Curriculum

Arts Administration Program

 

Required Courses

  • AA 250 “Intro to Arts Management”
  • AA 440 “Arts Management”
  • AC 101 “Financial Accounting I”
  • CS 260 “Excel for the Business Professional”
  • EC 102 “Microeconomics” (recommended) OR EC 101 “Macroeconomics”

Three Units of Electives

  • AA011 (up to 1 unit, 2 semesters) “Arts Administration Practicum”
  • AA 421 “Music Business”
  • AA450 Marketing the Arts
  • AA451 “Nonprofit Management”
  • AH/AR 221/HI 240 “Museum and Gallery Studies”
  • BU201 “Business Law I”
  • BU202 “Business Law II”
  • BU211 “International Business Law”
  • FI201 “Principles of Finance”
  • FM250 “Navigating the Film Industry”
  • GOV205 “Urban Policy”
  • MG201 “Management”
  • MG333 “Managing Diversity in the Workplace”
  • MK201 “Marketing,”
  • MK301 “Consumer Behavior”
  • MK324 “Digital Marketing”
  • SA204 “Philanthropy”

Minor in Art & Design, Art History, Dance, Film & Media, Music, or Theatre

Senior Capstone Experience

  • 3 units of Internship AA501 (1 unit), AA502 (2 units), or AA503 (3 units)
  • Senior Seminar/Reflective Tutorial AA490, 1 unit

 

Former Arts Administration Major requirements (from 2021-2023 Bulletin, for students entering 2021-2022)

 

Total of 20 units

Core: A minimum of 5 units in business administration and related courses.

Required courses: one course in each of the following: 

Accounting 101 (co-req CS260), Economic 101 or 102, Marketing 201 (pre-req AC101 or EC101 or 102)

Two units from the following: 

BU201; Business Law I

MK301; Consumer Behavior (pre-req MK201)

MK311; Integrated Marketing Communications (pre-req MK201)

MG201; Principles of Management (pre-req EC, AC101, and MA108)

FI201; Principles of Finance (pre-req EC 101 or 102; AC101 or 102 recommended)

Concentrations (choose one):

  • Art: 7 units as follows:

AR103 (Color and design)

AR105 (Drawing I)

AR203 (Graphic Design)

AR208 (Painting I)

AR221 (Museum/Gallery Studies)

Art History: 2 units

  • Music: 7 units: no more than one may be earned in music ensembles
  • Theatre Option: 7 units as follows:

TH011 (2 semesters, .5 units each)

TH014 (4 semesters, 0 units)

TH103

TH111

TH106 (or TH117)

TH233

TH350

TH440 (AA440)

  • Combined Arts: 6 units required, 10 units desirable) (2.75 GPA in the major required on this track). Units to be chosen in consultation with your academic advisor from the required course listings in Art, Music, and/or Theatre. It is strongly recommended that students significantly exceed course requirement minimums for this track. As this track permits greater flexibility, close monitoring of courses and consultation with advisors is necessary to ensure that students are taking appropriate foundations courses and acquiring coursework congruent with their chosen field of study.

Arts Admin Professional courses: 3 units for combined, or 2 units for Art, Theatre or Music:

Required 1 unit: AA250 Intro to arts admin

Remaining 1 or 2 from the following: AA421 (The Business of Music), AA440 (Arts Management), AA450 (Marketing the Arts), AA451 (Not-for-Profit Management ), AA460 (The Film Business) or AA475 (Entertainment Business Law)

Senior Capstone: Full-time internship/Senior Seminar normally 4 units (3 in extraordinary circumstances)

AA454, 3 units (or AA453, 2 units under extraordinary circumstances) 

Senior Seminar/Reflective Tutorial AA490, 1 unit

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.