Where can going viral on TikTok get students an A in a college class?

It makes sense if you think about it — what better way to demonstrate your knowledge in a social media class than to go viral on social media? That was the thinking behind Matthew Prince’s challenge to students in the influencer marketing course he teaches at Chapman University in Southern California.

On the first day of class, Prince told students that if they created a TikTok video that received 1 million views before he did, he would cancel their final exam. One student, sophomore Sylvie Bastardo, succeeded in a day by posting a video of Prince's announcement of the challenge in class. True to his word, Prince applauded Bastardo and canceled the final.

But Prince isn’t the only teacher giving students the chance to prove their worth on social media. Assistant Professor Marina Cooley of Emory University’s Goizueta Business School incorporates TikTok videos as part of her class's final grade, deciding alongside the students that 25,000 views would earn an A.

“As somebody that’s on the Internet, you can’t really escape influencer marketing, period,” said Margaret Chang, a senior in Cooley’s class whose video surpassed 3 million views. “I’m interested in I.P., business, corporate law. Maybe it will end up playing a role in my career.”