Course description
The Boston University Arts Administration Program is designed for students who wish to pursue careers in visual arts, performing arts, and arts service organizations in the public, private, and non-profit sectors. The past two decades have witnessed a rapid expansion in arts audiences, practitioners, and institutions. Concomitantly, the increased cyclical economic uncertainty in both the public and private sectors has resulted in a growing need for highly skilled administrators who can work effectively with elected officials, business and community leaders, and fellow arts professionals.
Boston University's M.S. in Arts Administration Program emphasizes excellence, creativity, economic problem solving, internationalism, and a commitment to the new technologies of our age. We are particularly concerned with helping arts organizations place the achievement of their missions ahead of any blind devotion to maximizing revenues. It is toward such an end that we sustain a deep conviction in the centrality of the role of the artist, and in the fundamental importance of artistic excellence, as issues central to the health of all arts organizations in the 21st century. In short, we are committed to making the world safe for art—not making art safe for the world.
The Arts Administration program is offered through Boston University's Metropolitan College, which is specifically designed to accommodate the schedules of working adults. Students can complete all coursework on a part-time, evening basis, in approximately two years. Full-time study toward the degree is also possible, although scheduling issues may sometimes arise, as not every course will appear in a one-year cycle.
The Boston University Arts Administration program is committed to making the world safe for art—not making art safe for the world.
Requirements
A total of 40 credits are required.
Concentration Core
Group A
16 required credits:
* MET AR 690 The Art World
* MET AR 750 Financial Management for Nonprofits
or MET AD 731 Corporate Finance
* MET AR 778 Legal Issues in Arts Administration
* MET AR 802/803 Internship in Arts Administration I and II*
(two credits each)
Group B
Choose at least 20 credits:
* MET AR 550 Raising Funds and Grant Writing for Nonprofit Organizations
* MET AR 650 Writing for the Arts
* MET AR 700 Leadership and Career Development for Arts Administrators
* MET AR 711 Capital Campaigns
* MET AR 720 Marketing and Audience Development for the Arts
* MET AR 722 Education in Cultural Institutions
* MET AR 723 Individual Fundraising
* MET AR 730 Political and Public Advocacy for the Arts
* MET AR 740 Arts and the Internet
* MET AR 766 Arts and the Community
* MET AR 771 Managing Performing Arts Organizations
* MET AR 774 Managing Visual Arts Organizations
* MET AR 777 Comparative Cultural Policy and Administration
* MET AR 779 Public Art Program Administration
* MET AR 781 Special Topics in Arts Administration
* MET AR 787 The Arts in Barcelona
* MET AR 804 Advanced Management and Consulting for Arts Organizations*
Concentration Electives
Group C
4 credits may be taken from this group:
* MET AD 603 Evaluating and Developing Markets for Cultural Tourism
* MET AD 642 Project Management
* MET AD 648 Introduction to Electronic Commerce, Systems, and Web Design
* MET AD 725 Negotiations and Organizational Conflict Resolution
* MET AD 731 Corporate Finance (in lieu of AR 750 only)
* MET AD 733 Leadership in Management (May not also take AR 700)
* MET AH 588 The Arts in Cuba
* MET CM 708 Principles and Practices of Advertising
* MET UA 515 History and Theory of Urban Planning
* MET UA 805 The Boston Urban Symposium
* CAS AH 520 The Museum and Historical Agency**
* CAS AH 521 Curatorship: Exhibition Development**
Note: One additional course may be substituted from Group B.
*Six concentration courses must be completed before enrolling.
Internship
Students matriculating in the Arts Administration program are required to have some direct work experience in arts organizations prior to degree conferral. A minimum of 36 of the 40 required credits must be completed before the student undertakes the actual fieldwork, although the planning phase may begin earlier. The program maintains a formal relationship with a core group of potential host organizations that have been selected for their willingness to work with interns, although it is possible to intern with other organizations as well. The student is expected to complete a total of 150 hours of work with the host agency, generally within a single semester.
Internship Waiver
Students with four or more years of professional arts organization work experience may waive the internship requirement with their advisor’s written consent. If the internship is waived, the student must enroll in a tenth classroom-based course. Also, with the permission of the advisor, MET AR 804 Advanced Management and Consulting for Arts Organizations may be substituted for the internship requirement if the student has had two years of full-time professional arts administration work experience.
International Study
The Arts Administration program is committed to providing its students with high quality international programs of study through the resources of Boston University. Coursework in London, Paris, Cuba, and Brussels has been offered in recent years.
Academic Standing
All students in the Arts Administration program must maintain a grade point average of at least 3.0 to remain in good standing and to graduate. No grade below B- in any course may be applied toward the degree. Students with a grade point average below 3.0 will be placed on academic probation and must achieve a cumulative 3.0 by the completion of the following semester or be subject to dismissal. Students who are placed on academic probation for two consecutive semesters are also subject to dismissal.
