Many people have written about the influx of social media “experts” that Twitter and other social media tools seem to have attracted. You may see them refer to themselves as specialists, experts, mavens, consultants, etc. But, with so many “experts” out there, how do you know which ones are real, and which ones are abusing the label? One University is now trying to make the distinction official.

Starting this September, Birmingham City University will be offering a year-long Masters in Social Media course attempting to “explore the emerging area of social media through scholarly research or practice.”

According to Jon Hickman, the course convener:

“During the course we will consider what people can do on Facebook and Twitter, and how they can be used for communication and marketing purposes. There has been significant interest in the course already, and it will definitely appeal to students looking to go into professions including journalism and PR.”

Dr. Hickman offers this video to outline how he sees the MA program:

Is a Masters degree what it takes to prove you are an “expert” in social media? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments below.