Administration/Management/Advocacy

Columbia’s curriculum provides educational opportunities in the arts, communication, and public information fields within the context of a liberal arts education. Course offerings in major subject areas combine conceptual study with practical application, resulting in realistic career preparation.

The BA program in Art and Materials Conservation was developed observing the American Institute for Conservation guidelines and offers students intense training in chemistry, materials science, studio art, and the humanities, as well as a year of study and hands-on practice at the Lorenzo de’ Medici Italian International Institute in Florence, Italy. Upon completion of the program, students will be prepared for graduate study or for work in the field. They will have gained a solid foundation in the philosophy and ethics of art conservation and preservation. Further, students will have gained a deep understanding of the scientific basis of art and materials conservation.

Art History provides skills in analyzing and interpreting art in relation to its historical and cultural contexts. Students learn how art acquires and conveys meaning by exploring the interactions among artists, objects, patrons, and society at large across a broad spectrum of media, cultures, and periods. Unlike art history programs at other colleges, the curriculum at Columbia College Chicago emphasizes fields of study outside the traditional canon of western art history. Our students specialize in one of four areas – modern and contemporary art, history of design, history of photography, and global art. These areas provide exciting perspectives on our visual and cultural environment and reflect the inclusive and interdisciplinary nature of art and art history today.

Both the BA and MA in Arts Management equip students with the competitive advantage needed to support careers in creative sectors such as music promotion and distribution, live entertainment and the performing arts, museums and galleries, traditional and new media, and professional and collegiate sports.

The University of Victoria offers a variety of options in the area of heritage, culture, and museum studies. 

Post-undergraduate level products are:

• Diploma in Cultural Resource Management that focuses on museum or heritage principles and practices or approaches to the management of cultural organizations
• Post-undergraduate level Professional Specialization Certificate in Collections Management Cultural Resource Management Program
• Post-undergraduate level Professional Specialization Certificate in Heritage Conservation Planning.

Graduate level studies are:

• Graduate Certificate in Cultural Heritage Studies for emerging and mid-career individuals involved with a range of cultural heritage fields that strengthens both understanding and integration of cultural heritage, community engagement and sustainable development
• Graduate Professional Certificate in Cultural Heritage Studies, available in Summer 2013 to professionals and those interested in pursuing a career or involvement in cultural heritage, will strengthen management and leadership skills by focusing on conceptual and practical strategies for approaching challenges in the workplace and community.

Bank Street College has two options to earn a Master of Science degree in Museum Education and a Leadership in Museum Education program. The two Museum Education programs focus on learner-centered education: one as a museum educator knowledgeable about children and schools, and the other as a classroom teacher skilled in integrating museums and museum teaching methods into the classroom.

The MS in Museum Education (non-certificate) is for students who want a career as a museum educator, but do not need to be a certified classroom teacher. The museum courses complement the education courses in your program, emphasizing the educational role and mission of museums and schools in a pluralistic society.

The MS in Museum Education with initial certification to teach grades 1-6 in New York is for students who want to be certified classroom teachers, but also want to effectively use the resources found in museums. These courses stress a learner-centered, experiential approach to learning that is especially well-suited for both museum and classroom settings.

MS in Museum Education concentration on Leadership in Museum Education is a unique program that meets one weekend per month over two years, draws committed museum educators and aspiring leaders from across the United States. It prepares leaders for museums or other cultural institutions by providing intensive preparation in both museum management (organizational development, strategic planning, fundraising, marketing, and staff development) and museum education (learning theory, exhibit development, community engagement, evaluation and program development). Through action research, case studies, and ongoing dialogue with innovative leaders, candidates gain the knowledge and skills needed to lead 21st century cultural institutions. Supervised fieldwork includes visits to students' own sites as well as monthly advisement.

The Program in Arts Administration at Columbia University Teachers College offers an MA in Arts Administration.

The Arts Administration program encourages integration of all the arts and education, while focusing on the educational role of the artist, and the missions and activities of arts and cultural agencies, collectives, and institutions. The program reflects the conviction that the management of cultural institutions and enterprises is a profession that requires both creativity and commitment and that, at its best, the profession has a positive impact on the quality of artistic life. Arts Administration is organized in conjunction with the programs in Arts and Humanities education, further reflecting the importance of the basic educational role, mission, and activities of the arts in both profit and nonprofit sectors.

