{"id":88997,"date":"2024-09-06T14:06:20","date_gmt":"2024-09-06T18:06:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/met\/?page_id=88997"},"modified":"2026-06-10T12:15:41","modified_gmt":"2026-06-10T16:15:41","slug":"why-masters-in-arts-administration","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/met\/programs\/arts-cultural-management\/why-masters-in-arts-administration\/","title":{"rendered":"Why Get a Master\u2019s Degree in Arts Administration at Boston University\u2019s Metropolitan College?"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Back to Programs<\/a>Arts Administration<\/a><\/div>\n

Wherever there is art, ennobling and beautifying communities and spaces while providing succor to our lives, there is also at work a hidden figure\u2014enabling, encouraging, and managing the opportunity to bring those expressions of creativity into our shared world. Here we find the arts administrator. They might have raised funds for the event or space to cover overhead or compensate the artist. Perhaps they commissioned the work, managed the gallery, or booked the performance venue. Often it is the innovative vision of the arts administrator that makes it possible for the arts to be enjoyed by the public. We would likely not encounter our favorite sources of inspiration without them.<\/p>\n

To help inspired and motivated students make an occupation out of these essential roles, Boston University\u2019s Metropolitan College (MET) offers the Master of Science in Arts Administration (MSAA)<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Boston University\u2019s Arts Administration master\u2019s degree program, which can be completed within 12 to 24 months, is designed to make effective arts administrators out of hungry artists eager to make a living by connecting audiences with creative endeavors, individuals looking to professionalize their love of the arts by gaining entry to the field, and working arts managers looking to develop advanced skills to further their careers.<\/p>\n

With a focus on tools that help arts organizations adapt and thrive, amplified by a commitment to providing professional mentorship, BU Metropolitan College\u2019s Arts Administration graduate program teaches students the fundamentals essential to operating successful arts organizations in nonprofit, public, and private sectors\u2014nationally and globally.<\/p>\n

To succeed, arts organizations depend on creative problem solving, strong leadership, an embrace of globalism, and effective use of current technologies. The 40-unit graduate degree program in Arts Administration at BU MET lays the groundwork for these qualities, exploring the history of philanthropy and the structure of the nonprofit sector, as well as how to embrace the challenge of rethinking and reshaping the role that the arts play in contemporary society\u2014because here, the role of the artist is paramount and central to all efforts.<\/p>\n

Being an arts administration student gives you access to BU\u2019s host of robust resources, including the BU Art Galleries<\/a>, Arts Initiative<\/a>, Center for Career Development<\/a>, Joan & Edgar Booth Theatre<\/a>, Mugar Memorial Library<\/a>, Howard Thurman Center for Common Ground<\/a>, Tsai Performance Center<\/a>, Wheelock Family Theatre<\/a>, among many others. You\u2019ll also be immersed in Boston\u2014a lively community for artists and arts lovers that boasts nearly sixty museums and over seventy performance and concert venues, giving you great exposure and traction in the regional industry.<\/p>\n

Studying at Metropolitan College, you\u2019ll also develop a command of the farther-reaching art world by gaining a contextual understanding of international cultural policy, along with valuable hands-on international experience, which will prime you to have successful relationships with museums, arts organizations, performance spaces, cultural leaders, and artists from all across the world.<\/p>\n

An Active Network of Arts Administration Professionals<\/h2>\n

Boston University\u2019s Arts Administration graduate degree program is taught by accomplished practitioners, including arts managers, seasoned fundraisers, and working artists, who bring real-world expertise in current trends and best practices. Students gain access to a valuable network of mentors with extensive connections in the vibrant artistic markets of Boston and New York and a pathway to meaningful internship and career opportunities. The program\u2019s global connections are a major benefit to graduates, improving their chances of success of finding meaningful work\u2014whether in a local community theater, a downtown gallery, a Broadway production company, or a major international museum.<\/p>\n

BU MET arts administration faculty will help you gain essential skills such as fundraising, financial management, networking, strategic development, program management, and marketing needed to play leadership roles in visual arts, performing arts, and arts service organizations.<\/p>\n

You\u2019ll also benefit from the camaraderie of like-minded peers who can help you make inroads in the program and industry. The BU Arts Administration Student Association (AASA) is a hub of social interaction, educational enrichment and support, and networking and career development. Their goal is to help new students feel comfortable and confident from the moment they arrive, and help build connections with other students.<\/p>\n

While art is edifying, it\u2019s the development of practical strengths that help BU MET arts administration students transform career ambitions into rewarding and stable professional lives.<\/p>\n

