Culture, Creativity and Entrepreneurship MA
Year of entry 2024
- Start date
- September 2024
- Delivery type
- On campus
- Duration
- 12 months full time
- 24 months part time
- Entry requirements
- A bachelor degree with a 2:1 (hons)
Full entry requirements - English language requirements
- IELTS 6.5 overall, with no less than 6.0 in any component
- UK fees
- £11,500 (Total)
- International fees
- £26,750 (Total)
- Contact
- pcipg@leeds.ac.uk
Course overview
Culture and creativity play a fundamental role in the development of individuals, societies, and economies worldwide. On this course you will examine the contested concepts of culture and creativity, and examine how policy makers, cultural organisations, and creative entrepreneurs are operating in contemporary cultures and economies on a global scale.
This course allows you to explore how organisations across the arts, cultural and creative sectors work in theory and practice, as well as the impact they can have on individuals and communities.
On this course, you will examine the relationship between the cultural and creative industries and the arts and explore how the cultural sector is managed by policy makers, cultural organisations, and creative entrepreneurs.
You will work collaboratively on an entrepreneurial project, and you will have an opportunity to gain insight into the business model of local creative and cultural organisations.
You will also devise and carry out an independent research project into an aspect of culture, creativity and/or entrepreneurship, investigating a topic of interest to you.
Throughout, you will learn from researchers with extensive industry experience and have the freedom to investigate areas of personal and professional interest.
Rooted in cultural theory and analysis of the contemporary cultural and creative industries, the MA Culture, Creativity and Entrepreneurship is designed for those who have previously studied courses related to cultural studies, social sciences, arts management or creative industries.
A Vibrant, Cultural and Creative City
Leeds has a thriving cultural scene and is home to large-scale events like Leeds International Film Festival, Light Night, and Transform Festival. Alongside this is a range of small scale arts and cultural activity to explore.
This provides an exciting environment in which to think about and engage with culture and creativity, and provides opportunities to put ideas into practice.
Extensive resources
You will have access to staff who are at the forefront of the study of the cultural and creative industries and have extensive experience working in the creative, cultural and policy making sector in the UK.
The School has close links with the Centre for Cultural Value, a national research centre based in the University of Leeds that provides many opportunities for students to become involved in its activities as volunteers.
Our School is based in stage@leeds, a purpose-built landmark building that sits at the heart of campus. stage@leeds hosts a range of work by students and visiting theatre companies all year round. Within the building, you will also find rehearsal rooms, two black-box studios, costume construction and wardrobe stores, a design studio, a scenic workshop, computer aided design facilities and video-editing and sound recording.
These facilities support teaching in the School and are also used by many student societies.
Leeds University Library is one of the UK’s major academic research libraries, and has extensive holdings to support your studies including Special Collections offering a huge range of rare books, manuscripts and art.
Highlights include materials relating to Leeds Playhouse, the English Stage Company, Phoenix Dance Theatre, as well as the archives of dramatists, directors and choreographers like Wole Soyinka, Rudolph Laban, John Moody, and William Gaskill.
Many of the Library’s materials are available online, allowing you to access them from a distance. You will also have access to study services like one-to-one support and skills development workshops, which will help you to get the most out of your time with us.
Course details
You will study compulsory modules designed to lay the theoretical foundations of the programme. You will explore a range of critical approaches designed to help you understand the relationships between culture, creativity, and entrepreneurship. You will learn about the cultural industries and how public policy impacts on cultural development. You will learn about enterprise and entrepreneurship and acquire the skills needed to develop a feasibility study for an existing or new creative venture or respond to an opportunity presented by a cultural organization.
To help you focus your studies in the areas that suit your interests and career plans, you will also choose optional modules which allow you to specialise in areas such as cultural policy, the relationship between culture and place, management and entrepreneurship in the arts and cultural industries.
Another compulsory module that runs throughout the year will develop your understanding of research methods in the arts and cultural industries. By the end of the course, you will demonstrate your skills and knowledge by completing an independent research project on a topic of your choice.
If you choose to study part-time, you will study over a two-year period and take fewer modules in each year.
Course structure
The list shown below represents typical modules/components studied and may change from time to time. Read more in our terms and conditions.
Year 1 compulsory modules
| Module Name | Credits |
|---|---|
| Independent Research Project (MA) | 60 |
| Theoretical Perspectives: Culture, Creativity and Entrepreneurship | 30 |
| Entrepreneurship and Cultural Industries | 30 |
Learning and teaching
MA Culture, Creativity and Entrepreneurship is informed by sector-leading approaches to teaching that help you to develop your critical thinking and analytical skills.
The course is delivered through a range of face-to-face methods including lectures, seminars, tutorials, group learning and workshops. We also use innovative digital technologies to offer additional learning support. Independent study is also vital as a chance for you to develop a range of skills.
You will participate in knowledge-exchange through small-group discussions in seminars and workshops. You will receive one-to-one support from expert academics in the related fields of culture, creativity and entrepreneurship.
On this course you’ll be taught by our expert academics, from lecturers through to professors. You may also be taught by industry professionals with years of experience, as well as trained postgraduate researchers, connecting you to some of the brightest minds on campus.
Assessment
This course uses a range of authentic assessment methods to help you develop a diverse set of skills. Depending on the modules you choose, you may be assessed by essays, oral presentations, poster presentations, project reports, critical evaluations, and reflective essays.
The variety of assessment approaches used provides opportunities for students to work on topics of interest to them; compulsory module Entrepreneurship and the Cultural Industries provides students with the opportunity to build a portfolio of work that speaks to future career interests.
