Creative & Cultural Industries

If you are interested in the performing arts, television and film, music, festivals, media, visual arts and museums, or aspire to work creatively in business, the public sector, and digital technology, this course is for you! Combining project-based work with high-level career mentorship, this new four-year course prepares students for careers in the cultural and creative industries.

With a focus on producing, managing, and innovating in creative fields, the BA in CCI uniquely offers students the chance to study modules broadly across many subjects, including: art history, film, and visual culture; literature, folklore, and Irish; music performance and production; media and communications; IT, business and law. Diverse assessments (including videos, podcasts, and group projects) prepare you for the world of creative work.

First Year

Modules introducing the creative industries, digital/information technology, and diverse art practices focus on how culture moves from ‘page-to-stage’ and beyond, including: Introduction to Creative & Cultural Industries • Cultural Policy in Context • Meet the Makers • Introduction to Communication and Media Studies • Music, Film & Drama: Making, Doing Interpreting • Music, Culture & Society

Second Year

You will select from a wide range of option modules to deepen your knowledge across art forms, business and information & communications studies, whilst also picking up core modules including: Managing Culture • Law & the Arts: Copyright, Intellectual Property, Employment Law, and Heritage • Producing Music, Film & Drama • DigiLife: Social Media & Participation in an Online World • Theories of Media and Communication

Third Year

You will choose from a range of options that will enable you to broaden your horizons and enrich your academic experience; apply for a competitive internship in an area that interests you and/or relates to your area of study; study abroad for a trimester/year to develop your language skills and/or immerse yourself in a new culture; deepen your knowledge by studying a selected range of modules from arts and humanities, information and communication studies, and business.

Fourth Year

Final year students undertake a year-long capstone creative project with individual and group participation, with evaluation and mentorship by industry experts. A second core module – Managing Culture: Minding Your Own Business – introduces students to the nuances of pricing/costing work and promoting yourself as a creative or cultural professional. CV, portfolio, and job-seeking workshops prepare you for entering the working world or pursuing further study.

We offer a range of Erasmus and study abroad opportunities at UCD’s partner universities in Europe and around the world.

Building skills in teamwork, negotiation and collaboration, graduates emerge from this degree with an academic qualification, portfolio of project work and demonstrable management and production skills – highly desirable attributes for careers in the creative and cultural industries.

This course prepares students for postgraduate study in a wide diversity of fields, including media studies, ICT, business, cultural studies, cultural policy and arts management. It also deepens artform knowledge in visual culture, music, film, design and fashion.

• Level 5/6 QQI-FET


• Open Learning Entry Route


• Mature Entry Route


• DARE Entry Route


• HEAR Entry Route


• University Access

By joining the UCD College of Arts and Humanities you will be part of a vibrant community of students and faculty who are committed to creating a more sustainable, just and equitable future. Our courses are designed to equip students with the best education in their chosen arts and humanities subjects. Our research and teaching and learning connect with many of the SDGs, most notably:

• SDG 4: Quality Education -Promotes inclusive and equitable quality education and lifelong learning opportunities for all.

• SDG 5: Gender Equality - Advances gender equality by addressing social norms, histories, and cultural practices that contribute to gender disparities.

• SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities - Encourages understanding and action against social, economic, and political inequalities.

• SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities - Enhances cultural understanding and heritage preservation, fostering sustainable communities.

• SDG 16: Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions - Promotes peace, justice, and strong institutions through critical inquiry into human rights, ethics, and governance.

• SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals - Encourages global partnerships and collaboration by fostering international understanding and dialogue.

Our programmes equip students with critical thinking, empathy, and cultural awareness, essential for addressing complex global challenges.

This course combines many subjects and a wide range of topics. Through a combination of theoretical and practical coursework I have learned about social media, business, management, theatre, film, music, information science and even video games. We have a module entitled “Meet the Makers” where we had the opportunity to interview and speak to people working in the arts sector. I have made excellent friends who I am certain will remain in my life forever. This course has allowed me to express my creativity and articulate my unique voice. The focus on innovation and entrepreneurship really empowers students to create and develop ideas that will shape the future of the creative industries.

Olwyn Quill, Student