\u201cArtistry and passion aren\u2019t enough for a sustainable career in the arts today,\u201d says Associate Professor of the Practice Douglas DeNatale<\/a>, director of the BU MET Arts Administration graduate program. \u201cA successful arts career demands the same tools and skills found among professional nonprofit and commercial leaders. The key to acquiring those skills is choosing a program based on direct mentorship with practicing professionals.\u201d<\/p>\n

You can find that program at BU\u2019s Metropolitan College.<\/p>\n

An Arts Management Program Aimed at Empowering Change<\/h2>\n

Founded in 1993 with a mission to connect the next generation of artistic entrepreneurs with supportive mentors and institutions, the Boston University MS in Arts Administration program today accomplishes this in part through the Danial Ranalli Lecture Series, an annual event named for the program\u2019s founding director that brings together exemplary, accomplished practitioners with curious BU MET students for insightful discussions about the state of the field. For aspiring arts administrators, it\u2019s a rare opportunity for key access with arts leaders.<\/p>\n

Fostering greater access to the arts is a priority for the program, as it counts diversity, inclusion, and social equity among its core values, and is dedicated to applying these principles and addressing matters of structural inequality.<\/p>\n

This ethos aligns with Boston University\u2019s proud social justice-driven tradition. Metropolitan College advances that tradition as a home for educational opportunity, empowerment, and advancement, acting as BU\u2019s accessible bridge to the wider world by offering programs like the MSAA on a part-time basis, convenient for working adults or those with restrictive schedules.<\/p>\n

Proudly BU\u2019s most diverse college, Metropolitan College is dedicated to helping people manifest meaningful change in their lives. And nowhere does this philosophy reveal itself more than in the Arts Administration program.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a point that National Endowment for the Arts Chair Dr. Maria Rosario Jackson<\/a> underscored during a visit to Boston University\u2019s Arts Administration program, as she spoke to students and highlighted the social importance of arts managers prepared to make a real-world impact.<\/p>\n

\u201cNone of the things that we say we aspire to, as a nation of opportunity and justice, are possible without the intentional integration of arts, culture, and design into all facets of our lives and the systems we rely on to care for each other,\u201d Dr. Jackson said.<\/p>\n

As she went on to explain, matters like urban planning, economic development, entrepreneurship, and social services are predicated upon the kinds of creativity, imagination, and ingenuity that only the arts develop and inspire. Which goes to show\u2014the work of the arts administrator is not only rewarding but consequential.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe say we want to eliminate poverty, we want to reduce injustice\u2014all of these things. A lot of that requires [a] paradigm shift. It requires us to think fundamentally differently about some basic things,\u201d Dr. Jackson said. \u201cAnd what is true (there\u2019s science behind this), [is that] in order for people to be available to [the] paradigm shift, you have to touch their head, heart, [and] hand\u2014intellectually, emotionally, and physically.\u201d<\/p>\n

With the Arts Administration master\u2019s degree from Boston University, the work you do can help realize and bring about a more just and beautiful world. You won\u2019t merely be an observer of artistic intent, but an enactor of it.<\/p>\n

For Cameron Lane (MET\u201921), the opportunity to enact change was a draw of the Boston University program. He brought specific goals to his studies. \u201cWhen I decided to come to BU for arts administration it was with a purpose,\u201d he says. \u201cI wanted to start a business that would help others overcome the obstacles I personally experienced in my own artistic pursuits, and create new solutions to nurture and support a new generation of creatives.\u201d<\/p>\n

Lane came to feel that he and his aims were seen and supported by teachers and classmates alike. Discussions with both acted as his fuel. \u201cThe conversations about how we would like to change the world through artistic, community-focused policies, and figuring out how to initiate those changes through various strategies, provided an atmosphere that encouraged me to keep growing,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you decide to come to BU, use this time to stretch yourself and understand that being a leader gives you a responsibility for those you lead,\u201d says Lane. \u201cThe art world needs good leaders with a vision for the future that considers everyone\u2019s perspective and embraces positive change and innovation.\u201d<\/p>\n

As part of its own efforts to empower change-makers, and in recognition of the particular need to foster greater diversity and inclusion in leadership across the humanities, Metropolitan College offers the Advancing the Arts Scholarship<\/a>. A reflection of BU MET\u2019s commitment to racial equity, the award is available to those with demonstrated experience in or a commitment to working with Latinx, Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) communities; those who have faced a physical or mental disability; those who attended historically Black colleges and universities (HBCU); or those who are members of a federally or state-recognized Native American tribe. \u201cThis scholarship is part of an effort to bring about the changes we know our world needs,\u201d says Director DeNatale.<\/p>\n

Affecting this sort of change is the kind of work that is never finalized. But arts administrators can make a difference through expert training. And that is where the Metropolitan College Master of Science in Arts Administration can be an invaluable partner.<\/p>\n

An Administrative Master\u2019s Degree to Evolve with the Modern Arts Economy<\/h2>\n

