Professional Development
Effective leaders of creative enterprises don’t only have superb management skills, they also have a vast network of connections with people across organizations that can help them source ideas, acquire resources, sell concepts, and promote their work. The MS in Leadership for Creative Enterprises program at Northwestern University provides the tools, connections, and hands-on experiences to advance your career through professional development in creative industries, including networking, industry engagement, and targeted career coaching.
Industry Immersion with the IDEA Fund
The Immersion, Development, and Experience Advancement (IDEA) Fund empowers MSLCE students to take their career growth beyond the classroom by providing practical, flexible, and customizable resources for professional development in the creative industries. Through the IDEA Fund, students can access up to $1,500 to support career-building opportunities that align with their personal goals and professional strategy.
Funding can be used for a wide range of activities, including:
- Travel for job shadowing, interviews, or industry site visits
- Registration fees for conferences, festivals, or professional networking events
- Professional organization memberships, competition fees, and more
By removing financial barriers to career-enhancing experiences, the IDEA Fund helps students expand their networks, gain industry insights, and position themselves for leadership roles in the arts, entertainment, media, and related creative sectors.
Networking Events, Speaker Series + Creative Industry Workshops
MSLCE students have access to a robust calendar of professional development events in the creative industries, designed to build skills, expand networks, and connect you directly with leaders across arts, entertainment, and media.
Throughout the year, the MSLCE program collaborates with the School of Communication’s External Programs, Internships, and Career Services (EPICS) office and other Northwestern partners to host:
- Speaker series featuring industry executives, entrepreneurs, and creative visionaries
- Hands-on workshops to strengthen professional materials, presentation skills, and personal branding
- Masterclasses offering in-depth training on current trends, tools, and strategies in creative industry leadership
These events provide more than just learning opportunities—they are strategic moments to meet potential collaborators, mentors, and employers. By actively engaging in the MSLCE professional network, students graduate with both the knowledge and the relationships needed to lead in today’s evolving creative economy.
Creative Industry Internships and Applied Projects
A culminating experience in the Master’s in Leadership for Creative Enterprises program, students pursue an opportunity to apply their classroom learning to real-world creative industry settings. This hands-on component strengthens professional skills, builds industry connections, and can give graduates a competitive edge when pursuing leadership roles in arts, entertainment, media, and related fields.
Students can choose from three experiential learning paths:
- Internship – Gain direct industry experience by working with organizations across the creative sector, from major media companies to innovative startups and nonprofits. MSLCE students have interned in cities such as Chicago, New York, Los Angeles, and abroad.
- Applied Project – Collaborate with an organization or launch your own initiative, applying research, strategy, and creative problem-solving to address real challenges. This option is ideal for entrepreneurial ventures or market research projects.
- Thesis – Conduct an in-depth research study on a topic relevant to the creative industries, working closely with a faculty advisor to produce original scholarship and actionable insights.
No matter which path you choose, you’ll graduate with both the strategic knowledge and the practical expertise to lead in the creative economy—combining industry experience, professional connections, and a portfolio of work that showcases your ability to drive results in the creative industries.
Professional Development in Creative Industries and Career Coaching Resources
External Programs, Internships, and Career Services (EPICS)
The MSLCE program has dedicated staff from the School of Communications’ EPICS Office to assist in the development of students’ professional documents and to provide guidance during their internship and job searches. Students have access not only to professional development programs designed specifically for the MSLCE program, but also to those that EPICS organizes for the SoC, such as career workshops, company information sessions, and leadership journeys. Students also have access to the SoC’s career management system, a database that allows students to search for and apply to SoC-specific internships, practicum opportunities, full-time jobs, and freelance jobs. Visit the EPICS website>>
Northwestern Career Advancement (NCA)
Northwestern Career Advancement offers free career counseling catered specifically to graduate students. Career counseling is a confidential and supportive process through which you and your counselor work together to explore career options and make career decisions and can include discussing your strengths, areas of growth, and challenges. You will work at your own pace, on the parts of the career planning process appropriate to your needs. Students also have access to CareerCat, Northwestern’s central job/internship database, as well as the many job and internship fairs held throughout the year. Visit the NCA website>>