SMU M.A./MBA Students Help Launch New Nonprofit in Hands-On Consulting Project
Through teamwork, creativity, and strategy, students in the dual degree M.A./MBA program help an emerging arts nonprofit in Dallas find its footing and its voice.
When students enter SMU’s dual M.A./MBA in Arts Management program, they don’t just study leadership, they practice it. In their very first semester, students dive into a six-week consulting project as part of the “Foundations of Arts and Nonprofit Leadership” course, partnering with real clients to tackle real-world challenges in the arts and nonprofit sector.
This year’s cohort worked with the F.R.A.M.E. Foundation, a startup nonprofit concept in Dallas focused on supporting local musicians and filmmakers through funding, training and advocacy. For the students, the project offered a unique opportunity to help shape a new organization from the ground up while gaining valuable insights into arts leadership.
“From the very beginning, I’ve made it a priority for students to work directly with a client,” says program director Megan Heber. “It’s important to start building those professional relationships right at the outset of the program; learning how to listen, collaborate and deliver on a real-world project with real stakes.”
For Heber, the consulting project isn’t just an academic exercise, it’s a foundational experience. She designed this hands-on course to immerse students in the complexities of arts and nonprofit leadership, from governance and finance to community partnerships and creative problem-solving. Each year, students consult for an emerging nonprofit still in its formative stages, allowing them to witness and influence the process of building something new.
Previous classes have collaborated with We Are All Homeless, led by artist, activist, and Meadows advertising faculty member Willie Baronet, and CreativeMornings Dallas, hosted by Nikki Koenig. This year’s client, the F.R.A.M.E. Foundation, was founded by Katie Schuck of the Dallas Film Commission and Kristina Kirkenaer-Hart of the Dallas Music Office to strengthen Dallas’s cultural economy by supporting its film and music creators.
This year’s Foundations of Arts and Nonprofit Leadership cohort presents to the organization.
“My favorite part of working with the F.R.A.M.E. Foundation was being a part of something that was evolving from a very early stage,” says Myka Field, one of the project’s participating students. “We were growing alongside the organization and expanding our knowledge of the nonprofit sector while developing our skills, confidence, and understanding of what it means to build something with a purpose.”
In addition to establishing a foundational comprehension of the arts management and nonprofit sectors, the students’ six-week project included developing revised vision and mission statements, conducting a SWOT analysis, mapping the Dallas arts ecosystem, and drafting bylaws and strategic recommendations.
Throughout the project, Field and her fellow team members Lucy Blaylock, Seth Braley, and Shayla Le, were able to get a valuable glimpse into the realities of both nonprofit leadership and teamwork.
“This was a project that prepared us for many future endeavors and allowed us to find our rhythm as a team and gave us a taste of group work before we’re completely immersed in it on the Cox side of the program,” explains Blaylock. “It showed us everything that goes into starting a nonprofit and gave us experience creating something out of nothing.”
The student-designed logo for the organization which project team member Le, who dabbles in graphic design, had heavy hand in creating.
In a proud moment for the group, the F.R.A.M.E. Foundation team ultimately chose to use the students’ logo and visual design over the work of their paid marketing consultants. Heber said the decision validated the students’ creativity and professionalism, showing that their insights could have genuine influence in the industry.
The consulting course, now in its third year, continues to demonstrate how SMU’s M.A./MBA program bridges classroom learning with community engagement and real-world impact. Through this unique partnership model, students gain hands-on experience while helping emerging nonprofits in Dallas bring their visions to life resulting in a true win-win for both students and the local arts community.
ABOUT THE PROGRAM
The M.A./MBA program, offered jointly by SMU’s Meadows School of the Arts and Cox School of Business, is the only two-year dual degree of its kind in the nation. Designed for both full-time and part-time students, it combines courses in business, arts, and nonprofit leadership with internships and experiential learning opportunities.
Students take classes from award-winning faculty in both schools, gaining the skills to think like executives and make data-driven decisions. In their second year, they may even study abroad at Milan’s Bocconi University. The result is a degree that prepares graduates for leadership roles across the arts, entertainment, education, and nonprofit sectors worldwide.
To learn more about this dual degree program, click here.