The MA in Arts Management provides students with the tools to create, facilitate, and evaluate work in the visual and performing arts. With applied skills in administration, finance, and programming, graduates of the Arts Management program emerge prepared for fulfilling careers in nonprofits and social enterprise, public agencies and foundations, arts collectives and creative communities.

A partnership between Claremont Graduate University’s Center for Business and Management of the Arts (CBMArts) The School of Arts and Humanities, and the Museum Leadership Institute (MLI) provides unparalleled access to diverse leaders and institutions in LA’s thriving arts and cultural scene.

The core courses provide a foundation in business and management skills essential to careers in the creative industries. Our personalized, seminar-style learning environment begins with coursework in art management dynamics, public policy, evaluation, marketing and communications, fundraising, and strategic planning. The core is fortified by elective courses and extracurricular programs that speak to student passions and career goals. Arts Management students also benefit from access to the full curriculum of the MA in Art Business.

Admissions Requirements

See the Admissions  section of the Bulletin.

Curriculum

The Master of Arts in Arts Management is a 48-unit MA degree.  The degree is made up of common core courses considered necessary for CBMArts students, irrespective of their concentration. The remainder of coursework is composed of electives according to the student’s preferred career path.

Consulting Practicum or Master’s Project: As the capstone to the Master’s of Arts in Arts Management, all students are required to complete a capstone consisting of either a Consulting Practicum or Master’s Project.  Qualified students may enroll in the Consulting Practicum in their final semester. In this course, students engage in consulting projects for arts organizations based in Los Angeles. Activities include defining the scope of work, identifying deliverables, contracting, conducting the project, and writing a final project report. Integrating arts management skills learned through the program, the student provides 100 hours of consulting with the support of a faculty advisor. The project culminates with a final paper and public presentation.  Alternatively, students may enroll in the New Venture Creation and Startup Studio sequence of courses. Proposals for Master’s Projects must be approved by your academic advisor or the Director or Associate Director. 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.

 

Arts Management on Site: Travel is an important part of all CBMArts programs. All full-time students will be automatically registered for Arts Management on Site in the first two semesters of the program. These study trips offer unparalleled access and exposure to the arts and cultural leadership and infrastructure of cities other than Los Angeles, and as such are considered integral to the CBMArts curriculum.

To resource these trips, every student is required to pay a travel fee in addition to tuition. This fee is not optional, nor is it refundable except in extraordinary circumstances and with an appeal filed with CBMArts

administration and the full support of the CBMArts Director.

CBMArts organizes all travel including transportation, lodging, site visits and in some cases meals. Students will be notified of itinerary and travel arrangements as soon as they have been confirmed.

The program cannot make individual arrangements for any student travel. If you need or want to arrange for different flights, trip extensions or any other deviation from the group itinerary, you must do so on your own and at your own expense. There are no exceptions to this policy.