Master of Creative Enterprise – MCE

Combine research and practice to give you the skills you need to make your mark in the highly competitive creative industries.

Type of qualification

Master's degree

Level of study

Postgraduate study

Once you’ve graduated with a bachelor’s degree – or have equal experience – you can study at the postgraduate level. Doctoral qualifications require additional entry requirements.

More about study levels

NZQF level 9

Our courses follow the New Zealand Qualification Framework (NZQF) levels.

Find out more about NZQF levels

Time to complete

1 year 6 months full-time (180 credits)
Up to 5 years part-time
Part-time available

Where you can study

Wellington campus

International students

International students are not New Zealand citizens or residents.

Definition of New Zealand citizens and residents

Open to international students on campus in New Zealand

Study a Master of Creative Enterprise – MCE

Take your creativity to the market

You’ll learn about a range of creative roles. You will then develop innovative commercialisation models to take your creative work to the marketplace.

With taught courses in critical studies and enterprise, as well as an individual creative project, the MCE emphasises entrepreneurship and innovation. You’ll be encouraged to explore the commercial applications of your work.

Your projects will focus on building a sustainable career in the creative sector. You will learn practical skills in areas such as lighting and sound design, studio production, software development and audio-visual content, depending on your area of focus.

If you have a creative idea you want to develop and commercialise, the Master of Creative Enterprise will equip you with the tools to see your creative vision from development through to commercialisation.

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Further study

You may be able to further develop the work you do in the MCE as part of a PhD.

Entry requirements

Admission to Massey

All students must meet university entrance requirements to be admitted to the University.

Specific requirements

Master of Creative Enterprise 180 credits

To enter the Master of Creative Enterprise you will:

  • have been awarded or qualified for a bachelor’s degree with a B average in the highest level courses of your degree, or
  • demonstrated equivalent practical, professional and/or scholarly experience.

You will also need to provide:

  • a portfolio of creative works
  • a written expression of interest
  • copies of all official academic transcripts for studies taken at all universities other than Massey University.

We recommend you attend a consultation with the Master of Creative Enterprise coordinator to discuss the application process and requirements.

In your expression of interest (no more than 2 pages), tell us about:

  • your creative practice, interests and intention;
  • the project you intend to develop;
  • an indicative research area it falls within; and
  • how you may want to take it to market.

Master of Creative Enterprise 120 credits

You will have been awarded or qualified for a relevant honours degree or a Postgraduate Diploma in Design in a relevant creative discipline.

You will also submit:

  • a research proposal for your intended thesis project
  • a portfolio of your creative work.
  • copies of all official academic transcripts for studies taken at all universities other than Massey University.

English language requirements

To study this qualification you must meet Massey University's English language standards.

Research Proposal for the 120 credit MCE

Your research proposal must cover:

  • what your creative practice, interests and intentions are
  • examples of past work accompanied by a summary explaining what it is, your motivation (why), and how it was produced
  • Indicate the project you intend to develop in MCE, and the field or research area it falls within.
    • Explain ‘why’: what is the motivation/need/opportunity/demand drivers?
    • Outline how are you going to develop your creative work, and how it could develop over a year?
    • Indicate the target market where you intend to commercialise your work, and how you would commercialise your creative work?
    • If applicable: a list of specialist equipment, software or facilities needed to complete the project.

Time limits for Honours, Distinction and Merit

Where your qualification is completed within the stated time limit and to a high standard, you may be able to graduate with Distinction or Merit. 

Prior learning, credit and exemptions

For information on prior learning, exemptions and transfer of credit or other questions:

English language skills

If you need help with your English language skills before you start university, see our English for Academic Purposes (EAP) courses.

Maximum time limits for completion

There are maximum time limits to complete postgraduate qualifications.  If you do not complete within the maximum time, you may be required to re-apply for the qualification if you wish to continue your studies.

Official regulations

To understand what you need to study and must complete to graduate read the official rules and regulations for this qualification.

You should read these together with all other relevant Statutes and Regulations of the University including the General Regulations for Postgraduate Degrees, Postgraduate Diplomas, and Postgraduate Certificates.

Returning students

For returning students, there may be changes to the majors and minors available and the courses you need to take. Go to the section called ‘Transitional Provisions’ in the Regulations to find out more.

In some cases the qualification or specialisation you enrolled in may no longer be taking new enrolments, so may not appear on these web pages. To find information on the regulations for these qualifications go to the Massey University Calendar.

Please contact us through the Get advice button on this page if you have any questions.

Structure of the Master of Creative Enterprise

If you study full-time, you’ll take 120 credits per year or 60 credits per semester.

What you’ll study

The Master of Creative Enterprise is structured into six courses spread over three semesters (full-time), with both taught and supervised components.

The three courses in your first semester cover broad critical perspectives, commercialisation and viability, and pre-production. To stay in the programme, you will need to achieve a B grade average in these three courses.

