Arts Management

312 CAC
Phone:715/346-2738

Program information

Definition: Arts management combines skills in business, communication and the arts to promote all facets of the arts in any size community. Arts managers are responsible for financing and marketing, developing programs, managing facilities, writing grants, and managing personnel to support artists and arts agencies.

The continual growth and complexity of theaters, art centers, dance groups, and music organizations have created a demand for skilled arts administrators who can develop programs, write grants, provide technical assistance, and be responsible managers. This interdisciplinary major is a blend of artistic and managerial courses that provides you with necessary theory and practice to begin a career in arts management or gain acceptance into a graduate program.

This degree program offers preparation in the major with the opportunity, in consultation with your adviser, for a minor area of concentration. The program contains courses in communication, business and the arts with opportunities in music, art, dance, and theatre, two campus-based internships, and finally a semester-long externship in an arts agency in a larger city.

With this major you will better understand the artists' needs and aspirations and see the interrelationship of the arts, communication skills, and business constraints that apply to the financing, producing, promoting, and marketing of the arts. In addition to artistic and cultural values, you will learn practical skills of organizational development, public relations, marketing the arts, and most importantly leadership in the arts.

Arts Management Major (BA)
  1. Business, 12 credits: Accounting 210; Business 320, 330, and 340.
  2. Communication, 12 credits: Communication 221, 230, 334 and 431.
  3. Creative arts: In consultation with the adviser, select 12 credits of courses from music, theatre, dance, art.
  4. Arts management, 20 credits required: Arts Management 195, 280, 380, 395, and 480.
  5. Minor: Choose a minor in consultation with the arts management adviser. Courses in the minor cannot be counted toward creative arts, (item 3 above).
Admission Procedures and Academic Standards
  1. The arts management major is open to all students.
  2. To declare a major in arts management, fill out the appropriate form in the Arts Management Office, Room 101, Noel Fine Arts Center.
  3. When you enroll you will be a "pre-arts management major." The coordinator of arts management serves as your adviser.
  4. You are admitted to the arts management program after you complete 30 credits of university coursework with a 2.5 grade point average (GPA) and successfully complete Arts Management 195.
  5. In order to continue in the program you must have maintained a 2.5 GPA and present evidence of a high degree of initiative and self-motivation, with a strong entrepreneurial perspective for the field of arts management.
  6. You must maintain a cumulative grade point average of 2.75 for all courses in the major regardless of a declaration of academic bankruptcy to continue in the major and for graduation.
  7. Courses included in the GPA calculation above are the required set of courses in arts management, business, communication, and creative arts area (listed above).
Courses in Arts Management
ARTM 195. Introduction to Arts Management
2 cr. Overview of the business of managing nonprofit organizations and people in arts-related professions. Awareness of the field, private and public arts agencies, and the arts in local communities. (spring only)
ARTM 280. Internship in Arts Management
2 cr. Initial field experience in local arts agency or campus arts office. Assigned tasks are evaluated at mid-semester and end of course. Prereq: 195.
ARTM 380. Internship in Arts Management
2 cr. Advanced field experience in local arts agency or campus arts office. Assigned tasks are evaluated at mid-semester and end of course. Prereq: 195.
ARTM 395. Seminar in Arts Management
2 cr. Capstone course in local arts agency management, budgeting, promotion and publicity of arts events, with presentations by guest arts agency managers. Prereq: 380. (fall only)
ARTM 480. Externship in Arts Management
12 cr. Placement in arts agency in a large city environment, full time for 15 weeks. Prereq: 395.