Indiana University O'Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs
Master of Arts in Arts Administration (MAAA)
Bloomington, USA
MA
DURATION
2 years
LANGUAGES
English
PACE
Full time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
03 May 2026*
EARLIEST START DATE
Aug 2026
TUITION FEES
STUDY FORMAT
On-Campus
* May 1: final deadline
Key Summary
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 an 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.
We welcome students from a variety of academic disciplines, both artistic and non-artistic, to apply.
Over 60% of O’Neill master’s students receive funding.
Competitive funding packages are available to assist in making our top-ranked school affordable. We take your academic and professional achievements, extracurricular and volunteer activities, and financial need into account and strive to build a funding package that can help you reach your goals.
We also offer opportunities for you to receive funding to work with local community arts organizations, including through our O’Neill Leadership Program. Contact us to learn more about funding your degree.
Our MAAA curriculum will provide you with the foundational skills, core knowledge, and practical expertise you need to become an effective arts advocate and leader of change. You’ll master a comprehensive arts administration core, management and policy courses, and a heavy experiential component. This 45-credit hour degree program can be completed in three to four semesters, plus a 280-hour internship and three 50-hour practicum projects.
Core courses
Core classes include:
• Organizational Behavior and the Arts
• Financial Management for the Arts
• Audience Development and Marketing the Arts
• Fund Development for Nonprofits
• Legal Issues in the Arts
• Seminar in Arts Administration
Electives
In addition to core classes, you will also complete coursework in a variety of administrative disciplines. All students take at least one course in performing arts administration, visual arts administration, arts and cultural policy, technology management, and community and place.
You can choose to further diversify your skillset, specialize in a particular discipline, or a combination thereof. For example, you may choose to focus on fundraising and effective leadership for nonprofit organizations at the O’Neill School, which is consistently ranked as the top place to study nonprofit management in the U.S. Or, you may take electives through any IU Bloomington school or department, including the Jacobs School of Music, the Eskenazi School of Art, Architecture, and Design, the Department of Theatre, Drama, and Contemporary Dance, and the Kelley School of Business. You will work with a dedicated academic advisor to outline courses that best align with your academic and professional goals.
Dual degree options
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.
- Master of Arts in Arts Administration - Master of Public Affairs (MAAA-MPA)
- Master of Arts in Musicology - Master of Arts in Arts Administration (MAM-MAAA)
International Dual Degrees:
- Master of Arts in Arts Administration - Master of Arts in Cultural Policy and Arts Management (MAAA-MCPAM) with University College Dublin
The above are examples of your course options. For a complete listing, see the official Indiana University Graduate Bulletin and work with your advisor as you make your schedule.
100% of reporting 2023-24 MAAA graduates found employment or continued their education upon receiving their degrees.
Recent graduates have started their careers as:
- Manager of Artistic Planning and Administration, New York Philharmonic
- Associate Vice President for Strategic Innovation and Special Initiatives, Manhattan School of Music
- Conservator, Lilly Library
- Development Associate, Louis Armstrong House Museum & Archives
- Head of Individual Giving and Events, Ars Nova
- Associate Director, Patron and Young Associate Giving, Metropolitan Opera
- Grants and Research Manager, Indiana Arts Commission
- Arts Learning Coordinator, South Carolina Arts Commission
- Operations Manager, Rewiring America
- Government and Public Services Consultant, Deloitte