Nielsen Foundation Makes New Grant to Support Development of the First 2-Year “Media Sales Department” (MSD) Collegiate Curriculum in the U.S.

Nationwide — For the first time in the U.S., students of the Atlanta University Center (AUC) will have the opportunity to complete a four-year college degree in which the last two years of the curriculum will equip them with the skills to succeed in media sales, operations, and marketing.

In December 2024, the Nielsen Foundation, a private foundation established by Nielsen, made a new $75,000 one-year grant to support the development of this media sales department (MSD). This grant is part of the Nielsen Foundation’s work to power and advance inclusive innovation and representation in media and technology careers.

Starting in Fall 2026, juniors and seniors at Clark Atlanta University (CAU), Morehouse College, and Spelman College will be eligible to register for the courses. The curriculum will be derived from the 25-year successful Media Sales Institute (MSI) curriculum, a 10-day program that prepares and pre-qualifies college graduates for careers in media sales, operations, and marketing departments.

The MSD roadmap was unveiled on June 15, 2023, at the National Association of Black Owned Broadcasters (NABOB)/MSI graduation at Morehouse College with its “inaugural” media partner, Gray Media.

Dean of the CAU School of Business, Silvanus Udoka, said, “I am proud and excited to be a part of this initiative and partner with the MSI Foundation, along with the media industry to offer the first collegiate concentration in media sales, operations, and marketing in the country!”

Jeffrey P. Myers, co-founder of The Media Sales Institute Foundation and co-developer of the Media Sales Department program stated, “Our strategy is the best long-term plan to recruit diverse, pre-screened, and highly qualified entry-level employees into the media industry. We are proud of an amazing MSI alumni network that consists of more than 1,000 graduates being employed in media sales departments across the industry.”

Andrea Bertels, President and Executive Director of Grantmaking for the Nielsen Foundation, shared, “Visibility, knowledge, and access to a variety of career paths in the media industry can open so many opportunities for students. The Nielsen Foundation is honored to support the development of the Media Sales Department curriculum to empower future media sales, operations, and marketing professionals.”

The MSI Foundation and its external funders will underwrite the five-year design cost; funding opportunities to support this ongoing work are still available. Starting in 2028, the program’s cost will be supported by student enrollment at CAU’s School of Business and the Division of Communication Arts in the School of Arts and Sciences.

For more details, about the Media Sales Institute Foundation, visit TheMSI.net or TheMSD.net

For press inquiries, contact Dana Myers at (301) 452-1119 or Dana@PSPConsulting.net