BI - Market Specialist

The BI (Business Information) –Market Specialist Certificate of Achievement prepares students develop a dynamic skill and use social media as part of a marketing strategy to promote business, create demand and increase sales based on customer and market responses.

Student enrollment rates in California’s community colleges have dropped to a 20-year low in the wake of unprecedented cuts instate funding. Colleges have reduced staff, cut courses, and increased class sizes—all of which have led to declines in student access. 

Over the past year all CIS courses have gone through major revisions and have been, or will be, approved for offering during the spring and fall 2019 semesters.  New courses have been created to address the new demand in technologies preparation(virtualization, cloud, mobility, collaboration) and prepare students for the required skills to work with these new technologies.

We are confident that once the program is established we should expect close to 80 completers annually for the first few years. However,the demand will most likely require us to expand the program to service more of our students.

The BI (Business Information) – Market Specialist Certificate of Achievement provides students with a modern and practical skill that is not limited by any geographical location. The student can use their new skills to work either as a contractor, or even as a part of a bigger enterprise anywhere in the country. Yet they are still able to maintain their residence in the Coachella Valley. Students will explore the possibilities and limitations of social media and will have hands on experience with several of the outlets such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, blogs, wikis, and whichever media is current. Students will be able to relate the effects of these marketing strategies into a business. They will also learn about other marketing tools that could be used in combination with social media for a more effective marketing strategy.

Upon successful completion of the BI - Market Specialist certificate of achievement, students should be able to: use current social media outlets to promote business, create demand and increase sales based in popularity and specific client response. At the same time student will be able to evaluate the use of social media, including security, privacy and ethics.

The program is designed for students to earn their certificate in one year. This certificate prepares students for careers in a marketing and promotions environment. As stated in our college catalog and online, College of the Desert’s “programs and services contribute to the success, learning and achievement of our diverse students and the vitality of the Desert Community College District, surrounding areas, and beyond.” 

The program results in a versatile logistics setting that allows the student to maintain residence in the Coachella Valley and work from home if desired. In this manner student can be employed without having to extend any required accommodations nor travel outside the Coachella Valley if they desire. The business skills allow the student to combine their knowledge of social media with real marketing strategies and create demand known as digital currency. The course content is current and offered in short-term, affordable completion pathways, and is designed both for entry-level workforce and career advancement.