In your second and third semesters you’ll focus on the supervised 90-credit project while also completing two double-semester 15-credit taught courses in applied critical perspectives and advanced creative enterprise. You’ll produce a critical written exegesis and commercial strategy, along with your MCE Project.

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Courses and specialisations

Key terms

Courses
Each qualification has its own specific set of courses. Some universities call these papers. You enrol in courses after you get accepted into Massey.
Course code
Each course is numbered using 6 digits. The fourth number shows the level of the course. For example, in course 219206, the fourth number is a 2, so it is a 200-level course (usually studied in the second year of full-time study).
Credits
Each course is worth a number of credits. You combine courses (credits) to meet the total number of credits needed for your qualification.
Specialisations
Some qualifications let you choose what subject you'd like to specialise in. Your major or endorsement is what you will take the majority of your courses in.

Credit summary

180 credits

  • Part One compulsory courses – 90 credits
  • Part Two thesis – 90 credits

Advanced entry: Those who have already completed specified qualifications in advance of the minimum entry requirements may be able to complete this degree in 120 credits.

This is a parts-based qualification. This means there are regulations around your completion of Part One before progressing to Part Two, etc.

Course planning key

Prerequisites
Courses that need to be completed before moving onto a course at the next level. For example, a lot of 200-level courses have 100-level prerequisite courses.
Corequisites
Courses that must be completed at the same time as another course are known as corequisite courses.
Restrictions
Some courses are restricted against each other because their content is similar. This means you can only choose one of the offered courses to study and credit to your qualification.

Part One (Choose 90 credits from)

Choose 90 credits from
Course code: 293701 Prototype and Synopsis 30 credits

Students prepare an early prototype and synopsis or equivalent concept that is relevant to their creative endeavour. This culminates in the preparation of a proposal for the Major Project.

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Course code: 293702 Commercial Viability 15 credits

An exploration of approaches to commercialisation that are intrinsic to professional practice in creative disciplines, in this course, students learn how to create an effective value proposition as part of their creative strategy. Students learn research methodologies, including market and competition analysis, to test market viability via theoretical tools relating to new ideas and innovation.

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Course code: 293703 Contextualising Creative Enterprise Practice Part 2 15 credits

A further development of strategies and skills specific to creative enterprise, resulting in actionable insights that contribute to taking creative projects as close as possible to market. Students will be expected to demonstrate a plan, and execute appropriate stages, for the commercialisation of their Major Project.

Prerequisites: 293731

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Course code: 293730 Critical Frameworks for Creative Practice 15 credits

An exploration of a broad range of cross-disciplinary approaches and critical frameworks that students can apply to critique and analyse their own creative practice. Students will learn to frame their creative practice as part of an ideological/artistic movement and develop reflexive and analytical skills through engagement with texts and case studies.

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Course code: 293731 Contextualising Creative Enterprise Practice Part 1 15 credits

An exploration of advanced critical and enterprise frameworks, and ways they may be applied to creative practice. Students work towards a proposal of a plan to take their Major Project to market, along with a text through which their Major Project is critically framed.

Prerequisites: 293730, 293702

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Part Two (Choose 90 credits from)

Choose 90 credits from
Course code: 293810 MCE Thesis Project 90 credits

In this course students produce a creative work through practical, critical and technical enquiry.

Prerequisites: 293701

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Course code: 293811 MCE Thesis Project Part 1 45 credits

In this course students produce a creative work through practical, critical and technical enquiry.

Prerequisites: 293701

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Course code: 293812 MCE Thesis Project Part 2 45 credits

In this course students produce a creative work through practical, critical and technical enquiry.

Corequisites: 293811

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Fees and scholarships

Fees, student loans and free fees scheme

Your tuition fees may be different depending on the courses you choose. Your exact fees will show once you have chosen your courses.

There will also be some compulsory non-tuition fees and for some courses, there may also be charges for things such as study resources, software, trips and contact workshops.

Already know which courses you're going to choose?

You can view fees for the courses that make up your qualification on the course details pages.

Student loans (StudyLink) and Fees Free scheme

You may be eligible for a student loan to help towards paying your fees.

The New Zealand Government offers fees-free tertiary study for eligible domestic students. Find out more about the scheme and your eligibility on the Fees Free website. To use the site's eligibility checking tool, you will need your National Student Number.

Current and returning Massey students can find their National Student Number in the student portal.

Fees disclaimer

This information is for estimation purposes only. Actual fees payable will be finalised on confirmation of enrolment. Unless otherwise stated, all fees shown are quoted in New Zealand dollars and include Goods and Services Tax, if any. Before relying on any information on these pages you should also read the University's Disclaimer Notice.

Accreditations and rankings

QS Ranking - Art & Design

College of Creative Arts – Toi Rauwhārangi ranks in the global top 150 for art and design by QS World University Rankings.

Learn more

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