Bishop’s University

    Arts Administration

    Arts Administration

    You love the arts? You mean business? This program is for you.

    You have a passion for the arts? You would like to work closely with musicians, painters, choreographers, dramaturg, movie and theater directors, curators, archivists? You happen to be well-organized, dynamic, hard-working and you enjoy making things happen? The field of Arts Administration is as rich and exciting as the imagination deployed by the artists from all artistic disciplines from all around the world. It relies on a fundamental core of business and artistic knowledge, but just as important it relies on one’s ability to analyze, adapt, collaborate, negotiate, solve problems, and construct within a constantly evolving ecosystem.

    Student working with laptop
    ACQUIRE SKILLS THAT WILL BENEFIT YOU IN ALL ASPECTS OF YOUR CAREER

    Why study Arts Administration at Bishop’s?

    The Arts Administration Program provides you with the knowledge, the tools and the connections to manage your artistic career or to become a leader in the arts sectors. Our program offers the perfect blend of courses in Arts Administration, Arts (fine arts, music, drama, film studies and public history and heritage) and Business, and includes six credits of experiential learning in and outside the campus.

    Everything in the curriculum is designed with one goal in mind: to prepare you to lead a long, exciting and rewarding career in the art world. In addition, here at BU, you will be part of a passionate multidisciplinary community with plenty of hands-on opportunities.

    Learn more about our program
    The equal weight of music and business courses, in addition to the arts administration-specific courses, are helping me become not only a better musician but an entrepreneur as well, which is a hat every musician must wear nowadays.
    Stephanie Egloff
    Stephanie Egloff
    Art students painting
    Where can this lead you?

    Career Possibilities

    Our graduates have pursued careers as:

    – Founder and director of a variety of arts organizations
    – Coordinator for a multidisciplinary arts festival
    – Director of a national history museum
    – Executive director of a chamber music ensemble
    – Fundraising director for a museum of fine arts
    – Marketing director for a national arts center
    – Artist manager
    – International Exhibitions
    – Director for a museum
    – Gallery curator
    – Program director for an arts council
    – Director of a foundation
    – Producer
    – Archivist

    Want to set academic goals?

    Talk to one of our Academic Advisors
    Three students at Convocation
    We Recognize Excellence

    Bursaries and Prizes

    Academic prizes are available to our students. Department-specific prizes include:

    The Jane Needle Prize: This prize was established in 2021 in honour of Jane Needles, professor for over 25 years in the Arts Administration program. It is awarded by the Department to a deserving returning student in Arts Administration.

    Undergraduate Prize: This prize is awarded by the Department to the top returning student in Arts Administration.

    University Prize: This prize is awarded by the Department to the top graduating student in Arts Administration.

    Charles & Kathleen Rittenhouse Internship Funding: Established in 2008 by Jonathan Rittenhouse in memory of his parents, this internship funding is awarded to a deserving student in the Arts Administration practicum (AAD353). Selected by the program coordinator.

    Scholarships, Awards, Bursaries

    Courses & Programs

    Our program provides students with opportunities to pursue their passions in the Arts, combined with practical knowledge and skills needed when working in cultural industries. By combining Arts Administration courses, Business courses and one of the available Arts and Public History and Heritage concentrations, we believe that all graduates will possess a solid knowledge of the operations and organization of cultural institutions, both from their in-class experiences and the two practica required before they graduate.

    Timetable (list of courses by semester)
    B.A. ProgramMajor

    Students enrolled in the Major in Arts Administration must successfully complete 75 credits of which 21 credits are Arts Administration courses, 27 credits are Business courses and 27 credits are from the student’s chosen concentration (Drama, Fine Arts, Film Studies, Music or Public History). Included in the Arts Administration requirements are the two practica: the internal one to be done on campus and the external one to be done off campus with an organization within Quebec, Canada or anywhere else in the world.

    See Courses & Programs for full details
    B.A. ProgramMinor

    There is a minor in Arts Administration that can be taken by students in the Humanities or in Business. If in the humanities, students can combine their major with courses in Business and Arts Administration. If in Business, students can combine their major with courses in one of the Arts concentrations: Drama, Film Studies, Fine Arts, Music or Public History and Heritage.

    See Courses & Programs for full details
    B.A. ProgramCertificate in Arts Management

    For individuals wanting to work in cultural industries or for professionals seeking to enhance their skills and knowledge within these industries, the Certificate in Arts Management provides students with opportunities to learn about Arts organizations and their management through a combination of Arts Administration and Business courses.  They will also take courses within their chosen Arts field, whether it be Drama, Fine Arts, Film Studies, Music or Public History and Heritage. An opportunity to work for an Arts or Heritage organization is also available within the program and is strongly encouraged.

