Online MA in Arts Administration

Introduction to Arts Administration

This course offers an introduction to the theory and practice of American not-for-profit arts administration and serves as an introduction to the overall Arts Administration MA/MBA curriculum. The course opens with an examination of the history, scope and context of the American not-for-profit sector, including economic, political and legal aspects. The not-for-profit arts sector is then examined in this context, withparticular attention to the question of public funding of the arts in America. The second sectionof the course consists of an introduction to critical issues related to the practice of not-for-profit arts administration. The topics of mission, governance & leadership, financial management and the development of revenue resources to support mission are outlined. Learning will be achieved through readings, class discussions and small group projects. Grading is based on class participation, essays, small group project presentations and final learning portfolio.

Introduction to Financial Management for Not For Profit Arts Organizations

This course provides an introduction to the principles, theories and practices of financial management as they apply to professional not-for-profit arts organizations.

Programming and Operations for the Performing Arts II

As a continuing course in programming and operations of a performing arts organization, you will have the tools to conceive, develop and budget for a model subscription series or multi-performance presentation. In addition, study of the professional artist contracting process, including a mock negotiation, will familiarize you as a future arts manager of the world of agents and producers. Also, important topics in Human Resources will be explored in the mission-based nfp setting, focusing on labor law, employment practices and policy structures that will culminate in the study of the National Labor Relations Act, union structures and collective bargaining strategies. The last part of the course will involve two teams from the class in a simulated real-time union/management CBA negotiation for a large performing arts organization.

Governance and Leadership in Non-Profit Organizations

Student teams are assigned to actual Cincinnati area professional arts organizations as consultants to facilitate a self-assessment, capacity building and strategic business planning project. Students work with Board, artistic and executive leaders and staff to refine the mission and longer-term goals of the organization; assess current capacities in all areas of operation; identify where capacities can and should be strengthened; and set specific objectives, strategies and action plans to better fulfill the mission and achieve the longer-term goals.

Advanced Topics in Patron Development

Once a patron has found your organization, how do you keep them engaged? In this course, we will explore contemporary fundraising and engagement tools and the patron development model. Student will learn about the solicitation of major gifts from prospect research to writing case statements to making the ask. Students will also learn to develop metrics for patron engagement and emerging best practices in digital marketing and fundraising.

Foundations in Accounting

This course educates students in the fundamentals of finance and accounting. The methods covered are used extensively throughout the MBA program. Topics include: the accounting process that results in the preparation of financial statements for external users, techniques for analyzing a basic set of financial statements, using accounting information to support management decisions, and using time value of money techniques to evaluate capital asset decisions.

Data Analysis

Introduction to data analysis and statistical methods with focus on practical decisions using quantitative models in a spreadsheet environment. Topics include sources of data, descriptive and graphical statistical methods, probability, distributions, sampling and sampling distributions, estimation, confidence intervals, and hypothesis testing.

Foundations in Economics

This course provides an introduction to the fundamentals of economics at the graduate level for students without previous economics coursework. Students will be exposed to the essentials of both microeconomics and macroeconomics. Microeconomics topics to be discussed include the supply and demand mechanism,how markets are affected by regulation and taxation, costs of production, and how market structure affects outcomes. Macroeconomic topics to be discussed include the fundamental measures of the aggregate economy, the sources of economic growth, explaining short-run fluctuations in economic activity, and how government policies can affect these fluctuations. A particular focus will be to understand how fundamental economic principles at both the micro and macro level can affect companies, investments, industries, and national economies.

Marketing Foundations

The purpose of this course is to provide students with a foundation in Marketing. Concepts such as segmentation, targeting, positioning, customer and market analysis, and basic marketing planning will be introduced.

Marketing For Managers

This course aims to describe many phenomena in marketing. As consumers we develop a surface familiarity with the activities and institutions of the market place but we need a closer look at the players, decision-making issues, processes and key lessons from the commercial trading environment. We also intend to develop an understanding of system dynamics and causal linkages in the marketplace. Why do some products fail? How can we structure productive relationships? What will happen to prices when we intensify distribution or advertising? The course takes up these questions and more.

