Destiny McGowan graduated from Nottingham Trent University in July 2026 with a degree in content creation. The program includes training on creating videos and posts for platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube, as well as strategies for building audiences and monetizing content. McGowan, 21, reports that she is earning money through her content creation efforts, including fashion posts and hosting TikTok live sales. She credits the course with providing access to equipment and industry contacts.
Nottingham Trent University launched its content creation degree in 2022, emphasizing hands-on experience. Other UK institutions, such as the University of Brighton, also offer similar courses. In the US, Arizona State University offers a comparable qualification aimed at helping students connect with audiences through creative content. The cost for these degrees is significant, with Nottingham Trent and Brighton charging £9,790 per year for UK students, while Arizona State's annual fee is $14,724 for in-state residents.
Knightenator, a UK-based content creator with a following of 65,000 on Twitch and over 100,000 on TikTok, expressed skepticism about the necessity of a degree in content creation. She has been creating content since 2015 and primarily earns income through brand partnerships. Knightenator believes that aspiring creators can find ample free resources online without needing to invest in a degree.
Conversely, Aiesha Beasley, a content creator from Phoenix, Arizona, supports the value of such degrees. She states that having a formal education in content creation would have provided her with a clearer path to monetizing her work when she began blogging in the early 2010s. Beasley argues that these courses recognize the growing importance of digital presence in marketing.
Jacky Gurr, the course leader at Nottingham Trent University, notes that most students in the program are not aiming to become influencers. Instead, she emphasizes that content creation is a professional skill needed in various sectors, including business and marketing. Gurr highlights that the curriculum covers planning, producing video content, developing campaigns, and analyzing performance data. However, she cautions that success as an influencer often involves elements beyond education, such as luck and personality.