The faculty of the undergraduate degree program in Business of Creative Enterprises (BCE) is committed to the following learning objectives.
Students will:
- Acquire an understanding of the cultural, political, economic and regulatory context in which creative enterprises operate.
- Develop and refine critical and creative thinking skills along with collaboration in the creative process.
- Demonstrate an understanding of the aesthetic world and create their personal relationship to it.
- Learn to appreciate and practice inclusiveness as valuable for the success of creative enterprises.
- Recognize the role of vision and innovation in driving the creative economy.
- Demonstrate knowledge of business principles and practices, markets, and organizational models in creative enterprises.
- Demonstrate mastery of using data driven approaches to decision-making and problem solving.
- Recognize and apply progressive ethical business practices within the creative enterprises.
- Demonstrate effective and professional communication in business situations and lead with confidence.
The BCE major is developed for those students, driven by a passion for arts and communication, who are interested in leading and managing businesses in the creative economy. Distinct from traditional business majors, the BCE major will prepare students to become future executives, managers, and innovators in new or existing creative enterprises in arts and entertainment, communication, media, publishing sectors, and beyond.
The BCE major responds to a transforming global economy for students who wish to pursue study of and establish careers in one of the most dynamic professional opportunities now and in the near future.
Creative enterprises can be for-profit, nonprofit, innovative, and longtime established business entities. Higher education has historically addressed study in arts or sciences, creativity or business. Today, the intersection of arts, sciences, communication, creativity, and business with technology, advancing the accessibility of all information to a critical mass of people globally, creates the demand for merging business and creativity. This is a unique opportunity for Emerson College to build on the solid and renowned educational foundations of the arts and communication.
While the BCE major is housed in the School of Communication’s Department of Marketing Communication, its rationale and its curriculum connect widely across the College. The demand for a mix of creative, technical, and business talents is on the rise. As John Howkins, famed author of the first account of the creative economy says, “The creative economy is revitalizing manufacturing, services, retailing, and entertainment industries. It is changing where people want to live, work, and learn-where they think, invent, and produce.”
The BCE curriculum emphasizes critical and creative thinking, vision, progressive ethical business practices, inclusiveness, and civic engagement. To become leaders in the creative economy, students must understand creativity, culture, strategy, and business.