As arts organizations today face a changing environment that presents both unprec¬edented opportunities and increased financial and competitive pressures, there is a need for skilled and resourceful administrators, managers, and leaders in the arts. The SMU MA/MBA program in business and arts administration is designed to address this need. It is based on the philosophy that a successful career in arts management requires a thorough knowledge of contemporary business practices coupled with both a deep understanding of the arts and the ability to recognize and seize opportunities. The joint degree program combines courses in business and the arts with internships and intensive experience with arts organizations to produce graduates who are well-prepared to hold leadership positions in arts, entertainment, and nonprofit organiza¬tions around the world.

Discover a World of Resources
Global exchange opportunities provide students exposure to the world’s diversity of arts models, trends, and challenges. Students gain an international perspective through the Global Leadership Program and through an exchange semester with Bocconi University in Milan during their second year of the program. In addition, hands-on learning complements the innovative MA/MBA academic program. Because preserv¬ing, producing and presenting quality arts experiences calls for skilled and strategic management, students acquire first-hand knowledge through participation in semes¬ter-long practica at leading Dallas-area arts organizations and in an intensive summer internship experience.

Organizations where SMU MA/MBA students have engaged in practica and intern¬ships include the following: 
The American Association of Museums - Washington, DC 
Arena Stage - Washington, DC 
The Art Institute of Chicago 
Carnegie Hall – New York 
AT&T Performing Art Center 
Dallas Symphony Orchestra 
Doug Varone Dance Company – New York 
Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts - New York 
The Metropolitan Museum of Art 
The National Gallery of Art - Washington, DC 
The New York City Ballet 
San Francisco Opera 
Walt Disney Theatrical Productions

MA/MBA Arts Administration