    See Courses & Programs for full details
    B.A. ProgramDouble Major in Arts Administration and an Arts discipline

    For students enrolled in History, English, Fine Arts, Music or Drama, it is possible to combine their Major with Arts Administration. The 27 credits that they take for their Arts major could count towards their Arts Administration major as well.

    See the Academic Calendar for further information on the Arts Administration program in conjunction with either Drama, Film Studies, Fine Arts, Music or History and Heritage.

    Academic Calendar
    Sample Courses

    We’ve compiled a short list of some of our popular courses:

    AAD 150 Introduction and Internal Operation
    AAD 202 International Market Development for the Arts
    AAD 203 Managing the Unexpected: Pandemics and Other Crises in the Cultural Sector
    AAD 251 Arts Administration: The External and Legal Environment
    AAD 252 Arts Administration: Communications and Marketing
    AAD 353 Arts Administration: External Practicum

    Intrigued? See the descriptions of these courses
    Don't speak English? No problem!
    Don’t speak English? No problem!

    Francophone & International Students

    Over the years, we have had a large number of French-speaking and international students who have contributed substantially to the program. Those with limited command of the English language can register in many ESL (English as a Second Language) courses while they take their Arts Administration courses.

    Admission process

    What Makes Us Special

    Archives in the old library

    Did You Know?

    The Bishop’s Arts Administration program is the only one of its kind in the province of Québec, and is the only English arts administration undergraduate program east of Toronto. Our program is a part of a diverse community, including 40% international students. We offer numerous experiential learning opportunities and Esther Charron, the principal Arts Admin professor, possesses extensive research and production experience.

    Jessica Lintz doing an internship at the Foreman Art Gallery

    Experiential Learning

    Included in the Arts Administration requirements are the two practica: the internal one to be done on campus and the external one to be done off campus with an organization within Quebec, Canada or anywhere else in the world. Examples of internal practica include organizing the BU Artsfest, participating in the creation of the Bishop’s University Film Festival (BUFF), and developing fonds in the ETRC archives. Examples of external placements include: Théâtre Porte-Parole, Montreal, Palla Projects/Studios in Dublin, Ireland, Diamond Head Theatre in Honolulu and QiFang Street Artist Center, China.

    ArtsFest tickets

    Opportunities

    The Arts Administration program offers a well-rounded program dedicated to enriching the student experience beyond the classroom. Every year, Arts Administration students work collaboratively with other programs and departments to put on the BU Artsfest, there is a student club called the Bishop’s Arts Administration Student Society (BAASS), and our on-campus internships put Arts Admin students in the thick of the cultural events that abound on campus. Arts Administration students also connect with the students within the Arts Admin concentration programs: Drama, Film Studies, Fine Arts, History and Heritage, and Music.

    Centennial Theatre
    Venues with exceptional acoustics

    The Best Performance Halls

    Bishop’s students have access to incredible venues such as Centennial Theatre, Foreman Art Gallery, Turner Studio, Bandeen Hall, Library Learning Commons, Eastern Townships Resource Centre and Archives, and more. Many of these centres offer experiential learning opportunities.

    Bandeen Hall
    Venues with exceptional acoustics

    First-rate Venues

    Bandeen Hall is home to Musique Chez Nous, a student-led concert series where you can develop a wide range of skills as an arts administrator or front-of-house staff. Hone your skills in the field of Customer Service, Communications, and Marketing to promote and support the various events featuring the talents of local musicians, visiting artists, and the University’s own music faculty. Opportunities are also available at the Foreman Art Gallery and Community Art Lab, the Turner Studio Theatre and the Eastern Townships and Resource Centre.

    Learn more about our venues & opportunities
    Esther Charron during class
    We place a premium on excellent teaching

    About your professors

    We support the pursuit of knowledge by offering a warm and friendly atmosphere, with opportunities to socialize with faculty and fellow students. All the faculty maintain an open-door policy in both academic and non-academic matters, and we encourage students’ participation in the Arts Administration Students Society.

    Learn more about your professors
    Overview drone image of the Bishop's campus

    We acknowledge that the land on which we gather is the traditional and unceded territory of the Abenaki, a member of the Wabenaki confederacy.

    Whose Territory Are We On?

    Questions?

    Want to know more about studying Arts Administration?

    Contact Us