Continuing and Professional Studies (CPS) at Rutgers School of Communication and Information (SC&I) has announced the launch of the Media Asset Management in Practice (MAM in Practice) certificate program, a new professional development offering designed to address the growing need for effective strategies to manage video and digital media. The program trains professionals to preserve, organize, and make media assets accessible while aligning content management practices with organizational goals.

The MAM in Practice certificate equips students with practical strategies to capture, store, organize, and retrieve growing volumes of video and multimedia content. Taught by industry experts, it provides applied instruction that enables students to build sustainable, AI-enhanced content ecosystems, ensuring media assets are both easily discoverable and preserved for the future.

"CPS is excited to launch the MAM in Practice certificate, a professional learning space designed for media asset management practitioners," said Julie Johnson, Ed.D., assistant dean and director for continuing and professional studies. "Building on our programs in digital asset management (DAM), creative operations, and DAM for galleries, libraries, archives, and museums, this certificate equips working professionals with the technical expertise, leadership skills, and practical strategies needed to advance and lead in this rapidly evolving field. Guided by the vision of David Lipsey, academic director of creative operations and digital asset management, and the expertise of Meredith Reese, Christina Gibbs, and Annie Erdmann, the program is uniquely positioned to prepare students for the future of MAM."

Why Media Asset Management, and Why Now?
The rapid growth of original video content—whether broadcast, marketing, or social media—has transformed how organizations communicate. Without clear strategies to manage this content, teams risk losing valuable assets or failing to maximize their use.

"This program is designed to empower professionals to transform how they think about and manage digital media," said Meredith Reese, senior manager of IT services for the Los Angeles Philharmonic and faculty lead for the Managing Rich Media: Foundations of Modern DAM and MAM module. "By the end, participants won't just understand current DAM tools and key concepts—they'll leave with a concrete plan to drive access and preservation for media in their organizations."

Reflecting the growing importance of media asset management across industries, Rutgers is committed to preparing professionals for leadership in this evolving field. "Rutgers equips professionals with the knowledge and strategies to take on the growing demands of media asset management," said David Lipsey. "In sports, media, entertainment, and corporate studio environments where time-based media plays an increasingly critical role, the expertise gained here positions graduates to make meaningful and widely recognized contributions."

From AI-ready metadata to long-term preservation, the curriculum blends technical expertise with leadership development, giving participants the skills to design systems that work today and adapt for tomorrow.

Who Should Enroll?

MAM in Practice is designed for professionals across industries who manage video and digital content and need strategies to keep it organized, accessible, and preserved:

• Marketing, communications, and brand teams: content managers, PR professionals, brand leaders
• Media, entertainment, and creative production: digital archivists, media operations specialists, social media managers, media asset managers, creative operations professionals (video, photography, design, marketing), digital content strategists
• Sports content operations: sports content managers, broadcast asset managers, sports media librarians, sports media asset managers, brand/media content workflow managers, managers of media services
• Archives, libraries, galleries, and museums: archivists, librarians, collections managers
• Healthcare: media and communications professionals, patient education content managers, training content managers, marketing and digital content managers in hospitals, health systems, or research centers
• Technology and information roles: IT professionals, project managers, metadata specialists, system administrators supporting DAM platforms
• Leaders driving strategy: nonprofit executives, higher education technology leaders, managers overseeing governance and compliance, emerging leaders in media asset management

"The goal is to bridge the gap between technical DAM expertise and strategic leadership. Graduates will be able to clearly demonstrate the business value of their media management solutions and feel confident building and leveraging relationships with executive stakeholders," said Annie Erdmann, digital asset management manager at Mayo Clinic and faculty lead for the Activating Strategy and Value for MAM and DAM module.

What Students Will Gain

Over 12 weeks, students will complete three progressive modules that combine recorded lectures, assignments, and practical exercises:

1. Managing Rich Media: Foundations of Modern DAM and MAM
   Learn essential skills for managing audio, video, and digital preservation workflows.
2. Elevate Your DAM Game: Build Smart, Interconnected Digital Content Ecosystems
   Explore advanced metadata strategies, AI, and semantic search to maximize reuse and accessibility.
3. Activating Strategy and Value for MAM and DAM
   Align DAM initiatives with enterprise goals, manage stakeholders, and showcase measurable results.

By the conclusion, students will produce a professional DAM or MAM implementation proposal, including a quarterly executive report highlighting KPIs, accomplishments, and strategic plans.

"DAM becomes truly transformational when it's designed as an ecosystem—one that aligns people, processes, and platforms to drive measurable results," explained Christina Gibbs, founder of Starling Data Studio, former contractor for the Smithsonian Institution, and faculty member for the Elevate Your DAM Game module. "The goal is to design digital ecosystems that empower people to do their best work—aligning tools, metadata, and strategy around real human needs."