Arts & Cultural Management Masters: Course Content

Students on the Arts and Cultural Management Masters have a choice of modules and combinations, and can opt for either a three-semester or four-semester programme (60 or 90 CP). Both options (60 CP and 90 CP) are distance-learning studies and include one week of attendance in Lüneburg each year. 

All programme courses and seminars are taught in English.

The 90 CP variant includes more content since you study all of the 15 modules from the curriculum. In the 60 CP variant you study 7 mandatory modules plus 2 mandatory elective modules which you can choose.

Each module lasts 6 weeks. The modules follow one after the other. Most of the tasks can be done whenever it suits you best as we offer a highly flexible learning environment. However, from time to time there are webinars taking place during the week. We calculate a workload of 21 hours per week.

You will be introduced to a topic through an online lecture with correspondent literature and further study materials. In the course of the classes you are working on assignments to successfully complete the class. Additional to these, you will meet, learn and discuss with your lecture via live online seminars.

Master Arts and Cultural Management 60 CP variant: Modules ©Leuphana Professional School
Master Arts and Cultural Management (M.A.): The Modules in the 60 CP variant
Master Arts and Cultural Management (M.A.): The Modules in the 90 CP variant ©Leuphana Professional School
Master Arts and Cultural Management (M.A.): The Modules in the 90 CP variant

Focus modules: Methods and Tools

  • F1 Methods for Analysing Markets & Building Strategies (5 CP)
  • F8 Qualitative & Quantitative Methods (5 CP)

Focus modules: Arts & Cultural Consumption and Audiences

  • F3 Theories of Arts Consumption / Reception / Experience (5 CP)
  • F4 Audience Development (5 CP) - elective on 60 CP course
  • F9 Communication & Branding Strategies (5 CP) - elective on 60 CP course

Focus modules: Arts & Cultural Production and Cultural Organizations

  • F2 Theories of Art Production and Organizations (5 CP)
  • F5 International Law & Cultural Politics (5 CP) - elective on 60 CP course
  • F6 Developing Cultural Organizations (5 CP) - elective on 60 CP course
  • F7 Accounting, Finance, Fundraising (5 CP) - elective on 60 CP course

Goethe-Institut modules: International Cultural Management in Transition

  • F10 Culture & Transformation (5 CP)
  • F11 Culture & Cooperation (5 CP) - elective on 60 CP course
  • F12 Participation, Diversity & Empowerment (5 CP) - elective on 60 CP course
  • F13 Culture & Sustainability (5 CP) - elective on 60 CP course
  • F14 Culture & Digitality (5 CP)

Complementary studies

  • C1 The Individual & Interaction (Introduction to the study programme) (optional)
  • C3 Society & Responsibility (5 CP)

Masters Dissertation

  • Masters Dissertation (15 CP)

Focus modules: Methods and Tools

F1 Methods for Analysing Markets & Building Strategies (5 CP)

This first specialist module introduces you to the field of strategic management. You will learn about current market and resource analysis processes and how to use strategic management techniques in cultural organisations and to work with existing markets.

Lecturer: Prof. Dr. Dorit Kluge
Annually (Sep - Nov), exact dates on request

Course content

  • What is strategic management? Why should it be applied in the arts/cultural sector?
  • Elements of organisational identity, how to define strategic objectives
  • Analysis of the macro-external and micro-external environment, analysis of an organisation’s internal situation, SWOT analysis
  • Overview of the main strategy categories, how to conceive programme-market strategies in the arts/cultural sector, evaluation of strategic alternatives, strategy choice

Learning outcomes and competencies

  • To know the phases of the strategic management process
  • To understand the necessity of strategic management in the arts/cultural sector
  • To know and to explain the elements of organisational identity and the criteria of the strategic analysis process (external and internal analysis)
  • To classify organisational strategies and to compare strategic alternatives
  • To analyse and to evaluate practical cases in strategic management
  • To apply knowledge to specific cases in the student’s own working experience
  • To elaborate the organisational identity for new projects/organisations
  • To carry out a strategic analysis
  • To conceive an adequate strategy mix for projects/organisations in the arts/cultural sector

F8 Qualitative & Quantitative Methods (5 CP)

This module is the ideal preparation for your Masters dissertation. It will teach you the most important aspects of a range of data collection methods, for example for visitor research, and will prepare you for developing and implementing your own research concepts and evaluating their findings.

