{"id":93131,"date":"2025-05-15T10:53:36","date_gmt":"2025-05-15T14:53:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/met\/?page_id=93131"},"modified":"2025-05-19T15:43:32","modified_gmt":"2025-05-19T19:43:32","slug":"career-options","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/met\/programs\/arts-cultural-management\/career-options\/","title":{"rendered":"What Are My Career Options with an Arts Administration Master\u2019s Degree from Boston University\u2019s Metropolitan College?"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Back to Programs<\/a>Arts Administration<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

To pursue a career in arts administration is to make culture your business. Professional arts administrators must be prepared to handle all kinds of challenges\u2014from budget issues to interpersonal dealings, logistics, and even matters of taste. That\u2019s why the Arts Administration graduate degree program at Boston University\u2019s Metropolitan College emphasizes job-ready skills like goal setting for mission- and revenue-driven organizations; fundraising, networking, financial management, and relationship management; and strategic marketing.<\/p>\n

These are the tools you\u2019ll need to thrive in an arts administration career, whether you\u2019re leading an arts organization or working in a fundraising role. At BU\u2019s Metropolitan College, Arts Administration graduates go on to make their marks in both the visual arts and performing arts fields, with professional prospects that grow steadily after earning their degrees. Thanks to a curriculum that prioritizes global thinking, centers the role of the artist, and nurtures important fundamental strengths that are transferable across the profession, your master\u2019s degree in Arts Administration from BU MET prepares you to not only embrace opportunity, but develop your own.<\/p>\n

Faculty in BU MET\u2019s Arts Administration program prioritize the development of each student\u2019s professional profile, in part through an internship requirement. While students can seek out their own internship opportunity, the program has established valuable relationships with numerous esteemed arts organizations in the region, including the Boston Ballet, the Boston Symphony Orchestra, the New England Foundation for the Arts, the Huntington Theater Company, and the Institute of Contemporary Art, Boston, among many others. What\u2019s more, past students have landed internships at prestigious places like the Kennedy Center for the Arts, Rolling Stone<\/em> magazine, the Smithsonian Institution, Christie\u2019s Auction House, and the English National Ballet. Engaging in fieldwork and refining real-world skills through these internships is invaluable to building a successful career.<\/p>\n

And even after graduation, BU MET offers resources to aid your job search. In addition to the robust jobs board<\/a> the Arts Administration program maintains, MET\u2019s Career Development office<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0BU\u2019s Center for Career Development<\/a> offer a host of job-hunting resources, including one-on-one career counseling, LinkedIn consulting, r\u00e9sum\u00e9\/CV or cover letter review, and tips to evaluate job offers and negotiate salaries.<\/p>\n

What sorts of careers can you expect to pursue when you earn a Master of Science in Arts Administration<\/a> at BU? To answer that, we can look to the impressive success of our alums.<\/p>\n

Venue CEO<\/h2>\n

<\/a>Casey Soward (MET\u201909)<\/a> exemplifies the possibilities an MS in Arts Administration can unlock. After a decade as executive director of the Cabot Performing Arts Center in Beverly, Massachusetts, he is now CEO of the Boch Center, the organization responsible for operating Boston\u2019s historic Wang Theatre and Shubert Theatre\u2014two of the most iconic venues in the city.<\/p>\n

Prior to his time with Boch and the Cabot, Soward oversaw programming, marketing, and public relations for concerts, recitals, and special events as director of production and performance at the Boston University School of Music.<\/p>\n

For Soward, who\u2014following his studies at BU MET\u2014is known professionally for his fundraising acumen, the arts administration calling is close to his heart. \u201cFrom presenting world-class performances to preserving and restoring historic venues, I believe in the profound impact that arts and cultural programs can have on society,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

Arts Entrepreneur<\/h2>\n

<\/a>Priya Krishnamoorthy (MET\u201919)<\/a> was already an accomplished arts manager in her home country of India when she chose to enroll at BU\u2019s Metropolitan College. She pursued her master\u2019s in Arts Administration at BU MET to acquire the knowledge necessary to thrive as an entrepreneur, learn about best practices from a global perspective, and establish a foothold in the United States market.<\/p>\n

A winner of India\u2019s Fulbright Nehru Master\u2019s Fellowship, Krishnamoorthy credits BU\u2019s Arts Administration graduate program with propelling her toward new goals. \u201cIt was during my time at BU MET that I realized that I wanted to bring creativity together with sustainable development,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

