Arts Administration & Policy
saic.edu/maaap
Integrating scholarship, practice, and research, the Master of Arts in Arts Administration and Policy program emphasizes collaboration, teamwork, creative leadership, and a dynamic process of reflection. Unlike traditional arts administration programs, we approach arts administration as a creative practice.
Developing 21st century leaders
Our program prepares students to reimagine and lead arts and cultural organizations, and master essential skills while building a critical perspective on the issues of contemporary arts administration. Working closely with artists and cultural organizations, students promote ethical practice, advocate for the centrality of the arts and culture in everyday life, and develop new approaches to thinking experientially, critically, and politically.
Professional preparation
Our program places equal emphasis on theory and practice. Students hold short- and long-term engagements with various organizations, allowing for real-world exploration and experimentation. Students graduate equipped to share and sustain their artistic and professional practices.
Diverse community
Our internationally diverse student body includes emerging administrators and mid-career professionals from a wide range of backgrounds—including visual arts, dance, music, theater, cultural studies, art history, social sciences, law, philosophy, political science, education, social services, hospitality, and social entrepreneurship—creating a rich tapestry of perspectives.
A collaborative culture
SAIC is a thriving, progressive arts community in which artistic, design, and scholarly practices interact, driving students to explore a range of disciplines. Shared experiences and encounters create an ever-changing space for dialogue that helps expand the definition of arts administration and what we do within it.
For more information on the program and application requirements, please visit: saic.edu/maaap
Guest Speakers
Students are exposed to an array of perspectives on arts administration from distinguished guests in the field. Recent guest speakers include:
Ian David Moss
Founder of CreatEquity and CEO of Knowledge
Empower consultants
Peter Hyer
Director of the Media & Technology Portfolio at IDEO San Francisco
Mike Reed
Musician, composer, and founding director of the Pitchfork Music Festival; current programming chair of the Chicago Jazz Festival; and owner and director of the acclaimed performing arts venue, Constellation
Roberta Uno
Director, Arts in a Changing America
Madeleine Grynsztejn
Pritzker Director, Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago
Angelique Williams Power
President and CEO of the Skillman Foundation, former president of the Field Foundation of Illinois
Roberto Bedoya
Cultural Affairs Manager, City of Oakland
Jacqueline Terrassa
Director at Colby College Museum of Art
Marc Bamuthi Joseph
Arts educator-activist, writer, and performer; chief of program & pedagogy, Yerba Buena Center for the Arts; and Vice President/Artistic Director of Social Impact at The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts
Claire Rice
Executive Director, Arts Alliance Illinois
Faculty
KATE DUMBLETON
LIZZY LEOPOLD (Spring 2025)
ADELHEID MERS
JOSEPH GRIGELY
Critical and Cultural Policy Studies
› ARTSAD 5005 Activating Arts Admin.: Key Frameworks (3)
› ARTSAD 6018 Spheres of Cultural Valuation (3)
› Choose Either: ARTSAD 5505 Law, Politics, and the Arts (3) or ARTSAD 5510 Topics in Digital Arts Administration (3)
Management Studies
› ARTSAD 5100 ProSeminar: Leadership Talks (3)
› ARTSAD 5054 Management Studio I (first year, Fall) (3)
› ARTSAD 5055 Management Studio II (first year, Spring) (3)
› ARTSAD 5017 Financial Management (3)
› ARTSAD 6040 Communicating for Cultural Change (3)
Research and Professional Practice
› ARTSAD 5200 Research Studio (3)
› ARTSAD 6095 Thesis (3) Electives
› Completion of the thesis Total Credit Hours
Application Process
Submit:
› Online application
› Official college transcripts
› Statement of purpose
› Letters of recommendation
› Résumé
› Critical writing sample
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Theses can be found at the SAIC Thesis Repository (digitalcollections.saic.edu/thesis) and the Flaxman Library catalog.
