This innovative MA is designed for a new generation of artists looking for the entrepreneurial acumen that is necessary to build a sustainable creative practice and professional life in the arts.
This program merges studio practice from CGU’s art program with coursework in the business, markets, history and theory of art, as well as core courses in finance, accounting, law, and marketing. Students maintain an art practice while learning broadly transferable business and management principles and techniques. In contrast to a conventional art degree such as an MFA, candidates for this degree pursue an entrepreneurship sequence.
Understanding the culture of the studio, and the kind of work, planning, and management required to engage in ambitious artistic projects, either at large scale or over long periods of time, is more necessary today than at any time before.
Program Highlights
Gain core competencies in arts management, from finance to strategy to marketing.
Learn from professionals in L.A.’s arts and cultural community.
Access your personal studio in the Art and Music Building alongside other MFA candidates.
Participate in group shows with students in the MFA program.
Program at a Glance
UNITS
48 units
ESTIMATED COMPLETION TIME*
1.5 years
*Program completion times may vary depending on course registration, units transferred, and time to complete other degree requirements.
COURSES BEGIN
Fall, Spring
DEGREE AWARDED
MA in Art & Arts Management
Featured Courses
ARMGT 301
Legal Foundations for the Arts
Provides an overview of major art law and business topics, including the U.S. legal system, contracts, intellectual property, artist rights, authenticity and title, First Amendment, business structures, and business challenges.
MGT 353
7 Steps to Startup
Guides participants through a fast-start approach to taking a startup from concept to launch.
ART 328
Spatial Engagement & Aesthetic Meaning
Critically investigates the definition(s) of installation art through the practice of art making and critique, with a focus on history, methodology, and theory.
ART 344A
Ideas in Contemporary Art
Explores different historical and theoretical trends that inform contemporary art making.
ART 301
Independent Studio
Graduate-level studio course in which students meet one-on-one with core faculty to discuss the student’s work.
ARMGT 300
Introduction to Arts Management
Introduces students to careers in arts administration and demystifies the various domains, genres, and scales of work advanced by arts management professionals. Provides a broad overview of the discipline while immersing students in the arts ecosystem of Los Angeles, a global city.
Curriculum
A typical course of study would be:
Fall – Year 1
Introduction to Arts Management (4 units)
Legal Foundations of the Arts (4 units)
Principles and Practices of Fundraising I (2 units)
Marketing Management (2 units)
Elective (4 units)
Spring – Year 1
Finance & Accounting for the Creative Industries (4 units)
Capstone A (4 units)
Field Study Practicum (0 units)
Electives (4-8 units)
Fall – Year 2
Capstone B (4 units)
Electives (4-8 units)
Field Study
Field study travel provides behind-the-scenes access to artists, art businesses and organizations, and leaders in the field. The trips are designed to accelerate the formation of international networks and ensure familiarity with the complexity of the international arts landscape. All students are required to go on one field study trip.
Visiting the Pearl Lam Galleries at Gilman Barracks Contemporary Art Center, Singapore
Students trying on traditional Noh masks backstage at the Hosho Style Noh Theater in Tokyo, Japan
The Yoshio Taniguchi-designed Gallery of Horyuji Treasures at Tokyo National Museum
Nighttime vista from the roof of the famous Marina Bay Sands in Singapore
Albert Lim and Linda Neo talking about their collection and introducing students to the work of Jane Lee in Singapore
Choi Jung-hwa's "Alchemy" (2014) at the Leeum Samsung Museum, Seoul, South Korea
Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa
Capstone Entrepreneurship Sequence
Every Art & Arts Management student completes a capstone sequence, which is the culmination of your degree, synthesizing everything that you have learned throughout the program. It is also designed as a bridge to your professional life, serving as a powerful demonstration of the skills you’ve developed at CGU as you enter or continue your work in the arts and cultural field.
Research, design, plan, and pitch a new venture for the arts and cultural sector.
Your venture can stand independently of existing arts institutions and businesses, or it can propose innovations for existing organizations. New ventures can be for-profit firms or nonprofit initiatives, or something in between (such as public benefit corporations). Develop comprehensive and persuasive arguments for why your new venture will positively impact the sector and attract the necessary resources and support to get it off the ground.
Faculty & Research
The Center’s faculty are renowned experts in arts and culture management – both as academics and practitioners. Many courses are led by the arts professionals, creatives, and artists who are driving change in Los Angeles and beyond. Additional faculty are drawn from CGU’s Drucker School of Management, School of Arts & Humanities, and Museum Leadership Institute.
David Pagel
Professor of Art Theory and History
Roland Reiss Endowed Chair in Art
Faculty Coordinator, Center for Business & Management of the Arts
Research Interests
Art, Art media, Painting, Contemporary Art, Art Criticism, Museums and Creativity