She has since founded 200 Million Artisans\u2014a purpose-led, social enterprise aimed at catalyzing inclusion and innovation within India\u2019s handmade production sector. \u201cThe skills that I gained at MET can be applied across the board\u2014in the arts, social impact consulting, fundraising, and beyond,\u201d she states. \u201cThat is exactly what I am doing right now.\u201d<\/p>\n

Director of Development<\/h2>\n

<\/a>Claire Fassnacht (MET\u201917)<\/a> believes that philanthropy in the arts is largely misunderstood. \u201cA lot of people are afraid of fundraising because they think it is just about asking for money,\u201d she says. \u201cWhat they don\u2019t realize is that people are generally excited to give you money when they know that they are making a difference in the world.\u201d<\/p>\n

Fassnacht came to BU MET eager to make a difference and advance her career, which she did thanks the Arts Administration program. She particularly values the skills she gained during her studies. \u201cIt was a very well-rounded program that provided classes in a lot of different administration areas,\u201d she says. \u201cI think that every nonprofit administrator should know about financial management and have strong writing skills, so Financial Management for Nonprofits (MET AR 750)<\/a> and the Raising Funds and Grant Writing for Nonprofit Organizations (MET AR 550)<\/a> were key classes for me.\u201d<\/p>\n

Today, Fassnacht works at Intuit: The Center for Intuitive and Outsider Art, a small museum in Chicago. After starting her journey as a development coordinator, she progressed to development manager, and now holds the position of director of development. \u201cI am writing grants, managing the membership program, individual fundraising (which includes any mailed and online campaigns), one-on-one meetings with donors, and helping the museum president prepare for donor meetings,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

But the part of the job she enjoys most is helping those who give see real results for their generosity. \u201cThe golden responsibility of a fundraiser is to connect donors with a change or impact that they are making through their giving,\u201d Fassnacht asserts.<\/p>\n

Operations Manager<\/h2>\n

<\/a>Cameron Lane (MET\u201921)<\/a> came to BU MET\u2019s master\u2019s degree in Arts Administration program with a clear goal\u2014to create greater opportunities in the arts for historically disadvantaged communities. Since graduating, he has taken meaningful steps toward achieving his ambitions.<\/p>\n

He began his career as a sales and community associate with South Boston\u2019s Artists for Humanity, an organization that connects under-resourced teenage artists with mentors and opportunities to earn income in the creative sector. In this role, he focused on community outreach, fostering collaboration among various stakeholders aligned with his social-minded mission.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m in constant communication with various initiatives and nonprofits in our teen artists\u2019 neighborhoods about future opportunities for our artists to make positive change in their communities,\u201d Lane explains. \u201cWe are in close contact with the Boston Planning & Development Agency as well as developers who are working to diversify and improve conditions in the city.\u201d<\/p>\n

Currently, Lane serves as the operations manager at Boston Children\u2019s Chorus, a key step in his ongoing journey toward his dream of leadership through the arts.<\/p>\n

Deputy Director<\/h2>\n

When Matthew Dickey (MET\u201913)<\/a> graduated with his BU Arts Administration master\u2019s degree, he reentered the working world equipped with the know-how to take on leadership roles in the nonprofit sector. Today, he\u2019s leveraging that expertise in multiple ways: not only is he in a key position at a Boston nonprofit, but he\u2019s also making his mark as an influential artist\u2014using his talents as a roving photographer to bring iconic, historical, and underappreciated buildings across the city.<\/p>\n

Dickey is the deputy director at the Boston Preservation Alliance, a 501(c)3 organization dedicated to protecting and preserving Boston\u2019s storied architectural heritage. He reinforces this mission as the creative force behind @streetscapecurator, a popular Instagram account that showcases the quirky, memorable, and distinguished facades of Boston\u2019s diverse neighborhoods. By spotlighting as many notable buildings as he can find, Dickey is creating a groundswell of support for preserving them.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf people don\u2019t really care about a thing being there, it\u2019s not going to survive. It\u2019s not going to continue,\u201d he emphasizes. Through his photography, he champions the same cause his nonprofit advances. \u201cWe run on the adage that there should be no buildings torn down because everything should be reused.\u201d<\/p>\n

For Dickey, it\u2019s the vastness of opportunities within arts administration that excites him the most. \u201cThe field of arts administration is huge. You can see that through my own career path working in a community center, youth arts organizations, and tourism,\u201d he notes.<\/p>\n

