At the O’Neill School, you can earn a Master of Arts in Arts Administration in combination with a Master of Public Affairs with any MPA concentration.
As an MAAA-MPA dual degree student you will develop skills in quantitative analysis, public sector management, budgeting, and public policy while gaining expertise in arts management, marketing, law, and cultural policy.
Competitive funding packages are available to assist in making our top-ranked school affordable. Email us about funding your degree.
96%of reporting 2022-23 MPA dual degree masters students go into employment, military, or continuing education upon receiving their degree
2degrees
5semesters
The course requirements for the dual MAAA-MPA can be completed in just five semesters, plus a 280-hour internship usually completed during one of the summers in which you’re enrolled in the program.
The curriculum requires a total of 63 credits for graduation. Of these, 18 credits are earned through MAAA core courses, 15 credits through MPA core classes, 15 credits through MAAA management and policy areas, 15 credits through the MPA concentration, and includes the 0-credit internship and practicum experiential learning requirements.
All students enter the program in the fall semester. This dual degree provides a combination of skills especially well-suited for you if you have an interest in doing applied research for arts organizations in the commercial, nonprofit, or public sector.
Financial Management (choose one)
Policy Process (choose one)
Performing Arts (3 credits; choose one)
Visual Arts (3 credits; choose one)
Arts and Cultural Policy (3 credits; choose one)
Technology Management (3 credits; choose one)
Community and Place (3 credits; choose one)
Students can choose from all existing MPA concentrations. Your academic advisor, MAAA and MPA program directors, and MPA faculty advisors will help you navigate options that work best for your degree and career goals.
Learn more about experiential learning and explore recent internships
“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
See all Arts Administration faculty
You can join professional student organizations that offer networking and current information on events in the industry.
Arts Learning Coordinator, South Carolina Arts Commission
Through this intense program, I was exposed to and learned so much about the public sector. I'm now one of South Carolina's state employees in the arts sector. Very unexpected, yet so fitting.
Associate Vice President for Strategic Innovation and Special Initiatives, Manhattan School of Music
The focus on experiential learning allowed me to continuously gain real-life work experience while also giving me practical, deep knowledge of the arts and culture landscape. It also got me thinking about leadership and the role I want to have in making an impact in this world.
