Master of Science in Arts Administration

All candidates for admission to the degree program must have a bachelor’s degree, and are selected on the basis of undergraduate transcripts, academic and personal references, and related work experiences. We are particularly interested in those applicants who have two or more years of work experience after conferral of their undergraduate degrees. Personal interviews are strongly encouraged, either in person or by telephone.

Standardized admission tests, such as the GRE (institution code: 3108) or GMAT, are required for international students and for those students who have received their baccalaureate degree within the past two years. Students are expected to have a demonstrable, discipline-based expertise in one art area (such as visual arts, dance, theatre, or music). Although this requirement may be satisfied in a variety of ways, most applicants have undergraduate degrees in the arts.

The program has a rolling admissions policy with no absolute deadlines. However, students interested in applying for fall admission are encouraged to apply by late March, as the number of applicants is quite high. A student may also complete up to eight credits as a non-matriculating student, prior to admission.

International Applicants

International students are required to submit official scores for one of the following tests:

• The Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) Internet-Based Test (iBT), with a minimum total score of 84, and minimum scores in each section as follows: Reading—21; Listening—18; Speaking—23; and Writing—22
• The International English Language Testing System (IELTS), with a minimum score of 7.0

For information on these tests, visit the TOEFL website at www.ets.org/toefl or the IELTS website at www.ielts.org. Information may also be obtained at United States embassies or consulates. When submitting TOEFL scores, please use our institution code: 9034. The department code is 99.

Financial Aid

The program provides a small number of Graduate Assistantships, which offer matriculating students up to $5,000 in tuition remission per semester in exchange for research and administrative work (10–20 hours per week). There is also, at times, a very limited amount of unrestricted scholarship support available to outstanding students. Information about both of these opportunities is made available to students when they are admitted to the degree program. Metropolitan College Graduate Financial Aid (617-358-3993) can provide additional information about deferred payment and loan programs.

Academic Standing

All students in the Arts Administration program must maintain a grade point average of at least 3.0 to remain in good standing and to graduate. No grade below B– in any course may be applied toward the degree. Students with a grade point average below 3.0 will be placed on academic probation and must achieve a cumulative 3.0 by the completion of the following semester or be subject to dismissal. Students who are placed on academic probation for two consecutive semesters are also subject to dismissal.

A total of 40 credits is required. Courses are 4 credits each unless indicated otherwise.

Concentration Core

Group A: Required courses (16 credits)

• MET AR 690 The Art World
• MET AR 750 Financial Management for Nonprofits 
• MET AR 778 Legal Issues in Arts Administration
• MET AR 802 Internship in Arts Administration I* (2 cr)
• MET AR 803 Internship in Arts Administration II* (2 cr)

Group B: At least five courses from this group, including an International Travel Study Course (indicated by ^◊)

• MET AH 588 The Arts in Cuba^◊
• MET AR 550 Raising Funds and Grant Writing for Nonprofit Organizations
• MET AR 650 Writing for the Arts
• MET AR 700 Leadership and Career Development for the Arts
• MET AR 711 Capital Campaigns
• MET AR 720 Marketing and Audience Development for the Arts
• MET AR 722 Educational Programming in Cultural Institutions
• MET AR 723 Individual Fundraising
• MET AR 730 Political and Public Advocacy for the Arts
• MET AR 740 Arts and the Internet
• MET AR 766 Arts and the Community
• MET AR 771 Managing Performing Arts Organizations
• MET AR 774 Managing Visual Arts Organizations
• MET AR 777 Comparative Cultural Policy and Administration^◊
• MET AR 779 Public Art Program Administration
• MET AR 781 Special Topics in Arts Administration
• MET AR 787 The Arts in Barcelona^◊
• MET AR 804 Advanced Management and Consulting for Arts Organizations*

*Six concentration courses must be completed before enrolling in this course.

Concentration Electives

Students are encouraged to use their electives to broaden their understanding of arts administration. Elective credit may be taken from other departments within the University, after approval of the student’s advisor. Courses of particular interest include CAS AH 521 Curatorship and  CAS AH 520 Museums and Historical Agencies, offered by the Department of Art History (Museum Studies) in the graduate division of the College of Arts & Sciences.

Group C: Optional—no more than one course (4 credits) from this group

• MET AD 603 Evaluating and Developing Markets for Cultural Tourism
• MET AD 642 Project Management
• MET AD 648 Introduction to Electronic Commerce, Systems, and Web Design
• MET AD 725 Negotiations and Organizational Conflict Resolution
• MET AD 733 Leadership in Management (may not also take AR 700)
• MET CM 708 Principles and Practices of Advertising
• MET FA 510 Arts Leaders Forum
• MET UA 515 History and Theory of Urban Planning
• MET UA 805 The Boston Urban Symposium
• CAS AH 520 The Museum and Historical Agency**
• CAS AH 521 Curatorship: Exhibition Development**

Note: One additional course may be substituted from Group B.

**Written approval of advisor required.

International Travel Study Courses

The Arts Administration program is committed to exposing its students to the growing impact of globalization on the art world. As part of the curriculum, Arts Administration students (with the exception of international students) are required to take an International Travel Study Course. Using the resources of Boston University and its partnerships with other institutions abroad, recent courses have been offered in Barcelona, London, and Cuba. Arts in Barcelona will be offered again in spring. Comparative Cultural Policy and Administration (London) is offered in the summer.

Internship

Students matriculating in the Arts Administration program are required to have some direct work experience in arts organizations prior to degree conferral. A minimum of 36 of the 40 required credits must be completed before the student undertakes the actual fieldwork, although the planning phase may begin earlier. The program maintains a formal relationship with a core group of potential host organizations that have been selected for their willingness to work with interns, although it is possible to intern with other organizations as well. The student is expected to complete a total of 150 hours of work with the host agency, generally within a single semester.

Internship Waiver

Students with four or more years of professional arts organization work experience may waive the internship requirement with their advisor’s written consent. If the internship is waived, the student must enroll in a tenth classroom-based course. Also, with the permission of the advisor, MET AR 804 Advanced Management and Consulting for Arts Organizations may be substituted for the internship requirement if the student has had two years of full-time professional arts administration work experience.