What kinds of career options are available to Arts Management graduates?
Will an Arts Management degree increase my chances of employment in the field?
What is the “Field Placement Stream” in this program? Why should I take it?
I can't decide between Arts Management and a Major in an arts area... what should I do?
What kinds of courses are available in the Arts Management program?
What courses would I take in my first year?
What do I need to know about applying to the Arts Management program?
What grades do I have to achieve in high school to gain admission to this program?
What is Arts Management?
Arts Management is a relatively young field of study – with foundations in the mid 20th century – that allows students to develop the knowledge and skills they need to become highly sought-after professionals within the arts and work in galleries, museums, performing arts companies, and many other related areas. The discipline of Arts Management combines the tools of business (such as management, marketing, planning) with the tools of audience- and community building (such as fundraising, development, education, volunteerism, etc.) to build bridges between art, artists and audiences.
What kinds of career options are available to Arts Management graduates?
Arts Managers may hold the obvious titles of Executive Director or General Manager, or be responsible for a particular portfolio of work such as marketing, audience development, education, production, fundraising, government relations, etc. They work in arts organizations of all kinds, such as producing, presenting and exhibiting organizations (theatres, opera companies, symphony orchestras, dance companies, galleries, museums, etc.), arts councils, arts service organizations, government, and many other related areas.
Arts managers can also be found in for-profit organizations and positions in such areas as commercial music, film and television. While a majority of the academic work in the program is based on the not-for-profit arts model (in part because the majority of positions are available here), the skills that UTSC's arts management students develop are transferable skills: critical thinking, organizational development, marketing, fundraising, public relations and public policy can be applied to many fields, so our graduates may eventually opt to work in for-profit (or even non-arts) sectors that utilize the same skills.
Will an Arts Management degree increase my chances of employment in the field?
Graduates from our program have a solid grounding in the knowledge and skills necessary to work in this evolving field and ever-changing environment. Our program allows for many opportunities for students to meet, network with, and learn from people working in the field today - in fact, a number of our graduates are offered positions in the very organizations where they completed their field placements or research for a course. Generally, program graduates are in a position to enter the field at a higher rank and salary than those with general arts or business degree.
What is the “Field Placement Stream” in this program? Why should I take it?
Arts Management now offers more experiential education opportunities (internships, job shadowing, etc.), and placements more targeted to the individual students’ needs, academic specialties, areas of interest and future goals, than it ever could before. While Arts Management is no longer a “Co-op program”, co-op-type internships or field placements remain as one of several “experiential education” options available to our students. These are ideal ways for eligible students to gain work experience, connect with people in the field for future employment, and practice and apply what they learn in the classroom for a much deeper understanding of the subject.
I can't decide between Arts Management and a Major in an arts area... what should I do?
You don't have to choose between them - do both! The Arts Management program is structured in such a way that you can graduate with both a Specialist in Arts Management and a Major in one of UTSC's highly-regarded programs of theatre, music, art studio or art history in the same four years.
What kinds of courses are available in the Arts Management program?
The Arts Management program, offered only on the Scarborough campus of the University of Toronto, offers "skills-based" courses (such as marketing, project management, fundraising, etc.) complemented by courses in cultural policy, equity and diversity, etc. Our students also take some management courses from the business school, and are provided a strong grounding in at least one arts discipline of their choice (studio art, art history, theatre or music), thus ensuring that they have an appropriate understanding and appreciation of the art that they will be managing. Our courses are taught by noted practicing arts managers, leading researchers, award-winning artists, and top professors in their field.
For a full list of program requirements and course descriptions, please see the Arts Management listing in the Registrar’s Calendar.
What courses would I take in my first year?
Students will take a number of introductory courses in Arts Management, Management, and the arts major of their choice. For more detailed information, please see the section entitled “Courses in the first two years of the program” in the program requirements in the UTSC Calendar.
What do I need to know about applying to Arts Management?
Enrolment in the program is limited and entry is competitive. Admission offers are extended on the basis of the applicants' academic performance, background in one or more of the arts, and potential ability in Arts Management as determined in the introductory courses in the first year of the program. Current information about admissions is available on the following sites:
General Admissions Information:
http://www.utsc.utoronto.ca/admissions/contact
Ontario Universities' Application Centre:
http://www.ouac.on.ca/applications/
Note that Arts Management is not listed directly on the OUAC website; to find this program search under University of Toronto Scarborough (found under the University of Toronto entry) under the category "Visual and Performing Arts, Arts Management & Media" (program code TUC); you will then be able to choose this program under the 'Subject of Major Interest' drop-down menu. Successful applicants will apply for formal admission to the Arts Management program at the end of their first year at UTSC.
What grades do I have to achieve in high school to gain admission to this program?
There is no specific grade minimum or cut off that is consistent from year to year: the answer necessarily changes depending upon the number and the quality of the applications received in a given year. Your chance of being accepted into the program depends upon the overall strength of your individual application: we are looking for strong grades, particularly in English and the arts subject(s) studied, and a demonstrated interest in the arts. If you are passionate about the arts, we want to hear from you!
I have studied elsewhere before. Is this program right for me? Can my previous credits count toward this program?
If you have already taken courses at another UofT campus or another university, they may be transferable for program credit in the UTSC Arts Management program. You can read more about transfer credits here:
http://www.utsc.utoronto.ca/admissions/transfer-credits
(see the links below “Transfer Credits” on the left-hand menu)
and here
http://www.utsc.utoronto.ca/~registrar/new_students/transfer_credits
While ours are undergraduate programs which lead to an Honours Bachelor of Arts degree, we are delighted to welcome students each year who have studied, and sometimes completed studies, elsewhere before - they have researched other programs and feel ours is the best, and best suited to their needs and future plans.
How can I find out more information about the Arts Management program? To whom should I direct any questions I may have?
Questions about admissions and transfer credits are best asked of our Admissions and Student Recruitment Office at 416-287-7529 or admissions@utsc.utoronto.ca. If you have questions specific to the Arts Management program itself, please contact Professor Sherri Helwig, the Program Director, at helwig@utsc.utoronto.ca.