Available in Clearing BA (Hons)

Business and Management (Creative Industries)

Develop your leadership and business skills specifically for entering the vibrant and fast-growing creative industry.

How to apply Register for open day Chat to us
Get stuck into the world of business, learning from experienced lecturers.
Get stuck into the world of business, learning from experienced lecturers.

UCAS Code

N407

Start Date

September 2026

Location

Pontypridd

Campus Code

A

UCAS Points

96

Fees

Home students: £9,790*
International students: £16,800*

UCAS Code

N408

Start Date

September 2026

Location

Pontypridd

Campus Code

A

UCAS Points

96

Fees

Home students: £9,790*
International students: £16,800*

UCAS Code

N407

Start Date

September 2027

Location

Cardiff

Campus Code

B

UCAS Points

96

UCAS Code

N408

Start Date

September 2027

Location

Cardiff

Campus Code

B

UCAS Points

96

UCAS Code

N407

Start Date

January 2027

Location

Pontypridd

Campus Code

A

UCAS Points

96

Fees

Home students: £9,790*
International students: £16,800*

UCAS Code

N408

Start Date

January 2027

Location

Pontypridd

Campus Code

A

UCAS Points

96

Fees

Home students: £9,790*
International students: £16,800*

How to apply Register for open day

Course Overview

This course is for creative thinkers who want to build strong business skills. If you’re interested in leadership, freelancing or building a career in the creative industries, this course helps you gain the skills to get there.

This degree course blends business skills with creative industry insight, preparing you for leadership or freelance careers in one of Wales’ fastest-growing sectors.

The University of South Wales is an IOEE Academy. Students who complete the degree will receive an IOEE Professional Qualification in the Vocational Use of AI. The course is also dual accredited with CMI. Students will receive a Level 5 Certificate in Management and Leadership from CMI.

Why study this course?

Led by professionals

You’ll be taught by staff with experience in a range of business and creative roles including freelance and events.

Informed by industry

Co-designed with local and international industry partners to reflect real workplace needs.

Flexible study pathways

At the end of your first year, choose to either continue developing your knowledge of the creative industries, or switch to a focus on entrepreneurship or management. 

Real-world experience

Options to complete a sandwich year or a 5-week placement to gain real-world experience.

Career-ready skills 

Develop the specific branding, leadership and project management skills that are demanded by jobs in the creative industries.

What you'll study

Year One is about finding your feet and finding your voice. You’ll build confidence, explore how businesses work in practice, and develop the skills, curiosity and mindset of a future leader.

At the end of Year One, you can choose to either continue focusing on the creative industries or switch to a focus on entrepreneurship or management.

Build confidence as a university student and future leader. Develop academic, teamwork and communication skills while exploring ethical leadership, sustainability and the realities of modern business.

Explore how workplaces really work. Examine ethics, fairness and wellbeing while learning how people management decisions shape organisations, communities and the future of work.

Experience the start-up journey from idea to growth. Work with others to solve a challenge set by USW and an industry partner and build the mindset, confidence and skills of an entrepreneur.

Learn how to make ideas stand out. Apply marketing thinking to real scenarios while building planning skills, creativity and a strong personal brand to support your future career.

Develop your business skills within the creative industries.

Begin specialising in creative leadership and practice, applying finance, sustainability and strategy through live projects, placements or immersive challenges with partners in the Creative Industries. 

Explore how procurement, logistics and operations drive modern business. Apply carbon literacy and sustainability thinking to optimise supply chains while balancing efficiency, value and global responsibility.

Develop financial confidence to interpret, manage and influence business outcomes. Analyse real-world scenarios, make strategic decisions, and understand how finance drives both organisational and societal impact.

Gain hands-on experience through a short placement in the creative industries. Build confidence, reflect on professional practice, and strengthen your CV while applying business skills in real working environments.

Explore leadership, freelancing and creative business models while shaping your professional identity. Build a digital portfolio, develop career confidence, and prepare for flexible, creative careers in a fast-growing sector.

Spend a full year in the UK or abroad gaining workplace or international experience. Build global perspective, develop professional networks, and reflect on your growth as a future leader.

Tackle real creative industry challenges, lead projects from concept to delivery, apply ethical and sustainable strategy, and graduate ready to turn creative ideas into impactful careers.

Tackle complex societal and environmental challenges. Apply business knowledge to ethical, sustainable solutions, engage with stakeholders, and explore how decisions can positively impact people, planet and profit.

