ASU launches master's degree for the creative industries in Los Angeles


Group photo of graduate students as they begin their fall semester at ASU's California Center.

Arizona State University has launched a new program in California designed for students who are pursuing global leadership and management careers in some of the leading entertainment industries such as film, television, new media, virtual reality and gaming design, to name a few.

The Master of Arts in global affairs and management for the creative industries (MAGAM-CI), offered through ASU’s Thunderbird School of Global Management and the Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts, welcomed its inaugural cohort on Aug. 22 at the ASU California Center in the historic Herald Examiner building in downtown Los Angeles.

The 11-month graduate degree program is designed for creatives seeking the skills of management and for managers seeking the craft of creativity. The program delivers leadership and management fundamentals for success across business, nonprofit and government sectors, as well as a digital global mindset and holistic approach to the creative industries.  

“I chose Thunderbird because of its global focus,” said Mark Schneider, a student in the master’s program. “I recognize that the creative industries has become a global enterprise. Just in terms of the faculty and the approach here, I feel like they will position me well through this course of study.”

Professor Ted Hope gives two thumbs up in a classroom full of graduate students at ASU's California Center.

ASU Professor of Practice Ted Hope meets with ASU's inaugural cohort pursing the new Master of Arts in global affairs and management for the creative industries in downtown Los Angeles. Photo courtesy of Thunderbird School of Global Management

Graduate students participated in a week of immersive activities with renowned ASU faculty and industry experts, including legendary film producer and ASU Professor of Practice Ted Hope, the former head of development, production and acquisitions for Amazon Studios. It’s because of Hope and Adam Collis, ASU Film Spark’s program director, and their teachings that one Thunderbird student chose to enroll in this master’s program.

“They inspired me with the way that they bring across leadership through a creative lens,” said Mycal Anders, a performance consultant and graduate student enrolled in the new master’s program. “And as an entrepreneur, the ability to not only take an idea and bring it to fruition in the physical world, but also to how I lead a team to manage that vision and drive those initiatives forward, was paramount to the success that I’ve received as a result of that program.”

During the week of immersive activities, ASU graduate students went out into the community to build relationships with ASU alumni and industry experts from Signature Tracks, The Third Floor, Digital Nation Entertainment and Two Bit Circus. They also stopped by the Grammy Museum and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA), one of ASU’s community and degree program partners.

ASU graduate students pose for a group photo outside of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art.

Students from ASU's new master's program focused on the creative industries visited the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) during an immersive week of activities as part of the start of the fall semester. Photo courtesy of Thunderbird School of Global Management

To learn more about the Master of Arts in global affairs and management with a specialization in creative industries, visit the program website.

Top photo courtesy of Thunderbird School of Global Management

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