Online Graduate Certificate Arts leadership and Cultural Management

12-Credit Online Graduate Certificate focused on Cultural & Arts Management

Looking to take on a management or leadership role in your arts or cultural community? Already working on the management side of a cultural arts organization, but tired of learning by trial and error? Are you interested in tapping into a different side of your creative self?

Great news! You’re in the right place at the right time. The fact is, many arts and cultural organizations are run by individuals with few real skills in managing the business side of the arts. This vacuum fuels demand for skilled professionals who understand how to manage the marketing, financial, fundraising, and legal side of running a visual, cultural, or performing arts organization.

Arts Leadership and Management Education: That’s where you come in.

If you’re an artist, performer, or musician interested in securing a career as part of an arts administrative team, you can turn your creative vocation into a highly successful long-term career—without giving up what you love to do. The University of Connecticut’s (UConn) 12-credit, four course Arts Administration Online Graduate Certificate provides the skills and knowledge you need to competently manage virtually any type of arts organization from day one. This program is also ideal for anyone serving on a board of directors for an arts organization and looking to better understand how to effectively participate in its governance.

At the completion of this comprehensive online certificate program, students will:

Be ready to apply marketing principles to the arts environment. Topics include unique value propositions, competitive analysis, audience retention, media planning, and campaign assessment.
Develop a working knowledge of financial accounting. Topics include cash vs. accrual accounting, assets and liabilities, non-cash expenses, fund accounting, statement activity, and statement of financial position.
Be able to identify trends in philanthropic activity and create a fundraising plan for a professional arts organization. Topics will include: the development cycle, research, mission-based funding, and new media in fundraising.
Understand the structure and nature of arts organizations from the legal, philosophical, and community service aspects. Topics will include: artist-led institutions, organizational management structures, conflict resolution, and problem solving techniques.

Curriculum