Learn how to lead creative projects from idea to delivery. Develop planning, leadership and digital skills while managing budgets, risks and stakeholders in real creative project scenarios.

Discover how creative ideas become successful businesses. Build strategic, financial and leadership skills to turn artistic vision into sustainable, high-value creative ventures.

Step into the shoes of a business consultant. Analyse client briefs, solve complex problems, present recommendations, and merge theory with practice to build consultancy and leadership skills.

We regularly review our courses to keep pace with changing skills and employer needs. If a review leads to significant changes, we’ll contact you to explain what’s changing for the coming year.

Teaching and Assessment

Teaching is industry-informed and student-led, helping you build confidence, independence and professionalism. 

You’ll learn through interactive sessions led by staff with both business and creative industries experience, including freelancers, event organisers and former creative professionals. Through collaboration, live briefs and applied projects, you’ll develop practical skills and creative confidence. 

Assessments are practical and creative, helping you learn by doing. You’ll work on real-world tasks such as pitching ideas, developing business plans and producing professional reports, alongside more creative formats like podcasts, websites, magazine articles and live events.

The course recogniseshow creative businesses are evolving due to AI, and so as part of your learning and assessment, you’ll develop skills to use AI tools responsibly and effectively, supporting creativity, decision-making and problem-solving.

You’ll have opportunities to gain real-world experience through an optional sandwich year (in the UK or internationally) or a five-week placement in your second year at a creative industries partner. These options help you apply what you’ve learned in a professional setting, build confidence, and strengthen your employability. 

Studying Business and Management at USW means learning beyond the classroom. You’ll have opportunities to engage with industry partners, including visits to professional workplaces and occasional teaching in real workplaces in Wales. Alongside this, you’ll be supported by expert staff and have access to laptops, on-campus IT facilities and library resources to support your studies. Students also benefit from access to creative facilities at our Cardiff campus including a podcast studio and our Media Loans service, allowing you to borrow audio, filming and recording equipment to support creative, digital and applied business work.

Course Leader

Liam Newton

Liam Newton leads this course, alongside a team of year tutors and lecturers, all with different specialisms and experience that you will benefit from.  Liam comes from a marketing background, having worked in the marketing industry in Australia before moving into academia and teaching in several countries around Europe.  Liam's research focusses on the disruption caused by Generative AI to businesses and education, and he teaches modules on business disruption and business ethics on this degree.  He is passionate about making sure each student achieves their individual goals through the course - whether that is to become a business leader, work in a multinational company, develop a consultancy business, or start a new venture.

Email Liam Chat with Liam

Career Prospects

This course prepares you for a wide range of careers across business, management and the creative industries. Through strong consultancy links, you’ll work with both large and small organisations and collaborate with other creative students on live projects, including our annual Immersed Festival, building professional skills, confidence and valuable industry networks.

Your future career

This degree will prepare you for roles in creative businesses across Wales, and through your degree, you'll meet professionals from large creative firms such as the BBC and Cyfartha Museum and Art Gallery. Careers support is embedded throughout the course, with guidance available from day one and beyond graduation to help you plan your next steps. Potential career paths include:

Events manager
Creative director
Communications manager
Brand leader
Production manager

Graduate and business owner Shane poses for a photo in his shop

"I knew I wanted to start my own business. It was then I decided to go to university and gain a business degree. I worked out a business plan and things went from there."

Shane Richard Jordan, Business and Management student

Learn more

Salary expectations

A Business and Management degree can open opportunities across Business and the wider sector. Business and Management careers offer strong earning potential:

Median wage
UK: £54.4k per annum
Wales: £44.6k per annum

 

Total jobs in 2025
UK: 5.45m
Wales: 173,409

 

Source: Lightcast Labour Market Data 2026

USW Enterprise

Industry partners

Strong industry connections sit at the heart of the course.  We partner with large businesses such as BBC and Street Football Wales, as well as creative companies right here in Cardiff.  On this course focussing on the creative industries, students will also have a chance to get experience with the Immersed Festival, partnering with students studying on our creative degrees.  These connections all offer real insight into professional practice specific to the creative industries in Wales - helping you build your confidence and grow your network. 

Entry Requirements

Contextual offers

We may make you a lower offer based on a range of factors, including your background (where you live and the school or college that you attended, for example), your experiences and individual circumstances (as a care leaver, for example). This is referred to as a contextual offer, and we receive data from UCAS to support us in making these decisions.

