MS in Arts Administration

An examination of the arts institutions, issues, and forces that shape the contemporary art world. Surveys the institutions and actors that comprise the ecology of the art world, and examines significant recent trends within a model of four interrelated spheres: 1) Individual Artists; 2) Government; 3) the Nonprofit Sector; and 4) the Private Sector. Explores how stakeholders connect and interact with each other while engaging with significant institutions and the public to affect the cultural history of our time. This is the gateway course in the Arts Administration Program, and is usually taken in the first semester. [Non-Arts Administration students contact the Arts Administration Program at artsad@bu.edu. MET AR 690 is a pre-requisite for MET AR778, MET AR771, MET AR774, and MET AR720]  [ 4 cr. ]

Graduate Prerequisites: MET AC 630 or accounting equivalent. - Analyzes issues of accounting, finance, and economics in the context of the nonprofit organization. Stresses understanding financial statements, budget planning and control, cash flow analysis, and long term planning. [4 credits] [Required course for Fundraising Management Graduate Certificate]   [ 4 cr. ]

"Arts Administration Law" is not a legal field; rather, it is a series of highly specialized legal analyses lying at the intersection of tax, intellectual property, employment, corporate law, and the law of non-profits that defines the legal status and issues of arts organizations. It is an interdisciplinary area, including all aspects of the law connected with art, artists (both performing and visual), performance and objects. Topics include: nonprofits and tax- exemption, contracts, copyright for performing and visual artists and artifacts, artists' moral rights, employment law, cultural heritage and the First Amendment. The course is taught using case studies and the case method applied to legal decisions, to which legal analytic frameworks will be applied.[4 credits] [Pre-requisite - MET AR690 ]  [ 4 cr. ]

This course has two goals: to provide guidance and practical resources to help students identify, secure, and complete a successful arts internship and to enhance the understanding of working in the field. Topics include the internship search, tailoring application materials, interviewing strategies, networking, negotiating job and salary offers, understanding organizational culture, the impact of remote and hybrid work, career advancement, diversity, equity, and inclusion, and supervision. Internship I is an interactive, seminar-style course where students lead discussions, share their work, and provide feedback to peers. MET AR 802 must be taken before MET AR 803. Arts Administration M.S. degree students only. [2 credits]   [ 2 cr. ]

This course has two goals: to provide guidance and practical resources to help students identify, secure, and complete a successful arts internship and to enhance the understanding of working in the field. Topics include the internship search, tailoring application materials, interviewing strategies, networking, negotiating job and salary offers, understanding organizational culture, the impact of remote and hybrid work, career advancement, diversity, equity, and inclusion, and supervision. Internship I is an interactive, seminar-style course where students lead discussions, share their work, and provide feedback to peers. MET AR 802 must be taken before MET AR 803. Arts Administration M.S. degree students only. [2 credits]   [ 2 cr. ]

An examination of ways to raise funds from government, foundation, corporate, and individual sources. The following topics will be addressed through lectures and case analysis: the history of philanthropy, the planning and research process, proposal and grant preparation, program evaluation, and the role of the board and staff in developing effective fundraising strategies. [4 credits] [Required course for Fundraising Management Graduate Certificate; Pre-req for MET AR 723]  [ 4 cr. ]

Prerequisite: (MET AR 690) or consent of instructor. - Drawing on the resources of Boston University and its partner institutions in Boston, London, and Brussels, this course examines the nature of cultural policy in the United States, United Kingdom, and the European Union. Through class discussions and readings (drawn from public policy and economics), lectures by leading arts administration practitioners and policy makers in London and Brussels, and visits to important international cultural venues, students examine the impact of cultural and national differences on the cultural policy-making process.  [ 4 cr. ]