The arts world is rapidly evolving, driven by shifts in philosophy, economics, and technology. These challenges will only provide greater opportunities for arts administrators to make an impact.<\/p>\n

\u201cNow, and looking toward the future, we must be prepared for extraordinary transformation in the art world,\u201d says DeNatale, whose research finds that the arts account for 4.5 percent of the US gross domestic product. \u201cThat said, we see a wealth of opportunities for creative arts leaders in the changing ecosystem of the arts, and we strive to cultivate professionals who are resourceful, intellectually engaged, creative, and resilient.\u201d<\/p>\n

BU MET\u2019s Arts Administration program offers a curriculum that gives you the preparation to take on these challenges, through courses such as Technology and Arts Administration (MET AR 740)<\/a>, which is taught by DeNatale, whose extensive experience includes the research and technology arms of the creative economy.<\/p>\n

In that course, students become acquainted with a range of technologies employed by arts organizations with the help of guest instructors who bring real-world insights to the classroom. Students learn about emerging products and trends and get to use cutting-edge tools that introduce them to emerging technologies such as interactive communication and generative AI.<\/p>\n

Indeed, in addition to technology, cultural work plays a vital role in all corners of our shared world, fueling things like entrepreneurial innovation, our lifestyles via urban design, common social understanding, and overall well-being. Matters like urban planning, economic development, and social services are predicated upon the same creativity, imagination, and ingenuity the arts develop and inspire.<\/p>\n

The BU MET MS in Arts Administration\u2019s comprehensive curriculum provides you with a thorough understanding of the arts management world\u2019s many facets. With five required courses and five selected from a range of electives, the adventure begins with The Art World (MET AR 690)<\/a>. Generally taken in an arts administration student\u2019s first semester, this course introduces what you need to know about the institutions, issues, and forces that shape the contemporary art space, while also inspecting trends in the realms of individual artists, government, and the nonprofit and for-profit sectors.<\/p>\n

From there, other required courses cover the fundamentals of financial management and legal issues in the field, giving you the foundation you need to responsibly administer arts programs.<\/span><\/p>\n

Unless you are already working full time in the arts during your final semester, you will also be required to complete a professional internship, and domestic US students are required to take one international travel course (though this is optional for international students).<\/p>\n

For the rest of your course of study, you\u2019ll have the chance to choose from a wide selection of electives in everything from marketing, fundraising, organizational management, research and program evaluation, technology, curation, educational programming, theater production, public art, and consulting. Working in partnership with your academic advisor, you will have the chance to flesh out and individualize your education.<\/p>\n

Make an Impact on the Global State of the Arts<\/h2>\n

<\/a>The art world is a fundamentally global one. Even more, globalization plays an increasing role in shaping it, which is why the BU Metropolitan College Arts Administration program prioritizes developing international perspectives. Nowhere is this more apparent than in the requirement that students to take time to study abroad\u2014with possibilities in places like Barcelona, Spain; Dublin, Ireland; Brussels, Belgium; London, England; and Havana, Cuba. (This requirement, it should be noted, applies only to US-based students.)<\/p>\n

It’s a colorful aspect of the arts administration curriculum. Students get the chance to learn\u00a0 about, say, the view of arts policy directly from Parisians in their hometown in Comparative Cultural Policy and Administration (MET AR 577)<\/a>, which can be taken to satisfy the international travel study requirement. These experiences allow students to engage directly with global arts policies and practices, enriching their understanding of the international arts landscape.<\/p>\n

For Cameron Lane, that exposure to international perspectives was a key draw to BU MET\u2019s arts administration master\u2019s degree program. \u201cNow more than ever, the performing and visual arts are constantly shifting and evolving across the world. I felt that BU MET had the most expansive viewpoint when considering factors outside of America,\u201d he says. \u201cI was also drawn to the opportunity to travel and study abroad through the program, as well as to the artistic ecosystem that is Boston.\u201d<\/p>\n

Indeed, Boston University is one of the world\u2019s foremost internationally-focused schools, and the city of Boston is renowned for its culture of higher learning, so it\u2019s only fitting that BU MS in Arts Administration is a globally minded program and one that not only looks out at the international world, but draws students from across it.<\/p>\n

Another course you can take to satisfy your international requirement is The Arts in Barcelona (MET AR 587)<\/a>, which brings you to one of the greatest artistic hubs in the world for an educational endeavor that students relish.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe one-week travel study to Barcelona was really an unforgettable and meaningful experience for me,\u201d says Songdi Wei (MET\u201917). \u201cWe were so lucky to get the private guided tours of various arts and cultural institutions in Barcelona, and to communicate with professionals. Under a globalized and pluralist context, it was a great opportunity for us to explore the multiple roles of an arts administrator in different countries.\u201d<\/p>\n