USW prides itself on its student experience and we support our students to achieve their goals and become a successful graduate. This approach helps us to support students who have the potential to succeed and who may have faced barriers that make it more difficult to access university.

How to applyContextual admissions policyAsk us a question

96 UCAS points or above

Typical qualification requirements

A Level:
CCC

Welsh BACC:
Advanced Skills Baccalaureate Wales Grade C and CC at A Level

BTEC:
BTEC Extended Diploma Merit Merit Merit

Access to HE:
Pass the Access to HE Diploma and obtain a minimum of 96 UCAS tariff points

T Level:
Pass (C and above)

Additional requirements include:
The University normally requires a minimum 5 GCSEs including Mathematics/Numeracy and English at Grade C or Grade 4 or above, or their equivalent, but consideration is given to individual circumstances. 

International applications welcomed:

We welcome international applications with equivalent qualifications of our entry requirements. For more details related to your country of residence, please view our dedicated country pages.

International studentsPre-Sessional English

English language requirements

International applicants will need to have achieved an overall of IELTS 6.0 with a minimum of 5.5 in each component/TOEFL 4 overall and a minimum of 4 in each component or equivalent.

Equivalents can be located on our English Language pages.

If you have previously studied through the medium of English, IELTS might not be required, please visit our country specific page for further details. If your country is not featured, please contact us.

If you do not meet the English entry criteria, please visit our Pre-Sessional course pages.

Fees and Funding

UK Full-Time Fee £ 9,790

per year

Fees and funding Scholarships and bursaries Cost of living support

Studying at university is one of the most significant investments you'll ever make. Whilst you’re studying, you’ll have two main financial obligations – tuition fees and living costs. There’s lots of financial help available from the University of South Wales and external funding sources, that may provide loans (which have to be paid back) and grants, scholarships and bursaries (that don't).

*Full-time fees are per year. Part-time fees are per 20 credits. Once enrolled, the fee is anticipated to remain at the same rate throughout the duration of your study on this course except as described below.

Please be aware that we may increase the maximum fee for home students on full-time undergraduate courses only where the Welsh Government increases the permitted level of inflation of fees. Fees for all students (including part-time, postgraduate and international students) may be amended in accordance with our applicable Fees and Debt Management Policy.  We will ensure that students are given clear, intelligible, unambiguous and timely information about our courses and costs in good time, ahead of the next academic year.

As a student of USW, you’ll have access to lots of free resources to support your study and learning, such as textbooks, publications, online journals, laptops, and plenty of remote-access resources. Whilst in most cases these resources are more than sufficient in supporting you with completing your course, additional costs, both obligatory and optional, may be required or requested for the likes of travel, memberships, experience days, stationery, printing, or equipment.

Laptop
The University has computers available on campus and laptops for loan. However, it is highly recommended that you have your own personal laptop.  As a student you will be able to download a free copy of any software relevant to the course.
Cost: £250

Textbooks
Textbooks are provided via the USW library but students may wish to purchase their own private copies.
Cost: £300

Placement Expenses
Students are offered the opportunity to complete an internship during their second year of study. Students undertaking an internship may incur costs associated with travel and expected workplace attire and this will vary according to the placement.
Cost: £250

International Opportunities
Students have opportunities to take part in international placements or travel throughout the degree. These are optional and funding is available, however there may be costs associated with visas and travel beyond the funding received.
Cost: £250+

International Full-Time Fee £ 16,800

per year

Fees and funding Scholarships and bursaries Cost of living support

Studying at university is one of the most significant investments you'll ever make. Whilst you’re studying, you’ll have two main financial obligations – tuition fees and living costs. There’s lots of financial help available from the University of South Wales and external funding sources, that may provide loans (which have to be paid back) and grants, scholarships and bursaries (that don't).

*Full-time fees are per year. Part-time fees are per 20 credits. Once enrolled, the fee is anticipated to remain at the same rate throughout the duration of your study on this course except as described below.

Please be aware that we may increase the maximum fee for home students on full-time undergraduate courses only where the Welsh Government increases the permitted level of inflation of fees. Fees for all students (including part-time, postgraduate and international students) may be amended in accordance with our applicable Fees and Debt Management Policy.  We will ensure that students are given clear, intelligible, unambiguous and timely information about our courses and costs in good time, ahead of the next academic year.

As a student of USW, you’ll have access to lots of free resources to support your study and learning, such as textbooks, publications, online journals, laptops, and plenty of remote-access resources. Whilst in most cases these resources are more than sufficient in supporting you with completing your course, additional costs, both obligatory and optional, may be required or requested for the likes of travel, memberships, experience days, stationery, printing, or equipment.

