MA Arts Administration & Cultural Policy

This MA will enable you to develop an awareness of and a critical approach to the discipline of arts administration and cultural policy, by studying trending issues in cultural policy and art practice in Europe, Asia and wider international contexts.

• On this Masters from the Institute for Creative and Cultural Entrepreneurship you will study audience development and engagement, fundraising, arts education, cultural tourism, regeneration through arts, arts diversity and social inclusion, copyright and the role of the arts in international relations and diplomacy, as well as connections with local, national and supranational cultural identities.
• We use London as our classroom, encouraging you to engage with one of the most exciting art cities in the world. The programme will also draw on relationships with creative organisations across the UK, particularly in Manchester, Bristol and Brighton. Some of the best practitioners from a number of companies, venues and key arts organisations in Europe and beyond teach on the programme, providing you with a direct link with the arts and wider creative industries profession. Explore our partners in learning.
• Through individual research with focused tutorials from groups of lecturers from the programme, and a work placement with an arts organisation, you will develop essential practical skills in the highly competitive London arts scene and enhance your potential and employability as an arts administrator. Please note that a placement with any specific arts organisation is not guaranteed. However, we take you through a supportive process to connect you with an appropriate arts organisation.
• The programme also offers you one optional module in a complementary area, offered by the Institute for Creative and Cultural Entrepreneurship and the Departments of Theatre and Performance, Design, and Music.
• MA Arts Administration and Cultural Policy is a distinguished member of international professional networks such as the European Network of Cultural Administration Training Centres (ENCATC) and Association of Arts Educators (AAAE) in the USA, and a partner of the Asia-Pacific Network for Cultural Education and Research (ANCER) in Singapore.

Contact the department

If you have specific questions about the degree, contact the Programme Director.

You should normally have (or expect to be awarded) the following qualifications:

• An undergraduate degree of at least upper second class standard in a relevant/related subject

You might also be considered for some programmes if you aren’t a graduate or your degree is in an unrelated field, but have relevant experience and can show that you have the ability to work at postgraduate level. We consider all aspects of your application when making a decision and may still be able to offer a place even if your qualifications or grades do not meet the published requirements.

International qualifications

We accept a wide range of international qualifications. Find out more about the qualifications we accept from around the world.

If English isn’t your first language, you will need an IELTS score (or equivalent English language qualification) of 6.5 with a 6.5 in writing and no element lower than 6.0 to study this programme. If you need assistance with your English language, we offer a range of courses that can help prepare you for postgraduate study.

Graduates typically go on to careers in the following areas:

• Cultural policy – researching, developing, writing, analysing and evaluating policies for government and non-government bodies
• Arts administration/management in building-based and touring theatre, dance, music and visual arts organisations
• Artists that build their knowledge and skillsets and transition to add arts administration/management to their existing creative portfolio
• Arts education, arts regeneration and arts for social and community purposes
• Audience development, arts marketing, programming and planning
• Organisational development and fundraising

You will also be given individual career advice in personal tutorials, helping you identify potential areas of interest for future employment.

Our alumnni are working in a wide range of roles in the UK and internationally. Explore the section above to find out about the careers of former MA Arts Administration & Cultural Policy students.

Skills

Some of the skills you'll develop during the Masters include:

• Critical awareness of cultural policy issues
• Audience development, marketing and fundraising strategies for arts organisations
• The ability to develop organisational strategic plans
• Leadership and teamwork skills
• A range of knowledge and skills required for operating in the cultural sector
• An understanding of how new technologies impact on culture at all levels