Arts Management

Program Description

The BA program in arts management at Purchase College is designed for students seeking a foundation for further education and for careers in a wide range of creative industries, including dance and theatre companies; symphony orchestras and opera; galleries and museums; presenting and community arts centers; festival and concert venues; and record companies and artist management agencies.

Led by a diverse faculty of arts management educators and field professionals, the BA program prepares a new generation of engaged managers who value the arts and are committed to the creative process. Emphasis is placed on developing critical inquiry, creative thinking, and the business and communication skills necessary to support the arts and entertainment industry in a changing environment.

The major in arts management integrates:

  • business courses focused on building the core knowledge and skills vital to leading and supporting a wide variety of arts-based initiatives
  • history and current issues relevant to the visual and performing arts
  • opportunities to pursue individual career interests and to gain practical insight and experience through internships, interaction with field professionals, and a yearlong independent project
  • a broad-based education in the liberal arts and sciences

The tradition of artistic excellence and diversity at Purchase College, along with its proximity to the vast cultural resources in Westchester County and New York City, are among the outstanding features enhancing the arts management program. On campus, networking and community-building opportunities include the Arts Management Club and South Bay Cabaret, a student-run organization that produces multidisciplinary events in collaboration with the Performing Arts Center.

Program Faculty

Requirements for the Major

  • Freshman and Sophomore Years:
    Introduction to Arts Management*
    Finance for the Arts* or
        Arts and Entertainment in Economics*
    Two courses in performing or visual arts history
  • Junior and Senior Years:
    Fundraising and Development in the Arts
    Arts and Entertainment Law
    Marketing the Arts*
    Arts Management Internship
    Arts management elective
    Senior Seminar in Arts Management
    Senior Project in Arts Management
     
    *Students must maintain a cumulative GPA of 2.5 or higher in these courses. In addition, students must earn a grade of C or higher in all courses required for the major, excluding the internship and senior project. Students who do not meet these standards must repeat the course(s) or complete acceptable substitutes, chosen in consultation with the program faculty.

Students are strongly encouraged to take additional courses in the performing and visual arts and in arts management, beyond those required for the major.

Representative Elective Courses

Commercial Theatrical Producing
Creative Producing
Gallery Management
Making the Case for the Arts
Performing Arts Management
Renowned Arts Leaders of 20th-Century Theatre and Dance
Social Media and the Arts

For more information, please visit the arts management program site.

Updated March 12, 2013


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Conservatory of Dance

Conservatory of Music

Conservatory of Theatre Arts

School of Art+Design

The Arts Management
BA Program