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BA (Hons) Business of the Creative Industries
Be the business mind behind great art with this unique and innovative course
Year of entry: 2026/27
Show year of entry: 2025/26
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Gain the expertise to become a business leader in the creative industries. Combine advanced business knowledge with practical production skills. Prepare to find your own path into a career in this dynamic and growing sector.
Why choose York?
Build leadership and entrepreneurial skills in a creative context. Gain insight into how culture, technology, economics, and policy shape the creative industries. Understand how these contexts affect how music, films, TV shows, theatre and games are made. Study leadership, management, finance, law, marketing and more. Understand how creative work reaches and enthrals audiences around the world. Design your own business strategies that respond to real-world opportunities and challenges.
Prepare for your career and develop industry links. The creative industries are a major UK success story. They’re always on the look-out for talented graduates. We’ll prepare you for your career in this growing sector. You could take an optional internship or year in industry. Our students have taken placements at Disney, National Geographic, Warner Bros. and more! We also organise masterclasses with visiting professionals. You’ll have access to careers support from our in-house employability team, and can benefit from one-to-one supervision with an academic or industry specialist.
You’ll join a vibrant community with exceptional facilities. Our School is a microcosm of the creative industries. It’s an open house for creative minds where big ideas collide across music, technology and performance. Take modules from other programmes and work on collaborative projects with students from music to theatre. You’ll learn how business and creativity intersect, from stage to screen to virtual worlds.

A real positive of this course is the variety of modules available. It offers a great mix of both theory and practical learning, and explores all aspects of the creative industries. I'm now equipped with practical industry skills and knowledge of different markets.
Course content
- Year 1 - six core modules.
- Year 2 - four core modules and two option modules.
- Year 3 - one core module, an individual project, a group project and two option modules.
Year 1
In your first year you'll gain a comprehensive understanding of how the creative industries are structured and operate, while actively developing and testing your own creative ideas. You'll interrogate the nature of creativity and discover how leadership and ambition shape the business of film, television, theatre, games, music, and interactive media.
Academic integrity module
In addition to the above you will also need to complete our online Academic Integrity module.
Our modules may change to reflect the latest academic thinking and expertise of our staff, and in line with Department/School academic planning.
Learning outcomes
Every course at York has been designed to provide clear and ambitious learning outcomes. These learning outcomes give you an understanding of what you will be able to do at the end of the course. We develop each course by designing modules that grow your abilities towards the learning outcomes and help you to explain what you can offer to employers. Find out more about our approach to teaching and learning.
Learning outcomes for this course
- Exercise a critical understanding of the importance and functioning of entrepreneurialism, leadership, management and organisation within creative businesses and will have developed the capacity to exercise these skills in practical situations
- Initiate, lead and contribute to a range of activities relating to the creation of content and its subsequent promotion and marketing to users and audiences by virtue of an advanced understanding of financial, organisational, regulatory, legal and technical processes and tools.
- Recognise and have developed the capacity to intervene effectively in business practices and processes through a developed and critical understanding of the role of storytelling, aesthetics and technology in the production and consumption of creative content
- Navigate and negotiate the complexities of the creative industries in order to develop careers through applying a critical understanding of the organisation and functioning of these industries, their business processes, products and markets and their wider cultural significance
- Work confidently, effectively and productively alongside and in collaboration with creative and technical specialists on defined projects
- Exercise critical judgement, intellectual rigour and practical application to approaching new as well as familiar situations, and be able to communicate clearly and persuasively using appropriate written, oral and digital media

Through the course so far, I’ve been able to perfect a television pitch within my content development module. I've also had the opportunity to produce several projects, including an as-live studio gameshow in one of the facilities' TV studios!
Fees and funding
Annual tuition fees
UK (home) | International and EU |
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£9,535 | £26,900 |
UK (home) or international fees?
The level of fee that you will be asked to pay depends on whether you're classed as a UK (home) or international student. Check your fee status.
Fees for subsequent years
- UK (home) fees may increase within the government fee cap in subsequent academic years. We will notify you of any increase as soon as we can.
