Marrying the core curriculum of Sotheby’s Institute of Art’s degrees in Art Business  and Arts Management  with core courses offered by Claremont Graduate University’s Center for Information Systems & Technology  , this unique “arts and technology” interfield MA is designed for students with an interest in the application of computer and data science to arts and cultural fields, or for students with an arts background who have a demonstrated interest and capacity for software engineering and information technology.

Technology companies are increasingly interested in the arts and cultural space – think Google’s Cultural Institute and Tilt Brush; or artist Jeff Koons’s recent partnership with Snap Inc. At the same time, arts and cultural organizations are increasingly working within the digital realm, not just on exhibition and program media and marketing, but on ways of using big data to increase cultural equity, or on proprietary software to run complex production automation (e.g. Cirque du Soleil). This is the world in which students in this “arts and technology” partnership between Sotheby’s Institute of Art and CGU’s Center for Information Systems and Technology will excel.

Students complete core courses in two degree programs (the MA in Art Business/Arts Management and the MS in Information Systems and Technology) as well as a handful of specialized and interfield courses, all of which lead to a capstone entrepreneurship course called Startup Studio, where students develop and pitch their own arts and technology applications or initiatives.

Criteria for admissions include the high probability of the student’s success in graduate study and their potential to thrive in subsequent professional careers following graduation. In keeping with the philosophy of Claremont Graduate University and Sotheby’s Institute of Art, the admission decision is individualized and based on a wide range of information about the applicant, rather than on rigid, pre-selected criteria.

Admission requirements are detailed in the Admissions  section of this Bulletin.

Degree Requirements

The Master of Arts in Art Business and Information Systems & Technology is a 48-unit MA program, which includes core courses in the MA in Art Business and MS in Information Systems & Techology degree programs as well as a handful of specialized and interfield courses, all of which lead to a capstone entrepreneurship curriculum culminating in the Startup Studio, where students develop and pitch their own ‘arts & technology’ applications.

Master’s Project: All students are required to complete a capstone Master’s Project, which is normally the result of the Critical Entrepreneurship and Startup Studio sequence of courses. Proposals for Master’s Projects must be approved by your academic advisor or the Director or Associate Director of CMCI. Master’s Projects take the shape of plans for ventures, initiatives, or businesses and are presented publicly at the end of the final semester to panels of arts professionals and investors.

Art Business on Site: All students are expected to participate in field study travel in their first two semesters within the program.  In the past, students have traveled to Mexico City, Hong Kong, Shanghai, and Tokyo.

University Policies: University policies detailed in the Academic Policies  section of the Bulletin apply.