NASHVILLE, Tenn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Kaplan College’s Nashville campus, today announced it has become an authorized educational partner with the National Institute for Social Media (NISM) to offer training and certification preparation courses in social media marketing and strategy. NISM is the first and only organization to offer a standardized industry certification around the discipline of social media.
Under this exciting new educational partnership, public relations, marketing, and human resource professionals in the Davidson County/Middle Tennessee area can now enroll in the NISM Social Media Strategist Certification Training course as an additional continuing education or career advancement option.
The first class starts Monday, January 19, 2015. This “blended” course (both on campus and online) prepares students for the industry’s only standardized “Social Media Strategist” certification exam. This unique training experience not only provides intense preparation to earn a valuable certification credential, it will also put students on the forefront of modern marketers with real-world instruction taught by an NISM-certified trainer and social media strategist.
“All of Kaplan College’s programs are designed to prepare our students to engage the marketplace successfully,” said Haley Johnson, Executive Director of Kaplan College-Nashville. “As more and more organizations adapt social media as a resource for achieving corporate objectives, these organizations are seeking experts to help them navigate the impact and opportunity social media presents. Kaplan College has developed a strong program designed to prepare in demand social professionals for success.”
The NISM Social Media Strategist Certification Training program validates the foundational skills required of professionals using social media. To achieve certification as a Social Media Strategist, students complete 30 hours of intense coursework delivered through a blended format with most of the content presented online. Students are required to pass a certification exam covering the six primary content domains of general practitioners in social media: strategic planning; compliance and governance; project management; social media marketing; community management; and research and analysis. As a certified professional, participants who pass the exam will have demonstrated at least minimum levels of comprehension and mastery of essential social media best practices, and are able to apply them on the job with a marginal level of supervision.
“Establishing a business presence in social media channels can be as simple as a few mouse clicks, but we have learned that leveraging those tools for maximum business or organizational impact requires a deep and thorough knowledge of applicable strategies and tactics,” said Eric Mills, president of the National Institute for Social Media. “Our partnership with Kaplan College underscores the need in the market today for truly seasoned talent who can use social media to drive real and measurable business value.”
ABOUT KAPLAN COLLEGE
Kaplan College is a part of Kaplan Higher Education Campuses (KHEC), which provides career-focused education to more than 16,500 students at 38 locations in 11 states. Students receive hands-on training that helps prepare them to enter the workforce in some of the fastest-growing industries or advance in their current careers. KHEC offers certificates, diplomas and degrees in allied health, business, criminal justice, information technology, legal, nursing and other in-demand fields and is owned by Kaplan, Inc. Kaplan, Inc., a leading international provider of educational and career services for individuals, schools and businesses, is a subsidiary of Graham Holdings Company (NYSE: GHC) and its largest division.
For additional information, call (615) 279-8300 or visit www.kaplancollege.com/nashville-tn/.
ABOUT THE NATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR SOCIAL MEDIA
The National Institute for Social Media (NISM) is dedicated to social media education and certification for professional social media practitioners. The organization’s mission is to provide premier, vendor-neutral public education and resources related to social media. In addition, its Industry Advisory Committee defines and supports certification and continuing education standards for social media professionals in a manner that upholds industry standards for competent practice. For additional information, call (763) 200-6476 or visit www.nismonline.org.