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Performing Arts Management BS

The Performing Arts Management Programs are comprehensive interdisciplinary programs designed to prepare students for careers in the multi-faceted and extensive industry embracing administration of not-for-profit arts organizations (symphony orchestra, opera, chamber music, dance, theatre), commercial music management (recording industry, artist representation, music publishing and distribution, product merchandising, concert promotion), music licensing, music entrepreneurship, music festival management, and related areas of cultural management and policy. 

The programs have been designed to provide students a broad understanding of the performing arts management industry; insight into the theories and principles associated with arts management; and a proficiency in the practical application of necessary business skills. 

There are two distinct Performing Arts Management degrees, suited for students with specific backgrounds and career objectives.

  • Bachelor of Music (BM) in Performing Arts Management, Minor in Business Administration 
  • Bachelor of Science (BS) in Performing Arts Management, Minor in Business Administration 

Bachelor of Science (BS) in Performing Arts Management, Minor in Business Administration 

Students in the BS Performing Arts Management Program experience a significant focus on practice within the field. (This curriculum does not include applied lessons or participation in ensembles associated with Bachelor of Music programs.) Students enroll in a multi-term Performing Arts Management Practicum, where students obtain a supervised work experience within various departments of the new state-of-the-art Holtschneider Performance Center. In addition to the Practicum, those in the BS Performing Arts Management program undertake a core sequence of courses focused on the Performing Arts Management industry, as well as courses in Music Business, Music Publishing, Music Festival Management, Legal Issues in Music, and others. Additionally, in cooperation with the Driehaus School of Business, students receive a minor in business administration taking courses in Finance, Marketing, Management, Accounting, Statistics, and Economics, among others. An important component to the Performing Arts Management Program is an experiential component outside of the School of Music in the form of a Internships at any of the numerous approved companies or organizations. Internships have been completed at such places as Lyric Opera, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Grant Park Music Festival, Ravinia Festival, Aware Records, Metro Club, Old Town School of Folk Music, ASCAP, Steppenwolf Theatre, and many other arts organizations, music labels, venues and radio stations. This program is suited for students interested in acquiring the insight and skills necessary for a career in the music industry within the environment of an active and vibrant music performance center, without the performance component associated with traditional music degree programs.

Program Requirements Quarter Hours
Music Core Requirements 38
Liberal Studies Requirements 52
Specialization Requirements 90
Electives 12
Total hours required 192

Identify and analyze the elements of music in a given piece or genre, including an understanding of aesthetic properties as they relate to artistic, social, and historical contexts for works in the Western music tradition, Contemporary periods, Jazz, and World Music Cultures.

Demonstrate a growing competence in presentational aspects of performance, such as artist needs, technical requirements, venue/hall capabilities, audience and patron engagement and safety issues

​Program Specific Outcomes

Students will be able to:

  • Demonstrate an understanding of the theories and principles associated with the performing arts industry such as issues facing arts managers in the areas of leadership, marketing, development, community engagement, arts advocacy and other skills particular to the area of specialization.
  • Understand current music business issues and their impact on artist representation, digital music, distribution, emerging technologies, and marketing.
  • Demonstrate proficiency in business skills related to accounting, finance, marketing, management, economics, and ethics.

Core Requirements

Course Title Quarter Hours
MUS 107GUIDE TO MUSIC THEORY4
MUS 224MUSIC, HISTORY, AND CULTURE I4
MUS 225MUSIC, HISTORY, AND CULTURE II4
MUS 226GLOBAL MUSIC CULTURES4
MUS 277GUIDE TO MUSIC THEORY II4
MUS 310INTRODUCTION TO ETHNOMUSICOLOGY4
MUS 323MUSICOLOGY SEMINAR4
200 level MUS elective or MUS 3604

Liberal Studies Requirements

Honors program requirements can be found in the individual Colleges & Schools section of the University Catalog. Select the appropriate college or school, followed by Undergraduate Academics and scroll down. 

Plan of Study Grid
First Year ProgramHours
Chicago Quarter
LSP 110
DISCOVER CHICAGO
or EXPLORE CHICAGO
4
Focal Point
Not Required
Writing
WRD 103 COMPOSITION AND RHETORIC I 1 4
WRD 104 COMPOSITION AND RHETORIC II 1 4
Quantitative Reasoning
MAT 120 QUANTITATIVE REASONING 2 4
Sophomore Year
Race, Power, and Resistance
LSP 200 SEMINAR ON RACE, POWER, AND RESISTANCE 4
Junior Year
Experiential Learning
Not Required
Senior Year
Capstone
Not Required
1

Students must earn a C- or better in this course.

