Marrying the core curriculum of CGU’s Center for Business and Management of the Arts (CBMArts) degrees in Art Business with core courses offered by Claremont Graduate University’s Center for Information Systems and Technology (CISAT), 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 CBMArts and CGU’s Center for Information Systems and Technology will excel.
Students complete core courses in two-degree programs (the MA in Art Business 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.
Admissions Requirements
See the Admissions section of the Bulletin. 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 CBMArts, the admission decision is individualized and based on a wide range of information about the applicant, rather than on rigid, pre-selected criteria.
Programming competency requirements for IS&T
Prior to enrollment in Software Development & Programming, students are expected to demonstrate competency in an object-oriented programming language, such as Java, Python, C++, VB.net, or Ruby.
Verifiable completion of self-instruction through any of an almost countless number of tutorials or courses is sufficient—some online, others not; some free, others not. Some options include:
How can I meet the database’s competency requirements?
Students with limited knowledge of relational databases and SQL are expected to complete a series of self-paced mini-courses offered by Stanford University. At a minimum, completing the following mini-courses is required: (1) Data Models: Introduction & Relational Databases; (2) Querying Relational Databases: Relational Algebra; (3) Querying Relational Databases: SQL; and (4) Database Design: Relational Design Theory.
Curriculum
The Master of Arts in Art Business + Information Systems & Technology is a 48-unit MA program. 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.
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, 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.
Art Business on Site: Travel is an important part of all CBMArts programs. All full-time students will be automatically registered for Art Business 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.