Creative Business (3 year) course summary

The programme focuses on managing creative professionals in the media industry. You’ll become familiar with the different disciplines of media creation, so that you have a practical understanding of these disciplines and how they intertwine. You’ll work with companies on developing new media concepts that add value to a business or organisation and impact the target group.  

Throughout your studies, you’ll explore ways of integrating aspects of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) you’re your media work. For instance, by developing media that presents sustainability clearly and attractively to your target group and makes impact. Other topics include: 

• Media business/media management, media concepting 
• Media marketing 
• Content marketing 
• Media landscape 
• Finance 
• Personal leadership 
• Practical research 
• Media content 
• Media production 

Semester 1: Explore 

The media industry is constantly changing, raising questions as to what the industry looks like, who the stakeholders are and what business models can be applied. In this semester, you work with a partner from the media industry looking into what media products and services you could create for this partner that would add value to their portfolio and how you can ensure your product will appeal to the target group. In short, in this semester you learn all about the media industry and the marketing aspects of media products and services.  

Semester 2: Experience 

In this semester, you learn to look at media productions from a media professional point of view and learn how to make these products. You learn about media literacy and how to analyse and evaluate media products. You will make prototypes for future media formats for a partner in the media industry. You will produce content for our own online content channel Matters.  

Semester 3:
Concept & Production 

Everything you learnt in the first year comes together in this subject. You work on developing a media concept, ensuring that it can be turned into an actual product and organise the whole process.

Management & Marketing 

Building on the knowledge you have gained, you continue to set up, organise and manage a creative organisation in the creative industry. And you learn more about marketing aspects such as the customer journey, the media you can use as an organisation to reach your target group and how you decide what message you want to relay. 

Semester 4:
Becoming a creative business professional 

Exploring a number of strategic issues faced by organisations in the creative business world, you’ll advise on such subjects as developing new business models, media innovation and meaningful communication. You’ll work for a creative business partner or, if you want to set up for yourself, you can carry out a number of projects  for your own creative company.  

Minor (optional, this extends your studies by 6 months) 

You can choose to extend your three-year programme by six months by taking a minor, a subject you specialise in so as to develop your insights. Please note that if you choose a 15 credits (10-week) minor, you will then have to wait until September or February before you can start your graduation phase. The graduation period always starts on these fixed dates. Read more about the options available and where you can take your minors in the section below on minors and specialisations. 

Internship and graduation project 

Work in industry by doing an internship. You can do your internship with a business anywhere in the world, from media companies such as Sony, Netflix, and Vogue to companies with media departments such as Rabobank, Adidas, Ikea and UNICEF. And if you’ve already turned your dream for your own business into a reality, you could consider doing your internship in your own start-up. The Center for Entrepreneurship at NHL Stenden can advise you on how to do this.  

For your graduation project, you work on creating a solution for an interesting challenge in the field of creative business. 

CrossWise 

In your third year, you can work on various projects for CrossWise, a collaboration between theatre and concert organisation SPOT Groningen, the Groningen municipality and institutions for secondary vocational education and higher professional education in Northern Netherlands. You could, for instance, work with students and lecturers on the popular Eurosonic Noorderslag music festival.  

CrossWise  SPOT Groningen

Specialise in a particular area by taking a minor subject and adding an unforgettable six months to your degree programme. Taking a minor is optional for the 3-year track. 

Please note that if you choose a 15 credits (10-week) minor, you will then have to wait until September or February before you can start your graduation phase. The graduation period always starts on these fixed dates.  

• Music Business (Leeuwarden, the Netherlands) 
  Learn the basics of the music business and collaborate with industry professionals on a music digitisation project while specialising in artist management, label or release management or live management. 
• The Business of Podcasting (Leeuwarden, the Netherlands)
  In this minor, you dive into the world of podcasting, as you and your team develop, produce and publish a podcast series. No experience required – just a willingness to challenge yourself.
• Digital Storytelling for Social Change (South Africa)
  You learn everything about digital storytelling to stimulate social change. You will produce digital media to give people in townships a voice, increase civic participation and facilitate the development of communities.
• Video Game Business (Leeuwarden, the Netherlands) 
  With this minor you explore the gaming industry in terms of marketing, publicity and sales, production, project management and scouting creating a commercial concept for a real investor. 
• Integrated Digital Marketing (Bangkok, Thailand) 
  Offering a combination of creative and technical skills development, this minor gives you an understanding of digital marketing strategy and how you can build the online presence of a brand and manage digital platforms to sell products. 
• Media Concepts & Sustainability (Leeuwarden, the Netherlands)
  Focusing on creating media and communication concepts, with this minor you learn that as a media maker, you can have a positive impact on society, creating concepts and stories that contribute in some way to the sustainable development goals. 
• Digital Entrepreneurship (Bangkok, Thailand)
  This minor provides a creative and structured approach for turning your business idea into a tangible product. You work with an array of digital marketing tools that will support your business’s growth. 
• Live Television (The Netherlands)