Sign In / Sign Out
Navigation for Entire University
Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts
Mike Curb Programs in Creative Enterprise and Cultural Leadership
Master of Arts in Creative Enterprise and Cultural Leadership
The Master of Arts in Creative Enterprise and Cultural Leadership empowers students to advance innovation in the cultural sector, support creative work and careers and design public and private enterprises that will strengthen arts and design in the future. The program prepares graduates to understand the complex economic, legal, political and social context that surrounds any innovation or enterprise. Students are exposed to design thinking pedagogy as they increase their capacity for interpersonal communication, public communication, opportunity recognition, network/systems thinking, problem recognition and creativity as well as demonstrated ability in cultural leadership and knowledge of the creative industries, distribution of creative products, the creative process and management of innovation in the creative industries.
Coursework
The MA degree is 31 credit hours and can be completed in 3 semesters, the last of which does not require full time residency.
- Sample plan of study
Semester 1
Course Number/Name Credit Hours HDA 511 Leadership in the Creative Industries 1 HDA 513 Creativity and Design Thinking 3 HDA 521 Arts, Culture and the Economy 3 Semester 2
Course Number/Name Credit Hours HDA 512 Strategy: Problem Identification and Opportunity Recognition in the Creative Industries 2 HDA 583 CURB Creative Connection Field Experience/Practicum 1 HDA 522 Media Literacy and Distribution in the Creative Industries 3 GRA 501 Creative Environment and Collaborative Leadership 3 Creative Enterprise Development Elective 3 Approved Elective 3 Semester 3 (residency not required; Applied Project defense must be conducted on campus)
Course Number/Name Credit Hours Leadership Elective (may be taken online) 3 HDA 593 Applied Project 6 - Course descriptions
- HDA 511 Leadership in the Creative Industries - 1 credit; introduction to the concept of the creative industries through facilitated discussion with leaders in the field
- HDA 512 Strategy: Problem Identification and Opportunity Recognition in the Creative Industries - 2 credits; a first semester course in which students will identify one or more opportunities that they will address methodologically and practically throughout their course of study
- HDA 513 Creativity and Design Thinking - 3 credits; creativity studies and design thinking methodology, whereby creative ideas are brought to fruition
- HDA 521 Arts, Culture and the Economy - 3 credits; issues of the economics of arts and culture; role of art, design and media in society
- HDA 522 Media Literacy and Distribution in the Creative Industries - 3 credits; intellectual property in the media age, distribution of creative products, media entrepreneurship
- GRA 501 Creative Environment and Collaborative Leadership – 3 credits; explores and investigates creativity and group collaboration leadership as it applies to the creative process.
- Creative Enterprise and Development Elective – 3 credits that may be satisfied from the following: MUS 598 Music Product Development; THP 552 Arts Entrepreneurship; NLM 562 Social Entrepreneurship; or another approved graduate-level course
- Leadership Elective – 3 credits that may be satisfied from the following: HDA 598 Artists, Institutions and Change; THP 551 Arts Management; PAF 503 Public Affairs; PAF 520 Public Management; NLM 540 Strategic Nonprofit HR Management; or other graduate-level courses with a leadership focus by approval
- Elective – 3 credits in graduate-level courses: MUE 598 Music and Community Engagement; NLM 510 The Nonprofit Sector; NLM 525 Fundraising and Resource Development; or by approval
- HDA 583 Fieldwork/Practicum - 1 credit; CURB Creative Connection field experience in Nashville, New York or L.A.
- HDA 593 Applied Project - 6 credits; launch of a creative enterprise with individual faculty supervision that began development in HDA 512 Strategy
Graduate handbook for the MA in Creative Enterprise and Cultural Leadership
Apply
The applicant must meet all admission requirements of the Graduate College. In addition, a bachelor’s degree in arts or design discipline, business, sociology, public policy or related discipline is required. A minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 is required in the last 60 undergraduate semester hours of coursework.
Application requirements
- Completed online application
- English proficiency test (International applicants only)
- Letter of intent outlining reasons for choosing to pursue an MA in Creative Enterprise and Cultural Leadership and outlining how the applicant’s unique background (academic and/or professional), abilities, and interests make them a suitable candidate
- Evidence of potential to be successful (maximum of 30 pages). This could be any example of academic or professional work that demonstrates ability, examples include:
- Critical essay from previous academic work;
- Critical essay for professional audiences;
- Business plan for a new or existing enterprise;
- Material produced for your professional creative practice;
- Curatorial materials for an event/exhibition/program;
- Marketing materials designed or written by the applicant;
- Other professional or technical writing relevant to the creative industries;
- Other relevant material. Contact Program Coordinator with questions.
- Two letters of recommendation from professionals who can speak to the potential for success in creative enterprise and/or cultural leadership
- Professional résumé
- Online interview of applicants who reach the finalist stage of consideration will be conducted via Skype within three weeks of submitting an application
- All undergraduate university transcripts
- Application fee
- GRE test scores are optional and are not a requirement to apply for this program
Application deadlines
August 15 (semester start date) for Fall 2018 cohort
Application opens each year in September
Applications are considered on a rolling basis through June on a space-available basis, but those received by February 1 of each year will be given priority for that fall's session start
Accelerated Masters 4+1 program
The Accelerated Masters (4+1) program enables Herberger Institute students completing approved Bachelor of Arts (BA) or Bachelor of Science (BS) degrees and interested in the Master of Arts in Creative Enterprise and Cultural Leadership to complete both degrees in a five-year period.
Students, in consultation with their advisor, will choose six credits of coursework that complements their undergraduate course of study from among the following 500 level courses during their senior year
- HDA 513 Creativity and Design Thinking (3 credits)
- HDA 521 Arts, Culture, and the Economy (3 credits)
- HDA 522 Media Literacy and Distribution (3 credits)
- GRA 501 Creative Environment and Collaborative Leadership (3 credits)
Six credits of 400 level coursework chosen from within each of the bachelor’s degree courses will count toward the MA degree (click on the bachelor degrees below to get specific classes for each program):
MA in Creative Enterprise and Cultural Leadership +
- BA in Art (Art History)
- BA in Art (Museum Studies)
- BA in Arts
- BA in Digital Culture
- BS in Environmental Design
- BA in Film (Filmmaking Practices)
- BA in Film (Film & Media Productions)
- BA in Music
- BA in Theatre