Arts Management Masters program |
The MA in arts management responds to a growing demand for graduates who can manage and coordinate the arts, bridging the worlds of performing and visual arts with applied managerial skills. The Washington, D.C., region is home to one of the nation’s largest concentrations of arts organizations. The demand for arts managers with skills in financial and budgetary management, strategic management and entrepreneurship, and public relations, including marketing and advertising, has arguably never been more acute. The need for arts managers with skills in philanthropy, fund raising, and ongoing relationship management in the private and public arts sectors also continues to grow at a fast pace.
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The MA is a 36-credit program of study that provides a core curriculum in the fundamentals of arts management. Students complete a 24-credit core and then select 9 credits of approved elective courses. Students also take an internship which affords an in-depth opportunity to work with professionals in residence at Mason’s College of Visual and Performing Arts, including the Center for the Arts and visual art spaces. The internship provides the opportunity to work at more than 60 different visual and performing arts venues in Washington, D.C., as well as national and international locations.
Courses Taken
Courses for Fall 2016
Intro to Grant Writing; Prof. Debra H. Smyers
Places components of the grant writing process; including research, proposal writing, terminology, oral and written techniques, and specific focus; within broader context of nonprofit management. Introduction to perspectives of grant seeker and maker. Discover resources and compelling writing skills pertaining to proposal and letters of intent.
Strategies in Patron Engagement and Retention; Khady Kamar, Associate Executive Director, Arena Stage
Finance Budgeting for the Arts II; Prof. Lea-Ann B. Bigelow
Introduces budgeting, planning, and finance as fundamentals of the strategic planning process and management control, specifically tailored to the needs of arts organizations.
Capstone in Arts Management; Dr. Victoria N. Salmon
Students are required to complete a capstone project in order to earn the Master of Arts in Arts Management degree. Capstone works may take the form of a paper or a presentation.The purpose of the capstone is to provide students with the opportunity to deepen, expand and demonstrate mastery of one area of arts management expertise. The capstone will expand on work undertaken in a completed arts management course or internship. Faculty will provide guidance and approve capstone topics.
Intro to Grant Writing; Prof. Debra H. Smyers
Places components of the grant writing process; including research, proposal writing, terminology, oral and written techniques, and specific focus; within broader context of nonprofit management. Introduction to perspectives of grant seeker and maker. Discover resources and compelling writing skills pertaining to proposal and letters of intent.
Strategies in Patron Engagement and Retention; Khady Kamar, Associate Executive Director, Arena Stage
Finance Budgeting for the Arts II; Prof. Lea-Ann B. Bigelow
Introduces budgeting, planning, and finance as fundamentals of the strategic planning process and management control, specifically tailored to the needs of arts organizations.
Capstone in Arts Management; Dr. Victoria N. Salmon
Students are required to complete a capstone project in order to earn the Master of Arts in Arts Management degree. Capstone works may take the form of a paper or a presentation.The purpose of the capstone is to provide students with the opportunity to deepen, expand and demonstrate mastery of one area of arts management expertise. The capstone will expand on work undertaken in a completed arts management course or internship. Faculty will provide guidance and approve capstone topics.
Courses for Spring 2016
Arts Entrepreneurship; Prof. Anne Corbett
Lecture course in discovering and developing entrepreneurial skills in the arts. Students will conceive, develop, and present a for-profit or not-for-profit business plan and strategy; which will include model(s), market overview, management structure, along with revenue streams, an acquisition strategy, and technical and information technology strategies. Advanced course focuses on developing financial planning skills, funding strategies, marketing and arts sales.
Festivals and Special Events; Prof. Sarah D. Cissna
Technical aspects of events and festival management. Topics may include cultural understanding, tourism, sponsorship, fund raising and development, logistics of scheduling and contracts, and the relationship to larger venues, marketing and sales, and budgeting. Social Tables
Arts Policy; Prof. Carole E. Rosenstein
Reviews current state of the sector, familiarizing students with most common rationales for public support of the arts and respective roles of federal, state, and local governments and private policy actors. Examines dilemmas that arts organizations face in balancing need for government support and artistic integrity with push and pull of the market. Compares U.S. policies to other developed countries.
Courses for Fall 2015
Arts & Society; Prof. Claire Huschle
Examines role of visual and performing arts, with emphasis on historic traditions and trends that have most directly influenced contemporary American practice. Consideration is given to the functions of art in society in addressing questions: What constitutes good or bad art? What is the value of art? What encouragements or impediments does our society offer to the creative artist or arts institution?
