
Please note the course details apply to 2025 entry. Details for 2026 entry for our postgraduate courses will be published from mid-October 2025.
Please note the course details apply to 2025 entry. Details for 2026 entry for our postgraduate courses will be published from mid-October 2025.
This multi-faceted MA will help you develop a critical understanding of the cultural and creative industries, including the visual and performing arts, museums and galleries, music, media, and film. You’ll draw from various disciplinary approaches, from cultural studies to sociology to media studies, to explore the nuanced past, present, and future—and structure—of the creative and cultural industries. During this Cultural & Creative Industries MA, you will learn from the teaching, research, and professional expertise of both King's academics and professionals working in the field.
“I was inspired by the world of possibilities in the Creative Industries that my course at Kings had opened up for me.”
This Cultural & Creative Industries MA is a unique interdisciplinary course that draws on cultural theories, cultural history, digital culture, management, screen studies, museum and heritage studies, cultural policy, gender, and fashion. You’ll begin this Master’s by studying the key concepts and theoretical frameworks relevant to the cultural and creative industries so that you can start to develop your own critical perspective on this topic. You will come away with a clear understanding of the contexts and debates within the cultural and creative industries and their impact on practice within the sector and build your own toolkit of analytical skills from a range of relevant disciplines. The second semester’s compulsory module will consider politics, creativity and labour in the cultural and creative industries. This is when you will expand your knowledge and understanding of the real-world workings of the sector, including cultural policies, the conditions of creative labour and the challenges faced by those who work within it. You can also choose from a broad list of optional modules to further tailor your studies. For example, you could examine the nature of work and labour in the cultural and media industries, explore the specific cultures that intersect with the gaming industries, or get an introduction to the fast-moving field of cultural memory studies. Or you might choose to learn about the business of culture, studying its relationship with the city or markets. This Cultural and Creative Industries MA will culminate in a dissertation. You will be able to choose whether you work on a traditional dissertation or if you want to collaborate with a cultural partner on your research. Choosing the Collaborative Dissertation with a Cultural Partner will see you find an external arts, media, or heritage organisation that will collaborate with you on a live research brief. Previous Cultural and Creative Industries MA students have partnered with organisations including 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. Alternatively, choosing the Creative Research Project will allow you to apply a creative practice to your research.
Located on the north bank of the River Thames, the Strand Campus houses King's College London's arts and sciences faculties.
Please note that locations are determined by where each module is taught and may vary depending on the modules you study.
King's is regulated by the Office for Students
A minimum high 2:1 undergraduate Bachelor’s (honours) degree with a final mark of at least 65% or above
If you have a lower degree classification, or a degree in an unrelated subject, your application may be considered if you can demonstrate significant relevant work experience, or offer a related graduate qualification (such as a Masters or PGDip).
Bachelor’s degree with high 2:1 honours (i.e. overall average of at least 65% across all years of study) in any discipline. For those returning to study, evidence of appropriate experience will be required.
In order to meet the academic entry requirements for this programme you should have a minimum high 2:1 undergraduate degree with a final mark of at least 65% or above in the UK marking scheme. If you are still studying you should be achieving an average of at least 65% or above in the UK marking scheme.
Please note: Meeting the minimum requirements for your application to be considered does not guarantee an offer as applications for this programme are very competitive.
To study at King's, it is essential that you can communicate in English effectively in an academic environment. You are usually required to provide certification of your competence in English before starting your studies.
Nationals of majority English speaking countries (as defined by the UKVI) who have permanently resided in this country are not usually required to complete an additional English language test. This is also the case for applicants who have successfully completed an undergraduate degree (of at least three years duration), a postgraduate taught degree (of at least one year), or a PhD in a majority English speaking country (as defined by the UKVI) within five years of the course start date.
For information on our English language requirements and whether you need to complete an English language test, please see our English Language requirements page.
Applications must be made online using King’s Apply, the Admissions Portal.
A non-refundable application fee of £130 applies.
Due to the large volume of applications, this programme operates a partial “gathered-field” approach to decision making for applicants who meet our advertised academic entry requirements. This means that for some of these applicants, a decision may not be reached until after February and where possible, will be made by May. You will be informed via King’s Apply if your application has been assessed and being held as part of this process.
