Sustainable Leadership in Audiovisual Industry, Master's Degree
Application begins: Jan. 7, 2026 at 08:00 AM UTC+2
Application ends: Jan. 21, 2026 at 03:00 PM UTC+2
Studies
The Master's program in Sustainable Leadership in Audiovisual Industry provides students with the necessary knowledge and skills to lead and innovate in the dynamic field of audiovisual media. The curriculum is designed to integrate sustainability principles into leadership practices, ensuring ethical, forward-thinking decision-making in the industry.
The program is designed for professionals in the audiovisual sector who seek to advance into leadership roles or improve their management skills with a focus on sustainability. This includes production company supervisors, producers, department heads (HOD – head of department), educators, and other industry experts.
Become an expert in sustainable leadership in the audiovisual field
The key content areas of the programme are:
- Sustainable Audiovisual Production Expertise
- Strategic and Ethical Leadership in Audiovisual Contexts
- Applied Research and Development in Audiovisual Work-Life
- Cross-Cultural and Inclusive Communication and Collaboration in Audiovisual Work
The scope of the degree is 60 credits. In addition to the in-depth professional studies, the degree includes optional studies and a 30-credit thesis.
See the Sustainable Leadership in Audiovisual Industry Curriculum in Study Guide
Blended studies alongside work
The studies are carried out as blended studies so that studying alongside work is possible. In addition to attending group meetings, studies require a commitment to independent study and working in small groups.
Group meetings are mainly held remotely, but to support group bonding and networking, the studies also include face-to-face meetings on the Arabia campus. A variety of online tools will be used for both individual and group work.
The duration of the degree is 1.5 years, but it can also be completed in one academic year.
In a multidisciplinary group of students, you will have an excellent opportunity to network with other media professionals.
Thesis to develop working life
The thesis serves as a culmination of students' studies, allowing them to apply theoretical concepts to real-world challenges within the audiovisual sector. The Master’s Thesis is an industry-driven research and development project that students can implement either within their own professional environment or for an external commissioning organization. The thesis outcome can lead to new solutions, including products, services, processes, working methods, or strategies that enhance the audiovisual field.
Scholarships and tuition fees
The tuition fees concern students who are not citizens of EU/EEA countries. Students pay annual tuition fees based on their study right. The payment obligation concerns all the academic terms during which a student is registered as attending.
Annual tuition fee 12 500 €. This fee applies only to non-EU/EEA degree students.
Ask Head of Programme more about studies
Applying
- Application period-Start of studiesautumn 2026
- Culture
Instructions for applying
In the spring 2026 Joint Application 1 to higher education, you can apply to degree programmes that start in the autumn of 2026. The application period starts on the 7 January 2026 at 8 am and ends on the 21 January 2026 at 3 pm (local time in Finland).
All the information needed to apply can be found on the national Studyinfo.fi portal. At Studyinfo.fi you can find descriptions of degree programmes, application criteria, application instructions, application forms and much more.
Application fee
Applicants who are not citizens of the EU, EEA or Switzerland are required to pay an application fee in order to apply to higher education studies. The application fee of 100 euros is collected for applicants from countries outside EU/EEA seeking education leading to a degree in higher education. The Finnish National Agency of Education will collect the application fee in connection with filling in the Studyinfo application form. There is no application fee for Finnish or EU citizens.
The application fee does not guarantee that you will be offered admission to studies. The application fee is not refunded if you cancel your application or are not offered admission.
More about application fee in Studyinfo.fi.
Questions about application fees? Contact applicationfee [at] oph.fi (applicationfee[at]oph[dot]fi)General instructions
Follow these instructions when completing the assignments:
Complete the assignments using a word processing program. Use Arial 11 pt font and 1.5 line spacing. There are two assignments. The maximum length of each assignment is mentioned in the instructions of the assignment in question. Save both assignments in numerical order in a single pdf document.
Remember to:
- Write your name, address, and date of birth at the beginning of the document.
- Make sure that your name appears on each page (for example, in the header or footer).
- Use page numbering.
- Start each assignment on a new page.
- Number and title of each assignment.
- Save the file containing the assignments in PDF format for submission.
- Name the finished document as follows:
Last name_First name_AVMASTERS2026.pdf
Referencing and AI Guidelines:
- All sources and references used must be cited within the text and listed at the end of your essay.
