Program at a Glance
- Online and On Campus
- Full-Time or Part-Time Study
- 16 or 20 Units
- 8 Months to Completion
- 10 Core Faculty
- No GRE/GMAT
- Tuition & Fees Range—Part-Time Study*: $12,726-$18,573
*Based on 2025–2026 Boston University tuition and fees.
Develop Effective Arts Marketing Techniques
Are you an early career professional looking to position yourself as an effective practitioner of arts marketing with a competitive advantage in an era of changing media and marketing techniques? The hands-on, professional graduate certificate program in Arts Marketing is offered by the Arts & Cultural Management program in collaboration with the Department of Administrative Sciences at Boston University’s Metropolitan College (MET). There are two formats available to choose from:
- The four-course Graduate Certificate in Arts Marketing (16 units)
- The five-course Advanced Graduate Certificate in Arts Marketing (20 units), which includes the “Arts and Cultural Management Practicum.”
The unique Arts Marketing graduate certificate program will equip you with a sophisticated skillset of the latest arts marketing, promotion, and advertising approaches required to enter a career as an arts marketing manager within an arts organization. This preparation includes advanced training in marketing techniques, data analytics, social media marketing, strategic decision-making, and marketing segmentation.
Students in the program take two Arts & Cultural Management courses and select two electives drawn from BU MET’s graduate program in Global Marketing Management.
Select courses from the Arts Marketing certificate can be applied to the graduate degree program in Arts & Cultural Management. Certificate students have access to all the resources of the department and Boston University, including the extensive network of visual and performing arts organizations that have employed our graduates, as well as internship and job placement services.
See a list of positions held by BU MET Arts & Cultural Management alumni:
Summer Arts Management Institute
July 20–30, 2026
Where Creativity Meets Strategy
Gain the essential skills to run a successful arts organization in this intensive two-week program. Learn from expert faculty, engage in hands-on exercises, and explore real-world case studies—all designed for early-career arts managers ready to take the next step.
“I am currently the Associate Director for Marketing, Media, and Communication for BU’s Kilachand Honors College. So, I certainly use skills that I have learned through my marketing and data analytics classes in this role. Also, my husband has a small business, and I am able to help him think through the logistical needs of the company (outside of the actual product) and brainstorm ways to obtain clients.” Read more.
Megan West Kagstrom (MET'22)
Assistant Director of Marketing, Media & Communication, Boston University Kilachand Honors College
MS, Arts Administration
Why Earn a Graduate Certificate in Arts Marketing at BU?
- Practical Capstone Project: The five-course BU MET Arts Marketing Advanced Graduate Certificate includes an intensive capstone project, the Arts & Cultural Management Practicum (MET AR 795).
- Active Learning Environment: BU’s Arts & Cultural Management 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 multidisciplinary 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 Arts Marketing graduate certificate program, you study with an international faculty of professionals working within the worlds of visual and performing arts, advertising, and global marketing. Arts & Cultural Management faculty also happen to be accomplished musicians, photographers, painters, collectors, and performers. 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, BU Office for the Arts, Center for Career Development, Educational Resource Center, Fitness & Recreation Center, IT Help Centers, Joan & Edgar Booth Theatre, Mugar Memorial Library, Howard Thurman Center for Common Ground, George Sherman Union, Tsai Performance Center, Wheelock Family Theatre, and many others.
- Flexible Options: Study at the pace that works for you, evenings on campus or fully online. Courses begin fall, spring, and summer; online courses have two starts per term.
- Track Record: The Arts & Cultural Management program is part of a long tradition of arts management programs offered by Boston University Metropolitan College since 1993, which have produced professional leaders at a host of cultural institutions in Boston, throughout the United States, and abroad.
Succeed in Successfully Marketing Arts Organizations
Through the MS in Arts & Cultural Management and graduate certificates in Arts Management, Arts Marketing, Commercial Theater Development, and Fundraising Management, the Arts & Cultural Management 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 basis, online or evenings on campus.
Graduate with Expertise
Boston University’s Arts Marketing graduate certificate will equip you with:
- The ability to use a sophisticated toolset to analyze transactional arts organization data, discern trends, and develop strategies for reaching target goals in audience development.