While the travel aspect of the program is a large part of its international bent, it\u2019s hardly the totality of it\u2014BU MET Arts Administration also draws top international students from the world over who are seeking entry to the US art landscape. As graduate Jean-Guillaume Bazaille (MET\u201920) says, \u201c[The MSAA] degree has allowed me to find a job on the American arts and culture market. I acquired skills that will allow me to be a bridge between my country of origin and the US.\u201d<\/p>\n

Practical Preparation to Support and Sustain Arts Enterprises<\/h2>\n

The BU Arts Administration master\u2019s degree serves as a strong foundation for careers in arts management, whether you’re starting out or seeking to elevate your professional skills.<\/p>\n

For Priya Krishnamoorthy (MET\u201919), Boston University\u2019s MS in Arts Administration program provided the tools to launch a pathbreaking non-government organization to support artisans in her home country. \u201cI was keen on learning new skills that I could apply back in India,\u201d she explains. \u201cI wanted a program that offered practical subjects like \ufb01nance, fundraising and entrepreneurship, and that ideally was designed for professionals and arts practitioners.\u201d<\/p>\n

These key lessons are conveyed by instructors like Mary Doorley Simboski, whose experience as managing director of the firm Changing Our World\u2014which specializes in fundraising, corporate social engagement, research, analytics, and communications\u2014gives her applied expertise in matters of fundraising and nonprofit management.<\/p>\n

Doorley Simboski teaches Capital Campaigns (MET AR 711)<\/a>, which introduces the key elements of capital fundraising, including feasibility studies and strategic planning and budgeting. In addition to examining staff, donor, volunteer, board, and trustee management, this course also unpacks ethical responsibilities, major gift solicitation, campaign communications, trend analysis, and evaluation.<\/p>\n

As she explains to her students, these matters encompass more than just securing funding. \u201cPhilanthropy is about people and significant relationships,\u201d Doorley Simboski says. \u201cPhilanthropic giving is much more than a revenue stream for an organization or project; it\u2019s a process that strengthens relationships with stakeholders.\u201d<\/p>\n

Fundraising became a passion of Krishnamoorthy, who credits lecturer and MS in Arts Administration graduate Michael Ibrahim (MET\u201907) for sparking her interest. \u201cMichael Ibrahim\u2019s class, Raising Funds and Grant Writing for Nonprofit Organizations (MET AR 550)<\/a>, opened my eyes to the world of grant writing and fundraising, which is what I eventually decided to focus on.\u201d<\/p>\n

It was an education that helped inspire her to develop new networks to support Indian artistry. \u201cBefore joining the program, I did not understand the true value of the arts and their role in the creative economy,\u201d she says. \u201cMy degree helped me see the arts as a holistic pathway to collective well-being.\u201d<\/p>\n

A Graduate Ticket to the Business of Broadway<\/h2>\n

Many are those who dream of careers producing shows to grace the stages of New York\u2019s theatrical headquarters, Broadway. Boston University can help make that a reality, as the Metropolitan College Arts Administration program offers the Commercial Theater Development Graduate and Advanced Graduate Certificates<\/a>, made available in partnership with Nederlander Worldwide Entertainment. As with other Arts Administration graduate certificates\u2014which include Arts Management<\/a>, Arts Marketing<\/a>, and Fundraising Management<\/a>\u2014Commercial Theater Development courses can be applied to the master\u2019s degree program, or taken as part of the master\u2019s curriculum.<\/p>\n

The unique Commercial Theater Development certificate gives students unprecedented access to an education on the business of Broadway, thanks to the strategic collaboration with Nederlander Worldwide Entertainment, which owns and operates some of the world\u2019s greatest theaters and also produces and presents premier entertainment in the US and abroad. Founded by Tony Award-winning producer Robert Nederlander, Jr., the organization provides arts administration students with access to practicing instructors<\/a> with extensive career experience as producers, general managers, booking agents, and marketers.<\/p>\n

Under their expert tutelage, aspiring performing arts producers and commercial theater professionals gain a holistic understanding of what it takes to develop a production and carry it through to its post-Broadway life. The four-course certificate program is offered through both online and on-campus study and can be completed in as little as 8 months. BU MET also offers the six-course Advanced Graduate Certificate in Commercial Theater Development<\/a>, which includes the extraordinary opportunity for students to be placed in a semester-long, in-person internship opportunity on Broadway.<\/p>\n

\u201cGrowing up in south Texas made New York feel so far away. Now I have never felt closer to Broadway,\u201d Mary Thames (MET\u201921) says of the experience. \u201cThis program has given me a strong grasp of how the magic gets made and how I can become a part of it.\u201d<\/p>\n