Barcelona, an artistic, economic, and commercial hub, is one of the most vibrant cities in Europe and one of the main tourist destinations in the world. It is known for its art, music, and architecture, including the works of Joan Miro and mural/graffiti artist El Pez, operas at the Gran Teatre del Liceu, and the World Heritage architecture of Antonio Gaud?, among others. The course will examine how the history of Spain and the culture of Catalonia impacts the arts and culture of present-day Barcelona. Themes include cultural heritage, identity, cultural economic development, and tourism. This course addresses management and leadership in the arts within both visual and performing arts organizations. Site visits may range from the Sagrada Fam?lia to the Palau de la M?sica Catalana, and as well as other historic properties and neighborhoods. We'll also explore parallel cultural and entrepreneurial initiatives, such as culinary arts, startup ventures, and fashion. Along the way, we'll have lively and candid exchanges with area cultural producers, curators, artists, and BU arts administration alumni. [4 credits]   [ 4 cr. ]

This course provides students with an understanding of issues and practices of people in leadership positions in the arts world. Regardless of what functional area a student is aiming for — artistic, development, marketing, finance — eventually they are going to have to demonstrate leadership of a department, a team, or an entire organization. Through a combination of case analysis, class discussion, written assignments, and the insights of the two instructors and guest speakers from the arts community, we will focus on the most effective qualities of leaders. Topics include distinguishing between leadership and management; recruiting, cultivating, and evaluating leaders; specific challenges of leading highly creative people; teamwork and leadership; promoting DEI in the leadership of an organization; co-leadership, shared leadership, and other models; understanding and developing your own leadership style.  [ 4 cr. ]

This course is designed to broaden the student's understanding of capital campaign fundraising. Topics include: feasibility studies; strategic planning and budgeting; private and public phases; ethical responsibilities; staff, donor, volunteer, board, and trustee management; major gift solicitation; campaign communications; trend analysis; and evaluation. The course curriculum will include readings, case studies, guest speakers, and analysis of current capital campaign projects. [4 credits] [Required course for Fundraising Management Graduate Certificate]  [ 4 cr. ]

This course is designed to provide fundamental background in the theory and principles of arts marketing and audience development used by nonprofit performing and visual arts organizations. Case analysis will be employed to review strategies and practices currently used in the cultural sector. Students will be expected to develop their own marketing plans for an arts organization.  [ 4 cr. ]

Prerequisite: MET AR 720 - This course provides students with advanced training in the methods and best practices of data analytics for arts marketing. Through course exercises and assignments, students gain detailed knowledge of approaches to employing data analytics techniques for marketing and expanding audiences. Topics covered include use of customer surveys and demographics, working with CRMS and databases, building a data-driven organizational mindset, email marketing, social media analytics, attribution models, new-to-file audiences, customer retention, and data visualization.  [ 4 cr. ]

This course will review the history, theory, and practice of educational programming and audience engagement in both museums and performing arts organizations. Emphasis will be on analysis of program design, implementation, and evaluation, teacher training, and creation of youth and adult learning programs. [4 credits]   [ 4 cr. ]

Undergraduate Prerequisites: MET AR550 - This course will address the full range of issues related to attracting financial support from individuals. Topics will include: raising dollars annually for operations, raising funds through special events (fundraisers), cultivating and soliciting major gifts, and the basics of bequests and estate planning as well as ethical issues and working effectively with donors and volunteers. Course work will include readings, case studies, and guest speakers. [4 credits] [Required course for Fundraising Management Graduate Certificate; Pre-requisite MET AR 550]  [ 4 cr. ]

This course will address the politics of arts and culture through seminars with political and cultural leaders, class discussion, readings, and research. Students will develop advocacy campaign plans and analyze how cultural organizations interact with all levels of government. [4 credits]   [ 4 cr. ]

The ever-evolving nature of digital technology presents opportunities and challenges in the work of arts administrators. This course will examine a range of technologies employed by arts organizations to improve their practice and extend their reach, including customer relations management, fundraising, collaboration management, ticketing, project management, and social media management. Students will examine emerging products and trends, interact with practitioners to learn how they are using these tools, and engage in a series of hands-on challenges to build competency in using emerging technologies such as interactive communication and Generative AI tools.  [ 4 cr. ]

