M.A.A. FAQs

In addition to university admission requirements for graduate study at OHIO, students must submit the following:

• Completed Application Form, and
• Most recent transcript or DARS report indicating an overall GPA of 3.0 or higher. 

As part of the application process, students applying to the M.A.A .program will choose one specialization as their focused area of study. Students must also complete the stated admission requirements for the specialization to be considered for that area program. These admission requirements will be used to admit students in their elective area of study as part of admission to the program. VIEW FULL ADMISSIONS REQUIREMENTS HERE

CoFA aspires to be an internationally significant center of creative practice and scholarship by launching arts initiatives that reflect a diversity of ideas and cultures. We continue to be committed to innovation and engaging students from a broad spectrum of traditions and practices.

 Undergraduate Students: 

The Master of Arts Administration is currently piloting an extension of the OHIO Guarantee to an additional year. This means that for the 2021-22 academic year, any OHIO undergraduate student who has graduated or will graduate in the 2018-2022 academic years and enrolls in the MAA will pay no more than the tuition they paid for their final year as a full-time undergraduate. This includes all university and college sponsored scholarships for that year. We do not include federal grants or loans in the calculation, but students may be eligible for federal aid. For example, in her senior year, Susan paid $2,500 a semester in full-time tuition after her Fine Arts and University Scholarships were awarded. If she were to enroll in the MAA, the tuition would be no more than $2,500 per semester. Per-semester tuition will be shared at the time of acceptance to the program. 

* includes standard, annually renewed scholarships, but not one-time or one-year awards.  

*Graduate Students: 

Any current CoFA graduate students who are accepted into the MAA as a second master’s may apply their tuition waiver to the cost of additional classes, up to the maximum allowable offered by the graduate college (18 credit hours per semester). Any additional coursework beyond the tuition covered by this waiver would be at the current graduate student rates (any credit hours over 18). For instance, Carter is enrolled in an MFA program and receives a waiver. They typically enroll in 12 credits per semester but would like to add the MAA as a second master’s degree. They might choose to add 6 credits per semester towards the MAA to be covered under the existing tuition waiver. If Carter needs to take a 3-credit summer course or internship outside of the waiver, the current cost would apply ($1,749 as of 2019/20 academic year). Non-CoFA graduate students will be reviewed on a case by case basis. 

Students who apply for the program might include graduates of OHIO, as well as other institutions, who come from various fields of study, are working artists who seek leadership positions, and/or are current arts administration professionals intending to expand their current knowledge base and scope of skills.

Your personal statement reflects who you are and what you might contribute to the MAA program. It is an opportunity to tell us how your unique background, areas of expertise, skills, and/or career goals have fostered your pursuit of a graduate degree in arts administration. There is no specific format or prompt. We encourage you to aim for between 500-1000 words.

Several MAA students receive funding support through Schools and/or programs in the College of Fine Arts. Typically, these are related to a student’s area specialization and background. For example, an incoming MAA student, with area specialization in Visual Arts Management, might have the background/experience to be funded through the School of Art + Design to teach studio or foundation courses, work in a lab, etc. There are no “guaranteed” funding opportunities in the MAA program, including for international students. However, once the new cohort is admitted, there are typically several students who get funding support. No additional application is required for consideration of a GRS, GA, or TA.

Yes, admitted students can defer their status for one academic year. All deferrals require the payment of a $10 reapplication fee. More information can be found here: https://www.ohio.edu/graduate

No, the MAA program does not require GRE scores as part of the application or admission process.

Information on the required documentation and possibility to request a waiver can be found here: https://www.ohio.edu/graduate/apply

The degree harnesses the interdisciplinary and creative power of the College of Fine Arts (CoFA) at Ohio University. Our innovative curricular approach reimagines the educational experience by merging arts administration knowledge with training in discipline-specific management. Foundational courses that emphasize arts leadership, governance, management, and development are taken alongside courses in a student’s specialized area. This interdisciplinary approach enables students to more immediately be immersed in an arts administration curriculum specific to their chosen area of arts interest, while maintaining rigor and comprehensiveness. The curriculum uniquely prepares students to meet the evolving needs of the field and situates the program to be a national leader.

The M.A.A. is a 30-credit hour degree that can be completed in one calendar year (August to August) with full-time study. The program can also be completed in two years for those preferring part-time study.

All courses are currently offered in a face-to-face, immersive format. Students enrolled in the M.A.A. will be affiliated with the main campus of Ohio University in Athens. It is worth noting that this campus is located in Appalachia, a region filled with cultural and historical resources, and where the institution serves as an important regional partner for community engagement. The degree is housed in the College of Fine Arts (CoFA), where the college has a 75+ year record of championing and pioneering excellence in the arts. The college has numerous classroom and studio spaces that accommodate the needs of the program.