Lecturer: Kathrin Hohmaier
Annually (Aug - Oct), exact dates on request

Course content

  • Logic and principles of empirical social research
  • Approaches, methods and instruments in empirical social research
  • Data collection in quantitative and qualitative research
  • Data preparation and analysis in quantitative and qualitative research

Learning outcomes and competencies

  • Students know different approaches of data collection for fields of cultural production, distribution and perception
  • Ability to develop and carry out own research concepts for their master thesis
  • Ability to collect data and prepare it for analysis
  • Students know how to proceed with an analysis
  • Students know about gradual differences in method ranges (Qualitative – Quantitative)
  • Students have an approach to empirical thinking and analysis following an empirical database
  • Students can focus on appropriate choice of means and methods to examine a certain subject (strong subject orientation)

Focus modules: Arts & Cultural Consumption and Audiences

F3 Theories of Arts Consumption / Reception / Experience (5 CP)

This foundation module looks at the conditions affecting, forms of and developments in the consumption of cultural goods and services. You will learn to evaluate these factors in the light of transformational social processes in particular. You will also gain an insight into the expectations and behaviour of a wide range of visitor groups.

Lecturer: Dr. Steven Hadley
Annually (Dec – Feb), exact dates on request

Course content

  • Introduction to key terms and concepts
  • Arts consumers and marketing
  • Prosumption and the arts experience
  • Transformational social processes and the arts

Learning outcomes and competencies

  • Understand arts consumption, reception and experience through different theoretical lenses
  • Consider how people experience the arts differently from one another and how this can affect artistic programming and management
  • Identify and assess some key tools and techniques of marketing and audience development for arts organisations
  • Understand how arts initiatives can catalyse and support positive change, and the utilitarianism vs arts for arts sake debate
  • Relate and describe conceptual marketing approaches to real world scenarios within arts organisations
  • Relate concepts about arts consumption, reception and experience to issues explored in other modules, such as cultural policy, audience development and strategic decision-making

F4 Audience Development (5 CP) - elective on 60 CP course

This module covers analysis and strategy development for a wide range of visitor groups. After completing this module, you will be able to differentiate between and analyse relevant target groups for cultural services, and will be familiar with the various levels at and ways in which you can appeal to visitors when developing those services.

Lecturer: Dr. Steven Hadley
Annually (Feb – Mar), exact dates on request

Course content

  • The discourse of audience development – what is it?
  • Understanding the audience: motivations for, and barriers to, arts consumption
  • The limitations of audience development
  • Understanding the democratic dilemma of audience development

Learning outcomes and competencies

  • Define and categorize the different goals of audience development
  • Realize the difference between an arts management orientation and a cultural policy orientation
  • Situate audience development in a range of democratic policy contexts
  • Gain knowledge about behaviours, motivations and barriers in arts consumption in different population groups
  • Understand how the characteristics of the arts demand a mediation approach in arts marketing and audience development
  • Analyse how audience development functions at the level of ideology
  • Understanding the democratic dilemma of audience development

F9 Communication & Branding Strategies (5 CP) - elective on 60 CP course

This module covers integrated communication and branding concepts at both a digital and analogue level. After completing this module, you will be familiar with the key principles for creating a corporate identity in integrated communication and will be able to develop your own campaigns on that basis.

