Michigan State Adds New Media Drivers License Course to Communication Arts and Sciences Department

June 27, 2009 - PRLog -- Michigan State University introduced its first New Media Drivers License Course in the spring semester of 2009 to educate students on the new rules of marketing, public relations and sales.

   The New Media Drivers License Course instructs students how to utilize digital marketing, search engine optimization and social media networks, such as Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter and how to apply those skills in the business world.

   Dr. Richard Cole, chair of the advertising, retailing and public relations department at MSU, and Derek Mehraban, CEO of Ingenex Digital Marketing, are the instructors of the New Media Drivers License Course.  

   Learning how to drive the net and take advantage of blogs is the new way for companies to keep in touch with consumers and meet their needs directly.  

   “Organizations use blogs to measure what’s going on with their stakeholders and to understand corporate reputation,” said Glenn Fannick, Dow Jones text miner and media measurement expert.  

   Two books are required for the course.  One being, “The New Rules of Marketing and PR by David Meerman Scott and the other is “Presentation Zen, Simple Ideas on Presentation Design and Delivery” by Garr Reynolds.  Both books can be found on Amazon for an approximate total of $40.  

    The New Media Drivers License Course only meets in class twice a semester.  The rest of the class is completely virtual.  Homework is therefore, assigned and submitted weekly on the class blog, which allows other students in the class to view and comment on each post at their own convenience.
   
      Every Thursday night at 9 pm, Mr. Mehraban opens up a forum to the entire class to ask any questions that you may have about the current assignment.  Mr. Mehraban answers questions himself, but also gives the students the opportunity to ask any questions to one another.  
   
   For more information about the New Media Drivers License Course at MSU, please visit the New Media Drivers License Course website at http://www.newmediadl.com.  You may also contact Derek Mehraban at 734-272-4698 or derek@ingenexdigital.com.

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My name is Amanda Pranke and I am a student at Michigan State University. I am currently majoring in advertising and public relations and plan to graduate in the spring of 2010.