This course is designed to equip students with the tools and critical thinking skills to identify and apply appropriate methodologies to support the work of their organizations as practitioners and consumers of research. We will review the major approaches to social science research, including a range of quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methodologies, and consider the relevance of each research framework to specific questions in the arts. The course will consider the role of arts research in domains such as audience development and marketing; program evaluation and assessment; social and economic impact; decision-making and reflective practice; collaboration and creation; case making and communication with the public. [4 credits]   [ 4 cr. ]

Prerequisite: MET AR 100 Lab. - This course will examine the process of developing commercial Broadway productions from "page to stage." Students will examine the selection process that producers follow to identify a piece or property. We will examine the entire production process, from securing the rights and options, to legal processes including investor relations and collective bargaining, to assembling a creative and production team. Students will have the opportunity to meet with several Broadway professionals as guest speakers. Other topics covered may include securing a theater, residual, and subsidiary income as well as domestic and international touring. The leadership role of the producer will be discussed at every stage of the journey.  [ 4 cr. ]

Prerequisite: MET AR 100 Lab. - Strategies for Performing Arts Businesses explores the practice of producing theater as an act of entrepreneurship, and the strategic thinking necessary to take a concept for a creative business or initiative and make it a reality. Students will learn the skills of leadership and management as they are applied in a dynamic arts environment. In this course we will go behind the bright lights of Broadway to examine the variety of creative business that support or leverage the commercial theater industry, as well as the ways in which creative business people inside of the largest legacy institutions are creating new strategies to stay at the forefront of this highly competitive field. We will also consider the ways in which nonprofit theaters are increasingly seeking to build earned revenue strategies, and the growing number of commercial/nonprofit partnerships that operate within the industry.  [ 4 cr. ]

Prerequisite: MET AR 100 Lab. Promoting a theatrical property extends beyond selling tickets to performances; be it a limited or open-ended engagement. Producers and artists continually seek new opportunities and environments for their properties. This requires strategic planning with a holistic view of a goals, implementing a methodical process of analyzing, decision-making and forecasting business activity to ensure future success.  [ 4 cr. ]

Prerequisite: MET AR 100 Lab. - This course focuses on core concepts involved with offering a theatrical property to the touring market and other commercial presenting environments such as cruise ships, casinos, resorts or public/private partnerships. Leaders of these businesses and entertainment organizations must present or produce artistically rewarding programs that align with their missions to attract, retain and grow audiences, while maintaining sustainable financial support. The course explores the assessment of a commercial artistic/entertainment property for the purpose of placing it on Broadway, an international tour or other settings to be presented and monetized. The specific legal and licensing requirements to accomplish a variety of presenting models, such as ADA requirements, international visa requirements, content licensing, and financial models will be explored with a strong focus on international engagements and viability.  [ 4 cr. ]

This course explores the dynamic, complex, and sometimes contradictory work of community-based arts programs, including program development and design, relationship-building, funding and financial models, evaluation, and ethics. Sharpen your orientation as a practitioner through case studies, research, and experiential learning that will deepen your understanding of community-based arts and how they can be leveraged to drive positive change in communities. [4 credits]  [ 4 cr. ]

Graduate Prerequisites: MET AR 690 - A review of topics essential for successful management of performing arts organizations. Examination of both facilities management and company management. Studies include organizational structure, trustee/staff relations, marketing, audience building, fundraising, tour management, box office management, budgeting, mailing list and membership management, human resource management and contract negotiation, performance measurement, and strategic planning. [4 credits] [Pre-requisite - MET AR690]   [ 4 cr. ]

Graduate Prerequisites: MET AR 690 - A review of topics essential for successful management of visual arts organizations. Emphasizes museums, but also includes a review of alternative spaces, commercial galleries, and auction houses. Topics include the changing role of the museum, exhibition planning, fund-raising, crisis management, audience development, and strategic planning.   [ 4 cr. ]

A hands on project-based collaborative class that will conceptualize, plan, and execute a public art project during the semester. Students will develop an understanding of the various challenges administrators face in all phases of a project, especially from the creative vantage of the artist. We will explore project funding, case study analysis of public art management, artist selection, and the unforeseen.   [ 4 cr. ]

