Cultural & Creative Industries MA at Kings College London

Overview

Study the structure and history of the cultural and creative industries and explore practical and theoretical issues facing cultural entrepreneurs, professionals and policy-makers today. 

Using a range of tools from sociology, media and cultural studies, the course draws on teaching, research and professional expertise from both King’s academics and professionals working in the field. it is ideally suited to students looking for a career in the cultural, media and creative sectors.

Key Benefits

• Located at the heart of London’s arts and media industries.
• Guest lectures from industry professionals and researchers provide up-to-date knowledge of current debates and trends.
• This exciting and contemporary course makes use of our links with and proximity to Tate Modern, Southbank Centre and the British Film Institute.

Description

Cultural & Creative Industries is a unique interdisciplinary course that draws on cultural theories, cultural history, digital culture, management, screen studies, geography, cultural policy, gender and fashion. This exciting and contemporary course also makes use of our links with and proximity to Tate Modern, to offer bespoke optional modules that take students ‘behind the scenes’ of a leading art museum to explore different aspects of Tate’s activities. 

If you are seeking a career in the arts or creative industries, or if you are a professional looking to enhance your existing knowledge and career prospects, then this course is ideally suited for you. You can also use the training and skills we will give you to prepare for doctoral research in culture, media and creative industries. However, you should bear in mind that this is not a traditional media, communications or journalism studies course. If you want to follow a career in these areas, this course will only be relevant in so far as your interests relate specifically to the cultural and creative industries, such as performing and visual arts, cultural heritage, film, games and music.

Whilst the MA does not include an organised internship, we have a dedicated member of academic staff who assists students in acquiring practical experience through sharing information about competitive internship opportunities offered by our cultural partners or other organisations across London. Previous students from within the Department have interned at the National Theatre, Barbican Centre, British Council, British Film Institute, Hayward Gallery, National Portrait Gallery, Screen Digest, The British Museum, CIDA (Cultural Industries Development Agency), Donmar Warehouse and the V&A Museum, which gives you an idea of the exciting opportunities on offer.

Each year students have the opportunity to apply for a selective-entry Collaborative Dissertation Project, organised with external arts, media and heritage organisations. The collaborative dissertation project enables students to work with a cultural partner on a live research brief that informs their final MA dissertations.  Previous dissertation partners include Battersea Arts Centre, Black Live Theatre, Arts Council England, Dash Arts, King’s Cultural Institute, Live Cinema, Glyndebourne, Mahogany Opera Group, Lambeth Archives, OnRoad Media, Royal Society, Arts Cabinet, Iconem, and Greater London Authority.

Career prospects

Our graduates take the skills and knowledge they develop with us to a wide range of roles in the cultural and creative industries. Our previous graduates have taken up roles in arts administration in local government, marketing for a major cultural institution in London, editing a lifestyle magazine in the US, and researching for China’s broadcasting industry regulator.

Further career paths have included performing arts management, museum and gallery management, arts funding, cultural industries development, film distribution, freelance research and creative business development. A number of our students have gone on to further academic research.