To apply for a place on MA Cultural & Creative Industries, please go to King’s Apply (via the link above) to complete the online application. You must include the following supporting documents:
If English is not your first language, and your degree was not taught and assessed entirely in English, we require relevant English language qualifications to be provided. Please note that we will still be able to consider your application even if you do not yet have an English language certificate. In this case, any offer made will be given on more the condition that you meet King’s College London's English language requirements, which will be detailed in your offer letter.
In assessing your application we will look for the following: academic capabilities: broad understanding of CCI; and interest and ability in studying CCI. Your academic interests should match the broad themes that inform MA CCI teaching, i.e. cultural theory and history, cultural production, cultural consumption and cultural governance. It is ideal that your career interests correspond to the sectors on which MA CCI teaching focuses including visual cultures, museums, popular music, film and digital culture.
You will be asked to submit the following documents in order for your application to be considered:
Personal Statement | Yes |
Please provide a personal statement of around 500 words, answering the following questions: Briefly explain why you are applying for this specific programme and how it fits with your future plans? (max 250 words) How does your experience and education make you a suitable candidate for this programme? (max 250 words) Please write these questions as separate answers, with a clear title for your answer to each question. Documents where your answers are not clearly titled and separated will not be accepted. |
---|---|---|
Previous Academic Study | Yes | A copy (or copies) of your official academic transcript(s), showing the subjects studied and marks obtained. If you have already completed your degree, copies of your official degree certificate will also be required. Applicants with academic documents issued in a language other than English, will need to submit both the original and official translation of their documents. |
References | Yes | One academic reference is required. A professional reference will be accepted if you have completed your qualifications over five years ago. In some cases, we may request an additional reference from you. |
Writing Sample | Yes | Please see details below. |
Other | Optional | Applicants may wish to include a CV (Resume) or evidence of professional registration as part of their application. |
The piece of writing you should submit should be 1,000 words in length and address the following topic:
What is the most important issue facing cultural and creative industries today? Why?
Your essay will demonstrate your ability to:
- Investigate the topic/question
- Source apposite material
- Undertake original research
- Construct a coherent argument
Use appropriate evidence and source material to support your arguments, such as textbooks, journal articles, newspaper articles and internet sources. Please include AT LEAST five sources. Ensure that you cite these using the Harvard referencing system and provide a full bibliography at the end of your essay.
Teaching
This is a one-year full-time course (two years part-time) that comprises modules totalling 180 credits. Your compulsory modules provide a foundation for the master’s and the diverse optional modules on offer will appeal to a wide range of subjects as well as giving you the opportunity to discover new areas of study. Alongside taught lectures, seminars and workshops in semesters one and two you will be expected to undertake additional hours of self-study each week. In semester three, you will be expected to devote approximately 600 hours of independent study to your MA dissertation project, for which we will provide supervision guidance.
Typically, one credit equates to 10 hours of work.
Your performance will be assessed through coursework. Forms of assessment may typically include written and video essays, reports, individual and group presentations, proposals, reviews, dissertation and collaborative and creative research projects. Coursework contributes 100% to your final mark.
The study time and assessment methods detailed above are typical and give you a good indication of what to expect. However, they are subject to change.
Course is divided into modules. You will normally take modules totaling 180 credits.You are required to take:
You are also required to take:
In addition, you are required to take 60 credits from a range of optional modules, which may typically include:
You may choose a maximum of 30 credits of modules from other departments within the Faculty of Arts & Humanities and the King’s Language Centre, or, exceptionally, from a range of modules from the Faculty of Social Science & Public Policy (notably the Department of Education & Professional Studies, and Department of Management), or the School of Law, subject to approvals.
If you are a part-time student, you will take the two compulsory modules (60 credits in total) in your first year, along with up to 30 credits of optional modules. In your second year, you will take Research Approaches and Dissertation (60 credits), along with up to 30 credits of optional modules. Students are required to take 60 credits of optional modules across the two years.
