Creative Industries (MA / MSc) - 2012/2013 entry

This joint degree programme between the School of Arts and the School of Business, Economics and Informatics brings together expertise that exists across the College in the creative industries area through three distinct but complementary pathways in Arts and Media, Management, and Computing. The three awards offered are:

• MA Creative Industries (Arts and Media)
• MSc Creative Industries (Management)
• MSc Creative Industries (Computing).

• Provides practical media and management modules which will enhance career development together with the rigorous analysis of the contemporary media and creative industries.
• Choose from three pathways in Arts and Media, Management, and Computing.
• Gain the opportunity to cross disciplines and explore topics in film and media, digital media, arts management, management and computing.
• Opportunity to ‘add on’ language training.
• Modules are delivered by established artists, practitioners and researchers.

Students on all pathways will start with a compulsory module to set the context for the study of the creative industries:

• The Creative Industries: Theory and Context (Part 1): 15 credits – taught in autumn
• The Creative Industries: Theory and Context (Part 2): 15 credits – taught in spring.

You then select a pathway and complete modules worth a total of 180 credit points.

Arts and Media Pathway

This pathway offers a combination of experience of creative practice, together with rigorous analysis of the contemporary media and creative industries in order to enable students to progress their careers with an understanding of the context in which creative practice flourishes. Option modules that may be offered include Digital Media Management, Web Design and Development, Staging Events and Festivals, Managing the Performing Arts, Business Models for Digital Media, Fast Track to Script Structure, Key Issues in Japanese Cultural Studies, and Theory and Practice of Japanese Creative Industries.

Year 1

• Compulsory modules: 30 credits 
• Option module: 30 credits.

Year 2

• Option module: 60 credits
• Research workshop seminar
• Dissertation: 60 credits.

Management Pathway

This pathway offers the opportunity for graduates of creative disciplines and other backgrounds and who share a common goal, to create business value through strategic management, innovation and design. London provides an ideal setting in which to examine the structure role and entrepreneurship within the creative industries.

Year 1

• Compulsory module: 30 credits 
• Research Methods (compulsory): 15 credits
• Intellectual Capital and Competitiveness (compulsory): 15 credits.

Year 2

• Digital Creativity and New Media Management (compulsory): 15 credits
• Option module: 45 credits
• Dissertation: 60 credits.

Computing Pathway

This pathway aims to combine foundations in technology-based innovation and creativity, along with an understanding of advanced and emerging information technologies, and explore how these can be utilised in order to gain a competitive advantage in creative industries. What makes this pathway attractive is its emphasis on modern information and data management technologies as well as their linkages to creative industries.

Year 1

• Compulsory module: 30 credits 
• Introduction to Software Development (compulsory for students without significant computing experience): 30 credits
• Introduction to Software Engineering: Tools and Environments (compulsory for students with significant computing experience): 15 credits.

Year 2

• Digital Creativity and New Media Management (option module): 15 credits
• Computing option module/s: 45 or 60 credits (as needed in order to get sufficient credits for the award)
• Dissertation – 60 credits.

For all pathways, part-time students successfully completing Year 1 will be awarded a Postgraduate Certificate in Creative Industries. Part-time students students successfully completing Year 2 without the dissertation will be awarded a Postgraduate Diploma in Creative Industries.

Birkbeck provides a diverse range of library and learning resources designed to facilitate your studies and research. Tutorials, workshops, guest speakers and research skills seminars are provided in all departments.

Students on the Computing Pathway have access to four newly-refurbished computing laboratories with 130 computers, a wide range of software packages, and a high-speed internet connection.

Students interested in academic research can progress to a related PhD/MPhil at Birkbeck.

This programme will help you focus your work towards a career in the creative industries. You will have developed knowledge and understanding of the creative and media industries and related issues and debates, as well as how to make sense of these sectors and what they mean for contemporary economies.

Graduates with expertise in areas of the creative industries can also go on to careers in sectors of the economy that are not necessarily classified as creative industries (for example, finance and banking), but which nonetheless value evidence of creative and entrepreneurial skills. Other career destinations include media businesses, community arts and independent media companies, web design consultancies, and multimedia/game software companies

• Early applications are encouraged.
• Applicants will be notified of the next steps and contacted with times for interviews.
• There is an entrance task and interview for the Arts and Media pathway.