MA Learning & Teaching in the Creative Industries
The MA Learning & Teaching in the Creative Industries is designed for anyone looking to develop a career as an educator within the creative industries. The programme brings together innovative approaches to learning and teaching with practical industry knowledge, equipping you with the skills, knowledge, and confidence to inspire the next generation of creative talent.
The programme offers two distinct pathways, allowing you to tailor your studies to your experience, career goals, and professional interests: the Initial Teacher Education (ITE) pathway and the Experienced Educator (EE) pathway. Both pathways combine innovative learning methodologies with practical industry knowledge, while providing a tailored approach to your development as a creative educator.
What will you learn?
Aside from skills development and knowledge acquisition, you will learn to critically examine and challenge beliefs and attitudes in order to find your own voice as an educator.
Focus areas include:
- Teaching and supporting learning
- Assessment and feedback
- Learning theory and psychology
- Inclusivity and accommodation for learning needs
- Creative and experiential approaches to learning
- Educational and practitioner-led research
- Course design
- Critical and social theories of education
- Coaching and mentoring in one-to-one settings
- Leadership and innovation in education
Which pathway is right for you?
Initial Teacher Education (ITE) pathway
Designed for those entering teaching or early in their career, this pathway focuses on developing practical and reflective skills for the classroom and other professional settings. You’ll undertake a teaching placement comprising teaching experience and lesson observation, which also makes you eligible to become a professionally qualified teacher of 14+ learners in the UK (QTLS) through the Education & Training Foundation.
Achieving qualified ‘QTLS’ status through this route makes you legally qualified to teach in UK colleges and schools, on top of your master’s degree – a dual outcome from a single programme. Those working in education already can use this instead of a teaching placement.
Experienced Educator (EE) pathway
Designed for qualified teachers or those with over three years’ teaching experience, this pathway builds on what you already know and extends your theoretical and pedagogic knowledge. You’ll explore new practices in leadership, innovation, coaching and curriculum-making. It’s offered part-time over two calendar years, so you can continue working alongside your studies.
Course specification
Mode of attendance: Full-time (one year) or part-time (two years)
Study format: in-person classes supplemented by online tutorials and distance learning
Course structure: four taught modules plus a double-weighted research dissertation (Initial Teacher Education pathway includes teaching placement)
Calendar: Trimester One (September-January), Trimester Two (January-May), Trimester Three (May-August)
Awarding institution: BIMM University
Campus delivery: Brighton and Bristol
Language of study: English
Final award: MA Learning & Teaching in Creative Industries
Minimum requirements
A good degree (normally 2.2 or above) or significant professional experience in the creative arts/industries.
Applicants to the ITE pathway must additionally hold a Level 2 qualification (or equivalent) in both maths and English.
Overseas students where English is not their native language may be required to meet a minimum English language requirement of an Academic IELTS 6.5. We require a minimum of 6.0 to be achieved in each band.
Exceptions apply. Please contact [email protected] for more information.
All applicants will be subject to an interview, and a portfolio is requested for Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL). The application also requires a personal statement of at least 500 words.
If you meet certain criteria, you may be eligible for a contextual offer with reduced entry requirements. (Find out more about our contextual offers).
Please note: module names and structure may be subject to change.
Core module – ITE pathway only
You will engage in a broad range of learning and teaching techniques suitable for roles in post-14 education, developing your skills in planning, teaching, assessing, giving feedback, and supporting different forms of learning. No prior teaching experience is assumed.
Core module – EE pathway only
This module focuses on the concept and practice of leadership within contemporary education, adopting an individualised approach to help you ‘learn to lead’ and ‘lead to learn’. You’ll investigate a personally significant leadership challenge, with support from colleagues and peers. Assessment is negotiated depending on the challenge investigated (written and/or multimedia).
Core module – both pathways
This module explores what ‘creative education’ really means. What is learning, and what makes it ‘effective’? Does learning differ across people, subjects and settings? And, taking these questions into account, how should we teach? The module examines these and related questions, encouraging you to consider the ‘how’ and ‘why’ behind effective learning. It will help you develop a deeper understanding of how learning happens and how you can adapt your teaching to meet the needs of your students, subjects and settings. Assessment is through a personal learning journal.
Core module – both pathways
You’ll learn to use different methodologies of qualitative and practitioner research to better understand and answer bigger questions about creative education. Assessment is a research proposal, which can feed into your final dissertation or project.
Core module – ITE pathway only
This module brings together all your previous teaching activity from the MA, giving you opportunity to demonstrate your knowledge & skills in line with sector standards. This is assessed through a portfolio of prior work on the MA, and a final professional conversation that establishes your professionalism as an educator.
Core module – both pathways
Develop your own short course to use professionally, suited to your own choice of academic or professional setting. We examine digital and blended learning approaches, as well as designing individual and collaborative learning. Assessment is via a portfolio: you create and evaluate your own short course of study.
Optional module – EE pathway only
Develop as an effective coach and/or mentor in one-to-one settings, exploring person-centred techniques for partnering with learners. You’ll practise your own coaching/mentoring work throughout the module with professional supervision. Assessed by a reflective portfolio of practice.
Core module – both pathways
Produce an extended piece of educational research exploring an area of your academic interest or professional practice, supported by regular peer-led seminars and individual tutorials from an experienced research supervisor.
Course fees
Please visit our fees page for information regarding course fees and access to student finance.
Graduates will be qualified to work as teachers, tutors, administrators, and leaders in creative arts subjects at Further Education and Higher Education levels.
They will also be able to use the course to develop their self-employed careers, which could include one-to-one teaching, creative workshops, curriculum consultation, or developmental coaching.
Those who go on to gain QTLS status via the Education & Training Foundation are also legally qualified to teach in UK Schools.
As with all BIMM University MAs, graduates can also go on to study at doctoral level (PhD or EdD) to progress their academic careers as educational researchers.
Recent alumni destinations
- FE Audio Production Lecturer, DV8 College
- Private singing teacher and vocal coach, London
- PhD researcher, University of Central London
- Learning Support Specialist, East Sussex College
- Drama school teacher, KS3-4
Any questions?
For any questions regarding our courses or if you’d like more information on how to apply to BIMM Music Institute, please contact our Enquiries Team on 01273 840 346 or email [email protected].
