By being made aware of the challenges that face these industries, you develop your skills in creative thinking in a management context. Through utilising case studies and participation in live projects, you develop into a professional with the capability to make an immediate contribution to the success of both existing and new creative business ventures.

For details of the teaching staff on this course please see the staff profiles

How this course is taught

The course has a high taught component; however you are also required to sustain your own personal development through periods of negotiation, research and realisation with tutorial support.

Initially the course is lecture and workshop-based and utilises individual and group projects. Sessions then become increasingly workshop and project-led (including a live consultancy project). The final stage of the course is self-led, developing strong cognitive skills and self reliance. You benefit from a structured programme of tutorials which support the course work.

How this course is assessed

You are assessed via assignments, individual and group presentations and projects, peer evaluation and a final dissertation/project.

Syllabus (11/12*)

Stage 1

The first phase of the course introduces key concepts and core curriculum areas. It divides management into a series of discrete functions and considers these in relation to the overall context of the creative industries. It develops methodological skills and approaches particularly in relation to creativity.

• Creative Industries 1: Context - enables you to contextualise the activities of creative industries within wider cultural and commercial frameworks.
• Creativity - an introduction to definitions and concepts of creativity. It explores what creativity is and reflects methods of creativity with concepts of taste, consumer need and the user interface.
• Accounting and Finance Principles - explores the languages, concepts, skills and application of an individual specialist area from the perspective of general management.
• People Principles - developing an understanding of Human Resources management concepts, processes and operations and their role within creative businesses.
• Management Principles - develop an awareness of the key decision making areas, in this respect and demonstrate how the tension between the customer, product/service supply and internal process design can be balanced to achieve business goals.
• Marketing principles - introduces the discipline of marketing as it is understood in the widest sense and then considers the specific context for the application of marketing skills within the creative industries, addressing the differences between sustaining relationships and communicating with other business, communicating and selling to end users and working with intermediaries.

Stage 2

The second stage of the course requires you  to undertake an individual extended research project. The topic for the project is determined by you after discussions with tutors and is intended to be closely aligned to your individual career aspirations.

• Creative Industries 2: Contemporary Issues - an overview of contemporary pervasive issues which impact upon and influence the development of the creative industries.
• Creative Industries Management Strategy - explores corporate strategy relating to creative business development and sustainability.
• Event Delivery (optional unit) - investigates the structure and nature of event planning for the creative industries.
• Service Design (optional unit) - providing an overview of the context and pervasive issues effecting contemporary service delivery in the creative industries.
• Product Innovation (optional unit) - gives you an appreciation of the key processes used in product innovation from developing a thorough understanding of consumers to creating new ideas and the transformation of these into new products.
• Entrepreneurship (optional unit) - investigates the notion of the entrepreneur, entrepreneurial behaviour, languages and concepts and identifies its connectivity with creativity and innovation.
• Live Group Project - working in small groups (4-5 people), you take responsibility for the planning, research, strategic proposals and their documentation and presentation in an appropriate form. The group nature of the project provides an opportunity for you to develop self awareness in terms of strengths and weaknesses as well as foster team working skills to deliver a complex strategic proposal.

Stage 3

• Individual Applied Research Project -  provides the context for the development of an individually directed research project leading to the production of an original 'thesis' presented in an appropriate form. The project is an independent piece of work and is intended to allow you to develop and demonstrate decisiveness in relation to the direction and outcomes of the work.

For further information please view the full programme specification

* Please note the syllabus content is for the academic year indicated and is provided as a guide. The content of the course may be subject to change.

Accommodation at UCA Rochester

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