How about an MA in Facebook, MySpace?

BANGALORE, INDIA: In this age of social networking, a British university has come up with an innovative course that promises to make you a master in social media.

The 48-week full-time course by Birmingham City University, that would cost £4,400, offers the students an opportunity to explore the emerging area of social media.

Since social networking sites likeFacebook, Orkut, MySpace and Twitter have become the in-thing the university feels that the course would help them make the most of the social media websites for marketing.

The university website said this MA programme would explore the techniques of social media, consider the development and direction of social media as a creative industry, and will contribute new research and knowledge to the field.

"It's not for freaks or IT geeks. The tools learned on this course will be accessible to many people," The Daily Mail quoted convener Jon Hickman as saying.

"It will definitely appeal to students looking to go into professions including journalism and PR."

The university says that the course would help students become social media consultants and teach them the skills to develop innovative and low cost communication strategies for third sector organizations using social media tools.

The university website said the new PG program would start in September 2009. But there are students like Jamie Waterman, who think there is nothing interesting about the new course.

"Virtually all of the content of this course is so basic it can be self-taught. In fact most people know all this stuff already. I think it's a complete waste of university resources,” he said.

And what do you think of the potential of such a course?