- The assignment will be checked using plagiarism detection software. Any plagiarized submission will be rejected.
- Use of AI is allowed, but it must be reported. Artificial intelligence can be used in the creation of outputs, but the applicant must clearly report its use. Failure to disclose the use of AI will be interpreted as fraud. The use of AI may affect the assessment. (Yellow Traffic Light. See Arene’s “Introduction to the Traffic Light Model”.
Assignment 1: Leadership in the audiovisual field
- Review the provided three sources. You may also use other sources you find relevant and useful to support your reflection.
- Choose a real or hypothetical case from the audiovisual industry where leadership negatively impacted employee well-being.
- Reflect on how you as a leader would have resolved the situation differently, using insights from the provided literature. What tools and skills would you need to act as a leader?
Note: This assignment does not evaluate your current leadership skills. Rather, it focuses on your ability to critically reflect on given literature and observe the state of leadership in the audiovisual industry. Demonstrate through your text your mindset of growth-oriented learning. Demonstrate your openness to leading change.Mandatory sources:
- Full article: The good manager in TV: tales for the Twenty-first century
- Looking-Glass-Report-2022.pdf
- 5 enduring management ideas from MIT Sloan’s Edgar Schein | MIT Sloan
Writing instructions:
Length: Maximum 2 pages (~600 words) font size 11-12 pt, 1.5 line spacing
Format: .pdf document
Structure your essay as follows:
- Introduction: Briefly present the source material.
- Case presentation: Describe the situation.
- Reflection and analysis: Offer your perspective and solutions.
- Conclusion: Discuss broader implications and feasibility of change.
Assessment criteria:
- Relevance and understanding of the topic
- Critical reflection and personal Insight
- Application of source material
- Growth-oriented thinking and change perspective
- Structure, clarity, and academic writing
Assignment 2: Research skills
Write a one-page essay in which you reflect on what kind of development process/project you could carry out that would serve a concrete need for change in the audiovisual industry. You may build on your previous assignment reflections, especially if you identified leadership-related challenges affecting well-being, responsibility, or social sustainability in the industry. If you have a clear development need in your current work, you may base your idea on that.
This assignment reflects real needs in workplace situations and development needs, ideally promoting sustainable practices and leadership in the field. Write a text in which you present your project idea as clearly and concretely as possible. Give your text a title that summarizes the topic of your project idea.
Consider:
- What kind of professional or organizational needs would your project/process address?
- What kind of research and information would be required to implement the project.
- How could your project contribute to more sustainable leadership practices in the audiovisual sector?
- What kind of changes, in your opinion, would be needed in the current everyday practices in the audiovisual field? Do you believe such a change is realistically possible?
Please note that the project idea presented in this assignment is not binding in terms of your thesis topic or implementation. The final thesis plan will be created after the studies begin. If selected, you may use the idea presented here as a starting point for your thesis.
Writing instructions:
Length: Maximum 1 page (~300 words) font size 11-12 pt, 1.5 line spacing
Format: .pdf document
Structure your essay as follows:
- Context and need
- Idea and goals
- Required resources and feasibility
- Summary and potential industry impact
Assessment criteria:
- Relevance and understanding of the topic
- Critical reflection and personal insight
- Growth-oriented thinking and change perspective
- Structure and clarity
The scope or size of your proposed project is not an assessment criterion. What matters is the practicality, clarity, and feasibility of your idea in a real working-life context.
In order to be considered for the student selection, you must fill in the joint application form at Studyinfo.fi during the application period 7 January - 21 January 2026. The pre-assignment must be submitted as an attachment to the electronic joint application form during the application period, by 21 January 2026 3:00 p.m. the latest (local time in Finland).
Pre-assignments for spring 2026 Joint Application 1 will be published by the beginning of the application period.In order to be considered for student selection, you must pass the degree programme's own entrance examination as described in Studyinfo.fi. Entrance exam invitations are sent approximately one week before the entrance exam by email to the email address provided by the applicant on the application form.
Useful links
More information on the application process
Tel. +358 9 7424 5902, Mon-Wed 10 am – 12 pm
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How to start Sustainable Leadership studies
Information will be published later.