Director of Development<\/h2>\n

<\/a>Laura Frye (MET\u201906)<\/a> knows that working in the arts is a prerequisite to career satisfaction. After graduation from BU MET\u2019s Arts Administration master\u2019s program, she took a fundraising job with a university near to where she lived. But she missed working in her field of choice. \u201cI didn\u2019t feel a lot of passion in the position. I learned that you really need to have an emotional connection to the organization before you commit,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

Today, after stints with the Boston Ballet and Wadswoth Atheneum Museum of Art, Frye works as the director of development for the School of Fine Arts at the University of Connecticut. She finds that, for all the skills she developed to ply her craft, it\u2019s common humanity that makes the biggest difference in cultivating cultural revenue.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think you just need to be authentic,\u201d she says of her professional craft. \u201cYou\u2019re talking about really personal things with people: money.\u201d<\/p>\n

Being a successful arts administrator, then, comes down to unexpected skills. \u201cYou have to be a good listener. It\u2019s amazing what people tell you when you just stop talking,\u201d Frye says.<\/p>\n

Senior Manager of Membership<\/h2>\n

For Kati Nalbandian (\u201922)<\/a>, a career in arts administration means harnessing her expertise in marketing, event planning, and fundraising to support the arts. With an undergraduate background in theater, she came to BU MET\u2019s Arts Administration graduate program to get her\u00a0 master\u2019s degree, as well as a Graduate Certificate in Fundraising Management<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis education was invaluable for deepening my understanding of nonprofit structure, fundraising, and how to better support arts organizations and individual artists in my community,\u201d Nalbandian says. \u201cIt also opened up new opportunities and roles for me.\u201d<\/p>\n

As she sees it, soft skills are also paramount to being an effective arts administrator. \u201cHaving a social personality really matters in the arts and humanities,\u201d she says. \u201cSure, there are roles that might be more data-driven, where you\u2019re primarily analyzing data, but at the end of the day, we\u2019re all working together with a lot of human interactions.\u201d<\/p>\n

Today, Nalbandian serves as the senior manager of membership for Mass MoCA, a dynamic role where she coordinates both internal and external stakeholders, hosts events, and creates opportunities to connect with members. \u201cAlthough we fall within the annual giving and fundraising department, our work transcends fundraising by fostering a sense of community and belonging among our members,\u201d she notes. \u201cI am using skills that I had honed early in my career, marketing and communication, as well as the fundraising insights gained from my BU program. It\u2019s incredibly rewarding and a lot of fun.\u201d<\/p>\n

Social and Community Impact Senior Manager<\/h2>\n

<\/a>Brendon Mason (MET\u201912)<\/a> became interested in arts administration after starting his career working with Hyannis Sound, a professional a cappella group on Cape Cod. He enrolled in the BU MET master\u2019s degree program to deepen his commitment to the arts. \u201cI got interested in arts administration as it was a way to connect my passion for the arts with coursework that focused on things like making the arts more accessible and promoting the health of nonprofits,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

While in the program, he prioritized developing the skills that would translate into a career in nonprofit management or nonprofit consulting. \u201cI made an effort to learn as much as I could about the nonprofit sector and to broaden my understanding of what makes organizations tick. That experience has proved to be invaluable,\u201d he says. Mason found the mandatory internships particularly valuable. \u201cIn addition to the experience that I gained by working, having multiple internships helped me better understand both what I did and didn\u2019t want in regard to my career,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

Mason found tremendous success working for organizations like the Boston Foundation, Boston Ballet, and Robin Hood\u2014an organization that gives between $100\u2013$150 million annually. But he\u2019s found that where you work isn\u2019t nearly so significant as how you do. \u201cWhile the big\/r\u00e9sum\u00e9-building stuff is obviously important, the work experience that has shaped my career the most has more to do with stuff that doesn\u2019t end up on r\u00e9sum\u00e9s,\u201d he offers. \u201cNavigating office culture, remaining flexible when roles are changing, and seeing transition as an opportunity rather than a challenge are all things that have shaped my career.\u201d<\/p>\n

Today, Mason works with one of the world\u2019s largest brands\u2014as Nike\u2019s senior manager for social and community impact.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy only piece of advice for current and prospective students is to be authentic. In addition to a kickass work ethic, people want to work with people that they like, and being yourself is a great way to disarm your classmates and colleagues and create space for open-minded, accepting environments and dialogue,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

