Auckland’s SAE Creative Media Institute has announced the launch of a new Graduate Diploma in Creative Business, designed to inspire and equip Aotearoa’s next generation of creative professionals and entrepreneurs.
Responding to growing demand for creatives who can turn ideas into sustainable careers, the Graduate Diploma in Creative Business builds essential entrepreneurial, strategic, and commercial skills tailored to the creative industries. The programme will empower creatives to confidently navigate the business landscape, build long-term career pathways, and generate meaningful, lasting impact through their work.
Developed in collaboration with premier Australian business school for creatives, Compton School, SAE’s Graduate Diploma in Creative Business programme bridges creativity and commerce with purpose. The qualification will equip practitioners with the confidence, capability, and strategic insight to lead, innovate, and build successful creative businesses in Aotearoa and beyond.
“As creative industries evolve, so must our approach to education,” says SAE NZ Director Dr Suzette Major. “Drawing on Compton School’s brilliant work in creative business education while grounding the learning in Aotearoa’s cultural landscape ensures these students will be globally informed and locally impactful.”
Classes will be delivered through a blended model combining in-person workshops with online learning. Alongside the classes students will also have access to industry mentors while actively developing their own creative businesses. The launch of this programme represents a significant step in SAE’s ongoing commitment to strengthening creative education, Dr Major notes.
“This reflects our belief that creativity is not just an artistic pursuit, but a powerful driver of culture, innovation, and economic opportunity. By offering students a pathway that honours their identity, nurtures their ideas, and equips them with practical business capability, we are helping to build a future where more New Zealanders can access sustainable, fulfilling careers in the creative sector.”
Enrolments are now open for the Graduate Diploma in Creative Business which commences in March 2026. For more information visit sae.ac.nz
