Program Goals and Objectives

Arts administrators are extraordinary individuals. They must function as managers, fundraisers, planners, educators, conciliators, facilitators, communicators, and most important, as leaders. They must be realists as well as idealists, respectful of the needs of both art and business, and forward-looking yet mindful of the past.

Since 1971 the Indiana University Arts Administration Program has been committed to the development of such leaders. The program, a 16-month, multidisciplinary course of study leading to an M.A. in Arts Administration, is broad-based in outlook and curriculum and strives to achieve a balance of artistic and management concerns, theory and hands-on experience. Students complete three semesters of course work, on-campus practicums, and a supervised internship off campus. 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 Bloomington campus, the Jacobs 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, Drama & Contemporary Dance. Other cultural organizations on campus include the IU Auditorium, which offers touring Broadway productions; the Eskenazi Museum of Art, one of the nation’s finest university art museums; the Mathers Museum of World Cultures; the African American Arts Institute; the IU Cinema; and the Lilly Library of rare books and manuscripts.

Degree requirements

(45 credit hours) The program requires 45 credit hours of course work. Some students finish in three semesters plus some summer work, while others stay four semesters.

In the summer following the second semester of course work most students complete a 280 hour internship in an arts organization of their choice. Students on a three-semester plan typically complete 15 credit hours each semester. Students on a four-semester plan complete 12 credits per term for the first academic year, and 9-12 credits per term in their second year. Some students opt to complete their internship in the spring following their final fall semester of course work. While there is no thesis requirement, extensive writing projects are part of the capstone seminar course and internship experiences.

MAAA Core (18 credit hours)

MAAA Management and Policy Courses (15 credit hours)

Area 1: Performing Arts

Choose one of the following:

Area II: Visual Arts

Choose one of the following:

Area III: Arts and Cultural Policy

Choose one of the following:

Area IV: Technology Management

Choose one of the following:

Area V: Community and Place

Choose one of the following:

Electives (12 credit hours)

Experiential Requirement (0-6 credit hours)