Lecturer: Christian Holst
Annually (May-Jun), exact dates on request

Course content

  • Introduction: defining principles of communication and branding for the arts
  • Branding strategies: analysing and learning from branding strategies
  • Integrated Marketing Communications: principles of communicating with your audience on different platforms
  • Assignment: developing and reflecting approaches for branding and communication campaigns

Learning outcomes and competencies

  • Define the requirements for a holistic branding on both, analogue and digital, levels
  • Develop own branding concepts
  • Define and apply principles for the implementation of a Corporate Identity
  • Analyse branding strategies
  • Analyse the conditions for integrated marketing campaigns
  • Understand and explore the principles of digital communication
  • Develop own campaigns, using the approach of integrated marketing communications

Focus modules: Arts & Cultural Production and Cultural Organizations

F2 Theories of Art Production and Organizations (5 CP)

This module explores the environment and framework for the production of cultural goods. It provides an overview of current theories on the production of cultural goods, and you will critically reflect on these theories in the context of professional practice. You will also analyse the role of cultural organisations within their broad network in society, in politics and on the market.

Lecturer: Dr. Su Fern Hoe
Annually (Nov – Dec), exact dates on request

Course content

  • Sociology of the arts: arts field, systems and organisations
  • Art Organisations: organisational theory and analysis
  • Production of culture: the production of cultural goods, value chains and constraints
  • Cultural Ecologies: preservation, citizenship and network connectivity in the creative economy

Learning outcomes and competencies

  • Familiarity with contemporary sociological organisation theories and cultural field theories
  • Ability to engage in critical reflection in practical contexts
  • Ability to situate cultural organisations within social, market and political networks

F5 International Law & Cultural Politics (5 CP) - elective on 60 CP course

This module will familiarise you with the fundamental cultural policy environment and framework from an international perspective. You will also learn about current media law, data protection and copyright requirements in both an analogue and digital (international) environment.

Lecturer: Dr. Olga Kolokytha
Annually (Jun – Jul), exact dates on request

Course content

  • Introduction to international organisations and cultural policies
  • Key concepts of international cultural policy
  • Principles of copyright and intellectual property

Learning outcomes and competencies

  • Learn the frameworks of international organisations related to cultural policy such as UNESCO, WIPO, WTO, OECD and the European Union, and introduce key policy documents related to cultural policy, as well as some basic principles of cultural diplomacy
  • Learn the key concepts related to international cultural policies such as human rights, cultural democracy, democratisation of culture, sustainable development, cultural diversity
  • Learn the principles and frameworks of privacy, copyright and intellectual property and understand their interconnection with cultural policy

F6 Developing Cultural Organizations (5 CP) - elective on 60 CP course

This module is split into two parts, theory and practice. The theory unit teaches you the basics of entrepreneurship and how to control change processes in organisations. In the second part of the module, you will apply what you have learned to a specific project, drawing up a strategic plan or concept for innovation.

Lecturer: Soohye Jang
Annually (Oct – Nov), exact dates on request

Course content

  • How can we best explain change within arts and cultural organization? How can we initiate change and why is it so difficult? What are the tools and tactics people use to get their ideas heard and made into reality? Where do change projects run into trouble and what are the innovative and creative ways of making change last?  
  • To answer those and other questions we explore different ways of understanding and leading change in organizations. We think about “organizational development” jargon from a critical standpoint, aiming to understand what lurks beneath the surface, and approaching the subject from multiple perspectives, we address these questions creatively and pragmatically, imaging what works and what is worthwhile. There are four main lines of attack:  
    • explore Rational Planning for organizational development and the role of project management and life-cycle models in structuring change
    • explore Cultural Participative models for organizational change with look towards organizational culture, HRM, and the need to get people on board
    • explore the role of Power and Politics in leading organizational change
    • explore the role of Aesthetic Energy in artistic leadership and creative organizational innovation.    

Learning outcomes and competencies

  • students are capable to analyze and describe change processes in arts organizations
  • students are able to develop strategies for arts organizations, taking into account given resources and conditions
  • students feel confident to lead change projects in cultural organization
  • students can recognize resistance to change, possible conflicts, and opposition tactics
  • students are familiar with concepts of creativity, ideas and innovation in arts management context

F7 Accounting, Finance, Fundraising (5 CP) - elective on 60 CP course

This module takes an advanced look at financial planning within cultural organisations and cultural projects. You will also learn to plan and run your own fundraising campaigns.

