People in museum

Master of Arts
Visual Arts Administration

How to Apply
MA, Visual Arts Administration

Still Accepting Applications

Apply Now

Become a Visual Arts Administrator

Our Visual Arts Administration MA was the first in the nation to focus on visual arts management careers in both traditional and alternative contexts. This degree prepares you for leadership roles in a broad range of arts organizations. We take into account the cultural and economic impact of the visual arts, nationally and internationally, as well as the challenges facing the arts today.

Request Info
Visual Arts Administration students embrace at an exhibition. Two students hug in the foreground; one is facing the camera with a smile on her face. In the background, another student adjusts a painting installed on the wall.

Degree Details

Official Degree Title

Master of Arts in Visual Arts Administration

Format
Full-time or Part-time
Credits
39
Start Date
Fall
Application Deadline

We emphasize that approaches to leadership in visual arts management are varied and contextual. We also take advantage of New York City’s vibrant arts scene, which offers opportunities for hands-on experiential learning and connections to leading practitioners in the field. You will  engage with texts and alumni to gain practical skills and the knowledge needed to address challenges in the arts sector.

At a glance, we address the whole art ecology, including:

  • The role of the artist across time and cultures
  • The cultural context in which arts organizations function
  • Literature analyzed from the viewpoints of practitioners, cultural theorists, critics, economists, sociologists, and art historians
  • Approaches to documenting, presenting, and interpreting artwork
  • Professional responsibilities within the arts sector, including those of dealers, collectors, curators, and educators

Learn about the Visual Arts Administration faculty.

Take advantage of unparalleled training within a university that is acclaimed for its preparation of leaders in the arts. Most of your classes are held in the Barney Building, which is located in the vibrant East Village close to NYU’s main campus and the arts scene further downtown. Courses are taught by leading arts scholars and practitioners in small seminar courses. Several courses bring the VAA community together in the historic Einstein Auditorium, including the Career Conversations series featuring arts experts from around the world.

Assignments consider contemporary challenges not yet resolved to case studies that demonstrate salient concepts. VAA acts as an intellectual hub that puts you in contact with dynamic professors and experts to forge a new future for arts management together. 

Using the program's extensive internship component and alumni networks, you will have access to a wide range of individuals and organizations in the field and increase the depth of your understanding of the complexities of this challenging area.

Upon completion of our program, our graduates:

  • Demonstrate an understanding of the creative process, how art and artists function in society.
  • Analyze the economic, political and social environment in which artists and arts organizations operate, including legal, ethical and policy issues
  • Identify and evaluate how artwork is interpreted, presented, documented and archived.
  • Critique and compare the structure, operations and management of organizations that present or produce artwork on various scales.
  • Outline strategies for marketing, audience development, outreach, and community development in the arts.
  • Have acquired business skills in accounting, finance, organizational theory, and management, as well as arts-related media and technology.
  • Have developed an expansive and inclusive world view of the visual arts field that values different global perspectives, identities, concerns, and goals.

Take the Next Step

Advance your personal and professional journey – apply to join our community of students.

Apply Now