Arts Administration, BS

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Updated (2020-2021) Arts Administration Checklist PDF

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What is Arts Administration?

Arts Administration is a multi-disciplinary major that combines courses in Business Administration with intensive study in the Arts. Students complete a set of foundational courses in Arts Administration, a series of Business courses, and a series of courses in their chosen Art field. Toward the end of their time at Wagner, students complete a full-time, semester long internship in Arts Administration.

What do Arts Administrators do?

Arts Administrators make art happen. We write press releases and create monthly newsletters to invite customers to productions. We run ticket offices and websites. We fundraise, write grant applications, and provide customer service. We are CEOs, Artistic Directors, Publicists, Managers, Content Specialists, Digital Media Marketers, Fundraisers, Accounting Specialists, Policy Directors, Grant Writers, Executive Assistants, Entrepreneurs, and Creators. Many of us are also artists. We understand the business of art, and we know how to advocate and strategize for the art we care about.

Student Perspective

"Arts Administration is essentially a dual major in business and the arts. As a multi-disciplinary major, Arts Administration offers concentrations in Theatre, Art, Music or a combination of these and other artistic areas known as Combined Arts. Because the major is complex and versatile, it requires students to complete a wide span of courses. The courses to be completed in order to receive the Bachelor of Science degree in Arts Administration include; foundation courses in the student’s area of arts concentration, multiple business courses, professional courses in Arts Administration, and a full-time internship. All the course requirements for the major are, of course, in addition to the mandatory general education requirements set by the college. The goal of Arts Administration is to give students training in the visual/performing arts with a background in business administration.

"Ultimately, a degree in Arts Administration prepares students for management positions in the arts world. It is obvious that Arts Administration is a highly demanding major, thus the Arts Administration student must be organized, dedicated, self-motivated and goal-oriented.  Though most students focus on art, music and/or theatre in their time at Wagner, there are students who wish to focus on fashion, publishing and film and television. Due to the unique full-time internship opportunity students are given (usually in their senior year), they are able to experience working in their field of choice, from film to fashion or art to publishing.  Due to Wagner’s New York location, it is the ideal place to pursue a degree in Arts Administration. Here, students have experienced hands on what it is like to work in and around the very arts organizations that could employ them in the future."

-Cara Scarnati Class of 2012

Want to know more?

Reach out to Wagner College's Director of Arts Administration Dr. Penny Brandt at penny dot brandt at wagner.edu.