BA

Business for Creative Industries

Lead where creativity and business meet.

The BA in Business for Creative Industries is a dynamic approach to understanding the business behind the creative world. Studying at one of the world’s top creative institutions, you will earn a business degree while also gaining an insider’s understanding of the art and design process – in just 3 years!

A group of students on a blue couch, gathered around a laptop on a small table

Creative industries need business leaders who understand how ideas are made — and how successful businesses are built around them. The BA in Business for Creative Industries prepares you to do both.

Graduate in 3 Years

Students in our program will graduate a full year before traditional programs. This program blends strategic business leadership with creative experience and insight to shape the future leaders, innovators and thinkers ready for a career that blends creativity with business. Graduating in only three years also means you save a year of tuition and fees.

Transfer-Friendly

Aligned with the Michigan Transfer Business Pathway, this degree allows students to transfer from community colleges and complete the degree at CCS in two years. You gain the same strong business foundation, while starting your career faster and with a CCS degree.

Business Degree in a Creative Institution

Unlike traditional business programs, graduates of the BCI program will have a real understanding of the creative worlds they’ll inhabit and an insider’s perspective on art and design project creation and management through challenge-based projects, internships and experiential learning.


Students in this program have the unique opportunity to supplement their business courses with cross-disciplinary electives in studio disciplines – this means access to CCS’s industry-grade facilities, such as 3D modeling technology and 3D printers, fashion studios, UX and virtual reality studios, and more.

Frequently Asked Questions


A group of students at a table looking at a screen

Your Future, In Motion

With our extensive industry connections spanning over a century, we ensure that the active learning our students engage in aligns with industry needs, preparing them for careers in the creative industries.

A student working on a laptop in front of a window overlooking the Ford campus

Cutting-Edge Spaces for Creative Minds

Enjoy unlimited access to industry-standard facilities that prepare you for real-world production.


By collaborating with peers who are majoring in studio subjects, students will have hands-on experience in project management, market research, finance and budgeting, marketing and storytelling, and much more.

*Note: This information was gathered using Lightcast Labor Market Analytics and includes the median salary for the lifetime of a career in these specific professions. CCS alumni outcomes may vary.

Possible Career Choices

Brand or Marketing Manager

Business Development Consultant

Consumer Insights Manager

Creative Assets Manager

Creative Project Manager / Project Manager

Design Manager

Design Researcher

Event Coordinator

Gallery Director / Culture Curator

Government Relations Specialist

Licensing or Partnerships Manager

Media Services Manager

New Product Manager

Operations Manager

Producer (Film, Media, Games)

Product Manager (Design-Driven Industries)

Production Assistant

Production Coordinator / Production Manager

Production Designer

Research and Development Manager

Studio Manager / Design Studio Administrator

Transportation Business Analyst

Writer

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Fill out our inquiry form to receive personalized updates, tips, and can’t miss info from our Admissions team.

BA Transfer PathwayBFA

Film is a constantly evolving medium, bridging cutting-edge technology with timeless visual storytelling.

At CCS, you’ll experience four years of actual filmmaking, exploring narratives in filmmaking, documentary production, and experimental formats.

Racheal Vanloo
100%

Placement Rate
Learn More

Grounded in film history and theory, you’ll write, plan, and direct your own projects, while mastering advanced cinematography, lighting design, and post-production sound.

Bachelor of Arts Transfer Pathway

Designed for transfer students who already hold an associate degree, our Film Studies Bachelor of Arts (BA) Completion Degree is designed to respect the work you’ve already done, and allow you to graduate from CCS in just two years. 

Through our deep industry connections, you’ll gain critical real-world experience long before graduation – collaborating on sponsored studios, professional internships, and mastering industry-level gear.


Our Department

Hands-on experiences that help bring your vision to life.

Experience-driven learning that prepares you for the Film industry.

Film, Photo, and Interdisciplinary students sitting at a long row of tables having portfolio reviews with industry professionals during an Industry Day

Your Future, In Motion

With our extensive industry connections spanning over a century, we ensure that the active learning our students engage in aligns with industry needs, preparing them for careers.

A production crew and actors working inside a professional, fully equipped green screen studio at CCS. A camera operator films a costumed actor standing on green steps, while a boom mic operator captures audio and another crew member holds a clapperboard. A student sits at a desk in the foreground monitoring the live footage on a laptop and nearby display.

