'Serious business': influencer degree launches in Ireland

Carlow, Ireland: It s a job that didn t exist until recently but becoming an influencer is an ever more popular career path among Gen Z youth in the m...

Carlow, Ireland: It's a job that didn't exist until recently but becoming an influencer is an ever more popular career path among Gen-Z youth in the modern era of social media.

Now a first-of-its-kind course at an Irish university is teaching wannabe influencers how to convert online presence and content on platforms such as Instagram, TikTok and YouTube into revenue streams.

"Influencing is something that's catching fire," course director Irene McCormick told AFP at South East Technological University (SETU) in Carlow, an hour's drive southwest from the capital Dublin.

The idea grew out of a summer crash course "Digital Hustle" launched by McCormick that was taught by TikTokers and attracted 350 applicants for 30 places.

"It got amazing traction, we could see the appetite for more, so we broadened it to degree level," said McCormick, a former television producer and director.