A Bachelor of Music in performing arts management prepares students for careers in the multi-faceted and extensive industry embracing administration of not-for-profit arts organizations (symphony orchestra, opera, chamber music, dance, theatre), commercial music management (recording industry, artist representation, music publishing and distribution, product merchandising, concert promotion), music licensing, music entrepreneurship, music festival management and related areas of cultural management and policy. In collaboration with the College of Business and The Theatre School, this program provides students a broad understanding of the performing arts industry, insight into the theories and principles associated with arts management and a proficiency in the practical application of necessary business skills.
There are two distinct Performing Arts Management degrees, suited for students with specific backgrounds and career objectives:
Bachelor of Science (BS) in Performing Arts Management, Minor in Business Administration
Students in the BS Performing Arts Management Program experience a significant focus on practice within the field. (This curriculum does not include applied lessons or participation in ensembles associated with Bachelor of Music programs.) Students enroll in a multi-term Performing Arts Management Practicum, where students obtain a supervised work experience within various departments of the new state-of-the-art Holtschneider Performance Center. In addition to the Practicum, those in the BS Performing Arts Management program undertake a core sequence of courses focused on the Performing Arts Management industry, as well as courses in Music Business, Music Publishing, Music Festival Management, Legal Issues in Music and others.
Additionally, in cooperation with the Driehaus School of Business, students receive a minor in business administration taking courses in Finance, Marketing, Management, Accounting, Statistics and Economics, among others.
An important component to the Performing Arts Management program is an experiential component outside of the School of Music in the form of internships at any of the numerous approved companies or organizations. Internships have been completed at such places as Lyric Opera, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Grant Park Music Festival, Ravinia Festival, Aware Records, Metro Club, Old Town School of Folk Music, ASCAP, Steppenwolf Theatre and many other arts organizations, music labels, venues and radio stations.
Admission to the BS Performing Arts Management program is contingent upon an interview with the program faculty, submission of a writing sample and satisfactory completion of a music theory diagnostic test. This program is suited for students interested in acquiring the insight and skills necessary for a career in the music industry within the environment of an active and vibrant music performance center, without the performance component associated with traditional music degree programs.
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