- International fees are subject to increase in subsequent years in line with the prevailing Consumer Price Index (CPI) inflation rate (up to a maximum of 10%).
More information
For more information about tuition fees, any reduced fees for study abroad and work placement years, scholarships, tuition fee loans, maintenance loans and living costs see undergraduate fees and funding.
Funding
We'll confirm more funding opportunities for students joining us in 2026/27 throughout the year.
York, Oxford, Cambridge, Imperial
Just four UK universities are rated Gold for teaching and top ten for research* in the latest national assessment exercises.
* Awarded joint 10th in the Times Higher Education ranking of the Research Excellence Framework 2021.
Teaching and assessment
You’ll study and learn with academics who are active researchers, experts in their field and have a passion for their subjects. Our approach to teaching will provide you with the knowledge, opportunities, and support you need to grow and succeed in a global workplace. Find out more about our approach to teaching and learning.
Teaching format
We teach you in a variety of formats, from lectures, seminars and workshops, through to problem-based learning sessions where you will work on business and creative challenges. In your third year, there will be one-to-one or Executive Producer style supervision for individual and group projects.
You'll progress rapidly, guided by our experienced academics who will ensure you're in contact with the latest ideas, trends and technologies. You'll be able to meet industry experts through masterclasses and our professional visitors programme. Our staff are always happy to discuss your ideas, and provide support and advice.
You'll also have the opportunity to step outside your degree programme and expand your knowledge with a range of elective modules.
Timetabled activities
In your first year, you can expect:
Lectures | 3-6 hours per week |
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Seminars | 4 hours per week |
Workshops | 26 hours |
Practicals | 60 hours |
Film Screening | 6 hours per week (in Semester 1) |
These figures are representative of a typical week. Your contact hours will vary throughout the year due to your module choices, non-compulsory classes, exam periods and changes to scheduled activities.
Outside your timetabled hours, you'll study independently. This may include preparation for classes, follow-up work, wider reading, practice completion of assessment tasks, or revision.
In the UK, full-time students are expected to spend 1,200 hours a year learning. That's about 40 hours of classes and independent study each week during semesters. Everyone learns at a different rate, so the number of hours you spend on independent study will be different to other students on your course.
Facilities
You will study in our comprehensively-equipped £35m arts and media complex. Depending on your choice of project and specialism you will have the opportunity to work in:
- a professional scenic stage theatre
- a black box theatre and sound stage with a lighting grid and gantry as well as a two-wall cyclorama for live action and visual effects film shoots
- two rehearsal rooms
- a 4K digital cinema with surround sound and digital projection
- three broadcast-ready HD television studios
- two post-production labs featuring Adobe Creative Cloud, Pro Tools, DaVinci Resolve, Nuke, and other industry packages
- an Interactive Media lab with interactive peripherals such as a Wacom Cintiq, game consoles, Leap Motion sensors, tracking cameras and immersive VR headsets
- a design lab for user experience evaluation and creative design work.
You will also have access to some of our extensive range of cameras and location recording equipment. You'll be able to join and realise theatre projects with Platform, our student-run drama society. You'll be able to make your own screen projects through FilmLab, our students' own, well-equipped, film society.
Teaching location
You will be based in the School of Arts and Creative Technologies with some additional teaching elsewhere on Campus East.
About our campus
Our beautiful green campus offers a student-friendly setting in which to live and study, within easy reach of the action in the city centre. It's easy to get around - everything is within walking or pedalling distance, or you can use the fast and frequent bus service. Take a campus tour.
Assessment and feedback
Assessment methods vary according to modules and include practical exercises, presentations, essays, scripts, project proposals, strategy documents, reports and in some cases production work.
Most modules will have formative assessments which do not count towards your final work but help guide your progression.
In the majority of cases you will assessed individually. The collaborative nature of the creative industries however means that some of your modules will involve group work. In these you will be assessed on work that you have produced as a team, as well as on your individual contribution to the project.
