Arts Management is a relatively young field of study that allows students to develop the knowledge and skills they need to become professionals within the arts and work in galleries, museums, performing arts companies, and many other related areas. The discipline combines the tools of business (such as management, marketing, planning) with the tools of audience and community building (such as fundraising, development, education, volunteerism) to build bridges between art, artists and audiences. We offer courses in arts marketing, arts education, cultural policy development, financial management, and performing arts management, among others. The program of study, which typically requires four to five years to complete, focuses on developing the knowledge base and communication skills needed to enter this demanding yet personally rewarding field.

Students prepare for careers in exhibiting, presenting, and producing organizations such as galleries and museums, dance and opera companies, orchestras, and film and theatre festivals; in arts service organizations and on arts councils; and in governmental and other non profit entities. Our program also prepares students for advanced graduate studies in Arts Management, Business Administration, Cultural and Public Policy, and Museum and Curatorial Studies. Admission to the program is competitive and based on applicants' academic performance, background in one or more of the arts, and demonstrated interest and potential ability.

The Arts Management program offers a well-rounded undergraduate education that includes an ideal balance of courses within one or two arts disciplines, business-school management and economics, and a wealth of arts-specific management courses. The degree programs at UTSC are the largest, most robust and varied in the country.

Program of Study

Cultural Pluralism and the Arts (CPA) is an initiative within the Co-operative Program in Arts Management and the Department of Humanities at the University of Toronto at Scarborough. CPA was set up to advance knowledge and skills in the field of the arts and cultural pluralism. Through course work and collaboration with the city's many diverse communities and artists, CPA contributes to training future arts managers and develops critical thinking in the field. As evidenced by our teaching, bursary program and public programming, CPA functions as a unique partnership between the university and various communities. For more information on CPA, please click here.

Q 1. What is Arts Management?

Arts Management is a relatively young field of study that allows students to develop the knowledge and skills they need to become professionals within the arts and work in galleries, museums, performing arts companies, and many other related areas. The discipline of Arts Management combines the tools of business (such as management, marketing, planning) with the tools of audience- and community building (such as fundraising, development, education, volunteerism, etc.) to build bridges between art, artists and audiences.

Q 2. What kinds of career options are available to Arts Management graduates?

Arts Managers may have the obvious titles of General Manager or Director, or be responsible for a particular portfolio of work such as marketing, audience development, education, production, fundraising, government relations, etc. They work in arts organizations of all kinds, such as producing, presenting and exhibiting organizations (theatres, opera companies, symphony orchestras, dance companies, galleries, museums, etc.), arts councils, arts service organizations, government, and many other related areas.

Arts managers can also be found in for-profit organizations and positions in such areas as commercial music, film and television. While a majority of the academic work in the program is based on the not-for-profit arts model, the skills that UTSC's arts management students develop are transferable skills: critical thinking, organizational development, marketing, fundraising, public relations and public policy can be applied to many fields, so our graduates may eventually opt to work in for-profit (or even non-arts) sectors that utilize the same skills.

Q 3. Will an Arts Management degree increase my chances of employment in the field?

Graduates from our program have a solid grounding in the knowledge and skills necessary to work in this evolving field and changing environment. Our program allows for many opportunities for students to meet, network with, and learn from people working in the field today - in fact, a number of our graduates are offered positions in the very organizations where they completed their co-op placements. Generally, program graduates are in a position to enter the field at a higher rank and salary than those with general arts or business degree.

Q 4. Why Co-op?

The Arts Management co-op program is structured so that students can complement their academic in-class learning with paid work placements specific to their area of interest. This is a wonderful way for students to get work experience, help pay for school, meet people in the field for future employment, and have the opportunity to practice what they learn in school to round out and build upon their academic experiences.

Q 5. I can't decide between Arts Management and a Major in an arts area... what should I do?

You don't have to choose between them - do both! The Arts Management program is structured in such a way that you can graduate with both a Specialist in Arts Management and a Major in one of UTSC's other highly-regarded programs of drama, music, art studio or art history. If you have already taken arts courses or electives at another UofT campus (or another university), they may be transferable for program credit in the Arts Management program.

Q 6. What kinds of courses are available in the Arts Management program?

The Arts Management program, offered at the University of Toronto's "Co-op Campus" in Scarborough, offers "skills-based" courses (such as marketing, fundraising, project management etc.) complemented by courses in cultural theory, policy, diversity and cultural pluralism, etc. Our students also take some management courses from the business school, and are given a strong grounding in an arts discipline (studio art, art history, drama or music), thus ensuring that they have an appropriate understanding and appreciation of the art that they will be managing. Our courses are taught by noted practicing arts managers, leading researchers, and top professors in their field.

Q 7. What do I need to know about applying to Arts Management?

Q 8. How can I find out more?

What is Arts Industry Insider?

The Arts Industry Insider is a networking resource created by four students in the University of Toronto Scarborough's Senior Seminar in Arts Management class of 2010. The Arts Industry Insider features contact information of employers in all arts disciplines which can be used for student assignments, networking, volunteering, and possible employment opportunities. Employers have been gracious in taking their time to answer questions which many students may ponder about working as an arts manager. Plus, the tips and trends section gives students insight about the business which they are soon to enter.

The initiative was created because it is believed that arts management students are the future of arts organizations in the Greater Toronto Area and therefore it is important for them to network to familiarize themselves with their field of interest and further their careers. We hope that the Arts Industry Insider is a valuable tool for Arts Management students and graduates and that it provides support for their burgeoning careers.

The Arts Industry Insider is protected by a password (which will be changed on a regular basis) and available only to UTSC Arts Management students and alumni. Please contact the Arts Management Program Supervisor for the password.

Get your copy of the Arts Industry Insider here!

• T.A. Frost
• S.L. Helwig, B.A. (Guelph), M.A. (Toronto), Senior Lecturer - Program Supervisor (Arts Management and Co-op Arts Management)
• A. Stanbridge, B.Sc. (Glasgow), M.A. (Wolverhampton), Ph.D. (Carleton), Associate Professor
• C. Smith, Lecturer (CPA)
• James Fusco
• Inga Untiks
• Heather Young