EllyMay

Hello! Just a few quick background things: I go to a academically rigorous Catholic school, I'm a senior, I have a 3.5 GPA (UW on a 93-100 scale- like the lowest A you can get is a 93), 26 and 27 on my ACTs, 28 superscored (English- 32, Reading- 30, Math- 24, Science- 25), plenty of ECs and service and whatnot (I'm not really worried about that).

My question concerns what I plan to major in in college. I've been looking into the major Arts Administration and and another, Theatre Management. When I graduate college I really wan to to work on Broadway doing marketing or financial planning etc. for Broadway shows. The problem is, not a lot of colleges offer these majors. The colleges I'm leaning towards, University of Dayton (my favorite) and Fordham University do not offer Arts Admin. or anything really like it. Miami of Ohio has an Arts Admin Minor (I'm also looking at maybe going there- if I get in of course).

So, If I did end up really wanting to go to a school that does not offer Arts Admin. would it be just as good to major in Business or Communications or something (At UD I'm considering majoring in Communications and having two minors from the school of business- Marketing and Leadership). Also, I plan to take theatre and music electives and be involves in ECs having to do with theatre. Would this route be just as good? Would I be prepared for the Theatre Industry in New York? Or do I pretty much need to study Arts Admin or Theatre Management?

Thanks if you read the whole thing! I know it's a lot!! (:

shacherry

I've spent a lot of time looking at Pace University's website on behalf of my son and think this major might be what your looking for. BAA in Management, Arts and Entertainment Management.

BBA in Management, Arts and Entertainment Management | Lubin School of Business| Pace University

theatretechie

Indiana University offers a BS in Arts Administration. It's in SPEA (School of Public and Environmental Affairs) which is a plus, considering it's one of the top ranked public affairs schools in the country.

Undergraduate Program: Arts Administration: Indiana University Bloomington

skewlcounselor

I believe University of Iowa has a BA in Arts Administration.

stagemum

DePaul's Theatre School has a Theatre Management major.

EllyMay

Thanks for the suggestions! I'll definitely look into those colleges! (:

What I'm REALLY wondering though (I probably didn't ask it right in my initial post) is if majoring in Business (or something like that) would be okay? Would I still be able to get a job on Broadway? Or do I need to major in Arts Admin? Because I LOVE Ud just as a college but they do not have my major.

shacherry

I am sure with a business major/minor or communication major you can go on to work in the arts. I would however do as many internships as you can in the arts field. Check to make sure that UD does not have any concentration or minor or major in non profit management. non profit managment is another useful degree when it comes to the arts. ENJOY! Do Internships for free even if you do not get credit I think that will be the key.

glassharmonica

To piggyback onto what shacherry says, it is usually your internships and summer jobs that lead way to career opportunities, more so than your major. I would say this is particularly true in arts administration.

CThoosier

While I agree with the commenters here that it's your internship experience that will count the most, I'm going to make another plug for SPEA at IU, like the suggestion above. The program is such that Arts Management majors are required to have a concentration in a particular artistic discipline (so for you, it would be theater) and most students end up getting a minor in that area because of the concentration. It's not just a few classes -- we're talking 24 credits. This way, a student is not only getting the management skills (through public relations, venue management and fundraising classes) but they're also getting an opportunity to have an expertise in an area. And their profs are actual practitioners -- artistic directors at theaters, record producers, etc. I think it's way more rewarding than a business degree, where you're kind of a dime a dozen.

And Bloomington has tons of arts organizations to work for -- one student I know from out-of-state became the student manager of the IU Auditorium and over the summer worked for Taylor Swift's record label in Nashville. The BSAM students at IU SPEA are extremely ambitious and get the internships and jobs they want.

The only other thing I'd say is that location helps, so you can't beat Fordham and the Lincoln Center campus. I'm not sure what Dayton's advantages are when you compare these three places!

shacherry

So true about location playing a factor. Since your goal is to work on Broadway I would take a look at every school with train access into the city in NY, NJ, CT and even PA. Maybe school at UD and then a summer internship in NY.

TheRealKEVP

You may want to start contacting people who have your "dream job", that is, people who are already doing the job that you are hoping to get. Ask them what education they got, and how they got their job. I suspect that quite a few of the folks who have Theatre Administration jobs were theatre majors in college. Because, hey, where else are all those theatre majors going to go? But that's just a suspicion, I suggest you start contacting real people who have the sort of job you are hoping to get.

KEVP

glassharmonica

I have been in and around arts administration (although not specifically theater) for 30+ years, and one thing I can tell you is that most people working in arts management have degrees either in the arts themselves or a liberal arts degree with extensive arts training. Very few (I have not met any) have arts management degrees. You get a work in arts administration by working in arts administration-- that is to say, your internships, paid and unpaid, will be the connections that help you to find real work. If, as you say, you want work in financial planning, a business degree with a theater minor (or just a lot of theater experience) might be the way to go.

prodesse

I worked in orchestra management for many years, and I can echo what glassharmonica says. Most arts managers were trained as performers and retain the passion even though they may have realized their true talents were on a different branch of the artistic tree. Quite a few continue performing in one way or another.

Also, many music departments (and likely theater departments also) hire students to perform managerial functions. You can build up quite a resume doing student jobs.

taylor11

EllyMay,

At Ball State University, a definite possibility that plenty of people take on is to Double Major in Theatrical Studies and Business. Here's the Ball State Department of Theatre and Dance website for you to check it out a bit more (I would highly suggest it!):

Ball State University - B.A./B.S. Theatrical Studies

DramaMamaZ

Also check out Rider U in southern NJ and Wagner College in NYC (Staten Island). Both offer a BS in Arts Adminstration, with potential internship opportunities in NYC.

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