Master of Arts in Arts Administration (MAAA)

Focus your passion and advance your career in the arts

It takes more than passion to successfully lead an arts organization. Future arts administrators need business acumen, marketing expertise, and management skills to tackle the art world's greatest challenges.

As a MAAA student, you’ll learn from top scholars in arts management and cultural policy. In addition to being committed educators, O'Neill faculty members are highly regarded by their peers in the arts management industry and at academic institutions across the country. Combining faculty and practical expertise with the astonishing variety of cultural offerings on campus and in Bloomington, students can look forward to an intellectually and culturally stimulating experience in the study and practice of arts management, while preparing themselves for leadership in the arts in the decades ahead.

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Our recent graduates have started their careers as:

  • Coordinator of Opera and Classical Programming, Wolf Trap Foundation for the Performing Arts
  • Manager of Individual Giving, Cleveland Institute of Music
  • Manager, Civic Orchestra Fellowship Program, Chicago Symphony Orchestra
  • Development Associate, Santa Fe Opera
  • Marketing Coordinator, Carl Fischer Music
  • Artist and Community Services Manager, Indiana Arts Commission
  • Development Officer and Events Manager, Glimmerglass Festival
  • Associate Producer, American Pops Orchestra

The MAAA Program

2years to complete

45Credit hours

280hour internship

Complete your master’s degree in only three semesters

Our MAAA curriculum is designed so that you can complete all course work in three semesters, plus a 280-hour internship. The curriculum requires a total of 45 credits for graduation. Of these, 30 credits are earned through core courses, 9 credits through elective courses, and 6 credits through experiential learning. All students enter the program in the fall semester.

With a Master of Arts in Arts Administration (MAAA) at O'Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs, you will cultivate the foundational skills, core knowledge, and practical expertise necessary to become an effective arts advocate and leader of change.

Introduction Course (3 credit hours)

  • Organization Behavior and the Arts (Y 502)

Management and Policy Courses (9 credit hours)

Performing Arts (3 credit hours)
Choose One:

  • Programming the Performing Arts (Y 505)
  • Performing Arts Organization Management (Y 508)
  • Performing Arts Center Management (Y 511)

Visual Arts (3 credit hours) 
Choose One:

  • Curating for Museums and Galleries (Y 506)
  • Museum Management (Y 525)

Arts and Cultural Policy (3 credit hours) 
Choose One:

  • Cultural Planning and Urban Development (Y 551)
  • Public Policy in the Arts (Y 559)

Skill-Building Courses (9 credit hours)

  • Financial Management in the Arts (Y 515)
  • Audience Development and Marketing the Arts (Y 530)
  • Fund Development for Nonprofits (Y 558)

Theory and Survey Courses (6 credit hours)

  • Arts Organizations in the Public Sector and Private Sectors (Y 504)
  • Legal Issues in the Arts (Y 562)

Capstone (3 credit hours)

  • Seminar in Arts Administrations (Y 650)

See course descriptions

As part of the MAAA program, you will complete 9 credit hours of elective course. Elective courses must be graduate level (500+) and can be taken through any academic program on campus. Elective course offerings vary each semester, so be sure to view the current schedule of classes at the Office of the Registrar.

From curating to human resources, stage management to graphic design, IU offers students a variety of elective course options. Many Arts Administration students take electives in Arts Administration at O’Neill; the Theater Department at the Jacobs School of Music; the School of Art and Design, and the Media School.

Make the most of your graduate school experience with our outside dual degree programs and pursue two interests by combining your Master of Arts in Arts Administration with a second master’s degree.

See course descriptions in the Graduate Bulletin

Headshot close up of Karen Galh-Mills

“The MAAA program is the place where you will learn to think critically about the opportunities and challenges facing artists and arts organizations. The pandemic has forced a significant ‘reset’ on the field, which, while difficult, also provides the ability for administrators to experiment, innovate, and drive positive change. By studying with our extraordinary faculty, by learning from and working with arts leaders from around the nation, and by building a network that will support you throughout your career, you will finish this degree prepared to help reshape our cultural landscape for the better.” 

—Karen Gahl-Mills, Director, Arts Administration Program

Gain real-world experience while still in school

In the Master of Arts in Arts Administration program, you’re required to complete a 280-hour internship as well as three, 50-hour practicum projects. You may register for internship credit (AADM Y750) and practicum credit (AADM Y550) at any time within the program.

Learn more about MAAA’s experiential learning component

You can join professional student organizations that offer networking and current information on events in the industry.

Get involved

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Sarah Dresser, MAAA’11

Manager, City of Columbia (Missouri) Office of Cultural Affairs

“The Arts Administration program provided the theoretical framework and hands-on experience needed to excel in the field after graduation.”

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Michael Cervantes, MAAA’19

Arts Administrator

“Thanks to my experiences here, I've graduated with the practical experience working with 501(c)3 organizations I need to become the most effective arts administrator possible.”

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Elizabeth Maninfior, MAAA’15

Manager, Development Research and Prospect Management, The Philadelphia Orchestra

“I graduated with a sense of purpose and drive, and because of the training I received, I felt prepared to transition from academia to a full-time position in my field.”