Western Governors University Announces Launch of Four New Degree Programs in Finance, HR Management, Digital Marketing, And Marketing Analytics

SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH (March 16, 2023)—Western Governors University’s (WGU) College of Business launched four new online degree programs: Bachelor of Science in finance, Bachelor of Science in business administration-human resource management, Master of Science in digital marketing, and a Master of Science in marketing analytics. These new programs demonstrate the college’s ongoing mission to continually innovate and develop education pathways that provide opportunity and promote lifelong skill development that meet the needs of these respective fields. These programs reflect real-time, modern business needs and students are connected to the most up-to-date information to help them immediately thrive in the world of business.  

"WGU’s College of Business' new degree offerings are natural extensions of WGU's mission and further provide our students with the tools to succeed in these emerging fields," said Mitsu Frazier, WGU’s Executive Dean and Senior Vice President of the College of Business. "Business in the 21st century is moving at a faster pace with each day; with rapidly changing technologies, global challenges and cultural shifts, companies need to accommodate these new advances and require professionals to embrace change and innovation. That means a 21st century business education needs to provide students with the skills and immediacy that they need to succeed in this new world and help them execute those skills to adapt and move ahead of today’s world of innovation. Our curriculum is a model of the 21st century business world, and our graduates are poised to thrive." 

Employment in all four occupations is projected to increase dramatically nationally and The U.S. Department of Labor projects that these sectors will grow faster than the average for all occupations. As such, these programs were developed in concert with business industry leaders and premier industry associations to adapt to workforce needs. All four programs touch on current real-world applications and address present-day needs and challenges of professionals in finance, HR and marketing. As such, WGU graduates will be best equipped to advance their skills needed to build a lucrative career and achieve success in these high demand fields. 

“Working with employers and third-party labor market insights, we identify the essential skills that are most in-demand by employers and are needed for success in specific job roles,” said Dr. Victor Aluise, WGU’s Vice President and Dean of College Programs of the College of Business. “We leverage these skills to create the competencies that are then woven into learning experiences and validated as part of WGU's competency-based model. If students think they're ready to move on, they can take an assessment, and they receive feedback on what they still need to master. It's a flexible system of instruction, rather than a lockstep sequence.” 

All programs are currently accepting and enrolling students. Interested students may visit https://www.wgu.edu/online-business-degrees.html to learn more about WGU’s online business degree offerings.  

Bachelor of Science in Finance 

WGU’s Bachelor of Science in finance degree is a technology-forward program designed to prepare students to become an in-demand professional. This program focuses on the application of skills and knowledge in traditional finance practice as well as emerging trends and technologies. WGU’s B.S. in finance will prepare students for careers in Wall Street banks to wealth management firms. Specifically, students will acquire skills in:  

• Financial modeling and data visualization  

• Fintech 

• Blockchain/cryptocurrency AI 

• Automated trading 

• Valuation and protection 

• Financial planning 

• Portfolio management 

• Technology and innovation 

• Logistics and operations 

Bachelor of Science in Business Administration - Human Resource Management 

WGU’s online bachelor’s degree program in human resource management is designed to help students develop specialized skills in areas like talent acquisition, training and development, total rewards, HR technology, DEI, employment and labor law compliance, and more. The program is aligned with SHRM and HRCI (HR Certification Institute) standards for curriculum to help prepare graduates to sit for the SHRM Certified Professional (SHRM-CP) or HRCI Professional in Human Resources (PHR) exams. Students in the HR program are eligible to join the online WGU Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) virtual student chapter. As the leading association for HR professionals, SHRM and the WGU SHRM Virtual Student Chapter help students continue their education and networking within the HR field through events, presentations, and other resources to prepare them for success in the field of HR management. 

Many specialized skills embedded in the degree program include:  

• Talent acquisition and development 

• Total rewards strategy 

• Employment and labor law compliance and risk management 

• DEI across all HR functions 

• Application of HR technology 

• Strategic use of metrics to support decision making 

• Global HR practices 

• Agile HR as part of project and change management 

Master of Science in Marketing - Digital Marketing 

WGU’s Master of Science in marketing-digital marketing is geared toward general marketers and includes creative elements focusing on e-commerce, social media, email, and content marketing. This program provides industry-relevant courses in top in-demand areas that have distinct skill sets, along with shared foundational courses that cover general business and marketing content. Additionally, this program is built with four industry partnerships: Google, HubSpot, Online Marketing Certified Professional (OMCP), and Digital Analytics Association (DAA) to provide students with industry certification and networking opportunities throughout their degree. Students in this program also have access to the DAA membership to provide marketing industry networking opportunities. 

Digital marketing certifications that may be earned: 

• HubSpot Inbound Marketing certification 

• HubSpot Marketing Software certification 

• HubSpot Email Marketing certification 

• HubSpot Social Media Marketing certification 

• Google Ads Search certification 

• Google Digital Marketing & E-commerce Certificate (Google Career Certificate) 

• Online Certified Marketing Associate – OMCA Certification for Digital Marketers 

Master of Science in Marketing - Marketing Analytics 

WGU’s Master of Science marketing-marketing analytics is for technical marketers and includes the technical skills needed for SEO and marketing analytics. This program provides industry-relevant courses in top in-demand areas that have distinct skill sets, along with shared foundational courses that cover general business and marketing content. Additionally, this program is built with four industry partnerships: Google, HubSpot, Online Marketing Certified Professional (OMCP), and Digital Analytics Association (DAA) to provide students with industry certification and networking opportunities throughout their degree. Students in this program also have access to the DAA membership to provide marketing industry networking opportunities. 

Marketing analytics certifications that may be earned: 

• HubSpot Inbound Marketing certification 

• HubSpot Marketing Software certification 

• HubSpot SEO certification 

• Google Ads Search certification 

• Google Analytics certification  

• Google Digital Marketing & E-commerce Certificate (Google Career Certificate) 

• Online Certified Marketing Associate – OMCA Certification for Digital Marketers