Program Details

The Master of Art Administration is a three session coursework masters degree that combines a wide-ranging knowledge of the visual arts with skills in management, marketing and finance, as well as exhibition and curatorial practices, writing and documentation, and legal and theoretical studies. The program aims to equip graduates for leadership positions within the arts.

Students can also apply for the Graduate Diploma (two sessions full-time) or Graduate Certificate (one session full-time).

Art Administration course areas include:
Arts Management
Arts Management examines the management and administrative skills and knowledge required from individuals to take up positions as directors and managers of arts and related organisations. It covers aspects of management and work structures in existing institutions both large and small, public and commercial. It includes the establishment of new organisations, the planning and development of systems designed to ensure the delivery of services, the long term survival of arts institutions, their human and material resources and the concepts and ideals which drive them.

Arts Writing
Arts Writing is concerned with the kinds of writing that those working in art institutions most commonly undertake: writing from the perspective of the institution. It recognises that writing may have many different functions and writers must learn to adapt their style, vocabulary and technique, according to who will read the product. Issues addressed include the current debate on captions, writing for children and nonspecialist audiences, research techniques including oral history, press kits and media management, and genres of catalogues.

Art and Law
Art and Law is concerned with the ethical and legal implications of the interactions generated between artists, exhibiting spaces and the viewing/purchasing public in contemporary society. It is concerned with the development of a broader critical perspective on the cultural, legal, and moral contexts of gallery and museum management. Issues addressed include contracts, copyright, acquisitions and disposal of works, moral rights and censorship, conflict of interest, and the responsibilities of trustees and directors.

Curatorial Practices and Exhibition Management
Curatorial Practices and Exhibition Management is concerned with the theoretical and practical aspects of exhibition management. It engages with curatorial procedures and practice including the initiation, presentation, and interpretation and planning of art works in exhibition settings. The administrative skills necessary to mount exhibitions, the production of visual and written documentation and the methods of critical engagement with images and objects are examined.

Internship
Students undertake a project-based industry placement. Industry placements enable students to gain practical, supervised experience of gallery management, curatorial practice, public programs, art writing and other work areas related to the course. Industry placements have been hosted locally, interstate and overseas by: the National Gallery of Australia, Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York), Art Gallery of New South Wales, regional and commercial galleries in New South Wales, Sotheby’s Australia Pty Ltd, Australian Centre for Photography, State Library of New South Wales, Visual Arts/Craft Board of the Australia Council, Powerhouse Museum, and the Ministry for the Arts, New South Wales.

The MArtAdmin provides pathways to employment in the arts industries for both emerging careers and industry leaders. Students may work in fields including arts administration, curatorship, public programs, arts management, museum education, and community and public art projects. Writing careers include journalism, criticism, educational writing, research and policy. The degree recognises the significant changes that are taking place in the cultural sphere and prepares students for future employment in areas both inside and outside the traditional gallery/museum context.