Arts Management | Academic Requirements | Minor in Arts Management | Courses | Faculty

The Arts Management Program: Courses

AMG 1000–2999 (lower level, freshman–sophomore)
AMG 3000–4999 (upper level, junior–senior)

AMG 1000–2999:

Introduction to Arts Management
AMG 1100 / 4 credits / Every semester
This introductory survey provides an overview of arts management, preparing students for upper-level courses in the arts management program. Topics include arts leadership and management philosophy, organizational structure, financial practices, strategic planning and programming, marketing and public relations, fundraising and development, volunteerism, and arts and entertainment law. Attention is given to the application of management principles common to arts organizations in both the nonprofit and commercial sectors.

Renowned Arts Leaders
AMG 1110 / 4 credits / Special topic (offered irregularly)
The study of six 20th-century originators of theatre and dance and their impact on the performing arts landscape: Zelda Fichandler, Arena Stage; Hal Prince, Broadway; Joseph Papp, The Public Theater; Lincoln Kirstein, New York City Ballet; Harvey Lichtenstein, Brooklyn Academy of Music; and Alvin Ailey, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. Assignments include research papers and presentations on other arts innovators.

Arts Management Policy and Practice in the European Union
AMG 1145 / 3 credits / Special topic (offered irregularly, Summer, in Spain)
An introduction to the historical context and the cultural policies and issues affecting arts organizations, managers, and artists in the European Union. Visits to leading visual arts and cultural institutions in Madrid, meetings with administrators, and work on independent creative projects enhance students’ understanding of the competencies possessed by effective arts managers as well as the market for the arts in Europe.

International Business
AMG 1150 / 3 credits / Special topic (offered irregularly, Summer, in Spain)
An introduction to the international perspective of businesses. Students examine the international aspects of businesses and place them in foreign and international contexts. Topics include the competitive environment of the international marketplace; international organizations; cultural, political-economic, and labor factors affecting international business; and management techniques to be successful in a global economy.

Creative Producing
AMG 2060 / 4 credits / Special topic (offered irregularly)
A student-centered course in which teams collaborate to explore the creative process by envisioning a nonprofit performing or visual arts organization, conceiving it from mission statement to the first body of work. As projects progress, students develop innovative and critical thinking skills while applying basic principles of arts management to sustain their ventures in today’s cultural environment.
Prerequisite: AMG 1100 or permission of instructor

Prerequisite removed Spring 2012 (11/19/11):
Arts and Entertainment in Economics
AMG 2085 Refer to ECO 2085 in Economics Courses (School of Natural and Social Sciences) for description.

Finance for the Arts
AMG 2200 / 4 credits / Every semester
To do more than survive in a competitive economy, artists and their managers must learn business strategies for the financial side of their profession. Students are introduced to the basics of budgets, financial management, and accounting concepts that translate into usable information with practical significance for financial decision-making.
Prerequisite: Math fluency

AMG 3000–4999:

Making the Case for the Arts
AMG 3010 / 3 credits / Special topic (offered irregularly)
Communicating the power of the arts to engage and enhance the lives of individuals and communities in a global economy is central to the success of today’s arts leaders, educators, and practitioners. Students explore U.S. cultural policy, law, social values, and market forces affecting the arts and entertainment industry as they develop a theoretical framework and advocacy skills to support arts participation as a fundamental human right.
Prerequisite: AMG 1100 or permission of instructor

The Arts in Society
AMG 3020 / 4 credits / Fall
Students contemplate the question “What is the value of the arts to society?” as they examine, critically reflect on, and discuss the arts to determine their personal position on the value of artistic contributions to society and humanity. Upon completion of the course, students will have further developed their complex reasoning, critical thinking, and writing skills.

Fundraising and Development in the Arts
AMG 3100 / 4 credits / Every semester
An exploration of fundraising and development for nonprofit arts organizations, including donor cultivation, prospect research, proposal development, annual fundraising campaigns, special events, corporate support and sponsorship, and Internet-based fundraising. Students also examine the history of U.S. arts and cultural philanthropy. Guest speakers and case studies give students an opportunity to apply concepts and techniques to real-world arts organizations.
Prerequisite: AMG 1100 or permission of instructor