The MAA degree program and the arts administration certificates are face to face. Currently, there is not an option to complete the degree or certificates online.

Dr. Christi Camper Moore serves as the head of the arts administration program with eight additional full-time CoFA faculty who also teach various discipline-specific courses in the program. The faculty has terminal degrees, extensive professional experience in the field, and work closely with students to develop essential skills in the field.

The required curriculum is focused on rigorous coursework, experiential learning, and exploration of synergies among creative forms. The effectiveness and efficiency of the M.A.A. program is also in its ability to be adaptive and responsive to emergent topics and issues in the field of study. Assignments are designed to provide an immediate application of arts administration, as well as discipline-specific, knowledge. Assignments include a variety of portfolios, projects (individual and group), and presentations. VIEW THE FULL CURRICULUM HERE

Collaborative conversations and projects are explored via students working in both the cohort learning teams and through partnerships with community stakeholders to deepen knowledge in the field, examine various models, and explore the broad landscape of current practices. For example, Athens County is home to a large number of non-profit arts organizations that welcome the support of students and interns from the M.A.A. program. Organizations such as Tantrum Professional Theater, Kennedy Museum of Art, Ohio Valley Summer Theater, the Dairy Barn, Athens Photographic Project, Ohio University’s Performing Artist series, Stuart’s Opera House (Nelsonville), the Southeastern Ohio Arts Corridor, will provide mutually beneficial educational and/or internship opportunities. Columbus, Ohio is only 75 minutes from Athens and is one of the fastest growing cities in the country. Columbus is seeing significant growth in the Arts sector and partnerships there have already begun to be developed. Given the goals of the program, and the required Professional Internship that serves as the final culminating experience of the program, there are numerous opportunities (in and out of the classroom) to integrate theory and practice and examine your place in the field through community engaged practices.

As the resources and landscape of the arts continue to change, the field of arts administration is becoming more critical in its role to manage that change. There is continued growth in the field with an increase in professional organizations, conferences, and publications that aim to be key resources for understanding the academic, cultural, and applied paths for professional arts administrators. The market for arts administration professionals continues to expand with full-time job opportunities that now include think tanks, various performance-based companies and education centers, and work that spans from local, grass roots arts advocacy to state and national cultural policy and research analysis.

The field of arts administration prioritizes experience. Throughout the entirety of the M.A.A. program, practical experience is provided for students to apply the knowledge and skills they are gaining in the classroom. The Professional Internship in the Arts (FAR 5910) is the required, semester long, culminating experience of the M.A.A. degree and applies and synthesizes coursework. Specific internship placements are decided with each individual student to align with career goals, opportunities, and logistical considerations. The faculty advisor must approve all internship placements and, along with the designated site supervisor for the internship, will also serve as supervisory personnel. During the professional internship, students continue to explore programmatic learning objectives and focus on topics including: organizational culture, structure and governance; marketing and resource allocation; programming and education; mission, vision, law, and ethics; fundraising and grants management; and community engagement. Students enrolled in the Professional Internship meet together weekly as a cohort (either face-to-face or via video conferencing) to focus on various symposium issues of professional practice. The discussion component of this course is designed to be adaptive and responsive to emergent topics and issues that occur during the internship experience. As part of the course, and with instructor guidance and feedback, students also develop their final capstone projects or portfolios, which also have a required, final oral presentation component. LEARN MORE ABOUT PROFESSIONAL INTERNSHIPS

Our program, launched in 2020, already boasts local, state, and national internship partners that have provided a wealth of networking opportunities and arts administration experience for our graduate students. All internship partners can be found here: https://www.ohio.edu/fine-arts/master-arts-administration/internship

The Master of Arts Administration (M.A.A.) degree is designed to prepare students for professional practice in the burgeoning field of arts administration; becoming engaged, reflective, and proactive stewards of arts and culture. The program prepares professionals to helm arts and cultural organizations (at the local, state, or national level), navigate unique challenges in the nonprofit sector, advocate for policies and resources that support arts organizations, and be effective leaders who have meaningful, sustainable impact in the organizations and communities they serve. The M.A.A. degree at OHIO provides an exciting opportunity for students or working professionals, who want to pursue leadership positions in the arts, to be at the forefront of diversifying the field.

As the resources and landscape of the arts continue to change, the field of arts administration is becoming more critical in its role to manage that change. There is continued growth in the field with an increase in professional organizations, conferences, and publications that aim to be key resources for understanding the academic, cultural, and applied paths for professional arts administrators. The market for arts administration professionals continues to expand with full-time job opportunities that now include think tanks, various performance-based companies and education centers, and work that spans from local, grass roots arts advocacy to state and national cultural policy and research analysis.