Program at a Glance
- On Campus and Online
- Full-Time or Part-Time Study
- 16 or 20 Credits
- 8–12 Months to Completion
- 5 Core Faculty
- No GRE/GMAT
- Tuition & Fees Range—Part-Time Study*: $15,720-$19,620
*Based on 2024–2025 Boston University tuition and fees.
Enter the World of Commercial Theater Development
In partnership with Nederlander Worldwide Entertainment, the Arts Administration program at Boston University’s Metropolitan College (MET) offers a graduate certificate program in Commercial Theater Development in two formats:
- The four-course Graduate Certificate in Commercial Theater Development (16 credits) is available online and on campus.
- The six-course Advanced Graduate Certificate in Commercial Theater Development (20 credits) includes a semester-long internship opportunity on Broadway. All courses except the internship are available online and on campus. (Note: international students must attend on campus.)
Both versions of the Commercial Theater Development certificate are designed to train arts professionals who wish to work in the commercial performing arts. Nederlander Worldwide Entertainment is a member of the Nederlander companies, which own and operate some of the world’s greatest theaters. They also produce and present premier entertainment and serve as consultants and talent bookers both for their own facilities and other renowned entertainment venues in the US and abroad.
The BU MET Commercial Theater Development graduate certificate program provides early and mid-career performing arts professionals with the opportunity to gain in-depth training in the development and production of commercial performing arts productions. Classes are taught at Boston University by leading practitioners from New York’s Broadway theater industry and include site visits to New York City where you will interact with leading figures in the commercial art world. Gain skills in managing commercial arts venues, securing and developing commercial productions, engaging with new technologies and innovative partnerships, and programming performing arts productions.
Those in the six-course Advanced Graduate Certificate in Commercial Theater Development will also have a valuable opportunity to complete an intensive internship with a commercial performing arts enterprise in either the US or international market.
The graduate certificate and advanced graduate certificate are open to both domestic and international applicants, and can be completed in a single calendar year. Commercial Theater Development certificate courses are also open to students enrolled in the MS in Arts Administration. Students enrolled in the certificate have access to all the resources of the department and the University.
#4, America’s Top Online Colleges
Newsweek magazine ranked Boston University’s online programs #4 in the nation in its 2023 survey.
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Commercial Theater Development Partnership
Focusing on the Broadway industry, the Commercial Theater Development Graduate Certificate is offered in partnership with Nederlander Worldwide Entertainment. The four-course certificate is available online. The six-course program includes an internship opportunity in the commercial performing arts.
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Commercial Theater Development Certificate—Accelerated Summer Institute
The Commercial Theater Development Graduate Certificate program can now be earned in an accelerated 10-week summer institute format.
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“I have started working at the Broadway Education Alliance, helmed by Susan Lee, who teaches Current Trends in the Performing Arts Industry (MET AR 753). While it isn't a permanent placement, it has allowed me to directly engage the skills I learned in the program in the larger arts community. It's given me a title that makes me more marketable and has put me in the room with several industry leaders in the business I want to transition into!” Read more.
Evan Alexander LaChance (MET'23)
General Manager, Broadway Education Alliance Inc.
MS, Arts Administration; Graduate Certificate, Commercial Theater Development
Why Earn a Certificate in Commercial Theater Development at BU?
- Practical Performing Arts Internship: The six-course BU MET Advanced Commercial Theater Development Graduate Certificate includes an exciting opportunity for placement in an intensive internship with a commercial performing arts enterprise in either the US or international market.
- Online Certificate Option: Students who choose the four-course Graduate Certificate in Commercial Theater Development may study fully online or on campus, or take classes in a mix of formats (blended study).
- Active Learning Environment: BU’s Arts Administration courses ensure you get the attention you need through close interaction with faculty and visiting artists. Benefit from an interdisciplinary curriculum that encourages collaboration between students from both visual and performing arts backgrounds, and provides access to mentor programs, internships, project management activities, and opportunities to work with world-leading art institutions and practitioners in the field.
- Engaged Faculty: In BU’s Commercial Theater Development Graduate Certificate program, you study with producers, managers, booking agents, and other leading practitioners from New York’s Broadway theater industry. Their expertise in the most current challenges, trends, and best practices in the field enables them to offer rich perspectives and insights that ensure a uniquely hands-on approach to study.
- Extensive Network: Study alongside peers within the art world; consult and network with a wide range of national and international companies and nonprofit organizations within the art world; and benefit from a global alumni community with strong professional connections. Plus, you have access to the Boston University Arts Administration Student Association (AASA), formed in the spring of 1995 to provide opportunities for social interaction, educational enrichment, and career development.
- Student Support: Enjoy an exceptional student-to-instructor ratio, ensuring close interaction with faculty mentors and access to support.
- Valuable Resources: Make use of Boston University’s extensive resources, including the BU Art Galleries, Arts Initiative, Center for Career Development, Educational Resource Center, Fitness & Recreation Center, IT Help Centers, Joan & Edgar Booth Theatre, Mugar Memorial Library, Center for Antiracist Research, Howard Thurman Center for Common Ground, George Sherman Union, Tsai Performance Center, Wheelock Family Theatre, and many others.