Fall 2024 Topic - Curating Culture: Festival Management in Arts Administration This course is designed to explore the process of planning, developing, and executing a performing arts festival. Through readings, case studies, and guest lectures, students will be equipped with the tools, resources, and practical knowledge to serve as a leader in executing a performing arts festival (music, film, dance, theater). Expanding on foundational and fundamental skills in event planning for in-person events, learners will explore progressive approaches to apply program strategy development, budgeting, content and engagement design, marketing, elements of project management, and stakeholder management techniques for any event, whether in-person, virtual or hybrid.  [ 4 cr. ]

This course explores the field of creative innovation and entrepreneurship. The first part of the course is dedicated to deepening students' understanding of creativity and ideation as building blocks to innovation, creative placemaking, the creative economy, and business models. During the second part of the course students work in teams to develop entrepreneurial projects at the intersection of Arts and Culture; Business and Technology; and Social Impact, while gaining practical entrepreneurial skills, including business models, customer identification, budgeting, pitching, personas, business plans, and delving into design, communication, marketing and networking. [4 credits]   [ 4 cr. ]

The purpose of this course is to increase students' ability to analyze and solve problems that confront arts organizations. Students will apply financial, marketing, fundraising, and legal knowledge and techniques to (1) in-class discussion of key management issues of concern to senior leadership, and (2) a semester-long consulting project which partners and team of students with a local arts organization. Permission from instructor required/arts administration students only. Students may not register for MET AR 804 until they have completed a minimum of six required courses.  [ 4 cr. ]

Two consecutive two-credit courses (MET AR 810 Masters Thesis 1 and MET AR 810 Masters Thesis 2) will give students the tools they need to be informed consumers and producers of arts administration research. The thesis must be completed within 12 months. Only students who have completed six courses in the Arts Administration master's degree program and have a GPA of 3.7 or higher may enroll in MET AR 810 and MET AR 811. Students are responsible for finding a thesis advisor and a principal reader within the department. The advisor must be a full-time faculty member; the principal reader may be a part-time faculty member with a doctorate.  [ 2 cr. ]

Two consecutive two-credit courses (MET AR 810 Masters Thesis 1 and MET AR 810 Masters Thesis 2) will give students the tools they need to be informed consumers and producers of arts administration research. The thesis must be completed within 12 months. Only students who have completed six courses in the Arts Administration master's degree program and have a GPA of 3.7 or higher may enroll in MET AR 810 and MET AR 811. Students are responsible for finding a thesis advisor and a principal reader within the department. The advisor must be a full-time faculty member; the principal reader may be a part-time faculty member with a doctorate.  [ 2 cr. ]

History, present realities, and future possibilities of museums and historical agencies, using Boston's excellent examples. Issues and debates confronting museums today examined in the light of historical development and changing communities. Emphasis on collecting, display and interpretation.  [ 4 cr. ]

Undergraduate Prerequisites: consent of instructor. - Graduate Prerequisites: consent of instructor. - Topic for Spring 2025: Students research and prepare for an upcoming exhibition at the MFA on Rembrandt and Dutch Jews in the seventeenth century. Conducted primarily at the MFA’s Center for Netherlandish Art (CNA), classes introduce students to curatorial strategies and the pragmatics of exhibition-making.  [ 4 cr. ]

Foundations of professional principles and practice in public relations for corporate, governmental, and nonprofit organizations. Includes history, organization, and scope of the field; its roots in social science; types of campaigns and programs; and professional ethics. Theories, strategies, and tactics in current practice emphasized. Explores opportunities and requirements for work in the field. 1st sem.  [ 4 cr. ]

The course explores modern project management by providing an enterprise- level, experiential view of the discipline focused on connecting projects to the organization's mission, vision, and values. The theme of the course is applying key project management tools and techniques, through case-based group work, which will help students identify, analyze, and develop practical proposals to real-world issues. Groups select, plan, report, and then present on their project's scope, schedule, cost, risk, quality, and communications elements using tools such as the WBS, network diagram, PERT estimate, Gantt chart (including the use of MS Project), risk register, and heat map. Students also gain familiarity with important new concepts in project management: Agile frameworks, actionable sustainability thinking, and Benefits Realization Management, all of which will be important for their success not only in other graduate courses, but as they lead projects for their organizations so as to provide lasting, triple-bottom-line value. The course is aligned with the latest PMBOK? Guide from the Project Management Institute.   [ 4 cr. ]