2

Readiness for MAT 120 is determined by the math placement test taken online after admission. Students may need to take developmental coursework prior to MAT 120. Students who complete MAT 120 and both a Computational Reasoning course and a Statistical Reasoning course in the Math and Computing Learning Domain take one less Learning Domain course. Students may not apply the course reduction to any Domain where only one course is required, and cannot be applied to the Scientific Inquiry Learning Domain.  The MAT 120 requirement may be waived by passing a dedicated proficiency exam or it may be fulfilled by credit for advanced math coursework earned  in-residence at DePaul (MAT 135MAT 136MAT 147MAT 148MAT 149MAT 150MAT 151MAT 152 MAT 155MAT 156MAT 160MAT 161MAT 162 MAT 170MAT 171MAT 172, or equivalent) or earned externally either as transfer credit from another college/university or as test credit through AP, CLEP, IB, or International A and A/S Level exams. Calculus course(s) may be used to fulfill any of the three QR/MCD requirements.

Learning Domains

Arts and Literature (AL)

  • 2 Courses Required

Historical Inquiry (HI)

  • 2 Courses Required

Math and Computing (MC)

  • Not Requried

Philosophical Inquiry (PI)

  • 1 Course Required

Religious Dimensions (RD)

  • 1 Course Required

Scientific Inquiry (SI)

  • 1 SWK Course or 1 Lab Course Required​​​

Social, Cultural, and Behavioral Inquiry (SCBI)

  • 1 Course Required

Notes

Courses offered in the student's primary major cannot be taken to fulfill LSP Domain requirements. If students double major, LSP Domain courses may double count for both LSP credit and the second major.

In meeting learning domain requirements, no more than one course that is outside the student’s major and is cross-listed with a course within the student’s major, can be applied to count for LSP domain credit. This policy does not apply to those who are pursuing a double major or earning BFA or BM degrees.

Major Requirements

Program Checkpoints

Students are admitted to a specialization at their initial enrollment. Students are then allowed to continue in specialization courses on the basis of program checkpoints. The program checkpoints differ for each specialization, and students should contact the department chairs or program directors/coordinators for more information. Students are not permitted to continue to enroll in specialization classes if they have not met the requirements of their program checkpoints.

Course Requirements

Course Title Quarter Hours
PAM 200INTRODUCTION TO MUSIC BUSINESS2
Performing Arts Management Sequence:
PAM 301PERFORMING ARTS MANAGEMENT I: INTRODUCTION TO MANAGEMENT CONCEPTS IN THE PERFORMING ARTS4
PAM 302PERFORMING ARTS MANAGEMENT II: ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE AND FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT4
PAM 303PERFORMING ARTS MANAGEMENT III: MARKETING FOR THE ARTS4
PAM 304PERFORMING ARTS MANAGEMENT IV: INSTITUTIONAL ADVANCEMENT & COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT4
Performing Arts Management Specialization. Select seven of the following:14
ARTIST MANAGEMENT IN COMMERCIAL MUSIC
TECHNOLOGICAL TRENDS & DEVELOPMENTS IN THE MUSIC INDUSTRY
LEGAL ISSUES IN THE MUSIC INDUSTRY
MUSIC PUBLISHING
MUSIC ENTREPRENEURSHIP
MUSIC FESTIVAL MANAGEMENT
TOPICS IN PERFORMING ARTS MANAGEMENT
Performing Arts Management Internship (2 quarters):4
PERFORMING ARTS MANAGEMENT INTERNSHIP
Performing Arts Management Practicum (9 quarters):18
PERFORMING ARTS MANAGEMENT PRACTICUM
Business Courses:
ACC 101INTRODUCTION TO ACCOUNTING I4
ACC 102INTRODUCTION TO ACCOUNTING II4
MAT 242ELEMENTS OF STATISTICS (or equivalent)4
FIN 290FINANCE FOR NON-BUSINESS MAJORS4
MGT 300PRINCIPLES OF MANAGEMENT4
BLW 201LEGAL & ETHICAL ASPECTS IN THE BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT4
MKT 301PRINCIPLES OF MARKETING4
ECO 105PRINCIPLES OF MICROECONOMICS4
Concepts in Management:
MGT 270INTRODUCTION TO ENTREPRENEURSHIP4
MGT 301PRINCIPLES OF OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT4
MGT 370BUSINESS PLAN DEVELOPMENT4-4.5
8 credits of Music & PAM Electives8
8 credits of Free Electives8

Liberal Studies Learning Domain Specifications

​Performing arts management majors enroll in the following courses within the learning domains:

Course Title Quarter Hours
MAT 130FUNCTIONS AND MATHEMATICAL MODELS4
ECO 105PRINCIPLES OF MICROECONOMICS4