Admission to an arts administration program varies from school to school, but you either apply to the program directly out of high school or apply to the program in your second year of college. If you apply out of high school, you must submit your transcript, your SAT or ACT scores, and possibly an essay, audition or interview. If you apply in your second year, you must submit a formal application to the arts administration department, demonstrate you have completed enough course work in your first year, and meet the minimum grade point average criteria.
Arts administration programs aim to provide students with a strong liberal arts education, a basic business education and a comprehensive education in art, music or theater. They focus on how each of these educational streams work together and how the student uses the integration of the three in the arts field. Students are usually asked to apply their education in volunteer activities throughout their time at college, and may be required to complete an arts administration internship before graduation.
The curriculum for undergraduate arts administration programs involves such general courses as arts administration communications and arts administration technologies. Students must also complete more business-related courses like economics and marketing in addition to pure arts courses, like art history, music performance or creative writing. The number of general, business and arts courses varies, but most programs require students to complete a certain number of volunteer or internship hours in the arts administration field.
Graduate programs offered in arts administration across the United States train students to become leaders in their chosen field. The enrollment numbers in these programs are quite small, so admission can be competitive. To be admitted, you must have a grade point average of around 3.00 and show that you have completed specific course work in arts and business areas. You are asked to complete an interview and you may have to show that you worked in an arts administration job. Most graduate programs have you take courses in arts policy, strategic planning and arts management and, if you're a full-time student, you should complete a program in two years.