Cutting-Edge Spaces for Creative Minds

Enjoy unlimited access to industry-standard facilities
that prepare you for real-world production.


Our graduates are shaping the future of the film industry, with careers as screenwriters, cinematographers, directors, editors, producers, sound designers, colorists, creative directors, VFX artists, studio owners, and more.

*Note: This information was gathered using Lightcast Labor Market Analytics and includes the median salary for the lifetime of a career in these specific professions. CCS alumni outcomes may vary.

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Activision logo
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Disney logo
Hulu logo
HBO logo
Netflix logo
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Universal Studios logo

Possible Career Choices

Art Director

Camera Operator

Cinematographer

Colorist

Compositor

Costumer

Director

Editor

Film Producer

Foley Artist

Gaffer

Independent Filmmaker

Production Assistant

Screenwriter

Script Supervisor

Set Designer

Set Dresser

Sound Designer

Storyboard Artist

VFX Artist

VFX Compositor

Videographer

  • A zombie biting a woman's arm surrounded by other zombies

    Frank Synowicz ’26

    AI and Video Director | VFX/CG Supervisor, Stellar Blue

  • Two people riding horses, walking at one another

    Chelsea Jackson ’11

    Co-Founder, Director, Editor, Producer, Jackson House Films

  • An 80's-esque themed living room for the show Stranger Things

    Kaylee Johnson ’14

    Set Dresser /Buyer Stranger Things

Unlock Essential Admissions Info.

Fill out our inquiry form to receive personalized updates, tips, and can’t miss info from our Admissions team.

BA Transfer PathwayBFA

Illustration

The Illustration department encourages the combination of fundamentals and technical skills with your original ideas, to prepare you for work across multiple creative industries.

The illustration elective course options form pathways in Visual Development, Publishing, Fashion Lifestyle and Licensing, Comics and Sequential, or Gallery Artist. Through these pathways, you will develop a portfolio specific to your career goals and creative interests.

An older woman wearing a crown holds a green pea while a princess climbs a stack of mattresses Anamaria Price
66%

Placement Rate
Learn More

Illustration students integrate the fundamentals of visual storytelling, figure drawing, color, composition, and perspective with industry-relevant coursework.

Our pathways will help you create a focused portfolio for freelance or studio-based careers in illustration, and that combined with our business-centric courses and optional Creative Entrepreneurship minor will prepare you for work in a studio or opening your own.


Bachelor of Arts Transfer Pathway

Designed for transfer students who already hold an associate degree, our Illustration Bachelor of Arts (BA) Completion Degree is designed to respect the work you’ve already done, and allow you to graduate from CCS in just two years. 

Through collaborative projects, industry partnerships, and citywide exhibitions, student work takes center stage — pushing boundaries, forging connections, and drawing on Detroit’s energy to shape bold ideas and future creative leaders.


A student presents her work in a large conference room to judges for the annual CCS X Grand Prix project.

Your Future, In Motion

With our extensive industry connections spanning over a century, we ensure that the active learning our students engage in aligns with industry needs, preparing them for careers.

An art classroom setting where a live model sits on a small stage at the front left, posing for a group of students who are painting him. The model, a man in a maroon jacket and dark pants, is seated with a neutral expression. Behind him on the stage, a violin hangs against a white draped backdrop, and a bright orange-and-green cartoonish plush character is draped over a chair next to him. In the foreground and midground, several students sit on wooden chairs facing the stage, working on their paintings. On the right, a student in a black beanie and shirt works on a canvas, applying yellow and maroon paint that depicts the model. Another student with long brown hair tied back wears a dark shirt with a dragon design and looks toward the model. In the background, a large whiteboard filled with sketches and diagrams stands near the center, and the back wall features a display of various student portraits and artwork.

Cutting-Edge Spaces for Creative Minds

Enjoy unlimited access to industry-standard facilities that prepare you for real-world production.


Internationally, nationally and right here in Detroit, Illustration graduates pursue multiple avenues upon graduation

*Note: This information was gathered using Lightcast Labor Market Analytics and includes the median salary for the lifetime of a career in these specific professions. CCS alumni outcomes may vary.

