Can postgraduate studies make one more creative?

Marita Suresh ponders the benefits of postgraduate qualifications in the creative arena.

 

You may wonder how far a postgraduate qualification can take you through a creative career. Most writers, art directors, graphic designers and film directors will tell you that while a basic degree is essential in obtaining a job, it is your talent and passion for the arts that will take you places in the creative world. Yet the trend may be changing and it would be good to look into the benefits of having more than a bachelor’s degree.

 

Some individuals in the creative industry tend to go for a Master in Business Administration or MBA. Contrary to popular belief, the MBA does not teach one all about business, but about preparing oneself for a management position and working with high-profile clients. Strategic thinking plays an important role in this degree and this augurs well for creative personnel. This is because, very often in the real world, the creative types are called upon to conjure up concepts that are new and exciting, yet cater to the demands of the client.

Would a creative director of a large advertising agency require a postgraduate qualification? The answer would be a resounding ‘yes’ if this form of further education equips him with the know-how of managing creative staff. Very often it is such management techniques that set apart a good creative director from a mediocre one. Also, if the qualification allows him to be a decisive creative leader who can offer his team good leadership skills and direction, it is definitely one to be desired. 

 

Some experts may argue that work experience supersedes a Master in Business Administration.  This would be true for individuals who are after a career in marketing, for instance. A marketing executive more often than not has to gain hands -on experience of the target audience, demographics and psychographics of the marketing world that he or she has been placed in. After building a career around this type of work and gaining perhaps three to four years of work experience, he can set off to obtain his Master’s in marketing. Upon returning to the job market, he can look at becoming a brand manager or marketing director for a leading product or service. In this way, his work experience would have helped him to prepare for his Master’s qualification.

 

You may ask why marketing is considered a creative job. The answer lies in the world of consumerism which forms the essence of economies all over the globe today. It is the consumers’ spending power that determines the market’s performance.  However, to get the consumer to part with his hard-earned cash, you need fresh, new and exciting marketing and advertising ideas. 

 

Besides an MBA, one can also pursue a Master of Arts (MA), Master of Fine Arts (MFA), Master of Letters (MLitt) or the Master of Music (MMus). Obtaining a Master’s in fine arts would be ideal for creative personnel who enjoy the visual arts namely woodwork, ceramics and pottery.  Employers like Royal Selangor Pewter, Karyaneka and Tourism Malaysia would appreciate such qualifications and interest which will certainly lend to the growth of the culture and tourism industry.

 

Master’s degrees in fine arts can also be obtained in the film making, theatre and performing arts industries. Hence, graduates who are certain that they wish to excel in acting, singing or dancing would do well to obtain a Master’s in fine arts. Alternatively, with a Master of Music you could train to become a sound engineer, music composer or producer in a recording studio or jingle house. The Master of Letters, which has a lot to do with philosophy, would be appropriate for seasoned poets or writers.

 

Well-known employers like Maybank, AirAsia, Procter & Gamble, Dutch Lady, Dell and Coca-Cola would be very likely to appreciate good talent in the form of productive staff.  More often than not, they would invest in such staff by providing financial support for them to pursue a postgraduate qualification. Upon their return, these staff would prove invaluable to the organisation and would be able to share their newly acquired knowledge and expertise with fellow colleagues.

 

With the advent of the Internet and Information Technology, many students are striving to obtain their MBA online. The question to ask is whether this mode of study as opposed to the brick-and-mortar method of attending a proper university is taken seriously by employers. Thus far, the feedback is that employers hold one in greater esteem if one is able to prove that one is self-sufficient and motivated enough to use the power of technology to one’s advantage. The independence and sheer strength of will required to obtain one’s qualification online are clear indications that this future employee will be a force to be reckoned with. Hence, this virtual route is one to be admired and not frowned upon.

 

In summary, it can be said that a postgraduate qualification does make one more creative, for all the right reasons.

 

This article first appeared in postgradasia supplement 2010.