The Master of Arts Screen: Business (MASB) provides the tools, expertise and industry intelligence to empower industry professionals to navigate a constantly evolving industry. For more than a decade, the program has accelerated the careers of graduates, enabling them to achieve high-level sustainable careers as leaders and entrepreneurs in the global screen industry.
Currently open for 2025 mid-year applications, the flexible program is designed to deliver the tools and frameworks to identify and seize opportunities in the rapidly changing Australian creative sector. Through a comprehensive program of lectures, targeted mentoring, workshops and self-directed learning, students build innovative frameworks to develop business models, while forming lifelong relationships with key players across the sector and emerging with a fully realisable plan to take to market.
MASB alum Sarah Price, who founded Cast Away NT and recently won a CGA Award and was named ‘Rising Talent: Casting Director’ by IF Magazine, said in an interview with Variety:
“Classes were different to any other class I’ve ever attended … like a fascinating intellectual group discussion that often spilled over into after class catch-ups than a conventional lecture/tutorial format. Lecturers were supportive of everyone wherever they were at in their life/academic journey, which was wonderful.”
Josh Algie joined Sarah in conversation about how his MASB capstone project, bringing together key insights in finance, technology and innovation, empowered him to identify new business model opportunities addressing business and creative gaps in the global screen industry
“I wanted to carve out dedicated time and space to explore the relationship between our industry and the tools that were available, and whether they were moving together in the right direction and pace. The MASB was the perfect framework for me to explore this properly,” said Josh, adding, “I was working full-time whilst studying and still found it really flexible and manageable. Rarely do you find an environment that you can learn about global screen business with international perspectives and contexts whilst supported by a wonderful team of lecturers.”
Josh is the director and co-founder of Altai, a bespoke casting platform that equips creatives with premium tools to manage audition and casting processes.
The program focuses on the future of screen and creative business through entrepreneurship, ensuring students gain insights into global screen business perspectives, creative arts management and project development. MASB alum and Legal and Business Affairs Executive James Kwong shared how the program delivered targeted insights into the blend between analytical and creative thinking behind successful business models:
“I started to look at MBA courses hoping to find something at the intersection of business thinking and art making. None of the courses I could find came close – except the MASB program. What I value most about the course is the opportunity to apply business theory and models to the difficult questions of commercial art making.”
The program also strongly emphasises business growth and the adoption of strategic cutting-edge technologies, as well as developing high-level presentation and business propositions to present to industry panels and representatives, both domestically and internationally. Each year, the program offers students an opportunity to engage with Asia-Pacific industry leaders through an international business case study. Last year, students travelled to Singapore to gain insights into the intersection of business, culture and innovation in the screen industry.
From how AI is impacting and expanding the industry, to the future of cloud-based workflows, how co-productions contribute to emerging markets, and the value chain of IP to build scalable and impactful partnerships across the global screen and media ecosystem, Sarah Goodes shared her perspective:
“Collaborating on the business challenge taught us how to work through differences and forge a collective vision—key skills for any screen industry leader.”
Designed for a new generation of screen leaders, AFTRS’ Master of Arts Screen: Business is Australia’s foremost screen business course, offering flexible study options – online, in-person or hybrid – and between 1 and 4 subjects per semester, maximising accessibility and choice.
Head to the Master of Arts Screen: Business course page to learn more and join the next generation of screen leaders. Applications are open now until Tuesday 3 June 2025.
