Arts Management degrees abroad

Why study arts management?

Arts management is the perfect opportunity for students who want to immerse themselves into the creative art industry at a management level. Arts management can lead to array of careers from a magazine art director to non-profit arts organization manager.

The great thing with arts management degrees abroad is that there are many opportunities for those students who don’t quite know where within arts management they might be interested in and want to gain a broad understanding of management within the arts industry. There are also many opportunities for students with a stronger idea of a specialist area of study, such as museum management or magazine art direction.

What are the prerequisites for studying arts management?

Another great things about studying an arts management degree abroad is that there are generally no specific prerequisites beyond a high school certification, and perhaps certain scores in subjects such as English or the arts. Universities may also ask students to submit a resume listing other relevant experience the student has had, so it can often be highly beneficial to also have had involvement in the arts prior to application, such as theater, visual art, music or graphic design.

Always check with the university before applying because entry requirements will differ between schools and countries.

What will I learn studying arts management abroad?

While studying arts management abroad, students will develop the skills and experience needed to pursue a management-level career within the arts industry. With an undergraduate-level qualification, such as a diploma or bachelor degree, students will not only explore arts philanthropy, but will also gain valuable business skills in marketing, strategy, planning, public relations, finance and management specific to organizations within the arts.

At postgraduate level, such as a masters of doctorate degree, students will be able to gain more specialist skills in an area that is of interest to them and their career goals. For example, students wanting to become art directors for advertising will have opportunities to study courses specific to media and marketing, while a student interested in working in museums can take courses in culture and heritage management. Regardless of where you want to go within arts management, there are programs and courses available to you.

Careers in arts management

Studying arts management abroad can lead to a wide range of careers and job roles within the arts industry. Depending on the type and level of specialism of your arts management degree, students might expect to move into one of the following roles upon graduating:

• Art director (e.g. Advertising, Editorial, Film)
• Arts organization consultant
• Arts Council Director
• Cultural Heritage Manager
• Director of a Non-Profit Arts Organization
• Event Coordinator
• Museum Director
• Public Relations Officer for an Arts Organization
• Visual Merchandizer

Here are some average stats of those working within arts management in the U.S., according to Bureau of Labor Statistics and PayScale.com:

Average salary of an art director (based on years of experience):

Or perhaps you're interested in studying abroad in a related field: