Arts Administration, B.A. Art Museum Studies Concentration

Arts Administration majors at UNC Greensboro have the option to concentrate in Art Museum Studies, which gives them more of a specialization as they prepare for a career in art museums. The Art Museum Studies concentration offers an introduction to museum operations, curating, managing collections, and museum education. A minor in Art History ensures that you are building your foundation in the scholarship you’ll need in your career. After graduation, students could go on to work in a museum right away, or continue on to graduate school. (Education beyond a bachelor’s degree is often required for career advancement in the museum field.)

Program Distinctions

All of our faculty have professional experience in arts administration, with specializations across performing and visual arts, as well as different ways of making and sharing art, from established nonprofit arts organizations to successful solo entrepreneurship. Faculty remain connected to current arts administration practice through their research and giving back to the field through offering developmental workshops for working professionals and artists.

Jennifer Reis, Assistant Professor of Arts Administration, teaches the Introduction to Art Museum Studies (AAD 380) and Introduction to Art Museum Collections (AAD 381) courses. She was the Gallery Director of the Golding-Yang Art Gallery at Morehead State University for 19 years and held positions at multiple other museums in the U.S. Emily Stamey, Curator of Exhibits for the Weatherspoon Art Museum, teaches the Art Museums and Exhibition Spaces (ARH 490) course. The minor in Art History is taught by faculty in the School of Art.

UNCG is one of only a handful of undergraduate degree programs in Arts Administration in the United States. Majoring in Arts Administration is friendly for transfer students or students switching into the program; the courses specific to the major can be completed in two years.

The Student Experience

Arts Administration classes feature real-world projects so students practice what they’ll actually be doing in professional settings. Internship placements bridge the transition from school to working life. Arts Professionals are regular guests in class and as mentors for class projects. Career exploration and advising within the program happens throughout a student’s time at UNCG. See an ever-growing list of places where Arts Administration students have recently interned here.

Students in Arts Administration learn about strategy for arts organizations and businesses, programming, community relationships, marketing, communications and sales, fundraising, managing finances, and leadership. We teach professional skills needed to succeed, such as communication, teamwork, and professional writing skills. Many of our students double major, usually in one of the other majors available in the College of Visual and Performing Arts. Minoring in Entrepreneurship or Business with the Bryan School of Business and Economics is also common.

After Graduation

Arts Administration graduates can enter the profession directly after completing an undergraduate degree – and getting experience prior to graduation is possible and recommended through part-time jobs, independent projects, or internships.

Selection of positions held by Arts Administration alums:

Director of Development, Burning Coal Theatre

Patron Services Manager, Winston-Salem Symphony

Development Officer, Santa Fe Symphony Orchestra & Chorus

Education and Community Engagement Coordinator, Nashville Symphony

Students may decide to continue studying to further their career. Graduate programs in arts management, business, law, education, or a specialized degree would all be helpful for a long career. UNCG Arts Administration Alums are also currently pursuing graduate studies at: Goucher College (Arts Administration), the Berklee School of Music (Music Business), University of South Carolina (Art History), UNCG Bryan School of Business and Economics (MBA), and University of North Carolina at Charlotte (Educational Leadership for Higher Education).