King’s College London reviews the modules offered on a regular basis to provide up-to-date, innovative and relevant programmes of study. Therefore, modules offered may change. We suggest you keep an eye on the course finder on our website for updates.
Please note that modules with a practical component will be capped due to educational requirements, which may mean that we cannot guarantee a place to all students who elect to study this module.
This Cultural and Creative Industries Master’s is ideally placed for anyone seeking a career in the arts or creative industries, including professionals looking to enhance their existing knowledge and career prospects. It’s also a good foundation to prepare for doctoral research in culture, media and creative industries.
Cultural & Creative Industries MA graduates have taken up roles in arts administration in local government, marketing for major cultural institutions in London, editing a lifestyle magazine in the USA, 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 graduates have also gone on to further academic research.
This MA is not a traditional media, communications or journalism studies course. This means that while you will be able to enhance your knowledge and satiate your interest in the cultural and creative industries, such as performing and visual arts, cultural heritage, film, games and music, it will not provide you with specialist vocational skills required for a career in those fields. It will, however, teach you a range of transferable skills, including working effectively, team work, time management, written and oral communication skills, independent and critical thinking.
Full time: £13,500 per year (2025/26)
Part time: £6,750 per year (2025/26)
Full time: £30,000 per year (2025/26)
Part time: £15,000 per year (2025/26)
These tuition fees may be subject to additional increases in subsequent years of study, in line with King’s terms and conditions.
If you receive an offer for this programme, you will be required to pay a non-refundable deposit to secure your place. Deposit payments are credited towards the total tuition fee payment.
The Home deposit is £500. The International deposit is £2000.
If you are a current undergraduate King’s student in receipt of the King's Living Bursary this academic year, you are not required to pay a deposit to secure your place on the programme. Please note, this will not change the total fees payable for your chosen programme.
Please visit our web pages on fees and funding for more information.
King’s College London offers King’s Bridge Scholarships, covering full-time or part-time tuition fees for selected Arts & Humanities master’s programmes. Open to home students from underrepresented ethnic backgrounds. Learn more.
In addition to your tuition costs, you can also expect to pay for:
To find out more about bursaries, scholarships, grants, tuition fees, living expenses, student loans, and other financial help available at King's please visit the Fees and Funding section.
This Cultural & Creative Industries MA is a unique interdisciplinary course that draws on cultural theories, cultural history, digital culture, management, screen studies, museum and heritage studies, cultural policy, gender, and fashion. You’ll begin this Master’s by studying the key concepts and theoretical frameworks relevant to the cultural and creative industries so that you can start to develop your own critical perspective on this topic. You will come away with a clear understanding of the contexts and debates within the cultural and creative industries and their impact on practice within the sector and build your own toolkit of analytical skills from a range of relevant disciplines. The second semester’s compulsory module will consider politics, creativity and labour in the cultural and creative industries. This is when you will expand your knowledge and understanding of the real-world workings of the sector, including cultural policies, the conditions of creative labour and the challenges faced by those who work within it. You can also choose from a broad list of optional modules to further tailor your studies. For example, you could examine the nature of work and labour in the cultural and media industries, explore the specific cultures that intersect with the gaming industries, or get an introduction to the fast-moving field of cultural memory studies. Or you might choose to learn about the business of culture, studying its relationship with the city or markets. This Cultural and Creative Industries MA will culminate in a dissertation. You will be able to choose whether you work on a traditional dissertation or if you want to collaborate with a cultural partner on your research. Choosing the Collaborative Dissertation with a Cultural Partner will see you find an external arts, media, or heritage organisation that will collaborate with you on a live research brief. Previous Cultural and Creative Industries MA students have partnered with organisations including 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. Alternatively, choosing the Creative Research Project will allow you to apply a creative practice to your research.
Located on the north bank of the River Thames, the Strand Campus houses King's College London's arts and sciences faculties.
Please note that locations are determined by where each module is taught and may vary depending on the modules you study.
King's is regulated by the Office for Students
A minimum high 2:1 undergraduate Bachelor’s (honours) degree with a final mark of at least 65% or above
If you have a lower degree classification, or a degree in an unrelated subject, your application may be considered if you can demonstrate significant relevant work experience, or offer a related graduate qualification (such as a Masters or PGDip).
