Research and analytics departments in media companies – news, marketing, advertising and public relations agencies – have been called the “brains of the industry.” Research professionals working for media companies interpret big consumer-generated data, such as ratings, marketing and social data, and serve as internal consultants to managers in every department: sales, programming, news, brand strategy, marketing and promotions, and general strategic management. In public relations and advertising in particular, media researchers conduct research for the agency’s clients in such areas as message testing, campaign effectiveness, social media network patterns, and audience reception and behavior.

The goal of the certificate is to prepare students to work with research units, in-house and externally, so they are able to understand and manage the research tasks, know what type of insights can be drawn from research—including cross-media and cross-platform big data—extract insights from data, draw strategy and interpret that work to senior management. Students take courses in media management, media planning, research methods, and social media analytics as well as a capstone course. The Graduate Certificate in Media Analytics represents a recognized and substantial academic accomplishment, completed in conjunction with an M.A. or Ph.D. degree.

Name: Dr. Glen Nowak Email: gnowak@uga.edu Phone: 706-542-7833 Name: Dr. Itai Himelboim Email: itai@uga.edu