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Creative and Media Enterprises (MA) (2024 Entry)

Explore our Creative and Media Enterprises taught Master's degree

The MA in Creative and Media Enterprises was the first in the UK to examine the business of creativity by focusing on the special relationship between creativity, strategic management and cultural entrepreneurship. The course facilitates an entrepreneurial and strategic approach to managing creative business, people, and ideas across the creative and media industries.


Course overview

In this programme you will be invited to develop your understanding of creative organisations, teams, value creation, and markets within the global creative economy. We encourage you to consider a creative approach to management and a managed approach to creativity, which can then be applied to a range of scenarios and industries.

You will also develop your understanding of entrepreneurship and intellectual property and its strategic and regulatory significance within the creative and media industries. This course will invite you to critically reflect on the theories and ideas that shape industry practice and help you to tackle the real challenges of running a creative business.


General entry requirements

Minimum requirements

2:1 undergraduate degree (or equivalent) in a related subject.


English language requirements

You can find out more about our English language requirementsLink opens in a new window. This course requires the following:

  • Band B
  • IELTS overall score of 7.0, minimum component scores of two at 6.0/6.5 and the rest at 7.0 or above.

International qualifications

We welcome applications from students with other internationally recognised qualifications.

For more information, please visit the international entry requirements pageLink opens in a new window.


Additional requirements

There are no additional entry requirements for this course. However, we may ask applicants to write a short essay, attend an interview, or respond to a set of questions.

Core modules

Creativity and Organisation

The module examines the internal organisational dynamic of the creative business, from financial planning and human resource management to organisational theory. The module is divided into three parts. The first part examines the definition and creation of ‘value’ in the creative and media industries and relates this to issues in financial management. The second part considers the organisational structure of creative and media businesses. The third part focuses on strategic planning, incorporating a critique of ‘scientific’ approaches to management and planning, and a search for alternative models for strategic planning for small creative enterprises.

Managing Intellectual Property

Intellectual property is the currency of creative and media enterprises. In this module you will examine the legal, policy and commercial mechanisms through which intellectual property is managed. Management refers to the exploitation and protection of intellectual property both by organisations and individuals and at the level of government policy and legislation. You will explore the conflicts between different legal, commercial and political imperatives for managing intellectual property through case studies, seminars and presentations by visiting experts.

Creative Business Project

In this module you will apply your learning by participating in a specific project for a creative or media organisation. Working as a member of a small team you will deliver a strategic solution to a genuine issue or challenge faced by the company. Your project may relate to business planning and development, product or service design, or marketing strategy. Working in association with colleagues from your client company, your team will put their ideas into practice to meet the objectives of their brief. You will deepen your understanding of the dynamics of creative work, teams and organisations through the execution of your project and ongoing reflective practice.

Research Design

This module aims to prepare you for your Major Project, which is a substantial piece of independent research on a topic of your choice. The module will equip you with a broad understanding of relevant research methods from which to select an appropriate approach for your own project. It will introduce you to ethical dimensions of research. It will equip you to write an effective proposal (including research questions, rationale, explanation and justification of research methods, identifying relevant literature and data sources).

By the end of the module, you should be ready to submit your proposal and be equipped with a broad understanding of research methods in the cultural, creative and media industries field.

Plus the following:

Major Project

The Centre for Cultural and Media Policy Studies is an interdisciplinary centre for teaching and research in the fields of cultural and media policy and the creative industries. The commitment to interdisciplinarity is reflected in our Major Projects, where you will be encouraged to draw on approaches from across the humanities and social sciences in producing your work. Successful projects can emerge from creative engagement with scholarly debates, from the design and analysis of original empirical work, or from some combination of these. This openness of approach is also reflected in how Major Project research can be represented.

Important information

We are planning to make changes to our Creative and Media Enterprises MA degree 2024 entry. Our core and optional modules will undergo approval through the University's rigorous academic processes. As changes are confirmed, we will update the course information on this webpage. It is therefore very important that you check this webpage for the latest information before you apply and prior to accepting an offer.


Optional modules

Optional modules can vary from year to year. Example optional modules may include:

  • Marketing and Markets
  • Cultural Entrepreneurship
  • Media, Policy and Markets
  • Developing Audiences for Cultural Organisations
  • Managing Creativity for Sustainable Development

All students will take one optional module. There are five core modules, which also includes a course specific applied management module. The bespoke applied management module for this MA is ‘Creative Business Project’ (see above). This module gives you the opportunity to apply your learning in practice- or industry-related contexts.