Bachelor’s degree with high 2:1 honours (i.e. overall average of at least 65% across all years of study) in any discipline. For those returning to study, evidence of appropriate experience will be required.
In order to meet the academic entry requirements for this programme you should have a minimum high 2:1 undergraduate degree with a final mark of at least 65% or above in the UK marking scheme. If you are still studying you should be achieving an average of at least 65% or above in the UK marking scheme.
Please note: Meeting the minimum requirements for your application to be considered does not guarantee an offer as applications for this programme are very competitive.
To study at King's, it is essential that you can communicate in English effectively in an academic environment. You are usually required to provide certification of your competence in English before starting your studies.
Nationals of majority English speaking countries (as defined by the UKVI) who have permanently resided in this country are not usually required to complete an additional English language test. This is also the case for applicants who have successfully completed an undergraduate degree (of at least three years duration), a postgraduate taught degree (of at least one year), or a PhD in a majority English speaking country (as defined by the UKVI) within five years of the course start date.
For information on our English language requirements and whether you need to complete an English language test, please see our English Language requirements page.
Applications must be made online using King’s Apply, the Admissions Portal.
A non-refundable application fee of £130 applies.
Due to the large volume of applications, this programme operates a partial “gathered-field” approach to decision making for applicants who meet our advertised academic entry requirements. This means that for some of these applicants, a decision may not be reached until after February and where possible, will be made by May. You will be informed via King’s Apply if your application has been assessed and being held as part of this process.
To apply for a place on MA Cultural & Creative Industries, please go to King’s Apply (via the link above) to complete the online application. You must include the following supporting documents:
If English is not your first language, and your degree was not taught and assessed entirely in English, we require relevant English language qualifications to be provided. Please note that we will still be able to consider your application even if you do not yet have an English language certificate. In this case, any offer made will be given on more the condition that you meet King’s College London's English language requirements, which will be detailed in your offer letter.
In assessing your application we will look for the following: academic capabilities: broad understanding of CCI; and interest and ability in studying CCI. Your academic interests should match the broad themes that inform MA CCI teaching, i.e. cultural theory and history, cultural production, cultural consumption and cultural governance. It is ideal that your career interests correspond to the sectors on which MA CCI teaching focuses including visual cultures, museums, popular music, film and digital culture.
You will be asked to submit the following documents in order for your application to be considered:
Personal Statement | Yes |
Please provide a personal statement of around 500 words, answering the following questions: Briefly explain why you are applying for this specific programme and how it fits with your future plans? (max 250 words) How does your experience and education make you a suitable candidate for this programme? (max 250 words) Please write these questions as separate answers, with a clear title for your answer to each question. Documents where your answers are not clearly titled and separated will not be accepted. |
---|---|---|
Previous Academic Study | Yes | A copy (or copies) of your official academic transcript(s), showing the subjects studied and marks obtained. If you have already completed your degree, copies of your official degree certificate will also be required. Applicants with academic documents issued in a language other than English, will need to submit both the original and official translation of their documents. |
References | Yes | One academic reference is required. A professional reference will be accepted if you have completed your qualifications over five years ago. In some cases, we may request an additional reference from you. |
Writing Sample | Yes | Please see details below. |
Other | Optional | Applicants may wish to include a CV (Resume) or evidence of professional registration as part of their application. |
The piece of writing you should submit should be 1,000 words in length and address the following topic:
What is the most important issue facing cultural and creative industries today? Why?
Your essay will demonstrate your ability to:
- Investigate the topic/question
- Source apposite material
- Undertake original research
- Construct a coherent argument
Use appropriate evidence and source material to support your arguments, such as textbooks, journal articles, newspaper articles and internet sources. Please include AT LEAST five sources. Ensure that you cite these using the Harvard referencing system and provide a full bibliography at the end of your essay.
