Arts Administration (BA)

The Arts Administration Program integrates art history, studio art and music with Simmons’ pre-professional programs in business, communications and information science to prepare students for leadership in today’s changing creative economy. Internships and other practical experiences in the field are made possible through an array of institutional partnerships in Boston and beyond. With this combination of discipline-specific knowledge, practical skill and professional experience, graduates pursue arts-related careers in fields like development, education, marketing and digital communications within nonprofit cultural institutions, performance organizations, museums, art galleries and auction houses.

Program Requirements:

Students are required to take 52 semester hours, including 32 in the Department of Art and Music and 20 in one of the three professional tracks listed below.

Arts administration students can customize their major in two ways; they may choose between the Visual Arts and Music tracks, and they may choose a pre-professional track in Business, Public Relations and Marketing or Digital Communications.

Arts Administration Core Courses (required for all majors):

AADM 143Boston Arts in Action

4

AADM 390Seminar: Arts in the Community

8

Visual Arts Track:

Two out of the four studio courses listed below (students cannot choose both ART/COMM 138 and ART/COMM 139):

ART 111Draw What You See

4

ART 112Color Studio

4

ART 138The Poetry of Photography

4

ART 139Color Photography CSI

4

Three art history courses:

ART 141Introduction to Art History: Egypt to the Renaissance

4

ART 142Introduction to Art History: Baroque to the 20th Century

4

One elective in art history

Music Track:

MUS 120Introduction to Music: The Middle Ages to Early Romanticism

4

MUS 121Making Music Modern

4

Three electives in music history, theory, or performance

Business Track:

Core:

BUS 100Introduction to Business and Management

4

ACCT 110Financial Accounting

4

BUS 250Principles of Marketing

4

Electives (choose 2):

BUS 221Project Management

4

BUS 224Social Action Leaders

4

BUS 234Organizational Communication & Behavior

4

BUS 291Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

4

Public Relations and Marketing Track:

Core:

BUS 250Principles of Marketing

4

COMM 186Introduction to Public Relations and Intergrated Marketing Communications

4

COMM 281Content Creation and Strategy

4

Electives (choose 2):

ACCT 110Financial Accounting

4

BUS 230Why We Buy

4

BUS 231Brand Management

4

BUS 234Organizational Communication & Behavior

4

BUS 291Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

4

BUS 335Marketing Research

4

COMM 265Editing Copy and Proof

4

COMM 286/BUS 232AIntro to Advertising Practice and Branding

4

COMM 323Digital Cultures: Communication and Social Media

4

Digital Communications Track:

Core:

CS 112Introduction to Computer Science

4

COMM 210Introduction to Graphic Design: Principles and Practice

4

COMM 244Web I: Design for the World Wide Web

4

Electives (choose 2):

ART 139Color Photography CSI

4

ART 232Advanced Digital Workshop

4

COMM 323Digital Cultures: Communication and Social Media

4

COMM 333Web II: Responsive Design

4

CS 113Gui and Event-Driven Programming

4

CS 321Web-Centric Programming

4

CS 333Database Management Systems

4

LIS 432Concepts in Cultural Heritage Informatics

3.00

LIS 446Art Documentation

3.00

LIS 435Music Librarianship

3.00

ART 139: cannot be double-counted as a studio class for the major

LIS 432, LIS 446, LIS 435: consent of the instructor