Additional Examples of Arts Administration Jobs<\/h2>\n

BU Arts Administration program alumni have gone on to hold the following positions (to name a few):<\/p>\n

    \n
  • Annual Giving Coordinator<\/li>\n
  • Art Advisor<\/li>\n
  • Artist-in-Residence Program Director<\/li>\n
  • Arts Education Manager<\/li>\n
  • Assistant Director<\/li>\n
  • Assistant General Manager<\/li>\n
  • Associate Director of Special Projects<\/li>\n
  • Associate Registrar for Digital Resources<\/li>\n
  • Audience Development Coordinator<\/li>\n
  • Audience Engagement Editor<\/li>\n
  • Box Office Manager<\/li>\n
  • Brand Design Project Manager<\/li>\n
  • Chief Operating Officer<\/li>\n
  • Chief Strategic Program Officer<\/li>\n
  • Community Relations Manager<\/li>\n
  • Company Manager<\/li>\n
  • Corporate Relations manager<\/li>\n
  • Creative Director<\/li>\n
  • Curator<\/li>\n
  • Customer Engagement Manager<\/li>\n
  • Design Manager<\/li>\n
  • Director of Administration<\/li>\n
  • Director of Admissions and Artistic Planning<\/li>\n
  • Director of Advancement<\/li>\n
  • Director of Annual Giving<\/li>\n
  • Director of Chorus Operations<\/li>\n
  • Director of Communications and Marketing<\/li>\n
  • Director of Community Arts<\/li>\n
  • Director of Community Engagement<\/li>\n
  • Director of Content Strategy, Principal & Major Gifts<\/li>\n
  • Director of Corporate Engagement and Partnerships<\/li>\n
  • Director of Design and Production<\/li>\n
  • Director of Development<\/li>\n
  • Director of Donor Engagement<\/li>\n
  • Director of Ecommerce and Digital Marketing<\/li>\n
  • Director of Education<\/li>\n
  • Director of Finance and Administration<\/li>\n
  • Director of Major Gifts<\/li>\n
  • Director of Marketing and Outreach<\/li>\n
  • Director of Operations<\/li>\n
  • Director of Special Projects<\/li>\n
  • Director of Strategic Partnerships<\/li>\n
  • Educational Program Director<\/li>\n
  • Events Coordinator<\/li>\n
  • Executive Affairs and Special Projects Officer<\/li>\n
  • Executive Assistant to the Museum Director<\/li>\n
  • Executive Director<\/li>\n
  • Executive Producer<\/li>\n
  • Exhibit Developer\/Experience Designer<\/li>\n
  • Exhibitions Coordinator<\/li>\n
  • Fellowship Coordinator<\/li>\n
  • Fiscal Operations Manager<\/li>\n
  • Front of House Manager<\/li>\n
  • Gallery Learning Museum Educator<\/li>\n
  • Gallery Manger<\/li>\n
  • Grants Manager<\/li>\n
  • Head of Digital Marketing<\/li>\n
  • Human Resource Coordinator<\/li>\n
  • Individual Gifts Officer<\/li>\n
  • Individual Giving Manager<\/li>\n
  • Institutional Giving Officer<\/li>\n
  • Lead Curator<\/li>\n
  • Licensing Representative<\/li>\n
  • Line Producer<\/li>\n
  • Major Gifts Officer<\/li>\n
  • Manager of Artistic Operations<\/li>\n
  • Manager of Communications<\/li>\n
  • Manager of Public Art and External Affairs<\/li>\n
  • Manager, Development Systems and Technology<\/li>\n
  • Manager, Student Art Programs<\/li>\n
  • Managing Director<\/li>\n
  • Marketing Analytics Manager<\/li>\n
  • Marketing and Public Relations Manager<\/li>\n
  • Marketing Specialist<\/li>\n
  • Membership Manager<\/li>\n
  • Musical Director<\/li>\n
  • Operations Manager<\/li>\n
  • Patron Services Manager<\/li>\n
  • Planning Executive<\/li>\n
  • Principal Art Consultant<\/li>\n
  • Program Manager<\/li>\n
  • Program Officer<\/li>\n
  • Project Manager<\/li>\n
  • Public Art Program Manager<\/li>\n
  • Public Relations Manager<\/li>\n
  • Registrar<\/li>\n
  • Research Analyst<\/li>\n
  • Senior Foundation Program Officer<\/li>\n
  • Social Media Manager<\/li>\n
  • Strategy Director<\/li>\n
  • Theater Manager<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n