Miami launches arts management co-major

By Hannah Fierle, Staff Writer

Whether looking for a way to explore the business side of the arts or pursuing a creative outlet for a traditional business degree, students at Miami can now participate in an immersive fusion of arts and business. This semester, Miami is debuting its new arts management co-major.

Arts management -- the business operations behind arts organizations -- is a broad field that covers everything from the management of individual artists or performers to the management of larger institutions like museums, galleries and music venues.

Whether or not their accompanying major is within the business school, students participating in the program are able to take a variety of business core classes combined with creative arts classes.

"The arts management co-major offers a creative perspective to business and opens up opportunities for students wanting to gain an understanding of how arts organizations work in a professional sense," said Todd Stuart, director of Arts Management and Entrepreneurship for the College of Creative Arts.

Stuart, now in his third year at Miami, was hired to evaluate the arts management minor and see what changes could be made. In accomplishing this task, student feedback was most important to him.

Since students voiced their desire to take more specific arts management classes without having to declare a business major, the arts management minor was reformed to a co-major. Students must declare a primary major along with the co-major, which is comprised of 30 credits.

With the program's flexibility, students of any major are able to delve into the business world of creative arts, even if they are not an artist or musician. Classes in the co-major include arts management, arts marketing, strategic planning and arts entrepreneurship.

"Art is an important way of connecting the world and sharing our experiences and perspectives, so even if you're not a creator, you can still engage in the arts through this program," said Addie Schneider, a first year in the program with an interest in international business.

The co-major has appealed to many students already enrolled in the business school who were looking for a creative outlet and courses specific to the arts.

"The classes in the arts management co-major are a great creative outlet for my business major. They're obviously very different from business classes, so it's good to learn to think in both ways," said Abigail Stall, a junior marketing major.

In addition to enhancing business majors with an affinity for the arts, the arts management co-major offers real-world experience for students majoring in creative arts.

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Senior Allison Dykes was able to easily declare the co-major because it had overlapped with so much of the curriculum for her art and architectural history major.

"This is a valuable program because it adapts along with the art world and provides the real-world perspective in classes like strategic planning that isn't always possible when studying art history," said Dykes, who is pursuing a career as a curator for museums and galleries.

For students involved in performing arts like theatre and music, arts management offers additional opportunities to students in an increasingly competitive industry.

"From the business end, there are so many jobs in the arts that you wouldn't expect," said Caroline Avolio, a sophomore theatre major. "Arts management is a great way to expand career opportunities in the entertainment industry. Having business experience makes arts students incredibly marketable."

As director, Stuart hopes to see growth in the program, which currently has 70 students in various majors and fields of study.

"Our goal for this year is 100 students in the program," said Stuart. "My hope is to expand the program and class offerings, hopefully bring on some new faculty and make progress on the students' ideas and innovations."