Arts & Cultural Management Graduate Courses

This course provides students with an opportunity to become familiar with the vocabulary, institutions, processes, forces, and issues that define the landscape of the contemporary art world. An examination of the institutions and actors that comprise the Art World and significant recent trends. This course utilizes a model for the art world that posits an arts ecosystem consisting of four interrelated spheres: 1) Individuals; 2) Government; 3) the Nonprofit Sector; 4) the Private Sector. We will explore how the stakeholders in the art world (critics, curators, historians, administrators, government officials, performers, and artists) connect and interact with each other while engaging with significant institutions (cultural organizations, government, foundations) 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. METAR 520 is a pre-requisite for METAR 615]  [ 4 cr. ]

This course is designed to help students in the MS in Arts and Cultural Management expand their awareness of global arts management practices and policies, and further develop skills in critical thinking and analysis. The course involves on-campus reading and preparation and travel to one or more countries outside of the U.S. for an intensive 7-to-9-day visit. The countries visited will vary from semester to semester. Countries visited in the past have included England, Ireland, France, Belgium, Spain, Cuba, and Thailand.  [ 4 cr. ]

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 cr. ]

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. ]

This course is designed to provide fundamental background in the theory and principles of 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. ]

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 cr. ]

Prerequisites: MET AR 550 - 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 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 cr. ]

Prerequisite: METAR 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: METAR 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 changes from semester to semester. More than one MET AR 600 can be offered in a given semester. Course descriptions for all sections are listed below. For more information, please contact MET Arts Administration.  [ 4 cr. ]

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 cr. ]

Prerequisite: MET AR 520. "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 cr. ]

The ever-evolving nature of digital technology presents opportunities and challenges in the work of arts administrators. In this course, you 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. You will also explore emerging products and trends, interact with practitioners to learn how they are using these tools, and engage in hands-on challenges to build competency in using emerging technologies such as interactive communication and Generative AI tools.  [ 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. ]

This course addresses the conceptual and practical aspects of curating in visual, performing, and/or interdisciplinary arts through the development and installation of a public curatorial project at one or more locations in Boston. Students will examine current curatorial discourse through readings, guest speakers/site visits, conversations, critical writing, research, and presentations. Students will discuss and enact ideas about concept development, venue selection and context, artist research and selection, exhibition design and layout, season or program development, audience engagement, timelines and budgets, and effective partnerships and collaborations.  [ 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 cr. ]

  [ 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 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. ]

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 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. ]

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 cr. ]

Prerequisite: MET AR 540 - 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. ]

Graduate Prerequisite: Online Lab MET AR 100. 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. [Required for Commercial Theater Graduate Certificate]  [ 4 cr. ]

Graduate Prerequisite: Online Lab MET AR 100. 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. [Required for Commercial Theater Graduate Certificate]  [ 4 cr. ]

Graduate Prerequisite: Online Lab MET AR 100. Promoting a theatrical property extends beyond selling tickets to performances, regardless of whether it is for a limited or open-ended engagement. Producers and artists must continually seek new opportunities and environments for their properties. Producers must follow a methodical process of analyzing current business activities and forecasting potential trends to inform decision-making that will ensure future success. [Required for Commercial Theater Graduate Certificate]  [ 4 cr. ]

Graduate Prerequisite: Online Lab MET AR 100. 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. [Required for Commercial Theater Graduate Certificate]  [ 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 cr. ]

Topic for summer 2026: Managing Creativity. Managing arts organizations and artistic projects involves collaborating with people whose approaches can both inspire and present challenges. This course examines the dynamics of working with people in the arts, where personal style and influence often play a significant role in decision-making. During the course, you'll explore real-world examples from arts organizations, meet with managers from multiple arts disciplines, and explore frames of thinking that improve communication and workplace dynamics. Although rooted in theory from management, organizational psychology, political science, and anthropology, the course is designed to have immediate applicability for emerging arts managers, equipping you to collaborate in ways that turn creativity into powerful results.  [ 4 cr. ]

This course is the capstone experience for students pursuing a concentration in the MS in Arts and Cultural Management or seeking an Advanced Graduate Certificate within the Arts and Cultural Management Program. Students may elect to complete the work for the practicum in a single semester as a 4-credit course, or in two semesters as two 2-credit courses. The practicum experience can consist of one of the two following options: 1) A formal internship with an arts and cultural management organization in the nonprofit or commercial sectors; 2) A formal project developed and executed by the student. The practicum project requires a minimum of 200 hours of work. In each case, the practicum must involve an external partner who will have a direct supervisory role over the student’s work and must be approved by the program prior to the semester in which the practicum is undertaken.  [ 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 796 until they have completed a minimum of six required courses.  [ 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. ]

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 Actual Units 2.00 *Enrollment Unit Load Calc Type Maximum Units 2.00 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. ]