Arts Administration and Museum Leadership
Major: Arts Administration and Museum Leadership
Degree Awarded: Master of Science (MS)
Calendar Type: Quarter
Minimum Required Credits: 45.0
Co-op Option: None
Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) code: 50.1002
Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) code: 25-4013; 25-4012
About the Program
The Arts Administration and Museum Leadership program provides academic preparation for leadership positions with creative enterprises, museums, foundations, corporations, and government agencies involved in the arts and culture sector. Students interested in the management of arts and cultural organizations, including museums of all types, will find a curriculum that provides them with a broad foundation of understanding the history and current trends of the sector, as well as opportunities to explore specific areas of practice in more depth.
Students will choose either an Arts Administration or a Museum Leadership concentration to complete their degree. All AAML students will complete several introductory courses appropriate to their concentration, along with seven shared core AAML courses, followed by a thesis sequence for the Arts Administration concentration, and a practicum sequence for Museum Leadership.
Students may enroll in the program on a full- or part-time basis. The program is designed to accommodate working students, so all classes are offered in the evening or online. Students must matriculate in either the campus or online program, but students in either program may take some courses in the other program.
Students should plan to enter the program at the start of either the fall or spring term. Full-time students may complete the degree in five consecutive terms when beginning in the fall term, and part-time students typically take seven to eight terms to complete the degree.
Goals and Objectives
Drexel’s Arts Administration and Museum Leadership program will prepare the cultural workforce of the future to fulfill their missions of stewardship and education. These leaders will develop a knowledge and skill base to steer tomorrow’s museums, cultural organizations, and cultural enterprises.
Graduates of the program will:
- Demonstrate awareness of the changing environment of the sector and use critical thinking skills to identify issues and broad-based policy solutions.
- Demonstrate knowledge of the administrative theories and practices of arts and cultural organizations, including corporate structures, business models, governance, leadership, management, planning, capitalization, evaluation, marketing, audience and community engagement, legal issues, and fund development.
- Understand the particular requirements of managing artistic and cultural disciplines and distinguish among the needs and requirements embedded in the management and leadership of various disciplines in the profession.
- Demonstrate capacity for leadership in the cultural community, having an awareness of their own leadership strengths, ethical standards, and ability to motivate and engage others.
- Identify strategies to implement the mission and vision of an organization.
- Work effectively in teams, demonstrating competence in interpersonal communication and collaboration that can be applied in a leadership role or from any position within a team or an organization.
Admission Requirements
In addition to meeting the general requirements for admission to graduate studies at Westphal College of Media Arts and Design, applicants should provide:
- A resume demonstrating a strong affinity for the field through work, volunteer experiences, education, or special training.
- A transcript showing a minimum 3.0 GPA* in their undergraduate work, and for international students whose first language is not English, the minimum TOEFL score is 90/577.
- An essay of approximately 500 words explaining your reasons for pursuing a degree from Drexel; your short-term and long-term career plans; and how your background, experience, interest, and/or values, when combined with a Drexel degree, will enable you to pursue these goals successfully.
- Two letters of recommendation. To electronically request recommendations, you must list your recommenders and their contact information on your application. We advise that you follow up with your recommenders to ensure they received your recommendation request — they may need to check their junk mail folder. Additionally, it is your responsibility to confirm that your recommenders will submit letters by your application deadline and follow up with recommenders who have not completed their recommendations.
No GRE required.
* Special consideration of GPA requirement will be given for applicants with relevant work experience.
Additional Information
For questions, please contact:
Laura-Edythe Coleman, Ph.D.
Program Director, Arts Administration & Museum Leadership, Online and Campus Program
lsc64@drexel.edu
Degree Requirements
Required Core Courses | ||
AAML 525 | Legal and Ethical Issues in Arts and Culture | 3.0 |
AAML 550 | Management Techniques in Arts and Cultural Organizations | 3.0 |
AAML 560 | Marketing & Engagement in Arts and Cultural Orgs. | 3.0 |
AAML 575 | Revenue Development in Arts and Cultural Orgs. | 3.0 |
AAML 610 | Financial Accounting in Arts and Cultural Orgs. | 3.0 |
AAML 660 | Technology Tools for Arts and Cultural Managers | 3.0 |
AAML 680 | Leadership, Strategy & Planning in Arts and Cult. | 3.0 |
Concentration: Select one | 15.0 | |
Arts Administration Concentration | ||
Overview of the Arts | ||
Creative Enterprise and Innovation | ||
Research Design in the Arts | ||
Thesis Development * | ||
Museum Leadership Concentration | ||
Museum History and Philosophy | ||
Museum Management | ||
Governance for Museums and Non-Profit Organizations | ||
Museum Leadership Practicum ** | ||
Electives (Choose 3) | 9.0 | |
International Cultural Policy | ||
Special Topics in Arts Administration | ||
Leadership in the Arts | ||
Human Resources Management in the Arts | ||
Arts Entrepreneurship | ||
Advanced Fund Development | ||
Arts in Education | ||
Performing Arts Management | ||
Visual Arts Organization Management | ||
Community Cultural Planning | ||
Political Activism in the Arts | ||
Cultural Organizations in Transition | ||
Exhibitions and Programming | ||
Bricks and Mortar | ||
Overview of Curatorial Practices | ||
Total Credits | 45.0 |
- *
AADM 798 is taken two times for a total of 6.0 credits.
- **
MUSL 750 is taken two times for a total of 6.0 credit hours.
Sample Plan of Study
Sample Plan of Study - Arts Administration (AADM) Concentration
First Year | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Fall | Credits | Winter | Credits | Spring | Credits | Summer | Credits |
AADM 505 | 3.0 | AAML 550 | 3.0 | AADM 785 | 3.0 | VACATION | |
AADM 520 | 3.0 | AAML 560 | 3.0 | Electives | 6.0 | ||
AAML 525 | 3.0 | AAML 575 | 3.0 | ||||
9 | 9 | 9 | 0 | ||||
Second Year | |||||||
Fall | Credits | Winter | Credits | ||||
AAML 610 | 3.0 | AADM 798 | 3.0 | ||||
AAML 660 | 3.0 | AAML 680 | 3.0 | ||||
AADM 798 | 3.0 | Elective | 3.0 | ||||
9 | 9 | ||||||
Total Credits 45 |
Sample Plan of Study - Museum Leadership (MUSL) Concentration
First Year | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Fall | Credits | Winter | Credits | Spring | Credits | Summer | Credits |
AAML 525 | 3.0 | AAML 550 | 3.0 | MUSL 650 | 3.0 | VACATION | |
MUSL 500 | 3.0 | AAML 560 | 3.0 | Electives | 6.0 | ||
MUSL 530 | 3.0 | AAML 575 | 3.0 | ||||
9 | 9 | 9 | 0 | ||||
Second Year | |||||||
Fall | Credits | Winter | Credits | ||||
AAML 610 | 3.0 | AAML 680 | 3.0 | ||||
AAML 660 | 3.0 | MUSL 750 | 3.0 | ||||
MUSL 750 | 3.0 | Elective | 3.0 | ||||
9 | 9 | ||||||
Total Credits 45 |