Laptop
The University has computers available on campus and laptops for loan. However, it is highly recommended that you have your own personal laptop.  As a student you will be able to download a free copy of any software relevant to the course.
Cost: £250

Textbooks
Textbooks are provided via the USW library but students may wish to purchase their own private copies.
Cost: £300

Placement Expenses
Students are offered the opportunity to complete an internship during their second year of study. Students undertaking an internship may incur costs associated with travel and expected workplace attire and this will vary according to the placement.
Cost: £250

International Opportunities
Students have opportunities to take part in international placements or travel throughout the degree. These are optional and funding is available, however there may be costs associated with visas and travel beyond the funding received.
Cost: £250+

What sets us apart?

Find out more

#1

Business Management at USW is top for Teaching Quality in Wales.

Guardian University Guide 2025

Two students in a University library

Ranked in the Top 50 UK universities in the Guardian University Guide 2026.

Three students studying in a pod in the library at Cardiff campus

Top in Wales for new business startups and 7th in the UK.

How to apply

All applications for full-time undergraduate courses or foundation degrees should be made via UCAS. Take the next step: Apply through UCAS

You can apply to us directly for all part-time undergraduate courses, if you’re seeking advanced entry or you’re an international student. To apply directly, please choose the application form below for your preferred start date and mode of study (full-time or part-time).

  • Business and Management (Creative Industries)

    • Full-time, 3 years

    • September

    • Pontypridd

    Apply direct

  • Business and Management (Creative Industries)

    • Sandwich, 4 years

    • September

    • Pontypridd

    Apply direct

  • Business and Management (Creative Industries)

    • Full-time, 3 years

    • January

    • Pontypridd

    Apply direct

  • Business and Management (Creative Industries)

    • Sandwich, 4 years

    • January

    • Pontypridd

    Apply direct

  • Business and Management (Creative Industries)

    • Full-time, 3 years

    • September

    • Cardiff

    Apply direct

  • Business and Management (Creative Industries)

    • Sandwich, 4 years

    • September

    • Cardiff

    Apply direct

If you already have a relevant qualification or experience related to the course you're applying for, you may be eligible to start at a later stage of the course. For example, students from partner colleges can ‘top up’ their qualifications to a degree by joining us in Year Two or Year Three of a course. This process is known as ‘advanced entry’, you can apply directly to the University for 'advanced entry' using the application forms provided above.

Applicants accepted through advanced entry may study a different combination of modules to those advertised, as they will be joining a course already in progress. You will be contacted and advised about these modules once your application has been processed and an offer made.

International applicants can apply to us directly. If the University has an in-country team in your region, your application will be assigned to them for assistance.

Student Stories

"I’d always had a business mindset through my family, but I didn’t have the deeper understanding I needed to progress. I wanted the university experience without the overly formal, research-heavy environment my friends described at other institutions, and USW offered exactly the kind of teaching style that suited me."

Sam Pike Business and Management student

View student profile

Student Stories

"Some of my favourite moments have actually been group assessments, especially a presentation project where we spent weeks preparing a detailed PowerPoint and then presented it in person. It was overwhelming at first, but by the time we delivered it, I felt a real sense of achievement."

Jasmine Brough Business and Management student

View student profile

Student Stories

"Keep an open mind and be willing to explore different areas within the field, there is no single path to success. Be prepared to step out of your comfort zone.”

Sumaya Khan Business and Management student

View student profile

Student Stories

"Business at USW has been much more than just lectures. I’ve taken part in a virtual internship that covered different industries and business scenarios, working on simulations that really made you think about decision-making and consequences."

Cameron Jones Business and Management student

View student profile

Student Stories

"My advice for anyone thinking about studying business at USW is to make full use of the practical opportunities and treat the course as the foundation for whatever professional path you want to build."

Mahbubul Alom Business and Management graduate

View student profile

Related stories and highlights

News Article

USW is first in UK to build AI qualification into Business and Management course

News Article

USW top in Wales for graduate start-ups for sixth year running

News Article

Business students get career ready with Industry Month

News Article

Business students go behind the scenes at Amazon

News Article

USW and CBI launch new toolkit to develop the potential of women as leaders

Work, earn and learn!

This course is also available through Network75, a combined work and study route, and as a Degree Apprenticeship.

Learn more

Ready to apply?

Still exploring your options?

Student life Our locations Accommodation