- Flexibility: Study at the pace that works for you, evenings on campus with courses that begin each fall. The four-course certificate is also available in an online format, with two starts per term.
- Track Record: Founded in 1993, Boston University’s Metropolitan College Arts Administration program has produced professional leaders at a host of cultural institutions in Boston, throughout the United States, and abroad.
Succeed in the Management of Arts Organizations
Through the MS in Arts Administration and graduate certificates in Arts Management, Arts Marketing, Fundraising Management, and Commercial Theater Development, the Arts Administration program at BU MET emphasizes creativity, economic problem solving, entrepreneurial leadership, internationalism, innovation in the arts, and a commitment to technological proficiency. We are particularly concerned with helping arts organizations successfully achieve their missions. It is toward such an end that we sustain a deep conviction in the centrality of the role of the artist, and in the fundamental importance of artistic excellence, as issues central to all arts organizations in the twenty-first century.
We offer a flexible schedule to accommodate students who are working or have other responsibilities that prevent traditional full-time study. All coursework can be completed on a part-time, evening basis or via full-time study. BU MET’s Fundraising Management certificate and the four-course Commercial Theater Development certificate are also available online.
Graduate with Expertise
Boston University’s Graduate Certificates in Commercial Theater Development will equip you to:
- Demonstrate advanced knowledge of the history, structure, and institutional behavior of performing arts organizations in the commercial sector.
- Demonstrate proficiency with a sophisticated skill set emphasizing best practices with regard to the development of commercial performing arts projects.
- Identify, interpret, and apply relevant legal regulations in the management of commercial arts enterprises.
- Demonstrate an understanding of the issues and factors affecting the development and touring of performing arts productions internationally.
In addition, those in the Advanced Certificate will be able to:
- Take a strategic approach to their personal development, networking, and self-marketing for professional advancement within the field of commercial performing arts management.
Certificate-to-Degree Pathway
BU MET graduate certificate programs can serve as building blocks to a master’s degree. Both the four-course and six-course Commercial Theater Development graduate certificates share specific courses with the Master of Science in Arts Administration. Students currently enrolled in a graduate certificate who are interested in transitioning into a master’s degree should contact their academic advisor to declare their interest in this pathway. A new master’s degree application is not required. Connect with a graduate admissions advisor at artsad@bu.edu to learn more about this option.
Graduate Certificate in Commercial Theater Development Curriculum
Courses
(Four courses/16 credits)
The four-course Graduate Certificate in Commercial Theater Development is available on campus or online and does not include an internship. The following courses are required:
MET AR 751 Commercial Production: The Broadway Model
MET AR 752 Strategies for Performing Arts Businesses
MET AR 753 Current Trends in the Performing Arts Industry
MET AR 754 Global Performing Arts Presenting and Producing
Advanced Graduate Certificate in Commercial Theater Development Curriculum
Courses
(Six courses/20 credits)
The six-course Advanced Graduate Certificate in Commercial Theater Development includes the Internship in Arts Administration. All courses except the internship are available online and on campus (international students must attend on campus). The following courses are required:
MET AR 751 Commercial Production: The Broadway Model
MET AR 752 Strategies for Performing Arts Businesses
MET AR 753 Current Trends in the Performing Arts Industry
MET AR 754 Global Performing Arts Presenting and Producing
MET AR 802 Internship in Arts Administration I
MET AR 803 Internship in Arts Administration II
Arts Administration Faculty
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Tuition & Financial Assistance
Competitive Tuition
Our part-time rates are substantially lower than those of the traditional, full-time residential programs yet provide access to the same high-quality BU education.Comprehensive Financial Assistance
Our services include scholarships, graduate loans, and payment plans.How Much Does This Program Cost?
BU MET programs offer the flexibility of part-time study, either on campus or online. Tuition, fees, and total program cost are determined by enrollment status. Course enrollment in this certificate program is 1–2 courses (4–8 credits) in a semester, and tuition is charged the part-time per-credit rate.
Commercial Theater Development Graduate Certificate (Online and On Campus)
| Enrollment Status | Part Time |
| Courses per Semester | 2 courses (8 credits) |
| Time to Degree | 2 semesters (8 months) |
| Tuition* | $550-$975 per credit** |
| Fees per Semester* | $60 |
| Total Degree Cost* | $15,720 |
Commercial Theater Development Advanced Graduate Certificate (Online and On Campus)
| Enrollment Status | Part Time |
| Courses per Semester | 2 courses (8 credits) |
| Time to Degree | 2 semesters (8 months) |
| Tuition* | $550-$975 per credit** |
| Fees per Semester* | $60 |
| Total Degree Cost* | $15,720-$19,620 |
*Based on 2024-2025 Boston University tuition & fee rates.
**Cost per credit is determined by course number (100–599 = $550/credit, 600–999 = $975/credit).
Questions? Please contact us to hear from an Admissions Advisor who can help you determine the best enrollment pathway. For information regarding financial aid, visit BU MET’s Financial Aid page.
Get Started
Please visit the BU MET admissions page for details on how to apply, financial assistance, tuition and fees, requirements for international students, and more.
What to Read Next: MET Arts Administration Knowledge Center
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