Read more about the MA in Creative and Media Enterprises on the Centre's website.Link opens in a new window

Teaching

You will learn in an international environment through interaction with academic experts and industry practitioners.

The core modules are taught through a combination of lectures, workshops and student-led presentations and discussions. These sessions are complemented by self-directed learning and access to resources and activities in a virtual learning environment.

The course is designed to facilitate participation and critical reflection and in some modules you will have the opportunity to apply your learning in a professional context.


Class sizes

We traditionally limit class size to 20-35 students on each of the three taught Master's courses.


Typical contact hours

Typical contact hours range between 6 to 10 hours each week for core teaching – this excludes additional tutorials, workshops, and research seminars.


Assessment

  • All coursework
  • Written assignments come in a variety of forms: essays, case studies, evaluations, reports, proposals, portfolios and business plans
  • Group presentations and tasks, and creative and practical projects
  • A major project (written dissertation of 12,000 words) on a research topic of your choice

Additional course costs

For all MA courses, the cost of field trips or off-campus assignments are estimated to cost between £100-£200, although this will depend on which option module has been chosen or the nature of a project or placement undertaken for an applied management module.


Your timetable

Your personalised timetable will be complete when you are registered for all modules, compulsory and optional, and you have been allocated to your lectures, seminars and other small group classes. Your compulsory modules will be registered for you and you will be able to choose your optional modules when you join us.

Your career

Recent graduates from this course have gone on to work in a variety of managerial and creative roles in TV, advertising, digital media, video games, research, marketing, and rights management, or have set-up their own creative enterprises.

Employers include the BBC, Sky, Discovery, Warner Bros, HBO, Bankside Films, Ogilvy, Havas Worldwide, Penguin, Random House, Penguin, Google, Facebook, Bytedance, Tencent, Activision Blizzard, Universal, and Primavera Sound.

Our School has a dedicated professionally qualified Senior Careers Consultant offering impartial advice and guidance together with workshops and events throughout the year. Previous examples of workshops and events include:

  • Discovering Careers in the Creative Industries
  • Careers in Radio Film and Television
  • Warwick careers fairs throughout the year
  • A history and DIY Guide to setting up and running a Theatre Company

Centre for Cultural and Media Policy Studies

We are internationally renowned for our excellence in the teaching and research in the policy, management, development, enterprise and industry of culture, media communication and creativity. Our approach is based on a critical engagement with both the practical realities of working in the cultural sector and the ideological and conceptual questions which lie behind them.

Find out more about us on our website.Link opens in a new window


Our Postgraduate Taught and Research courses

Tuition fees

Tuition fees are payable for each year of your course at the start of the academic year, or at the start of your course, if later. Academic fees cover the cost of tuition, examinations and registration and some student amenities.

Find your taught course fees  


Fee Status Guidance

The University carries out an initial fee status assessment based on information provided in the application and according to the guidance published by UKCISA. Students are classified as either Home or Overseas Fee status and this can determine the tuition fee and eligibility of certain scholarships and financial support. 

If you receive an offer, your fee status will be stated with the tuition fee information. If you believe your fee status has been incorrectly classified you can complete a fee status assessment questionnaire (follow the instructions in your offer) and provide the required documentation for this to be reassessed. 

The UK Council for International Student Affairs (UKCISA) provides guidance to UK universities on fees status criteria, you can find the latest guidance on the impact of Brexit on fees and student support on the UKCISA website.


Additional course costs

Please contact your academic department for information about department specific costs, which should be considered in conjunction with the more general costs below, such as:

  • Core text books
  • Printer credits
  • Dissertation binding
  • Robe hire for your degree ceremony

Scholarships and bursaries

Scholarships and financial support

Find out about the different funding routes available, including; postgraduate loans, scholarships, fee awards and academic department bursaries.

Living costs

Find out more about the cost of living as a postgraduate student at the University of Warwick.

Find out how to apply to us, ask your questions, and find out more.

How to apply

The application process for courses that start in September and October 2024 will open on 2 October 2023.

Applications will close on 2 August 2024 for students who require a visa to study in the UK, to allow time to receive a CAS and complete the visa application process.

How to apply for a postgraduate taught course  

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