BA/BSc (Hons) Arts, Media and Creative Industries Management*

This course is designed for individuals who want to lead, manage and innovate within the global arts, media, and creative industries. Whether your background is in performance, visual arts, or media, BA/BSc (Hons) Arts, Media and Creative Industries Management supports your transition into strategic roles where creativity meets commerce. You might be passionate about shaping creative projects, developing cultural programmes, or driving change in the media and entertainment landscape.

Through a blend of practical and theoretical study, you’ll gain the tools to become a confident, values-led manager – ready to lead teams, launch ventures, and respond to the challenges facing creative organisations today.

All undergraduate courses at AUB offer an optional placement year, to be taken between your second and third years of study.

If you’re unsure about this optional placement, you don’t need to decide now. Once you’re here and studying with us, the course team will discuss the placement options with you, so when the time comes, you can make a decision that’s right for you.

In your first year, you’ll be introduced to the foundations of creative business and management. You’ll explore the structure of the global creative industries and gain key skills in teamwork, leadership, communication, and financial literacy. You’ll examine the role of ethics, sustainability and social responsibility in managing creative enterprises, and begin to develop your own approach to collaborative working. Core topics include:

• Introduction to creative industries
• Leadership and team working
• Finance and budgeting for creatives
• Managing creative projects
• Critical perspectives on creativity and culture

In your second year, you’ll build on your understanding of the sector by studying how innovation and strategy are used to shape and grow creative businesses. You’ll take on live briefs and case studies from industry partners, giving you real-world insights into the challenges and opportunities in the field. You’ll also deepen your understanding of audiences, brand strategy, marketing, and intellectual property. By the end of the year, you’ll work on a career planning module to identify your professional goals and the steps needed to achieve them. Topics include:

• Creative innovation and enterprise
• Global markets and audiences
• Branding and marketing strategy
• Legal and ethical frameworks in the arts
• Career planning and professional practice

If you opt for the four-year course, this is followed by an optional placement year, where you’ll work in industry to develop hands-on experience, build your network, and strengthen your CV.

In your final year, you’ll apply your learning to a major self-directed project that reflects your professional aspirations—this could be a business plan, a creative enterprise proposal, or a critical research study. You’ll also develop advanced strategic skills through units in leadership, cultural policy, and sustainability. You’ll be supported in articulating your unique identity as a future creative leader, and in planning your next steps after graduation. Topics include:

• Strategic leadership and organisational change
• Creative business futures
• Major Project (business/research/industry-led)
• Final career and enterprise planning

The academic year is planned to include educational visits. During the year, at least one excursion to London or another UK cultural hub is available.

Due to Bournemouth's proximity to London, excursions can easily be planned to London’s art galleries and museums to supplement academic work. Professional progress as practitioners depends on primary research; trips give you confidence, promote independence, and present opportunities for your future professional and personal development. Any additional trip fees are disclosed before the visit.

Visiting tutors and industry professionals play a vital role in the BA/BSc (Hons) Arts, Media and Creative Industries Management course, enriching your learning with real-world insight, up-to-date industry knowledge, and diverse professional experiences.

You’ll benefit from workshops, guest lectures, and live project critiques delivered by creative leaders across sectors such as media, events, branding, and cultural enterprise. These sessions not only bring depth and relevance to your studies but also provide opportunities to network, explore career paths, and understand the evolving expectations of the creative economy.

You’ll also have access to the University’s Innovation Studio, where external partners and mentors support collaborative projects, enterprise initiatives, and early-stage business ideas. The course encourages active engagement with a wide range of creative thinkers and makers from across the School of Arts, Media and Creative Industries Management, helping you build professional relationships and gain a broader perspective on leadership, innovation, and creative collaboration.