Program objectives are:

• train new leaders to manage and administer arts and cultural venues
• raise standards of arts administration to a new level of social responsibility
• broaden the horizons of arts educators, facilitating their interactions with the arts community;
• give arts educators new management and administrative tools;
• strengthen advocacy roles for artists; and
• provide theoretical and practical preparation for students whose professional objective is a career in arts administration, arts education, or a combination of the two.

The Institute at Cooperstown is a collaborative program of the nationally recognized Cooperstown Graduate Program (CGP) in museum studies, the Museum Association of New York (MANY) and the New York State Historical Association (NYSHA). It is held at the Cooperstown Graduate Program.

This program is for mid-career museum, preservation, historic site and other arts and culture professionals designed to introduce business applications and principles of entrepreneurial thinking with the goal of expanding vision and leadership skills.

Participants at the Institute for Cultural Entrepreneurship are introduced to what today’s entrepreneurial museum leaders are saying. The Institute is a dynamic four-day experience that immerses participants in the world of nonprofit entrepreneurship training through case studies and skill building exercises that contribute to creative idea generation. Training sessions are designed to serve as catalysts that challenge traditional models of museum work in innovative and creative ways. Practice exercises teach creative idea generation and follow-through while entrepreneurial and problem solving skills are tested on case studies developed expressly for this Institute. Follow-up webinars keep participants connected with mentors and one another to help them become the change agents that 21st century museums demand.

The Cooperstown Graduate Program offers an MA in History Museum Studies.

The Cooperstown Graduate Program (CGP) is a partnership between the State University of New York College at Oneonta and the New York State Historical Association. The Program trains creative, entrepreneurial museum leaders committed to generating programs and services for the public good. CGP trained professionals dedicate themselves to the development of strong institutions that play a central role in their communities, encouraging broad public audiences to use artifacts and the study of art and history as a catalyst for social change.

One of only two programs in the country located on a museum campus rather than a university campus, students have the opportunity to interact regularly with museum professional staff, with objects, and with exhibitions. The CGP curriculum balances museum studies with the study of history and material culture. Core and elective courses in research, history, object study, administration, and education provide an excellent foundation for the development of museum programs and exhibitions. The coursework at CGP provides students with real professional experience including creating programming and exhibitions for museums in the region, acting as consultants, and working on strategic plans, feasibility studies, historic furnishing reports, and collections plans. Students gain a basic understanding of all aspects of museum work (particularly administration, collections, exhibitions and programming) and specialize in a career track and in a subject area.

In addition, the Cooperstown Graduate Program is a co-collaborator with the Museum Association of New York (MANY) and the New York State Historical Association (NYSHA) in running the "Institute for Cultural Entrepreneurship" -- a four-day program that is held at the Cooperstown Graduate Program. This program is for mid-career museum, preservation, historic site and other arts and culture professionals designed to introduce business applications and principles of entrepreneurial thinking with the goal of expanding vision and leadership skills. Participants at the Institute for Cultural Entrepreneurship are introduced to what today’s entrepreneurial museum leaders are saying. The Institute is a dynamic four-day experience that immerses participants in the world of nonprofit entrepreneurship training through case studies and skill building exercises that contribute to creative idea generation. Training sessions are designed to serve as catalysts that challenge traditional models of museum work in innovative and creative ways. Practice exercises teach creative idea generation and follow-through while entrepreneurial and problem solving skills are tested on case studies developed expressly for this Institute. Follow-up webinars keep participants connected with mentors and one another to help them become the change agents that 21st century museums demand.

The Department of Museum Studies offers three graduate programs of specialized museum studies: MA in Museum Education, and MA in Museum Communication, and an MFA in Museum Exhibition Planning and Design.

The Museum Education program offers a unique opportunity to obtain the theoretical and practical foundation as well as the experience necessary for your career in museums and galleries of all subjects — art, history, cultural history, science and more. A student body drawn from the arts, history, cultural history and the sciences makes for a lively exchange of ideas about the potential for museums. Student internships can be held in museums of natural history, science and technology, in art museums and galleries, historic houses and history museums, anthropology, archaeology, and culturally specific museums.

