Request Info Visit Us Apply Now

Affiliated Schools
Affiliated Institutes

Los Angeles, the Creative Capital of the World, Is Our Laboratory.

The Master of Arts in Arts Management program provides valuable experience and career-launching connections for a wide range of career paths. Our ties to the vibrant and dynamic Southern California arts community offer practical research on real issues and close interaction with experienced faculty. You will have a first-hand opportunity to master the skills and knowledge to shape the future of arts organizations regionally, nationally, and globally.

Turn your passion into your profession. Arts institutions in the for and nonprofit sectors are seeking capable managers with an understanding of the arts, culture, business, and leadership to head museums, manage theatre and dance companies, lead music and arts education organizations, and advocate for the future of the arts. The Arts Management program blends the best of the Drucker School of Management and the School of Arts and Humanities to balance business courses with graduate level courses in the study of culture, history, and the arts.

Program Highlights

Program At a Glance

UNITS
40 units

ESTIMATED COMPLETION TIME*
3 semesters

*Program completion times may vary depending on course registration, units transferred, and time to complete other degree requirements.

COURSES BEGIN
Fall | Spring | Summer

DEGREE AWARDED
MA in Arts Management

Featured Courses

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.

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.

ARMGT 310A
Principles and Practices of Fundraising

Teaches students the fundamentals of philanthropy and fundraising in the arts. The course presents critical concepts and pragmatic applications for raising funds for the visual and performing arts across different genres, settings, and scales.

ARMGT 317
Finance & Accounting for the Creative Industries

Introduces students to foundational concepts in finance and accounting. Students will learn how organizations responsibly manage their resources and how to understand financial documents to make effective decisions as a manager.

ARMGT 321
Marketing Management

Introduces key marketing concepts, theories, and practical applications through an analysis of relevant case studies, readings, lectures, and discussions, teaching students to think strategically and proactively about marketing problems.

ARMGT 351
Arts & Cultural Policy

Explores how cultural policy is the context in which all arts organizations and artists operate. The course examines government and private support of the arts and issues such as cultural equity and inclusion, gentrification, education, advocacy, and economic development.

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.

View recent itineraries:

Past global destinations include:

  • Beijing, China
  • Cape Town, South Africa
  • Hong Kong
  • Mexico City, Mexico
  • Shanghai, China
  • Seoul, South Korea
  • Singapore
  • Taipei, Taiwan
  • Tokyo, Japan
  • UAE: Abu Dhabi and Dubai

Past domestic destinations include:

  • Las Vegas, Nevada
  • Marfa, Texas
  • San Francisco, California
Capstone Sequences

Every 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 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. Each capstone sequence comprises both course work and a final project or deliverable that stems from your own intellectual and creative pursuits.

Students in the Arts Management program may complete their degree requirements through any sequence below.

Electives

A highlight of the Arts Management program is the ability to take a total of 16 units of elective courses. In addition to electives offered by Arts Management program, students may take courses in other departments and programs, such as:

Archival Studies
Art
Cultural Studies
Educational Studies
Entrepreneurship
Evaluation
History
Leadership
Management
Marketing
Museum Studies
Music
Organizational Science
Politics and Policy
Transdisciplinary Studies

 

Faculty

The Center’s faculty are renowned experts in arts and culture management in California. Courses are taught by arts leaders, practitioners, and policy experts who are driving change in Los Angeles and beyond. Additional faculty are drawn from CGU’s Drucker School of Management and School of Arts & Humanities.

David Pagel profile image

David Pagel

Professor of Art Theory and History
Roland Reiss Endowed Chair in Art
Faculty Coordinator, Center for Business & Management of the Arts

Jay Prag profile image

Jay Prag

Clinical Full Professor
Academic Director
Faculty Coordinator, Center for Business & Management of the Arts

Joshua Goode profile image

Joshua Goode

Associate Professor of Cultural Studies and History
Chair, Cultural Studies (Fall 2022)

Kristine Kawamura profile image

Kristine Kawamura

Clinical Professor of Management

Bronwyn Mauldin profile image

Bronwyn Mauldin

Director of Research and Evaluation at the Los Angeles County Department of Arts and Culture

Alma Ruiz profile image

Alma Ruiz

Adjunct Professor

Robin Sukhadia profile image

Robin Sukhadia

Strategist | Organizational Leadership | Major Gifts Fundraising

Where You Can Find Our Alumni

Request information about the Arts Management program

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Adriana Leake

Assistant Director of Admissions
T: 909-607-3310
E: adriana.leake@cgu.edu

Michael Mirabella

Director of Recruitment for the Drucker School of Management
T: 909-607-9049
E: michael.mirabella@cgu.edu

Gigi Audoma

Director of Recruitment for the School of Arts & Humanities
T: 909-607-0441
E: geraldine.audoma@cgu.edu