Master of Arts in Arts Administration (MAAA)

Office: Sharp building, 4th floor annex
312.899-1232

In a rapidly changing and globalizing society, arts organizations are being called on to respond to new audiences, ethical challenges, and economic difficulties. The MAAA program provides an academic structure within which students can master specific sets of skills while building a critical perspective toward issues of contemporary arts administration. By combining theory with practice, the program offers students the interpretive, quantitative, and administrative skills needed to assume positions of leadership within the next generation of cultural organizations.

The curriculum concentrates on the real-world problems of arts administration on every level, from major museums and symphony orchestras to storefront art galleries and avant-garde performance groups. Many of the faculty are professional arts administrators at leading cultural institutions, and a unique partnership with De Paul University's Graduate Public Services Program provides core business courses and expertise in nonprofit business management, marketing, development, finance, and strategic planning.

A steady stream of distinguished guest speakers and lecturers complements the course work. Some recent guests have been outgoing National Endowment for the Arts Chairman Bill Ivey; noted sociologist Saskia Sassen; Mark Tribe, founder of Rhizome, the largest arts-related Internet site; Moukhtar Kocache, director of visual arts programs for the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council; and Ruby Lerner, founder and executive director of Creative Capital.

Students acquire hands-on experience through internships with local, national and international organizations including: Chicago's Museum of Contemporary Art, Department of Cultural Affairs, Symphony Orchestra, Steppenwolf Theater, and Renaissance Society; New York City's Creative Capital Foundation, P.S. 1, Whitney Museum of American Art, and New Museum of Contemporary Art; Washington, D.C.'s Smithsonian Institution and Corcoran Gallery; San Francisco's Yerba Buena Center; London's Tate Gallery; and Christie's in Bombay, India.

Required courses, seminars, and workshops are generally held in the evening to accommodate the schedules of working professionals. The MAAA program, which usually takes two years to complete, seeks mature students with a firm commitment to the arts. An educational background or work experience in the arts is highly desirable. Applicants must have a bachelor's degree from an accredited institution or an equivalent.

See admissions for further details.

Master of Arts in Arts Administration Curriculum Requirements

1. The program requires 48 hours; electives, internships, and thesis are subject to the approval of the Arts Administration Program adviser.

2. 9 credit hours constitutes full-time enrollment, although as many as 15 credit hours may be earned in any semester. Two semesters of full-time status are required of all students when they begin the program; thereafter a minimum of 6 credit hours per semester are required for continued enrollment in the program.

3. A minimum of 42 credit hours must be completed in residence at the School. Up to 6 transfer credits may be requested at the time of application for admission and are subject to approval at that time. No transfer credit will be permitted after a student is admitted.

4. Students have a maximum of four years to complete the degree (this includes time off for leaves of absence).

5. Full-Time Status Minimum Requirement: 9 credit hours.