Online Commercial Theater Development Graduate Certificate

Gain the Business Skills to Bring Theater Productions to Life

The online Graduate Certificate in Commercial Theater Development is offered through a special partnership between the Arts Administration program at Boston University’s Metropolitan College (MET) and Nederlander Worldwide Entertainment, one of the world’s leading commercial theater companies. Established in 1912, the Nederlander companies own and/or operate some of the world’s greatest theaters, produce and present premier entertainment, and serve as a consultant and talent booker for their own facilities and other renowned entertainment venues in the US and abroad.

This certificate program in Commercial Theater Development provides early and mid-career performing arts professionals with the opportunity to gain advanced training in the development and production of commercial performing arts productions. Classes are taught by leading practitioners from the Broadway theater and performing arts communities and include site visits in New York City and interactions with leading figures in the commercial art world. Students in the Commercial Theater Development graduate certificate program will gain skills in managing commercial arts venues, securing and developing commercial productions, engaging with new technologies and innovative partnerships, and programming performing arts productions.

The certificate is open to both domestic and international applicants and can be completed in a single calendar year. Commercial Theater Development certificate courses are also open to students enrolled in the MS in Arts Administration. Students may study fully online or on campus, or take classes in a mix of formats (blended study).

A six-course Advanced Graduate Certificate in Commercial Theater Development is also available and includes a semester-long internship opportunity on Broadway that must be completed onsite. Students enrolled in the certificate have access to all the resources of the department and the University.

The Graduate Certificate in Commercial Theater Development is also available on campus in Boston.

Curriculum

Boston University’s Graduate Certificate in Commercial Theater Development consists of four required online courses (16 credits). For more information about the six-course certificate with Broadway internship, please see the Advanced Graduate Certificate in Commercial Theater Development.

A student may take up to two courses before admission to the Commercial Theater Development certificate, but must apply and be accepted to the program prior to the completion of the second course.

Requirements

Visit the BU MET Website for Admission Details.

Dates & Deadlines

View BU MET’s academic calendar for online programs, including important dates and deadlines.

Application Requirements

Learn about application requirements for BU MET graduate degree and certificate programs.

How You Benefit from a
Boston University Education

A BU credential can help lay the foundation for career advancement and personal success.

• Benefit from a 15:1 student-to-instructor ratio.
• Study with producers, managers, booking agents, and other leading practitioners from New York’s Broadway theater industry. 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.
• Learn 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.
• Get the attention you need through close interaction with faculty and visiting artists. Benefit from an interdisciplinary curriculum that encourages collaboration between students from both visual and performing 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.
• The six-course BU MET Advanced Commercial Theater Development Graduate Certificate includes an exciting opportunity for placement in an intensive internship with a commercial performing arts enterprise in either the US or international market.
• Founded in 1993, Boston University’s Metropolitan College Arts Administration program has produced professional leaders at a host of cultural institutions in Boston, throughout the United States, and abroad.

US citizens and permanent residents are automatically considered for Merit Scholarships during the application process and nominated based on eligibility.

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Graduate with Commercial Theater Development Expertise

Students who complete the Graduate Certificate in Commercial Theater Development will be able to:

• Demonstrate advanced knowledge of the history, structure, and institutional behavior of performing arts organizations in the US commercial sector.
• Demonstrate proficiency with a sophisticated skill set emphasizing best practices with regard to the development of commercial performing arts projects.
• Identify, interpret, and apply relevant legal regulations in the management of commercial arts enterprises.
• Demonstrate an understanding of the issues and factors affecting the development and touring of performing arts productions internationally.

Advance Your Career

BU MET’s Commercial Theater Development Graduate Certificates prepares you for a wealth of different roles such as producer, theater manager, production coordinator, marketing and public relations specialist, managing director, business operations & partnerships, operations & production manager, audience services manager, event coordinator, account manager, production specialist, stage manager, general manager, agency business administrator, and line producer, among others.

Take Advantage of Career Resources at BU MET

You will find the support you need in reaching your career goals through MET’s Career Development office, which offers a variety of job-hunting resources, including one-on-one career counseling by appointment for online students. You can also take advantage of tools and resources available online through BU’s Center for Career Development.

Evan Alexander LaChance

I have started working at the Broadway Education Alliance, helmed by Susan Lee, who teaches Current Trends in the Performing Arts Industry (MET AR 753). While it isn’t a permanent placement, it has allowed me to directly engage the skills I learned in the program in the larger arts community. It’s given me a title that makes me more marketable and has put me in the room with several industry leaders in the business I want to transition into!

Evan Alexander LaChance (MET’23)
General Manager, Broadway Education Alliance Inc.
MS, Arts Administration; Graduate Certificate, Commercial Theater Development

Arts Administration Faculty

Douglas DeNatale

Associate Professor of the Practice
Director, Arts Administration

Interested in Learning More?