The Museum Communication program is a unique combination of coursework, studio training, independent research, internships, presentations and projects that will help further professional careers. Museum Communication is a field of study committed to exploring the transmission of information from, among and to cultural institutions, audiences, stakeholders and partners. By combining studio experience with other forms of instruction, the curriculum ensures that graduates are adept at using visual communication strategies to accomplish institutional objectives. Students develop the professional and intellectual skills needed to shape the future of museums. Graduates are employed by museums of anthropology, archaeology, fine art, history and natural history, science centers and zoos, national parks and arboretums, cultural arts organizations, government agencies, historical societies, historic sites and houses, and private and corporate collections and foundations.

The Museum Exhibition Planning and Design program prepares graduates to excel in the planning, content development and design processes implemented by professionals in the field of museum exhibition creation - from the first spark of an idea through research, prototyping, design, documentation, construction, exhibit opening to post-opening evaluation and beyond. The curriculum emphasizes concepts such as spatial sociology, color theory, education theory and sensory perception as communication tools, as well as drawing, building, computer skills, documentation and building techniques. Students also gain experience in critical analysis/synthesis and professional-level written and oral presentations.

Drexel's MS in Arts Administration program is run by the Antoinette Westphal College of Media Arts & Design. It is an online program for working professionals. It integrates innovative management practice, arts administration theory, and practicum into this internationally-recognized curriculum. The program provides strong emphasis in management practice with a specific focus on the non-profit arts community. Marketing and policy development are explored in-depth as students prepare to solve the challenges facing the art community today and tomorrow.

The Master of Arts Management (MAM) program at Carnegie Mellon University's Heinz College is designed to create innovative leaders in the visual and performing arts. The program combines rigorous finance, marketing and fundraising coursework with practical experience to prepare you to excel in a public, private or nonprofit arts environment. Heinz College's MAM program provides what other arts administration master's degrees cannot -- the solid foundation of quantitative management principles for which CMU is known globally. Students leave the University with the arts management and administration tools necessary to solve some of the most pressing economic and operational challenges currently facing arts organizations in the U.S. and internationally.

MA in Museum Studies online program; online Graduate Certificate in Nonprofit Management; MA in Public Management

The MA in Museum Studies is an online program (nine online classes and one onsite seminar are required) that provides a perspective on the theory and practice of museums in a changing technological, social and political environment for current and future museum professionals. It emphasizes the role of technology as a pervasive aspect in today's museum, examines new models of education, exhibition, and business strategies, and explores the role of the museum as an agent of social change. The program welcomes students interested in all types of museums including history, technology, science, art, special topic or themed museums, historic sites, national parks and zoos and those interested in exhibitions for corporations, government agencies and private organizations. The Museum Studies Program offers a structured curriculum of required and core courses augmented with electives. This curriculum provides opportunities for students to gain knowledge and skills in current professional museum practice with an eye to the future and an integration of past philosophies and practice. The program encompasses both theory and practice, focusing on providing real-world skills and training that enable students to move into the museum field or move up to jobs with more responsibility and requiring greater skills and knowledge. As an online program, they are able to offer the expertise of highly regarded professors and museum professionals from around the world, innovative virtual field trips, and global resources from a wide array of museums brought together in new and exciting ways. An international student body provides diverse perspectives and experiences in a dynamic online learning environment.

The Certificate in Nonprofit Management is fully-online. The coursework focuses on building the specific analytical and management skills needed by those assuming leadership roles as executive staff or board members in a variety of nonprofit fields. All the courses feature a global perspective for relevance in today’s world of interconnected economies and communication. For students already working in nonprofit sub-specialties, such as arts and culture, health, environmental conservation or international development, the courses will show how their fields fit into the larger nonprofit sector and how the larger forces affect their own leadership and management challenges. The courses are also relevant for students pursuing careers in government agencies that require extensive interaction with nonprofits in the US or other countries.

The MA in Public Management combines rigorous academics and strategic skills to meet the challenges of government and policymaking in the 21st Century. While empowering students to be strategic, the program also educates them in the fundamentals of public management: financial management, policy analysis, tax and budget policy, and public administration. Students learn to apply the latest theory, scientific findings, and new management methods to help solve real-world governance and policy issues. The curriculum is designed for working professionals in the government and nonprofit sector.