Whitecliffe continues to innovate in the expansion of its higher education portfolio

A new master’s degree just launched by Whitecliffe will provide a unique springboard for future founders and startup entrepreneurs to turn their dreams into reality.

New Zealand’s first-ever Master of Creative Enterprise and Innovation (MCEI) kicks off in July 2023, co-created with some of the world’s leading innovative thinkers, business owners, investors, mentors, movers and shakers.

The NZQA-approved and accredited 180-credit Level 9 programme gives students access to industry experts via weekend master classes, guest lectures and presentations. Designed as a low-residency model, business professionals can continue working while exploring their innovative ideas and will benefit from programme flexibility that allows for individual aspirations and goals.

The MCEI is the ideal programme for future founders and startups to learn how to launch an enterprise whether it’s a product or service. Non-disciplinary specific, it’s the perfect meld of academic learning, problem-solving, design thinking and human–centred system-minded design. Students will be encouraged to develop a deep sense of curiosity, purpose, passion and empathy to be leaders – not followers - and to influence the future.

Head of School, Design Innovation’s Eric Thompson is excited to bring this new, innovative and future-focused programme to life. “It’s been a great opportunity to continue to be creative and innovative with Whitecliffe’s degree offerings. To be able to co-create an innovative programme with industry experts has enabled us to build a really exciting master’s degree that will challenge, enlighten and encourage students to not only dream big but potentially turn those dreams and enterprises into reality,” he says.

“The American writer and entrepreneur Mark Twain had it sorted when he said, ‘Explore. Dream. Discover.’ I’d like to add to that, that this programme will allow students to explore, dream, discover and do.”

The programme supports students through an integrated approach, intentionally building resilience and confidence alongside the development of creative and innovative concepts and products. Students will strengthen their critical thinking and analysis skills, problem-solving, self-management, working with people and communication competencies. The MCEI programme is also a platform for human-centred creativity, impacting social, cultural, economic, and environmental outcomes and job creation. The relationship between creativity, enterprise and innovation will enable graduates to work beyond borders and become global citizens.

The Chief Executive of Whitecliffe, Mark Worsop, says “At Whitecliffe we believe that creativity can be used to change the way people see and experience the world, and we are committed to providing opportunities for our staff, students and graduates to create meaningful change. To really enable this, we have been dedicated to developing a new programme portfolio that is not only relevant to industry in New Zealand and abroad, but that also reflects the creativity and critical thinking that we build and develop with students in our five schools (Fine Arts, Fashion and Sustainability, Design Innovation, Technology, and Creative Arts Therapy).

“The new Master of Creative Enterprise and Innovation has delivered this and more. It provides something new to the tertiary landscape in New Zealand, and this is something we are all very excited about. Imagine a scenario, for example, where you have a digital technologist, a software developer, a designer, and a marketer working together as a team to develop a business idea or concept, and they are able to negotiate their own curriculum to build the skills and knowledge they need. We believe this is what 21st-century education should look like.”

For further information please contact:
Juanita Prinsloo
Director of Marketing and Communications
juanitap@whitecliffe.ac.nz
022 324 4263

About Whitecliffe
With five schools spanning Fine Arts, Fashion and Sustainability, Design Innovation, Technology and Creative Arts Therapy, Whitecliffe College is one of New Zealand’s leading private schools of creativity, innovation and research. We offer a wide range of programmes from Certificate through to Postgraduate level and have campuses in central Auckland, Manukau, Wellington and Christchurch.

www.whitecliffe.ac.nz