Arizona State University (Downtown Phoenix campus)

Additional information

Program description

Degree awarded: MGM  Global Management (Creative Industries and Design Thinking) 

The World Economic Forum reports that empathy and collaboration are two critical abilities for global manager success. These are equally critical for those seeking careers in creative industries and industries that use design thinking. These abilities rely on the development of social capital. Students in this program learn to build sustainable, trusting relationships --- the basis of social capital --- with others from diverse parts of the world by developing a deep capacity for intercultural empathy, the ability to have an interpersonal impact and the ability to act with diplomacy. This program is designed to develop a student's social capital through field-based action learning, team-based projects and stretch assignments.

This concentration is offered in collaboration with the Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts.

Inventive thinking. Innovative leadership.
This program can fill the entrepreneurial skills gap that exists among traditional art and design graduates. The National Strategic National Arts Alumni Project survey of over 100,000 art and design graduates indicates that while 77% of architecture graduates and 75% of fine arts graduates believe entrepreneurial skills to be somewhat or very important, only 24% and 21%, respectively, gained the necessary entrepreneurial knowledge and skills as undergraduates.

The MGM program with a concentration in creative industries and design thinking teaches students critical skills with an interdisciplinary focus to meet a current need in the globally expanding field of creative industries. Additionally, providing students with an entrepreneurial skill set strengthens their ability to connect interdisciplinary knowledge of the cultural industries with design thinking methodology, building on management skills and the ability to apply entrepreneurial vision to the globally interconnected sector of art and design. Students are exposed to design-thinking pedagogy as they increase their capacity for interpersonal communication, public communication, opportunity recognition, network and systems thinking, problem recognition and creativity. They demonstrated abilities in cultural leadership, knowledge of the creative industries, distribution of creative products, the creative process and management of innovation in the creative industries.

This program empowers students to advance innovation in the cultural sector, support creative work and careers, harness social capital, and design public and private enterprises that will strengthen arts and design in the future. The program prepares graduates to understand the complex economic, legal, political and social contexts that surround any innovation or enterprise.

Thunderbird School of Global Management has produced unique leaders for over 75 years --- leaders in every sector capable of tackling the world's greatest challenges. The alumni network comprises 45,000 graduates and 170 chapters around the globe.

Accelerated program options

This program allows students to obtain both a bachelor's and master's degree in as little as five years. It is offered as an accelerated bachelor's plus master's degree with:

• Asia Studies (East Asia), BA
• Asia Studies (South Asia), BA
• Asia Studies (Southeast Asia), BA
• Biological Sciences, BS
• Biological Sciences (Biology and Society), BS
• Biological Sciences (Genetics, Cell and Developmental Biology), BS
• Biological Sciences (Neurobiology, Physiology and Behavior), BS
• Business (Agribusiness Innovation and Technology), BA
• Business (Business Administration), BA
• Business (Communication), BA
• Business (Food Industry Management), BA
• Business (Global Logistics Management), BA
• Business (Global Politics), BA
• Business (Health Care), BA
• Business (Information Security), BA
• Business (Language and Culture), BA
• Business (Law), BA
• Business (Public Service and Public Policy), BA
• Business (Sports Business), BA
• Business (Statistics), BA
• Business (Sustainability), BA
• Business (Technology), BA
• Business (Tourism), BA
• Business Data Analytics, BS
• Business Entrepreneurship, BS
• Economics, BS
• Engineering Management, BSE
• Finance, BS
• Global Health, BA
• Global Management, BGM
• History, BA
• Industrial Design, BSD
• Industrial Engineering, BSE
• Informatics, BS
• International Trade, BS
• Jewish Studies, BA
• Liberal Studies, BA
• Management, BS
• Marketing, BS
• Marketing (Digital and Integrated Marketing Communications), BS
• Marketing (Professional Sales), BS
• Microbiology, BS
• Philosophy, BA
• Philosophy (Morality, Politics and Law), BA
• Religious Studies (Religion, Culture and Public Life), BA
• Religious Studies (Religion, Politics and Global Affairs), BA
• Supply Chain Management, BS

Acceptance to the graduate program requires a separate application. Students typically receive approval to pursue the accelerated master’s during the junior year of their bachelor's degree program.