- Knowledge of current effective marketing techniques employed in fields related to arts management and to apply these to arts marketing.
- The ability to market yourself effectively based on your acquired skills and knowledge gained through the certificate program.
In addition, those in the Advanced Certificate will be able to:
- Demonstrate the application of marketing skills in an organization work environment.
Certificate-to-Degree Pathway
BU MET graduate certificate programs can serve as building blocks to a master’s degree. The Graduate Certificate and Advanced Graduate Certificate in Arts Marketing share specific courses with the Master of Science in Arts & Cultural Management concentration in Marketing. 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 Arts Marketing Curriculum
A total of four courses (16 units) is required, as follows:
MET AR 540 Fundamentals of Arts Marketing
MET AR 721 Advanced Arts Marketing Analytics
Plus two selected from the following:
MET AD 523 Ecommerce
MET AD 601 Digital Platforms and Quantitative Marketing
MET AD 654 Marketing Analytics
MET AD 737 Innovative Marketing Techniques
MET AD 856 Market and Economic Research and Analysis
MET AR 680 Marketing for Commercial Theater and the Performing Arts
MET CM 707 Writing for Media Professionals
MET CM 719 Interactive Marketing Communications
MET CM 726 Strategic Brand Solutions
MET CM 739 Principles of Search Engine Marketing
MET CM 744 Design and New Media
Advanced Graduate Certificate in Arts Marketing Curriculum
A total of five courses (20 units) is required, as follows:
MET AR 540 Fundamentals of Arts Marketing
MET AR 721 Advanced Arts Marketing Analytics
MET AR 795 Arts and Cultural Management Practicum
Plus two selected from the following:
MET AD 523 Ecommerce
MET AD 601 Digital Platforms and Quantitative Marketing
MET AD 654 Marketing Analytics
MET AD 737 Innovative Marketing Techniques
MET AD 856 Market and Economic Research and Analysis
MET AR 680 Marketing for Commercial Theater and the Performing Arts
MET CM 707 Writing for Media Professionals
MET CM 719 Interactive Marketing Communications
MET CM 726 Strategic Brand Solutions
MET CM 739 Principles of Search Engine Marketing
MET CM 744 Design and New Media
Arts & Cultural Management Faculty
View All Faculty
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?
Tuition, fees, and total program cost are determined by enrollment status. Course enrollment in this certificate program is 1–2 courses (4–8 units) in a semester, and tuition is charged the part-time per-unit rate.
International students studying in on-campus programs are required to enroll full-time and should consult MET Admissions to ensure full-time enrollment is possible for a graduate certificate program based on current course availability. International students who enroll full-time will pay the full-time tuition rate as denoted on the tuition and fees page.
Arts Marketing Graduate Certificate (Online and On Campus)
| Enrollment Status | Part Time |
| Courses per Semester | 2 courses (8 units) |
| Time to Degree | 2 semesters (8 months) |
| Tuition* | $567–$1,005 per unit** |
| Fees per Semester* | $75 |
| Total Certificate Cost* | $12,726-$14,478 |
Arts Marketing Advanced Graduate Certificate (Online and On Campus)
| Enrollment Status | Part Time |
| Courses per Semester | 2 courses (8 units) |
| Time to Degree | 2 semesters (8 months) |
| Tuition* | $567–$1,005 per unit** |
| Fees per Semester* | $75 |
| Total Certificate Cost* | $16,821-$18,573 |
*Based on 2025–2026 Boston University tuition and fee rates.
**Cost per unit is determined by course number (100–599 = $567/unit, 600–999 = $1,005/unit).
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 & Cultural Management Knowledge Center
- Arts & Cultural Management Student Stories
- How Many Years for an MS in Arts & Cultural Management—and What is the Cost?
- Why Get a Master’s Degree in Arts & Cultural Management at Boston University’s Metropolitan College?
- What Are My Career Options with an Arts & Cultural Management Master’s Degree from Boston University’s Metropolitan College?
- Are There Different Specializations within the MS in Arts Arts & Cultural Management?






