INDS B.A.: Creative Enterprise & Socio-Cultural Leadership
Fall 2025 Capstone
My INDS Degree
My INDS degree in Creative Enterprise & Socio-Cultural Leadership, will combine entrepreneurial practice, cultural understanding, media literacy, and artistic refinement. To achieve this, I will utilize the dialectic process of thesis-antithesis-synthesis, a structure that finds a solution to a problem from an analysis of the status quo, compared with its negotiation (Panovski 2024)1. Sociological research is integral to this process. It will equip me with the tools to understand and engage with the social issues I’ll transmute through art and media. By learning how to conduct research, analyze data, and interpret sociological theories, I will be able to execute effective, community-based events, exhibitions, and creative productions.
The creative industry needs leaders who can both manage creative-focused businesses and engage communities in meaningful conversations through art. I seek to bridge this gap by designing a degree that integrates artistic craft, social understanding, and entrepreneurial leadership to build a sustainable creative platform. Post-grad, my next steps are to establish a nonprofit creative collective focused on empowering young artists, fostering community dialogue, and challenging systemic barriers in society. This proposed major is more than a degree—it’s the foundation for a conversation that will drive social change, introduce a new found representation in the industry, and bring perspectives to the creative economy. By taking an interdisciplinary approach, I will be prepared to lead in the creative industry and build a sustainable career beyond our current structures.
Degree Mentors
- Bill Costlow, CEO of We Drive Performance, Adjunct Professor, Enterprise
- M Valle Pease, Director of Research and Assessment at Trans Maryland
- Steven McAlpine, Individualized Study
Post Graduation Plans
Following graduation, I am excited to empower young artists and people of color to transform their communities through the utilization of art by continuing working at a non-profit organization, aiming to bring to life the goals of their INDS degree.
Courses In My INDS Degree
✅Cultural Context: It’s good to make art for the sake of art, but how can we ensure that we contribute to a conversation that is informed with productive relevancy and nuance?
(THTR 306, SOCY 300, 321, MCS 334, MLL 305)
✅ Media & Communication: How can we tangibly communicate information in a way that is impactful?
(ENGL 291, 385 MCS 222, 355,ART 425 )
✅ Team Management & Entrepreneurial Practice: You need to know how to be able to manage a team and lead a team from an individual frame of competency if you are to collaborate with people from all walks of life. If I am to create platforms and organizations, I need to know the logistics of business.
(ENTR 200, 340, MGMT 210, 385, 489)
✅ Artistic Eye & Creative Direction: The purpose of directing is technical knowledge with an artistic application. In order to lead a creative team, I need to be able to have skills regarding creative direction in artistry and aesthetics in order to communicate my vision.
(INDS 330, 335, 399, 400, 410, 480, 490)
✅ Individualized Study: These courses help to reflect on their course choices and how to integrate the diverse disciplines in their plans.
(INDS 330, 335, 410, 480, 490)