Indiana University
Arts Administration
School of Public and Environmental Affairs
Suite 201
Bloomington, IN 47405
United States
Main Phone: 812-855-0282
Main E-Mail: mirushto@indiana.edu
Degree/Credential: Graduate (MA in Arts Administration)
Web Site: http://www.indiana.edu/~artsadm/
Program Director: MRushton [link available to AAAE members only]
Program Goals and Objectives
Arts Administrators are extraordinary individuals. They must function not only as managers, fundraisers, planners, educators, conciliators, facilitators, and communicators, but most importantly as leaders. They must be idealists as well as realists, and they must understand art in all it’s variety, from the initial spark and creative impulse, to bringing the work to fruition and presenting it to the audience.
Since 1971, the Indiana University Arts Administration program has been committed to the development of such leaders. The program, a two-year, multi-disciplinary course of study leading to an MA in Arts Administration, is broad-based in outlook and curriculum, and strives to achieve a balance of artistic, management and policy concerns, theory and hands-on experience. Students complete three semesters of course work, on-campus practica, and a one-semester supervised off-campus internship. The program seeks to serve students who are at the beginning stages of their careers as well as older students wishing to change careers.
Though small in size, the City of Bloomington provides an ideal setting for the program. The city’s thriving arts community includes more than 150 arts organizations as well as the internationally acclaimed Lotus World Music and Arts Festival. On the IU campus, School of Music presents more than 1,000 concerts and events each year, and a new production opens almost every other week on one of the two stages in the Department of Theatre and Drama. Other cultural organizations on campus include the IU Auditorium, which offers touring Broadway productions; the IU Art Museum, one of the nation’s finest university arts museum; the Mathers Museum of World Cultures, the African-American Arts Institute; the Archives of Traditional Music; and the Lilly Library of rare books and manuscripts.
Administration of the Program
The program is administered by a fulltime director and also utilizes an advisory committee, comprising faculty drawn from Fine Arts, Music, Theatre and Drama, School of Public and Environmental Affairs, Kelley School of Business, Anthropology/Museum Studies and the African American Arts Institute.Curriculum
The program requires 45 credit hours of course work. A typical two year course schedule includes 13.5 credit hours the first semester of Professional Component and Skill Requirements. The second semester of 13.5 credit hours includes Managing Artistic Organizations, Skill Requirements, and Electives. The third semester of 12 credit hours includes Managing Artistic Organizations, Capstone seminar course Strategic Leadership in the Arts, and Elective. In the final semester, students complete a four-to-six month internship in an arts organization of their choice. Recent sites have included Carnegie Hall, St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, Smithsonian, Arena Stage, The Manhattan Theatre Club, and the Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago. While there is no thesis requirement, extensive writing projects are part of the capstone seminar course and internship experiences. Practicum completed throughout first three semesters.Semester I (required)
Arts Administration and the Cultural Sector
Legal Issues in the Arts
Computer Applications for the Arts
Museum Management
Management in the Nonprofit Sector
Semester II (required)
Financial Management for Nonprofits
Audience Development and Marketing the Arts
Desktop Computer Communication
Electives
Semester III (required)
Performing Arts Center Management
Fund Development for Nonprofits
Seminar in Arts Administration (Capstone )
Elective
Semester IV (required)
Internship ()
Practicum (completed througout the first three semesters)
Admissions
Students who have achieved outstanding undergraduate records in majors such as (but not limited to) music, visual arts, theatre and drama, dance of business administration will be considered for admission. Approximately 15-20 students are selected each year, and may enter in the fall semester only.
Student selection is based on:
• Academic record
• Significant management and/or administrative experience in the arts
• Strong letters of recommendation
• GRE scores of at least 550 in the verbal or quantitative categories
• Evidence of motivation to work in arts administration
• Excellent writing and communication skills
• Maturity
All letters of inquiry and requests for application should be directed to the Arts Administration Program, SPEA 201, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47405-7006 or e-mail Susan Sandberg at sjsandbe@indiana.edu. Applications may be completed online at www.gradapp.indiana.edu/start.html. Completed hard copy applications, transcripts, GRE scores and all other correspondence related to admission should be sent to the address above. The deadline for receipt of all materials is February 15, and students admitted to the program will be notified before April 15.
Each year, the Arts Administration Program offers fellowships and second year students are eligible for the James E Suelflow Fellowship. Assistantships are usually available in other departments such as Music, Theatre and Drama and the African American Arts Institute and in community arts organizations. For information on tuition, student loans and work-study, please contact the Office of Students Financial Assistance, Franklin Hall 208, 601 East Kirkwood Avenue, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47405, (812) 855-0321 or visit the University web site: www.indiana.edu.