Curriculum


Arts Administration Program

The program requires students to take 3 courses in Arts Administration, 5 courses in Business (plus pre and corequisites), 6–10 Arts courses, and the Senior Capstone with Internship, for a total of 18-22 units. This looks like:

Arts Administration Courses

  • AA 250 "Introduction to Management and the Arts"
  • 2 Upper-level courses in Arts Administration

Business Administration Courses

  • AC 101 "Financial Accounting 1" (corequisiteCS 260 "Excel for the Business Professional")
  • EC 101 OR 102 (EC 102: "Microeconomics" is recommended)
  • 3 Additional courses in Business

Arts Courses

  • 6–10 courses in one or more arts disciplines: Art, Art History, Dance, Film/Media, Music, Theatre.

Senior Capstone with Internship

  • AA 490 Senior Seminar/Senior Reflective Tutorial
  • 360 Hours of Internship

Course Descriptions:

AA 250 Introduction to Management and the Arts. One unit. An introduction/overview of management of arts organizations. Managers and organizations, the management process, profile of the arts manager, evolution of management thought, staffing process in the arts, modern management, fundamentals of leadership and group dynamics, technology and information systems management. This course is a prerequisite for all the advanced upper level Arts Administration courses. Prerequisites: Sophomore standing. Offered Fall and Spring semester.

AA 291 Special Topics. One unit. Special Topics courses change from semester to semester. Course topics will reflect student interest and professor specialization. All AA 291 courses require upper-level work in Arts Administration, and hold AA 250 as a recommended prerequisite.

AA 291 Arts Access and Advocacy. One unit. This course examines ways in which individuals and communities are implicitly and explicitly involved with (and excluded from) arts organizations. Areas covered include: Overview of historical and current barriers to access and inclusivity in arts programs, building intra/intercultural awareness, advocacy for and with underrepresented communities, and other topics. Prerequisite AA250. 

AA 421 The Business of Music. One unit. This course will explore the roles of the key players in the music business including personal managers, agents, and attorneys. The negotiation and structure of the record deal will be discussed, along with issues relating to the songwriting and music publishing agreements. We will learn how a band benefits from touring and merchandising, as well as how music is used in films. The creation of music is only the first step in the industry, and no course would be complete without understanding the various methods of promotion, marketing and distribution of music. Prerequisite AA250 or permission of instructor.

AA 440 Arts Management. One unit. A study of techniques in managing arts organizations. Areas covered include: developing various types of arts organizations, leadership/management, staffing, event management, facilities design and management, budgeting, contracts, fiscal oversight, and ticketing. Cross-listed as TH 440. Prerequisite AA250. Offered fall semester.

AA 450 Marketing the Arts. One unit. The course embraces the recent rapid changes in the arts and the challenge of maintaining proven established arts traditions and organizations while successfully adapting to current trends and developments. The course examines the way we value, experience and engage in the arts, promotions, publicity, public relations, branding, audience development, audience management, the use of volunteer assistance and fundraising. Pre-requisite AA250. Offered spring semester.

AA 451 Not-for-Profit Management. One unit. Leadership/management of not-for-profit organizations, personnel, budget planning, mission statements, development, and legal issues facing arts managers. Students enrolling in this course may need to plan for travel time and additional expenses associated with visits to off campus arts related sites. Pre-requisite AA250.

AA 453/454 Internship in Arts Management. 2 or 3 units. Full-time, full semester internship experience at an off campus arts management site. Taken simultaneously with AA490. Prerequisites: Senior standing and permission of instructor. Offered spring semesters.

AA 490 Senior Seminar/Senior Reflective Tutorial. One unit. A faculty supervised evaluation and workshop reflecting on the full-time internship experience. Utilizing discussion round tables, students evaluate host sites training programs, policies, procedures and management styles. A comprehensive journal is required. Final project is an oral and written business presentation analyzing the experience. Taken simultaneously with AA 453 or AA 454. Prerequisites: Senior standing and permission of instructor. Offered spring semesters.