Governance & Leadership; Prof. Leila Smith
Board development including oversight and management of a board, as well as understanding board functions. Board relationships, including volunteers, are essential through all of the stages of a management career.
Finance & Budgeting For Arts I; Prof. Andrew M. Bursten
Introduces budget and finance as fundamentals of the budget process, specifically tailored to needs of arts organizations. Provides overview of accounting as tool to manage and control arts organizations. Involves laboratory component for teaching software application frequently encountered in fiscal operation of arts organizations.
Courses For Spring 2015
Seminar in Arts Management; Prof. Claire Huschle
Develops tools and techniques necessary for successful pursuit of a management career in visual and performing arts. Introduces wide range of arts organizations, working arts administrators, and institutional models through guest lectures, readings, field trips, and analysis of institutional data. Students gain understanding of organizational structures and functions, as well as models for general management.
Fundraising/Development I; Prof. Christine Hollins
Overview for students seeking general knowledge, as well as introductory course for those who will complete the fund-raising concentration. Teaches role of fund raising as management function and part of overall strategic intention of arts organizations, presenting fund raising as a multifaceted, team-based process. Analyzes tools and techniques for effective fund raising.
Public Relations and Marketing Strategies for the Arts I; Prof. Karalee Dawn McKay
Teaches strategic way of thinking about audience, community, and markets. Structured into four modules, beginning with fundamentals of strategic planning. Students learn about external and internal environments and the interplay among them; discuss marketing fundamentals pertaining to arts audiences; and are introduced to fundamentals of applied marketing media and advertising fundamentals.
Arts Entrepreneurship; Prof. Anne Corbett
Lecture course in discovering and developing entrepreneurial skills in the arts. Students will conceive, develop, and present a for-profit or not-for-profit business plan and strategy; which will include model(s), market overview, management structure, along with revenue streams, an acquisition strategy, and technical and information technology strategies. Advanced course focuses on developing financial planning skills, funding strategies, marketing and arts sales.
Festivals and Special Events; Prof. Sarah D. Cissna
Technical aspects of events and festival management. Topics may include cultural understanding, tourism, sponsorship, fund raising and development, logistics of scheduling and contracts, and the relationship to larger venues, marketing and sales, and budgeting. Social Tables
Arts Policy; Prof. Carole E. Rosenstein
Reviews current state of the sector, familiarizing students with most common rationales for public support of the arts and respective roles of federal, state, and local governments and private policy actors. Examines dilemmas that arts organizations face in balancing need for government support and artistic integrity with push and pull of the market. Compares U.S. policies to other developed countries.
Courses for Fall 2015
Arts & Society; Prof. Claire Huschle
Examines role of visual and performing arts, with emphasis on historic traditions and trends that have most directly influenced contemporary American practice. Consideration is given to the functions of art in society in addressing questions: What constitutes good or bad art? What is the value of art? What encouragements or impediments does our society offer to the creative artist or arts institution?
Governance & Leadership; Prof. Leila Smith
Board development including oversight and management of a board, as well as understanding board functions. Board relationships, including volunteers, are essential through all of the stages of a management career.
Finance & Budgeting For Arts I; Prof. Andrew M. Bursten
Introduces budget and finance as fundamentals of the budget process, specifically tailored to needs of arts organizations. Provides overview of accounting as tool to manage and control arts organizations. Involves laboratory component for teaching software application frequently encountered in fiscal operation of arts organizations.
Courses For Spring 2015
Seminar in Arts Management; Prof. Claire Huschle
Develops tools and techniques necessary for successful pursuit of a management career in visual and performing arts. Introduces wide range of arts organizations, working arts administrators, and institutional models through guest lectures, readings, field trips, and analysis of institutional data. Students gain understanding of organizational structures and functions, as well as models for general management.
Fundraising/Development I; Prof. Christine Hollins
Overview for students seeking general knowledge, as well as introductory course for those who will complete the fund-raising concentration. Teaches role of fund raising as management function and part of overall strategic intention of arts organizations, presenting fund raising as a multifaceted, team-based process. Analyzes tools and techniques for effective fund raising.
Public Relations and Marketing Strategies for the Arts I; Prof. Karalee Dawn McKay
Teaches strategic way of thinking about audience, community, and markets. Structured into four modules, beginning with fundamentals of strategic planning. Students learn about external and internal environments and the interplay among them; discuss marketing fundamentals pertaining to arts audiences; and are introduced to fundamentals of applied marketing media and advertising fundamentals.