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Converse logo
Disney logo
Dreamworks logo
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McCann logo
StockX logo
Titmouse logo
New Balance logo
Matel logo
Netflix logo
Nickelodeon logo
Obsidian Entertainment logo
Pixar Animation Studios logo
Reebok logo
Sony Pictures Animation logo
Warner Brothers logo

Possible Career Choices

3D Artist

3D Modeler

3D Production Artist

3D Visualization Artist

Advertising Illustrator

Animator

Armature Builder

CG Artist

Character Animator

Character Artist

Children's Book Illustrator

Comic Book Artist

Conceptual Artist for Video Games/Film

Editorial Illustrator

Entertainment Designer

Fashion Illustrator

Graphic Novel Illustrator

Merchandising Illustrator

Motion Illustrator/Designer

Multimedia Designer

Storyboard Artist

Textile Pattern Illustrator

Visual Development Illustrator

  • A monster with a flower head, stepping on a block with an eerie backdrop. Other similar monsters are in the background, walking around

    Michael Maher ’07

    Concept Artist

  • Two colorful robots fighting in a futuristic scene

    Justin Hazelroth ’03

    Freelance Concept Artist

  • A young man wearing a backpack, back pressed against a door. He appears exasperated. There's a lightswitch on a cinderblock wall next to him

    Ryan Savas ’99

    Head of Story, Sony Pictures Animation

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BFA

Interdisciplinary Art + Design

The Interdisciplinary Art + Design program provides a dynamic, studio-based interdisciplinary art and design education that combines the strengths of our renowned studio disciplines with strategic mentoring and a flexible curriculum. Here, you can experience a course of study tailored to your unique skills and goals.

India Smith
100%

Placement Rate
Learn More

Thinkers, makers and doers forge their own paths as they investigate and ultimately redefine the boundaries of contemporary art and design.

Flexibility & Transfer Support

The uniquely flexible nature of Interdisciplinary Art + Design makes it a great choice for transfer students, allowing for degree completion in as little as two years for students who have completed an eligible studio-based associate’s degree or equivalent. If you are looking to transfer to CCS an admissions representative can discuss the ways the Interdisciplinary Art + Design program can help you reach your goals.

 


Our program offers maximum flexibility for students whose interests do not fit into the categories of a traditional visual arts education and who aim to explore theory in conjunction with studio practice.


The Interdisciplinary Art + Design major will equip students with foundational skills, historical perspectives, and critical thinking abilities. 

Through a combination of strategic mentoring focused on individual students’ goals, skills, and needs, major studios designed to foster innovation through both conceptual and applied practice, and the opportunity to select key courses from our diverse art and design offerings, you will gain a broad knowledge base for pursuing your creative interests.

A hallway of students sitting at tables meeting with industry representatives, showcasing their portfolios.

Your Future, In Motion

With our extensive industry connections spanning over a century, we ensure that the active learning our students engage in aligns with industry needs, preparing them for careers.

Students working in a studio with wide open windows, large desks and a variety of materials, boxes in the foreground and easels in the background.

Cutting-Edge Spaces for Creative Minds

Enjoy unlimited access to industry-standard facilities that prepare you for real-world production.


Internationally, nationally and right here in Detroit, Interdisciplinary Art + Design graduates pursue multiple avenues upon graduation

*Note: This information was gathered using Lightcast Labor Market Analytics and includes the median salary for the lifetime of a career in these specific professions. CCS alumni outcomes may vary.

Possible Career Choices

Artist/Designer

Arts Administrator

Art/Design Consultant

Arts Critic

Art Dealer/Curator/Gallerist

Color & Materials Designer

Costume Designer

Curator

Creative Director

Exhibition Designer

Experiential Designer

Fabricator

Interaction Designer

Mixed Media Artist

Motion Designer

Multimedia Studio Artist

Muralist

Performer

Performance Artist

Physical/Digital Special Effects Artist

Prop Master

Set or Stage Designer/Dresser

Special Effects Artist

Sustainability Director

Toy Designer

Unlock Essential Admissions Info.

Fill out our inquiry form to receive personalized updates, tips, and can’t miss info from our Admissions team.

BDes Transfer PathwayBFA

The Interior Design program is an immersive journey where creativity meets purpose.

Here you are empowered to design spaces that not only resonate aesthetically but also address client needs and environmental responsibility. With an emphasis on design thinking, research, trends, and sustainability, students develop their unique style while mastering the art of creating impactful, functional spaces.