Programming and Operations for the Performing Arts I

At the heart of any performing arts organization'smission is the product that ends up on the stage in front of the audience. Behind every performanceis a complex process of planning, collaborating, decision-making, budgeting and technical savvy. Anunderstanding and appreciation of the complexity of project management, scheduling, budgeting, and technical production is critical for the successful arts manager. In this first course of two, you will have the opportunity to explore the myriad facets of programming and production in nfpperforming arts organizations and how a stage performance evolves from initial concept to opening night. Along with the artistic considerations, arts administrators must navigate the delicate balance between mission and budget and understand the complex technical aspects of today's modern production elements.

Cultural Policy

Examines issues of cultural policy in the United States and internationally in terms of their impact on the ways in which arts and cultural organizations operate. Topics include definitions of culture, public and private sector policy-making systems, the development of advocacypositions, and how policy is affected by changes in cultural participation patterns.

Arts Education and Community Engagement

Examines the development of educational and community engagement programs by professional arts organizations in partnership with schools, school districts, state and federal departments of education and community-based arts, humanities and human service agencies. The first half of the course surveys arts education and community engagement assessment research, model arts education and community engagement programs and methodology to establish and sustain partnership programs. In the second half of the course, students develop and present an arts education or community engagement partnership program.

Strategic Management

This course focuses on both the analytical and structural framework for competitive analysis, as well as the formulation of policy and strategic decisions, the balancing of short run and long run plans, and the evaluation and control of strategic decisions for the business corporation. The academic basis for the class will be largely industrial organization and a resource based view (as a framework for industry analysis and competitive positioning). Our discussion of competitive analysis will focus on understanding the environment the firm competes within and then developing strategies that create a sustainable advantage in that industry. Finally, corporate strategy analyses move beyond the single business arena, and address what businesses the firm should compete in and resource allocation among those units. Thus, we will concern ourselves in this course with both business level and corporate level strategy development and implementation.

Leadership and Organizations

This course focuses on concepts and applications related to organizations and the individuals who design and work within them. The goal of the course is to help you better understand and practice individual and organizational management.We will cover micro-level issues (e.g., individual differences and motivation), mid-level issues (e.g., leadership, groups and teams), and macro-level issues (e.g., organizational culture and structure). By focusing on concepts, applications and issues, you will be better able to see and understand organizational phenomena that you might now take for granted. This course will also help increase your understanding of yourself and others so that you can be more effective in the organizations in which you manage and participate.

Systematic Innovation Tools

This course focuses on how to create value and growth through innovation in new and existing markets. Students will learn the skills of innovation and how to apply those skills within the context of a marketing strategy framework. Students will apply innovation methods across the entire marketing management continuum including strategy, segmentation, targeting, positioning, and the 4P's. The course will be taught using interactive workshop methods and techniques throughout. Students will first experience these facilitation techniques while learning innovation. They will then learn and practice these techniques so that they can apply them routinely throughout their graduate experience and beyond.

Design Thinking for Business

This course introduces design thinking as a business problem solving approach. It overviews design thinking techniques and has hands on practice applying these to classic business challenges. It fosters creativity and teamwork in the increasingly ambiguous business world in which today's business leaders must compete.

Digital Marketing Strategy

This course explores how organizations design integrated digital marketing strategies that create meaningful customer experiences across the entire customer journey. Students apply customer insight, behavioral research, storytelling, marketing funnels, AI-enabled tools, and omnichannel communications to develop digital strategies that deliver the right message to the right customer at the right time. Working through an iterative team project, students analyze customer needs, design strategic solutions, evaluate digital tactics, and communicate recommendations supported by evidence and business rationale.

Digital Marketing Strategy

A company's most important asset may be its reputation. A powerful way to enhance that reputation is by supporting a relevant and meaningful cause, one that aligns well to the company's brands and to the customers it serves. Marketing for Social Change is all about how to use marketing to further a worthy cause. A well-designed cause marketing program has many benefits which you will explore in this course.

Influencer Marketing

Influencers are essential in the marketing mix because their recommendation carries a disproportionate amount of weight. But different products need different influencers to tell the story, and there is an influencer audience for each brand. This course is designed to develop your understanding of influencer marketing and how the various elements fit together, with an emphasis on practical application to building brands.

Mission, Money, and Strategy in the Arts

You may or may not ultimately become the Executive Director or Finance Director of a not-for-profit (nfp) arts organization, but if you work in a nfp arts organization in any management capacity, you will, work with the finances of your organization. In this course, you will have the opportunity to explore the basics of nfp accounting, finances and strategic management. We will review financial statements, audits, form 990s, budgeting, and strategic planning. You will develop an audit analysis, annual budget, program, and operational plan for a model arts organization.