University College Dublin

MA Cultural Policy & Arts Management

The MA Cultural Policy and Arts Management is aimed at graduate students and experienced cultural sector practitioners seeking the skills to be effective managers and leaders in the arts and heritage fields. Lectures are carried out in small seminar rooms where active participation in debate with lecturers and guest lecturers is encouraged.

The critical and practical content of the programme challenges students to analyse the conceptual frameworks and cultural contexts that generate cultural policies, while acquiring the skills to be effective leaders and managers in the cultural field. The competencies acquired provide graduates with an excellent multi-disciplinary qualification that is highly regarded among sectoral employers, in Ireland and internationally.

• A dynamic learning environment in which a diverse group of fellow students (from different countries and with different cultural and art form backgrounds) pursue their shared goal of being effective managers and thinkers in the cultural field.
• Access to a wide range of top cultural sector managers in Ireland who contribute to the course as guest lecturers.
• A rich mix of theoretical approaches to culture, combined with the practical skills to be an effective manager.

What Will I Learn?

• Ethical practices in management and research.
• Comparative understandings of national and international policies for culture and the arts.
• Cultural theory, cultural policy theory, relevant sociological theory and theories of management.
• The ability, through written and spoken discourse, to deal with the conceptual and theoretical complexity of culture and its management.
• A Diversity of practical and reflective management skills to be effective cultural entrepreneurs and leaders of cultural organisations..
• Practical and reflective management skills to be effective cultural entrepreneurs and leaders of cultural organisations.
• The analytical and research skills to bring about informed, constructive change in cultural policies at national and local levels.
• To understand your individual style, strengths and weaknesses as managers so that you can be better leaders of cultural organisations.