The School of Creative and Cultural Business recognises the ever-changing nature and pace of business today.

Much emphasis is now placed on creativity as an essential skill at all levels of business and management. We nurture creative thinking, cultivate teamwork and encourage entrepreneurialism so that you are ready to create, innovate and lead the creative economy in the future.

Our diverse course portfolio embraces collaborative and multidisciplinary learning, giving you the valuable opportunity to acquire transferable business, marketing and management skills along with your chosen course specialism.

Subject areas we specialise in include:

• Event Management
• Fashion Management
• PR, Media and Journalism
• International Hospitality and Tourism Management
• Digital Marketing
• Marketing and Communication
• Information Management and Librarianship
• Petroleum Data Management

We offer on campus, online or work base learning study, and many of our courses are flexible and offer a full time and part time option. In addition, some of our undergraduate courses offer a study abroad option in Europe and the US.

Much of our teaching and assessment is practice-based, with an emphasis on industry liaison and the increasing influence of digital technologies, strategies and practices. Our focus is on delivering high quality vocational degrees and producing confident graduates who embrace change and contribute in a wide variety of competitive business specialisms, whether that is as part of a Scottish SME or a global brand.

At the School of Creative and Cultural Business, we believe the future of business is creative and digital.

Awards and Recognition

We have been awarded iSchool status for our Information Management subject area. The iSchool organisation is a collective of Information Schools dedicated to advancing the information fields.

• 2nd in Scotland* for overall student satisfaction in Journalism (National Student Survey 2023)
• 2nd in Scotland for career prospects in Media (Guardian University Guide 2024)
• 2nd in Scotland for student satisfaction in Communication and Media Studies (Complete University Guide 2025) 

*excluding colleges, small, specialist and private providers

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Placements

Placements are an excellent opportunity for you to gain real world experience, apply the knowledge and skills you have developed in the course and for employers to see what you have to offer. It is a great opportunity to increase your employability for when you graduate.

We offer placement opportunities in all of our undergraduate courses in Year 3, with Events Management students undertaking an Industry Experience Portfolio throughout the course.

Uniquely we also offer placements to all our postgraduate students as part of the Industrial Professional Practice module.

Accreditations

Our courses are accredited by a range of professional bodies including:

• Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR)
• Chartered Institute of Information and Library Professionals (CILIP)
• Institute of Hospitality (IoH)
• Tourism Management Institute (TMI)
• Institute of Direct and Digital Marketing(idm)
• Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM)

Industry Links

We have developed strong links with the following organisations. Many of these are graduate employers and placement hosts, while others sponsor student projects and prizes or are guest speakers.

• Aberdeenshire Council
• Aberdeen International Airport
• AVC Media Enterprises
• Bon Accord and St Nicholas Centres
• Crimestoppers Scotland
• Fifth Business
• Macphie of Glenbervie
• Oil & Gas UK
• Tricker PR

Educational Institutions

We have developed a strong relationship with the Business & Hotel Management School (B.H.M.S) in Lucerne, Switzerland. B.H.M.S, part of the Benedict Education Group, offer a number of RGU validated business courses:

• BA Hotel and Hospitality Management
• BA Global Business Management
• Graduate Certificate International Hospitality Business Management
• MSc International Hospitality Business Management
• BA Culinary Arts
• MSc Global Business Management

We have a vibrant research community and are active in a number of applied research projects. We offer a number of doctoral research opportunities and expertise in a wide range of subject areas.

We offer research degrees part-time and full-time at Doctor of Information Science (DInfSc) and Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) level in communications, media, marketing, and tourism and information management.

The DInfSc is a practitioner-focused doctoral degree. It has been designed for experienced professionals working in an information or knowledge management environment. This programme is an attractive option for those seeking to make an original contribution to professional practice. It prepares you to take the next step in your professional development and lead change and innovation in the LIS sector.

We are particularly interested in applications in the following topic areas:

• Media discourse & representation
• Gender and media
• Media history
• Postmodern cultural and media theory
• Publishing
• Fan and celebrity culture
• Media effects, audience reception and participation, and moral panics
• On- and offline bookselling
• Political communication and information
• Digital consumer behaviour
• Export markets
• Services Marketing
• Consumer socialisation and demographics
• Fashion and retail
• Cultural heritage
• Digital curation
• Knowledge Management
• Information-seeking behaviour
• Information and digital literacy and impact
• Information policy, law and ethics
• Value and impact of public libraries
• The development of new information professionals
• Events and festival consumption
• Events management strategy
• Events and social interaction
• Dark tourism
• Entrepreneurship in the creative industries
• Knowledge exchange - Collaboration between SMEs and academia
• Transport in remote, rural and island areas
• Transport, cultural identity and place
• Transport service and operational innovation

Research Contacts

School Research Director

Professor David Gray
Tel: +44 (0) 1224 263146
Email: david.gray@rgu.ac.uk

Research Degrees Enquiries

Professor Simon Burnett
Tel: +44 (0) 1224 263884
Email: s.burnett@rgu.ac.uk

Our Research Staff