1. Introduction to the Programme

The BA (Hons) in Arts Management Programme is a four-year full-time course of modular studies. Years 1, 2 & 4 are IBS-based, Year 3 is employment experience (Placement). The programme is delivered in English and is committed to the concept “Where Creativity Meets Commerce” with integrated high-impact business practices integrated into a hands-on programme that focuses on managing both the people and the companies which make up the arts and events organisational communities. IBS in combined partnership with Oxford Brookes University, UK, offers students the most comprehensive arts management programme in Central Europe.

2. Programme Learning Outcomes

As you complete the programme you will have developed a critical awareness of organisations in and around the creative industries; you will have acquired a thorough knowledge and understanding of arts and events management; and, very importantly, you will have developed effective skills required in both the business and creative fields.

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING

By the end of the programme you will have

• Developed an understanding of the socio-cultural relationships between art and art management.
• Developed a general understanding of finance, accounting and law.
• Acquired specialized knowledge of the laws which govern ownership internationally and how they apply to art, media, events, and human resources.
• Acquired specialised knowledge in specific arts areas (Media Production, Event Coordination or Gallery, Museum & Appraisal).
• Understood the impact of new media and technology on all aspects of the fields of arts management.
• Developed a general understanding the personal challenges facing artists and other creators of art objects. 

DISCIPLINARY / PROFESSIONAL SKILLS

By the end of the programme you will have

• Been familiarised with the practical and theoretical information which guides decisions in the field of arts management.
• Developed required research skills to make decisions which are required to make you successful in any field of the arts.
• Applied new media and technology in the creation of art objects.
• Applied professional practise knowledge in the creation of art. 

TRANSFERABLE SKILLS

By the end of the programme you will have

• Searched for, analysed and interpreted in formation systematically.
• Developed critical thinking skills.
• Practised effective presentation & communication skills.
• Solved problems creatively.
• Learned the essentials of working in teams.
• Practised self-management and self evaluation. 

3. Programme Structure

During the first two years, the compulsory modules provide a general background to, and understanding of both the business and art worlds. The teaching of business skills is a key part of the curriculum: for example, the modules of Finance, Principles of Business, Legal Environment for Business, and Project Management are all designed to provide business and management skills. Additionally, the programme introduces you to the basic tools of working in a creative, artistic environment. Specially created modules provide the foundations of viewing art as a series of historical  movements, a study of aesthetics, as well as viewing arts as both an academic area and a creative business. The four-year programme also covers managing art including non-profit, governmental and private work environments – all from an international perspective. The programme also provides an opportunity to get personally involved in the creation of artistic objects (photographic, drawn, three-dimensional, and digital) and then, using information given in previous modules, present them in formal exhibitions. The third year of the programme is a Placement (work experience) year. The fourth year compulsory modules build on both the experience of working in the field during the third year and the previous two years of study. These modules focus attention on the advanced aspects of the arts and events fields and expose the intricate relationships that make up the field as a whole. These modules bring into focus the current technological, social and political issues that shape the industries as a whole.

PLACEMENT  

The third year of the programme is dedicated to putting what you have learnt into practice in a real-life environment – the workplace. The Placement, which is central to the learning process in the Arts Management Programme, is a compulsory element. Extensive support is given to you to ensure that you find a suitable placement workplace. During the placement period IBS provides you with considerable support and advice on your progress either in person or by telephone or e-mail.

SKILLS

The employment prospects of the arts and events management fields are diverse and are integrated into many areas of the business climate. The IBS Arts Management programme is therefore carefully designed to give you the opportunity to focus on several different areas. In the first two years, you will gain a wide variety of common skills in the major fields of arts and events management each semester – including film/video, governmental cultural organizations, digital technology, event venues, and the gallery/museum. In addition to a common set of skills, the curriculum provides you with the focused skills needed to specialize in an area.
The fourth year has other special features. During this concluding year, you must accomplish a significant piece of written and/or creative work over a considerable period of time. The project might be the filming of a personally written screenplay, for example; or a researched case study in a particular nation’s art policy.

4. Progression of Knowledge

Each of the four years provides specific information which interacts with information from other modules in the next semester or year. For example, the module Principles of Business establishes the foundation for the Legal Environment for Business module in the next semester. This creates a progression of learning for each student. Moreover, each of the four years has combinations of modules which have a common origin and, as such, each year has been named:

Year 1 – Foundations – provides you with essential information to help you more easily comprehend information in future semesters. Foundations in business practices combined with a general understanding of art theory and art history afford the students the wide range of established practices that are utilized in nearly all areas of the Arts.

Year 2 – Infrastructure/Influence – offers the students a series of modules which illustrate how the field is structured and, moreover, what outside influences manipulate the arts both historically and at present. In the Arts Management - Ownership and Human Resource Management modules you will begin to understand how the combination of people, technology and culture affect the way a society values different aspects of the arts over others. These modules are written to be combined with the Art History modules which emphasize how religion, politics, and philosophy influence views of the arts and how they affect the creation of art.

Year 3 – the Placement – The programme is designed in such a way that first and second year studies combine together to provide a good preparation for the compulsory element in year 3 -the employment experience. Two modules, Organisations of International Co-operation and Principles of Global Business are taught in an e-supported consultation-based mode, so that you can take them parallel to your placement work.

Year 4 – Leadership/Management – shows you what it means to be a leader in the field and provides you with the knowledge and background to become one. Through case studies, guest lectures and participatory classrooms you are immersed in the intricacies of arts management. You are encouraged to express yourself in the classroom and formulate your fresh ideas into thoughtprovoking realities. In the fourth year you are also given the opportunity to create and lead a major project of your own design allowing you to shine in your particular area of interest. This project, in turn, becomes your Honours Thesis.

OPTIONS

In addition to a common set of skills, the curriculum provides you with the focused skills needed to specialize in an area – giving the advanced expertise required for management-level work in the areas of:

• Media Production (including television, radio, film, web and graphics design)
• Gallery, Museum and Appraisal
• Event Coordination

The Advanced Art Options provide an opportunity for you to develop genuine proficiency in a particular professional area of the arts. One of three sets of advanced classes – called concentration selections – will be added to your programme schedule for that year.

DISSERTATION / PROJECT WORK

According to the requirements of Oxford Brookes University, there is no dissertation on the Arts Management programme. Instead you are to create and carry out a Special Project that becomes your Honours Thesis.

FINAL EXAMINATIONS

In order to receive an award, you are required to undertake a final defence of your Special Project. In order to qualify for the final defence candidates

• Must have acquired a final certificate (“absolutorium”) certifying that the required numberand composition of credits has been collected.
• Must have successfully completed the Placement year.
• Must have a Special Project ready & marked by two markers -- one being an external marker.

The final examination itself normally lasts 20 minutes. It consists of a presentation of your work and of its defence before a panel of three examiners.

5. Employment

Here are just a few areas where graduates with this degree can pursue a career: International & National Art Galleries, State & Private Museums, Event Coordination, Auction Houses, Media Production (including Television, Radio, Film, Web and Graphics Design), Photography Studios & Agencies, Theatre & Concert Management and Popular Music Management (venues & artists).