Journalists routinely mine data sets to report stories and use various social media platforms to deliver the news.

Today, a lot of other professionals can use those skills, too.

A new degree offered by the Kansas University School of Journalism is targeted at all of the above. The online master’s program in digital content strategy — the journalism school’s first online degree offering — will begin this summer.

“We’re getting people from education who are interested, people from the military who are interested, people from business who may work in marketing, and certainly journalists,” said associate professor of journalism Doug Ward, who is helping lead development of the new program.

The master’s degree is composed of two certificates, one in data interpretation and communication and the other in social media strategy, Ward said. Students could complete just one of the certificates if they wanted, but both are required to earn the master’s degree.

Rather than deep data set analysis, for example, courses will focus on the ability to find data, work with data and communicate it, Ward said.

“We’re approaching it very broadly,” he said. “When we were looking at creating the program we were looking at the media landscape and the business landscape, and what are the skills that are in most demand.”

KU’s current Master of Journalism program is theoretically based and geared toward students who ultimately want to work in academia, Ward said.

The new online degree is open to anyone but targets working professionals, both logistically and content-wise.

It’s envisioned that students who work full time could take the online courses and earn the degree — which requires 30 hours of coursework — over a period of two years, though someone who committed to full-time coursework could do it in a year, Ward said.

He said it’s also hoped that students from different careers will bring in data and social media problems they’re facing in their own organizations and learn the specific skills needed to solve them.

Journalism ethics and law won’t have separate classes but rather will be integrated into each of the classes, Ward said. KU librarians also will teach parts of classes on databases.

“The tools and the methods constantly change,” Ward said. “What we hope to do with this is to help people understand how to get a grasp on that landscape and how to adapt and change as the industry changes.”

The deadline to apply for the program is May 1, according to the School of Journalism. The first group of students will meet for in-person orientation on the Lawrence campus in the summer and begin full online coursework in August.