The assessments on this course are designed to develop your critical thinking and analytical skills as well as developing key transferrable skills relevant to your future lives and careers.
Applying
Entry requirements
A bachelor degree with a 2:1 (hons).
Applications from a wide range of subject areas are considered, including:
Business
Fine art
Theatre
Politics
Sociology
Heritage studies
Media
Journalism
Any social sciences or humanities degree subject is suitable for entry providing there is evidence of a passion for, and commitment to the course.
Relevant work experience might include: advertising, marketing, architecture, crafts, design (product, graphic, fashion), film, TV, radio, photography, IT - software, computer services, publishing, museums, galleries, libraries, music, performing and visual arts.
International
Our admissions team are experienced in considering a wide range of international qualifications. If you wish to discuss whether your qualifications will meet the necessary entry criteria, contact the School’s admissions team.
You can also check the accepted qualifications for your country or region.
English language requirements
IELTS 6.5 overall, with no less than 6.0 in any component. For other English qualifications, read English language equivalent qualifications.
Improve your English
International students who do not meet the English language requirements for this programme may be able to study our postgraduate pre-sessional English course, to help improve your English language level.
This pre-sessional course is designed with a progression route to your degree programme and you’ll learn academic English in the context of your subject area. To find out more, read Language for Arts and Humanities (6 weeks) and Language for Social Science and Arts: Arts and Humanities (10 weeks).
We also offer online pre-sessionals alongside our on-campus pre-sessionals. You could study a part-time online course starting in January, or a full-time course in summer. Find out more about online pre-sessionals.
You can also study pre-sessionals for longer periods – read about our postgraduate pre-sessional English courses.
How to apply
Application deadline:
We operate a staged admissions process for some of our courses, with selection deadlines throughout the year.
If you do not receive an offer, or a notification that your application has been unsuccessful at a particular stage in the process, your application will be carried forward to be considered at the next stage.
Please see our How to Apply page for full details and the application timeline for the staged admissions process.
The ‘Apply’ link at the top of this page takes you to information on applying for taught programmes and to the University's online application system.
If you're unsure about the application process, contact the admissions team for help.
Documents and information you’ll need
A copy of your degree certificate and transcripts, or partial transcripts if you're still studying (please submit an official English translation if necessary)
Evidence of your English language qualifications, if English is not your first language
A personal statement in response to the questions asked in the supporting statement section of the application form. Please respond to the questions in the application form.
A full up-to-date CV.
The Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Cultures receives very large numbers of high-quality applications and regrets that it cannot make offers to all of its applicants. Some particularly popular schools may have to reject many that hold the necessary academic qualifications.
Read about visas, immigration and other information in International students. We recommend that international students apply as early as possible to ensure that they have time to apply for their visa.
Admissions policy
University of Leeds Taught Admissions Policy 2024
This course is taught by
School of Performance and Cultural Industries
Contact us
Postgraduate Admissions
Email: pcipg@leeds.ac.uk
Telephone:
Fees
UK: £11,500 (Total)
International: £26,750 (Total)
For fees information for international taught postgraduate students, read Masters fees.
Read more about paying fees and charges.
Part-time fees
Fees for part-time courses are normally calculated based on the number of credits you study in a year compared to the equivalent full-time course. For example, if you study half the course credits in a year, you will pay half the full-time course fees for that year.
Additional cost information
There may be additional costs related to your course or programme of study, or related to being a student at the University of Leeds. Read more about additional costs.
Scholarships and financial support
If you have the talent and drive, we want you to be able to study with us, whatever your financial circumstances. There may be help for students in the form of loans and non-repayable grants from the University and from the government. Find out more at Masters funding overview.
You may also be eligible to apply for a scholarship to help support your studies.
Career opportunities
You’ll gain a variety of in-depth subject knowledge from this course, as well as valuable transferable skills such as cultural and social awareness, research, analysis and communication.
Our graduates have pursued a range of careers that reflect this diversity. They’ve joined international consultancy firms and social enterprises as research associates, become project managers in arts and cultural organisations or worked as policy managers and advisers within cultural policy bodies.
Others have gone on to work in public policy, urban regeneration, community development, teaching and more – and some have also set up their own businesses, either during or soon after the course.
Many other graduates have continued with their research and progressed to PhD study. There is a wide variety of careers and employability support available across the University to help you with your career.
On this course, you will have opportunities to network and establish connections with experts working in the Cultural and Creative Industries through our Critical Insights programme.
Many other graduates have continued with their research and progressed to PhD study. There is a wide variety of careers and employability support available across the University to help you with your career.
Careers support
The School of Performance and Cultural Industries has a strong commitment to enhancing student employability. We established an Industry Advisory Board for PCI in 2022. The board features 12 members from a range of cultural organisations which will contribute to the ongoing development of our School employability activities. We regularly hold employability skills workshops, talks and presentations from representatives of cultural organisations in Leeds, with practical advice to support you.
We encourage you to prepare for your career from day one. That’s one of the reasons Leeds graduates are so sought after by employers.
The Careers Centre and staff in your faculty provide a range of help and advice to help you plan your career and make well-informed decisions along the way, even after you graduate. Find out more about Careers support.
Student profile: Clare Danek
Completing a Masters has given me a huge confidence boost, and given me insight that I can apply in my arts freelance work. I’m also currently investigating the possibility of completing a PhD.Find out more about Clare Danek 's time at Leeds