Arts and Entertainment Law
AMG 3170 / 4 credits / Every semester
An introduction to fundamental legal and business concepts that affect artists and arts managers, with emphasis on copyright protection and infringement. Students study and analyze artist agreements, amendment protections for symbolic and literal speech and the limits to those protections, the basics of contract law and statutory protection for artists, and the terms and nature of business relationships, plus other important areas of the law that affect the arts community. Formerly AMG 3060.
Prerequisite: AMG 1100 or permission of instructor

Added Fall 2012 (1/05/12):
Performing Arts Management
AMG 3400 / 4 credits / Alternate years
Students contemplate the question “How does arts management complement performing artists in the 21st century?” Analyzing best practices, students explore management methodologies that affect what happens on the stage. Topics include general management, nonprofit and for-profit company management, presenting (programming), facilities management, touring logistics, labor relations, and human resources.
Prerequisite: AMG 1100

Marketing the Arts
AMG 3520 / 4 credits / Every semester
Provides an overview of fundamental marketing concepts and strategies relevant to promoting artists, events, and creative products. Topics include market research and audience development; advertising and mailing campaigns; and public image enhancement through branding, community relations, strategic partnerships, grassroots initiatives, and press coverage. Course materials and assignments are designed to illuminate current field practice while building promotional skills and salesmanship.
Prerequisite: AMG 1100 or permission of instructor

Gallery Management
AMG 3530 / 4 credits / Every semester
Students learn the fundamentals of operating commercial art galleries, including curating, artist contracts, and developing client relationships. Additional topics include connoisseurship, detecting fakes in the secondary (antique) art market, and the current regimen of high-profile art fairs. Texts, class discussions, and practical assignments are applicable to a wide variety of visual arts–based careers.
Prerequisite: AMG 1100 or permission of instructor

Added Spring 2012 (9/20/11):
Strategic/Business Planning
AMG 3550 / 4 credits / Special topic (offered irregularly)
An introduction to the concept of and processes involved in strategic and business planning for arts organizations. Students review examples of completed plans and work on developing, from initiation to completion, a plan in class.
Prerequisite: AMG 1100; AMG 2085 or 2200; AMG 3100 and 3520

Social Media and the Arts
AMG 3610 / 4 credits / Every semester
A hands-on approach to creating social media marketing campaigns. Topics include Facebook, Twitter, blogging, YouTube and viral videos, SEO (search engine optimization), SEM (search engine marketing), and virtual realities, as well as integration strategies and tactics. Viral theories, trends, and case studies are also explored.
Prerequisite: AMG 1100 or permission of instructor

Arts Management Internship and Seminar
AMG 3780 / 4 credits / Every semester
Students’ leadership and team skills are developed through the production, promotion, and administrative support of arts events hosted on campus. In addition to the hours required for the internship, students attend monthly seminars exploring innovative solutions to common challenges facing today’s arts managers. To register for this course, students must obtain an Internship Program Learning Contract from the Career Development Center.
Prerequisite: AMG 1100

Commercial Theatrical Producing
AMG 3800 / 4 credits / Special topic (offered irregularly)
Students learn how to commercially produce a play or musical. Topics include optioning, finding investors, creating a collaborative team, casting/staffing, budget planning, royalty structures, rehearsal periods, marketing and audience development, press relations, opening nights, maintaining the quality of the production, and touring potential. Guest professional producers describe how their shows were developed, marketed, and reviewed.
Prerequisite: Permission of instructor

Arts Management Junior Seminar
AMG 3880 / 4 credits / Spring
Prepares students to complete their senior projects in arts management by strengthening analytic, writing, and research skills. Students conceptualize their senior project proposals through an intensive examination of arts management research while increasing their awareness of issues challenging the creative sector. Upon completion of this course, students will have prepared a solid senior-project proposal.
Prerequisite: AMG 1100 or permission of instructor

Arts Management Internship
AMG 3980 / 4 credits / Every semester
Provides students with practical experience in an area related to their interests through direct work with a nonprofit or commercial arts organization. To register for this course, students must obtain an Internship Program Learning Contract from the Career Development Center.

Senior Project in Arts Management
AMG 4990 / 4 credits (per semester) / Every semester
In this year-long independent study, students apply creative and reflective thinking to a theoretical and/or practice-based research project of their choice. The senior project provides meaningful contributions to practitioners in the arts and entertainment industry while enhancing students’ career options. Guidelines, including specific expectations, are available upon request from the faculty coordinator or other members of the arts management faculty.

Updated Jan. 5, 2012

Updates
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