My daughter is very interested in looking at schools with an undergrad in Arts Administration or Arts Management. There are really only two options for this degree in our state and other schools seem to be quite a distance from home and private (thus quite expensive). Does anyone have any experience with this major and/or suggestions on where we should look for good programs? My daughter is a strong student and performer.
Does she have to have that particular degree? Can she take business and arts classes?
Look in the http://talk.qa.collegeconfidential.com/college-majors/ forums and ask in the appropriate subforum…e.g., arts/dance/theater/music etc
How about Rider U? they have scholarships
U of San Francisco gives good merit aid to high-stat students, and the students get to work with museums and galleries in the city.
Be sure to research the backgrounds of actual arts administrators in your daughter’s chosen field. For art museums and some galleries, an advanced degree or Ph.D. in History of Art is required or preferred. Extensive publications and an expertise in one historical era may be needed.
Ask the colleges what the employment rates in fine arts is of recent graduates. Most art galleries pay peanuts, or low commissions to new hires, whether they title the position as management or not.
Schools to look at in this subject area would include:
Bryn Mawr
Goucher
DePaul
SUNY Purchase
Ithaca
Marymount Manhattan
Indiana - Bloomington
College of Charleston
VCU
Rider
U Mass - Amherst
Anther major she may want to investigate is Curatorial Studies.
Not quite Arts Management, it’s a combination of Art History, Museum Studies, often with a Management/Business element required.
For more performance-based Arts Management, many schools have a sub-major within their Theater programs.
Good luck.
This.
One more comment. Many people that end up in the arts mgmt world seem to come from wealthy backgrounds and can afford to do what they love, living comfortably even as they take a relatively low-paying job. In fact the average pay of grads from elite colleges is lowered by this. Children from wealthy families attend top schools and then enter lower-paying fields.
I’m not saying your D should not enter this field, but she should understand the expectations both to be a competitive candidate for jobs and for pay.
Consider a double major in a business degree and Art History and combine with summer internships in the art world.
Thank you all for the information. She would be more concentrated in the theatre or musical theatre world than the art museum/gallery type of arts management. I will continue to do some research. Thanks again! Her love is MT, but those programs can be so competitive.
@SuperDooper you may also want to post this question on the theatre and musical theatre forum boards on this site.
You will also find that many schools will offer opportunities and training in arts administration without that being an official major or minor.
For example, at the university where I teach we have many students whose major focus is musical theatre or theatre performance, who take advantage of class work, educational opportunities, and internships in arts administration (in addition to performance) and are successful securing positions in arts administration (or graduate programs in arts administration) after graduation when they choose to pursue those positions.
It does not necessarily have to be either/or 