Undergraduate Prerequisites: AD 500 or equivalent, stamped approval. - The course provides a detailed examination of the history of e-commerce, along with important concepts related to the ways that businesses can successfully use Internet and Web technology. Students are introduced to the concepts and problems associated with electronic commerce. Topics include comparison of e-commerce procedures, payment mechanisms, applications in different industry sectors, security, the challenges of starting and maintaining an electronic business site, as well as a comparison with traditional business practices. The development of a WordPress-themed website is a minor feature of the course. 4cr.  [ 4 cr. ]

This course will examine the special characteristics of heritage tourism: how it differs from other forms of tourism in terms of product definition, development, audience, management, ethics, and relation to the local, national, and international communities. Topics will include historic preservation, product presentation and interpretation, and issues of sustainability and place-making.   [ 4 cr. ]

What does it mean to be a good leader? Can key elements of good leadership be identified? This dynamic course will start with an exploration of traditional and contemporary models of leadership, leadership development and management training. From there, participants will assess their own personal skills, preferences, aptitude and readiness to confront the challenges of leadership through a series of exercises, simulations and hands-on activities. Key elements of leadership, such as visiting, communicating, decision-making, team building and motivating will be studied and practiced. This course combines a thorough review of the theoretical aspects of leadership with the opportunity for "real world" applications through experiential learning.  [ 4 cr. ]

Those in leadership and managerial positions are often confronted with difficult decisions that have far-reaching implications and the ability to balance competing social and ethical values. This practical course explores different ways of approaching challenging ethical dilemmas through theories, cases, contemporary issues, and exercises -- and in the context of various cultures and business and organizational settings. 4 cr.  [ 4 cr. ]

This class explores and analyzes the series of historical art movements that encompass the term "Modern Art." By examining the works and thoughts of twentieth- century masters of painting, sculpture, architecture, and photography, this class will explore and discuss the progression of art starting in 1860 and how it culminates in the current art world.   [ 4 cr. ]

Overview of the nature, function, practice, and social, economic, and behavioral aspects of advertising. Student teams develop advertising plans, create campaigns, and explore problems of account management, creativity, production, and ethics.
  [ 4 cr. ]

Graduate Prerequisites: advanced standing or consent of instructor. - A communications skills course designed to better understand the nature of conflict and its resolution through persuasion, collaboration, and negotiation. Students will learn theories of interpersonal and organizational conflict and its resolution as applied to personal, corporate, historical, and political contexts. Students will assess their own styles, skills, and values, and develop techniques to better resolve disputes, achieve objectives, and exert influence.  [ 4 cr. ]

History, concepts, and methods of contemporary urban and regional planning practice. Governmental, nonprofit, and private settings of professional planning; plans, research, and policy development; uses and implementation of planning. Political analysis of planning issues, such as comprehensiveness, public interest, advocacy, negotiation, and future orientation. Case materials drawn from redevelopment, growth management, land use conflicts, and service delivery.   [ 4 cr. ]

The capstone course integrates the principles and applications of the major area of study of City Planning, Urban Affairs and Public Policy. During the course of the semester, students are required to work in groups to complete a comprehensive project which serves as an evaluative tool for student achievement for the major learning goals of the Programs. The course is primarily student driven, and is aimed to foster interdisciplinary partnerships and help cultivate industry alliances and cooperation. Recognizing the unique and diverse characteristics of the Boston urban environment, the capstone projects will be drawn from a range of topical issues that are currently ongoing in the greater Boston metropolitan area. The project-based course emphasizes the interdisciplinary nature of city planning and urban affairs and provides students the direct opportunity to gain experience with real-world projects and stakeholders.   [ 4 cr. ]