any supporting documents.

Admission Requirements
The admissions process helps to ensure that the needs, intentions and expectations of participants are adequately matched to the program's objectives and capabilities. Admission to the program may be limited by the availability of courses, facilities and instructors. To accommodate learners from a variety of backgrounds, the admission requirements for the UBC Award of Achievement in Social Media are fairly broad. However, all applicants must have the following:

• post-secondary education: a college diploma or bachelors degree, or if a mature student must be a secondary school graduate and have three years of relevant work experience
• three to five years of work experience
• fluency in the English language, including good written and verbal communication skills.

To apply to the program, you will be asked to submit:

• a completed application form.
• a letter of intent (max. 500 words). This should include personal and/or career goals, interests and program expectations.
• a resume documenting educational achievements and relevant work or volunteer experience.
• names, phone numbers and affiliation of three professional or academic references.