Careers and skills
We will equip you to develop a career in a range of creative production areas: screen, stage, games, festivals, public events, and more. You will learn a number of key skills, such as techniques for managing large-scale projects, budgeting and fundraising, distribution and marketing strategies, negotiation methods and you'll acquire knowledge of legal and regulatory issues relating to the creative industries. You'll learn this while exploring your own potential as an entrepreneur, to not only run but initiate new creative work, and find the next business opportunity in still untapped areas of digital media.
We expect graduates of this degree to become the creative entrepreneurs of the future, contributing to Britain’s world-leading reputation for delivering high quality arts and entertainment.
Career opportunities
The majority of our graduates move into staff or freelance roles in the film, television, video and interactive media industries. Likely roles include:
- Producer in film, theatre, television or video games
- Film or TV commissioner, scheduler, event programmer
- Executive in leading creative institutions and media companies
- Marketing, distribution
- Advertising
- Creative business leader
Transferable skills
Transferable skills developed on the course include:
- Team-working and collaboration
- Leadership and strategy
- Project management
- Budgeting and fundraising
- Communication, negotiation and presentation skills
- Independent research
- Critical and analytical thinking
Entry requirements
Qualification | Typical offer |
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A levels | ABB |
Access to Higher Education Diploma | 30 credits at Distinction and 15 credits at Merit or higher |
BTEC National Extended Diploma | DDM |
European Baccalaureate | 75% overall |
International Baccalaureate | 34 points |
T levels | We will consider a range of T Level qualifications for entry. Please visit our dedicated T Levels page for a full list of accepted T Levels. |
Scottish Highers / Advanced Highers | Scottish Highers - ABBBB
Advanced Highers - not required for entry
We may also be able to consider three Advanced Highers or a combination of Highers and Advanced Highers, where an applicant does not meet the grade requirement through Highers alone. Please contact us to discuss your qualifications. |
International foundation programme | Foundation Certificate from our International Pathway College or an appropriate alternative. |
Other international qualifications | Equivalent qualifications from your country |
Alternative offers
Meeting the following additional criteria may qualify you for an alternative offer.
Criteria | Adjustment |
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Widening participation | If you successfully complete one of the following programmes, you may be eligible for an alternative offer up to two A level grades (or equivalent) below our typical offer: Black Access Programme, Next Step York, Realising Opportunities. More about widening participation. |
Contextual offer | BBB |
EPQ | If you achieve C or higher at EPQ, you may be eligible for an alternative offer up to one A level grade (or equivalent) below our typical offer. |
Core Maths | If you achieve B or higher in Core Maths, you may be eligible for an alternative offer up to one A level grade (or equivalent) below our typical offer. |
English language
If English isn't your first language you may need to provide evidence of your English language ability. We accept the following qualifications:
Qualification | Minimum requirement |
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IELTS (Academic) | 6.5, with a minimum of 6.0 in each component |
IB English | A score of 4 in English A or 5 in English B (Higher Level or Standard Level) |
Cambridge CEFR | 176, with a minimum of 169 in each component |
Oxford ELLT | 7, with a minimum of 6 in each component |
Oxford Test of English Advanced | 136, with a minimum of 126 in each component |
Duolingo | Integrated subscores: 120 overall, with a minimum of 105 in each component |
GCSE/IGCSE/O level English Language (as a first or second language) | Grade C / Grade 4 |
LanguageCert SELT | B2 with a minimum score of 33/50 in each component |
LanguageCert Academic | B2 with a minimum score of 33/50 in each component |
Kaplan Test of English Language | 478 Main Flight score with 444 in each component |
Skills for English | B2: Merit overall, with Pass with Merit in each component |
PTE Academic | 61, with a minimum of 55 in each component |
TOEFL | 87 overall, with a minimum of 21 in each component |
Trinity ISE III | Merit in all components |
Other English language qualifications | We also accept other English Language qualifications, including various school-leaving certificates. |
For more information see our undergraduate English language requirements.
If you haven't met our English language requirements
You may be eligible for one of our pre-sessional English language courses. These courses will provide you with the level of English needed to meet the conditions of your offer.
The length of course you need to take depends on your current English language test scores and how much you need to improve to reach our English language requirements.
After you've accepted your offer to study at York, we'll confirm which pre-sessional course you should apply to via You@York.
Next steps
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