Partner Article

Celeb master’s degree highlights possibilities for business

Many people are shying away from the idea of doing a master’s degree after three years of university. Unless they’re going to Scotland - where four-year courses are done as standard, giving greater accreditation at the end of it all - it’s not a simple case of getting the financial backing to complete the extra year, especially since fees have skyrocketed over the last ten years (effectively making it nine times more expensive for a year of education).

Nonetheless, the recent news of a celebrity-endorsed course has highlighted just how companies could make some real money in a number of ways. On June 26th, former New Order and Joy Division bassist Peter Hook announced that he would be leading a new generation of music industry professionals into the industry through teaching, passing on what he learned from work with the Haçienda and Factory Records.

The master’s degree in music management and promotion is being offered at the University of Central Lancashire (UCLAN), and other music industry figures - including music venue expert Aaron Mellor and former operations director for the Ministry of Sound Tony Rigg - have worked to create the course alongside him.

Conceiving such a course could play into a business’ hands, if they do it well. While the initial cost of a partnership could prove quite high, getting a celebrity endorsement would not only improve an organisation’s public image and identity, but building links to a university or college would also raise said institution’s profile - and provide a steady supply of graduates accustomed to the specific line of work chosen. What’s more, it provides an often-better teaching regime to in-house training while also removing costs from the university itself.

With Hook’s course, it will initially be worked on a small scale; ten students will be mentored intensively and the university will combine the styles of the 80s with technology of today. The BBC confirmed that the course will be “identifying and monetising viable music projects”, incorporating “business planning, presenting and formatting music for commercial release”, while also “devising and executing marketing plans and promotional campaigns”.

With many up-and-coming universities looking for partnerships for master’s degrees around the UK - with one or two near big cities like London - this could be a truly exciting time to be both a student and business.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Jonny Marshall .