This online program is designed for the working professional who wants to acquire the leadership and management skills for today’s arts organizations.
Our program affords the flexibility to balance school, work, and family obligations. A graduate of this program will have the ability to:
- Design programs and strategies in order to engage with stakeholders, donors, patrons, and communities
- Solve problems through quantitative and qualitative research and conceptual analysis
- Utilize industry-standard software programs to create compelling messages in a variety of mediums
- Draw on your new knowledge of the cultural sector to initiate change in the arts
- Transcend traditional modes and mechanisms in order to innovatively collaborate with peer colleagues, industry professionals, and faculty
Why University of Kentucky?
UK offers its M.A. in Arts Administration as a completely online program. Students are accepted for the fall, spring, and summer semesters. This provides several benefits to UK graduate students:
- Flexibility. For working professionals, an online program is ideal to provide the flexibility needed to balance work, school and personal obligations. Thanks to asynchronous communication, students complete assignments and engage with their peers without the conventional restrictions of time and place.
- Time and location. There is no residency requirement. The program is designed for students to have equal access no matter where they are located. There is no advantage to living close to campus unless a student has a personal preference. We have had students come to campus to meet faculty in person but it is certainly not necessary. The majority of our students are out-of-state.
- Affordability. All students accepted into the Arts Administration M.A. program pay the in-state tuition rate regardless of residential location! Additionally, there are a number of financial aid options available to students who meet the requirements.
- Quality instruction. Students who attend online classes will receive the same quality instruction as those who would attend class on-campus. Taking an online course is different from taking a course on campus – but what isn’t different, is the quality of education or the rigor of the courses.
Application Requirements
The M.A. in Arts Administration is open to qualified applicants who have earned a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university in the United States or abroad. All candidates for admission are selected on the basis of undergraduate transcripts, academic and personal references, and related work experience. Applicants are expected to have a demonstrable commitment to the arts in at least one art form. This requirement can be satisfied in several ways including an undergraduate degree in an art form or arts-related field; professional experience in the arts; or extracurricular activity in the arts.
The GRE is not required for admission to this program.
- Transcripts.
- Applicants may submit unofficial transcripts for all university and college degrees earned. Upon acceptance, official transcripts are required.
- Resume.
- Please submit a resume (no more than two pages in length) indicating your education, professional and volunteer experience, accomplishments and qualifications for graduate study.
- Statement of Purpose.
- A statement of purpose (one page, single-spaced) indicating the reasons for your interest in graduate study in Arts Administration at UK and what they hope to accomplish with their degree. Please also discuss your personal or professional skills that will aid you in successfully completing classes online.
- Writing Sample.
- Writing samples (10-15 pages) that preferably would include at least one sample of research writing (college-level or above) but may also include professional writing samples that demonstrate critical and analytical thinking. Professional writing samples may include researched essays, marketing or fundraising materials, planning documents or journalistic work.
- If you do not have an academic or professional writing sample that you wish to submit, you may opt to write a new paper. The research paper should address one of the following topics and should include appropriate citation and references:
- Discuss an issue in the arts or arts administration that you believe is of particular concern locally, regionally, nationally or internationally.
- Select a person who has had a significant influence in an artistic field. Describe and analyze the person's contributions to the arts.
- Write an essay responding to and providing compelling examples of this quote: “Art is a nation’s most precious heritage. For it is in our works of art that we reveal to ourselves and to others the inner vision which guides us as a nation. And where there is no vision, the people perish." –Lyndon Johnson, on signing into existence the National Endowment on the Arts
- Any arts-related topic of your choosing
- Letters of Recommendation.
- Two letters of recommendation addressing the applicant's qualifications for graduate work and proclivity for the field of arts administration.
- Preferably one letter should come from an academic reference and one from a professional reference. When completing your online application, you will be asked to enter in the contact information of your references including their email addresses. Your references will then receive a notification email asking them to complete a recommendation on your behalf. You can check on the status of your online recommendations by logging in to your online application.
- Two letters of recommendation addressing the applicant's qualifications for graduate work and proclivity for the field of arts administration.
NOTE: For the most up to date information please speak with an advisor or view the official UK Registrar listing.
Required Courses
- AAD 510: ADVANCED EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE AND PROFESSIONAL COMMUNICATIONS
- AAD 620: MANAGEMENT AND LEADERSHIP IN THE ARTS
- AAD 625: FINANCIAL MGMT FOR ARTS ORGANIZATIONS
- AAD 630: MARKETING THE ARTS: RESEARCH AND PRACTICES
- AAD 640: PRINCIPLES OF FUNDRAISING AND PHILANTHROPY
- AAD 651: ARTS ADVOCACY, POLICY, AND ACTIVISM
- AAD 670: ARTS AND EQUALITY
- AAD 690: CREATING & EVALUATING NEW ARTS PROGRAMS
- AAD 750: SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY AND SUSTAINABILITY IN THE ARTS
Graduate Exam - Required for completion of the MA in Arts Administration
Degree Options
- AAD 699 INTERNSHIP IN ARTS ADMINISTRATION ** (3 credit hours)
- AAD Electives* (3 credit hours)
*Students must complete 3 credits of electives.
**Students are required to take AAD 699 (unless they are exempt) in which case they will take a 3-credit elective course to be determined in consultation with a faculty advisor.
State Authorization & Licensure
If you plan to complete a University of Kentucky online program while living outside of Kentucky, you should check the Out-of-State Students page to determine if the University of Kentucky is authorized to provide this program in your state of residence. If you plan to use the degree to seek licensure, you should also determine if the degree meets the educational requirements for licensure in your state.
