Eagan, Minn. – Thomson Reuters and University of Wisconsin-Stout have collaborated to create a first-of-its-kind undergraduate major in digital marketing technology. This unique public-private partnership has resulted in an innovative degree program that prepares students for employment in some of the fastest-growing technology fields and helps employers meet their growing needs for qualified talent.

The University of Wisconsin System Board of Regents recently approved what is believed to be the first undergraduate degree program in the nation that combines instruction in marketing, business, online and social media, computer science and web technologies such as search engine optimization. It provides multi-disciplinary skills that are in high demand in today’s digital economy, and graduates will be well-prepared for sought-after positions not only with Thomson Reuters but also with companies across the region, as well as around the world.

“Having the right skilled talent is critical to our continued growth, yet like many employers, we have been challenged to find enough qualified candidates with broad foundational skills in digital marketing technology,” said Craig Yolitz, vice president of the FindLaw business of Thomson Reuters. “University of Wisconsin-Stout has been an able and eager partner to develop an innovative program to equip students with the precise skill sets sought by today’s employers.

“We are very appreciative,” Yolitz continued, “of the university’s willingness to listen to industry needs, act quickly on those needs of a fast-changing marketplace and be open to our involvement in educating students. This is a great model for how industry and education can partner together.”

“This is an excellent example of how UW-Stout responds to the needs of business and industry,” said University Chancellor Bob Meyer. “We heard there was an unmet need in the marketplace for graduates with digital marketing technology skills and worked hard to a find a way to meet that need.”

The new digital marketing degree program was built on the foundation of UW-Stout’s minors in Web Technology and Enterprise Technology Systems. Thomson Reuters helped develop the curriculum and provides classroom instructors for the Web Technology minor, and will continue to do so for the new digital marketing technology major.

The new major in digital marketing technology will begin this fall, and be delivered online, making it available to students nationwide and internationally.

More information on the new major is available at http://www.uwstout.edu/programs/bsdmt/

Thomson Reuters
Thomson Reuters is the world's leading source of intelligent information for businesses and professionals. We combine industry expertise with innovative technology to deliver critical information to leading decision makers in the financial and risk, legal, tax and accounting, intellectual property, and science and media markets, powered by the world's most trusted news organization. Thomson Reuters shares are listed on the Toronto and New York Stock Exchanges (symbol: TRI). For more information, go to www.thomsonreuters.com.

University of Wisconsin-Stout
UW-Stout, Wisconsin’s Polytechnic University, has about 9,400 students in 48 undergraduate majors and 23 graduate majors, including one doctoral degree. UW-Stout, established in 1891, prides itself on the success of its students in the workplace, with a graduate employment rate at or above 97 percent for recent graduates. The university was awarded the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award in 2001.