Conceptual rendering of a seating area with a record player and couches Hanan Gaber
90%

Placement Rate
Learn More

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Bachelor’s Interior Design

Interior design is more than just aesthetics; it’s about creating spaces that are functional, comfortable, and safe. These environments subtly influence how we live, work, and connect, impacting our health, education, productivity, and overall quality of life.

Collaborative Learning Environment

Through collaboration, students learn to push boundaries, balancing innovation with a commitment to responsible design. Interior Design students at CCS are encouraged to think holistically about creating spaces that respond to the way people live, whether at home, work, or within their communities.

Global Exposure & International Travel Opportunities

We support our students in expanding their design perspectives globally. Students have the opportunity to attend prestigious events like the Milan Design Week, where they can participate in the Domus Academy exhibition, and take part in a week-long workshop in Logroño, Spain, allowing them to gain international design experience and network with global industry leaders.

Access to National Scholarship Opportunities

Our department actively encourages and supports students in competing for national scholarships, helping them fund their education and build their credentials. This includes the Angelo Donghia Foundation Scholarship, offering a substantial award of $30,000, as well as opportunities with the NEWH Scholarship, a respected award in the hospitality industry.

Instructors with Industry Expertise and Networking Support

Our instructors are seasoned industry professionals who bring real-world insights directly into the classroom. Beyond teaching, they actively help students build network connections, opening doors to internships, mentorships, and industry collaborations that support students’ career paths and professional growth.


Bachelor of Design Transfer Pathway

Designed for transfer students who already hold an associate degree, our Bachelor of Design (BDes) Completion Degree builds upon your existing foundation, allowing you to graduate in just two years. This program is engineered to expand your ability to solve complex, real-world challenges within the built environment and interior spaces.

Through collaborative projects, industry partnerships, and citywide exhibitions, student work takes center stage—pushing boundaries, forging connections, and drawing on Detroit’s energy to shape bold ideas and future creative leaders.


Three students present designs of a new facility to the C.L.A.S.S. Agency on a large screen at a podium with material trays in the foreground.

Your Future, In Motion

With our extensive industry connections spanning over a century, we ensure that the active learning our students engage in aligns with industry needs, preparing them for careers.

Interior design students work on material boards at large tables in the classroom next to walls filled with design inspiration.

Cutting-Edge Spaces for Creative Minds

Enjoy unlimited access to industry-standard facilities that prepare you for real-world production.


Internationally, nationally and right here in Detroit, Communication Design & Strategy graduates pursue multiple avenues upon graduation

*Note: This information was gathered using Lightcast Labor Market Analytics and includes the median salary for the lifetime of a career in these specific professions. CCS alumni outcomes may vary.

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Disney logo
Ford logo
General Motors logo
Mercedes logo
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Rivian logo
FutureBrand logo
Gensler logo
Haworth logo
HED logo
Herman Miller logo
Ho+k logo
IKEA logo
Mcintosh Poris Architects logo
Neumann Smith Architecture logo
Pophouse logo
RH logo
Starbucks logo

Possible Career Choices

Automotive Color & Trim Designer

Color & Materials Designer

Color & Materials Specialist

Color & Trend Forecaster

Color & Trim Designer

Commercial Interior Designer

Corporate Interior Designer

Design Account Manager

Display Designer

Exhibit Designer

Experience Designer

Facilities Design Manager

Furniture Designer

Furniture Representative

Hospitality Interior Designer

Immersive Tech Designer (AR/VR)

Interior Designer

Lighting & Atmospheric Designer

Material Specialist

Residential Designer

Retail Experience Designer

Retail Interior Designer

Space Planner

Spatial Brand Consultant

Virtual Reality Designer

  • An elegant room, adorned with a bright red rug, 8 large chairs, decorative mirrors on the walls and a series of lights, chandeliers and sconces on the walls and ceiling, illuminating the room

    Karin Abel ’17

    Senior Interior Designer, ROSSETTI

  • A spiral staircase leading down to a pit seating area with a colorful carpet on the ground

    Monica Pace ’09

    Project Director, Pophouse

  • A large open lobby with a glass wall. There is a wooden wall and scattered furniture and seats around the lobby with people walking and sitting down and talking to eachother

    Jillian Trussler ’26

    Interior Designer, Greene and Co.

Unlock Essential Admissions Info.

Fill out our inquiry form to receive personalized updates, tips, and can’t miss info from our Admissions team.