Teaching
This is a one-year full-time course (two years part-time) that comprises modules totalling 180 credits. Your compulsory modules provide a foundation for the master’s and the diverse optional modules on offer will appeal to a wide range of subjects as well as giving you the opportunity to discover new areas of study. Alongside taught lectures, seminars and workshops in semesters one and two you will be expected to undertake additional hours of self-study each week. In semester three, you will be expected to devote approximately 600 hours of independent study to your MA dissertation project, for which we will provide supervision guidance.
Typically, one credit equates to 10 hours of work.
Your performance will be assessed through coursework. Forms of assessment may typically include written and video essays, reports, individual and group presentations, proposals, reviews, dissertation and collaborative and creative research projects. Coursework contributes 100% to your final mark.
The study time and assessment methods detailed above are typical and give you a good indication of what to expect. However, they are subject to change.
Course is divided into modules. You will normally take modules totaling 180 credits.You are required to take:
You are also required to take:
In addition, you are required to take 60 credits from a range of optional modules, which may typically include:
You may choose a maximum of 30 credits of modules from other departments within the Faculty of Arts & Humanities and the King’s Language Centre, or, exceptionally, from a range of modules from the Faculty of Social Science & Public Policy (notably the Department of Education & Professional Studies, and Department of Management), or the School of Law, subject to approvals.
If you are a part-time student, you will take the two compulsory modules (60 credits in total) in your first year, along with up to 30 credits of optional modules. In your second year, you will take Research Approaches and Dissertation (60 credits), along with up to 30 credits of optional modules. Students are required to take 60 credits of optional modules across the two years.
King’s College London reviews the modules offered on a regular basis to provide up-to-date, innovative and relevant programmes of study. Therefore, modules offered may change. We suggest you keep an eye on the course finder on our website for updates.
Please note that modules with a practical component will be capped due to educational requirements, which may mean that we cannot guarantee a place to all students who elect to study this module.
This Cultural and Creative Industries Master’s is ideally placed for anyone seeking a career in the arts or creative industries, including professionals looking to enhance their existing knowledge and career prospects. It’s also a good foundation to prepare for doctoral research in culture, media and creative industries.
Cultural & Creative Industries MA graduates have taken up roles in arts administration in local government, marketing for major cultural institutions in London, editing a lifestyle magazine in the USA, 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 graduates have also gone on to further academic research.
This MA is not a traditional media, communications or journalism studies course. This means that while you will be able to enhance your knowledge and satiate your interest in the cultural and creative industries, such as performing and visual arts, cultural heritage, film, games and music, it will not provide you with specialist vocational skills required for a career in those fields. It will, however, teach you a range of transferable skills, including working effectively, team work, time management, written and oral communication skills, independent and critical thinking.
Full time: £13,500 per year (2025/26)
Part time: £6,750 per year (2025/26)
Full time: £30,000 per year (2025/26)
Part time: £15,000 per year (2025/26)
These tuition fees may be subject to additional increases in subsequent years of study, in line with King’s terms and conditions.
If you receive an offer for this programme, you will be required to pay a non-refundable deposit to secure your place. Deposit payments are credited towards the total tuition fee payment.
The Home deposit is £500. The International deposit is £2000.
If you are a current undergraduate King’s student in receipt of the King's Living Bursary this academic year, you are not required to pay a deposit to secure your place on the programme. Please note, this will not change the total fees payable for your chosen programme.
Please visit our web pages on fees and funding for more information.
King’s College London offers King’s Bridge Scholarships, covering full-time or part-time tuition fees for selected Arts & Humanities master’s programmes. Open to home students from underrepresented ethnic backgrounds. Learn more.
In addition to your tuition costs, you can also expect to pay for:
To find out more about bursaries, scholarships, grants, tuition fees, living expenses, student loans, and other financial help available at King's please visit the Fees and Funding section.
We encourage you to apply as early as possible so that there is sufficient time for your application to be assessed and we may need to request further information from you during the application process.
The final application deadlines for this programme are:
· Overseas (international) fee status: 25 July 2025 (23:59 UK time)
· Home fee status: 25 August 2025 (23:59 UK time)
If the programme becomes full before the final application deadlines stated above, we will close the programme to further applications. Please note, you will not be eligible for an application fee refund if we are unable to process further offers because places are filled and we close the course before the final application deadline.
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