Master of Professional Studies in Arts and Cultural Leadership

For more course information, visit the U of M Schedule Builder.

Working with an advisor, you'll select elective courses from academic departments across the University of Minnesota, forming a specialization in an area of interest. Courses must be taken at the graduate level, approved by the Director of Graduate Studies, and should relate to the professional tasks required of arts and cultural leaders or enhance your understanding of the arts and culture within a broader cultural context.

Electives may include, but are not limited to, the following colleges and departments, such as:

• Civic Engagement (CIVE)
• Design (DES)
• Public Affairs (PA), which includes urban and regional planning, human rights, nonprofit management
• Heritage Studies and Public History (HSPH)
• Landscape Architecture (LA)
• Museum Studies (MST)
• Organizational Leadership, Policy and Development (OLPD)
• Journalism and Mass Communication (JOUR)
• Geography (GEOG)

For detailed course information, visit the U of M Schedule Builder and enter the designator above.

Students are also encouraged to explore ACL elective courses to complement their professional goals and career preparation.

ACL Electives

• Financial Management for Arts Nonprofits, Community Organizations, and Artists (ACL 5241, 3 cr)
• Courageous Imagination in Action: Art and Culture as Forces and Resources of Change (ACL 5251, 3 cr)
• Culture, Place, and Community: Ways of Living Together in the 21st Century (ACL 5261, 3 cr)
• Special Topics (ACL 5950, 1−4 cr)

Arts and Cultural Leadership students complete a comprehensive capstone project as the culmination of their graduate degree. Take a look at some of the wide-ranging capstone projects our ACL students have completed over the years!

Our program is designed to give you a broad, career-boosting experience. You will enhance your skills in:

• Equitable and inclusive leadership
• Leading system change in the arts and culture sector
• Creative placemaking
• Navigating ethical dilemmas
• Fundraising and budgeting
• Collaboration and relationship building
• Cultural competency

Much like a traditional master of arts or master of science, a master of professional studies is a graduate degree that requires roughly three years of post-secondary schooling. However, there are subtle differences between these three degrees. Where the MA and MS degrees are earned more through study and the development of a thesis, the MPS degree combines study with the real-world skills needed to succeed in the workplace. Instead of a thesis, there is usually a capstone project requirement. And while traditional degree courses are taught by tenured faculty, MPS courses may be taught by working professionals.

In a nutshell, earning your master of professional studies may better prepare you to hit the ground running even before graduation. This is because MPS courses give you an inside look into the profession as well as the management tools needed to be an effective leader.

Students typically take 2-4 years to complete the master's degree, depending on how many credits they take per semester.

Arts management or administration refers mainly to carrying out the day-to-day operations and programming within an arts-related organization. Arts administrators often develop, plan, and evaluate arts and cultural programs.

Arts leadership, however, focuses more on creative problem-solving, critical thinking, and making positive change within organizations. It goes beyond management of systems to address complex arts and cultural issues and rethink what role arts and culture can play in communities.

In a cultural leadership position, one of your main responsibilities may be raising awareness around an issue, person, group, or organization. Cultural leadership combines a community’s history and experience with art and community engagement. It has deep ties to social justice and grassroots advocacy. As a cultural leader, you'll work closely with the community you serve to effect change, educate, enlighten, and foster civic behavior.

To be an effective cultural leader, you'll need strong skills in communication, collaboration, and entrepreneurship. You'll be required to maintain high standards of ethics, be resourceful and authentic, and be able to connect and inspire others. This role is one that is service-oriented, relationship-based, and rooted in community engagement.

Letters of recommendation are an additional way to share your story with the admission panel, but not submitting letters of recommendation will not decrease your chances of admission. If you’re concerned that some areas of your application are not particularly strong, you may want to include a letter of recommendation that supports that area of your application. For example, if you feel that your resume doesn’t show the extent of your professional experience, you might ask a supervisor of a recent volunteer position to write a letter of recommendation about the impact you’ve made in their organization.

CCAPS Graduate Education programs do not provide living stipends, research assistantships, or teaching assistantships as might be expected in a typical PhD program.

• US based students: CCAPS offers modest financial need-based scholarships to eligible students, and a limited number of merit-based scholarships. However, in most cases students work while going to school in order to cover living expenses and pay tuition out of pocket, including health insurance. 
• International students: Are not eligible for federal financial aid or CCAPS scholarships and must show financial evidence showing that they can cover tuition, living expenses, and the Student Health Benefit plan health insurance during their period of study. To learn more about planning for these expenses, visit Plan Your Expenses or make an appointment with International Student and Scholar Services (ISSS).