Lecturer: Dr. Tom Koch
Annually (Jan – Feb), exact dates on request

Course content

  • The financial ecosystem in the arts
  • Public funding
  • Private funding
  • Financial management & accounting
  • Earned income

Learning outcomes and competencies

  • Systematically describe forms, processes, sources and mechanisms of funding in arts organizations
  • Plan the financial set-up of an arts organization strategically
  • Distinguish public, philanthropic and corporate arts funding
  • Understand how to apply for, and report on funds
  • Outline the opportunities to earn income from marketing products and services  
  • Read, assess and draft a detailed budget, both for a project and an organization
  • Understand the links between funding and other tasks within arts management

Goethe-Institut modules: International Cultural Management in Transition

F10 Culture & Transformation (5 CP)

This module introduces students to the current challenges of international cultural management. You will learn to recognise and assess those challenges. Globalisation, digitisation and the role of cultural management and cultural managers in society are some of the key issues addressed.

Lecturer: Dr. Patrick Föhl
Annually (Mar – May), exact dates on request

Course content

  • What is transformation (for you)?
  • What does transformation mean for your work?
  • How to deal with transformation?
  • Your role in transformation processes and final reflection

Learning outcomes and competencies

  • Understanding of different transformation processes, how they came into being, and how they influence the cultural field.
  • Understanding the role, impact and responsibility of culture as well as cultural policy and cultural management in social, political and economic transformation processes.
  • Ability to position themselves concerning their role(s) as cultural managers in a changing world.

F11 Culture & Cooperation (5 CP) - elective on 60 CP course

This module explores global challenges in more depth and looks at the strategic option of collaborations. After completing this module, you will be familiar with the types and specific features of cultural partnerships at various different levels and be able to integrate these into strategic concepts.

Lecturer: Claire Burnill-Maier
Annually (Nov – Jan), exact dates on request

Course content

  • What is meant by ‘cooperation’?
  • Theories of cooperation, instrumentality and value
  • Understanding cooperation and coopetition
  • Identifying partners

Learning outcomes and competencies

  • Understanding the rationale for undertaking cooperative projects
  • Ability to identify potential actors and / or projects and with actors from adjacent fields into the context of the current social transformation – both nationally and internationally
  • Ability to independently develop prototypes of cooperation and also experiment with new organizational and network concepts
  • Students will have developed an interdisciplinary understanding of how this field is developing internationally
  • Understanding the relevance of aspects including “coopetition” and “co-creation”

F12 Participation, Diversity & Empowerment (5 CP) - elective on 60 CP course

This module explores the societal role of cultural management in more depth and in terms of participative approaches. You will learn to implement participative models within and outside cultural organisations, to create opportunities for visitor and staff input and to contribute to community-building processes.

Lecturers: Beth Ponte
Annually (Mar-May), exact dates on request

Course content

  • Introduction: Who are we? Are we empowered? What are our frames of reference?
  • Key terminology and concepts of participation, empowerment, and diversity
  • Case studies on participatory/community arts/co-creation Projects
  • Cultural equity and how to achieve creative justice
  • Empowerment strategies
  • Leadership
  • Social impact/value assessment

Learning outcomes and competencies

  • Understand the key terminology and concepts of transcultural management
  • Outline the development of community engagement and distinguish it from audience development
  • Learn about different empowerment strategies
  • Consider the theoretical issues of cultural equity and Creative Justice and apply them to different organisations
  • Reflect critically on the evaluation and the assessment of cultural impact
  • Consider upcoming challenges particularly but not exclusively in the context of digitisation for the sector and how to deal with them
  • Self-critically reflect on own leadership styles and biases

F13 Culture & Sustainability (5 CP) - elective on 60 CP course

In this module, you will learn about the various forms of sustainable cultural management at an economic, social and ecological level, and develop techniques for implementing these models within cultural organisations and projects.

Lecturer: Dr. Annett Baumast
Annually (Feb - Mar), exact dates on request

Course content

  • Sustainability with a focus on environmental and social sustainability as well as the political framework for sustainability
  • Concepts of Culture and sustainable development; possible roles of culture and the cultural sector in sustainable development
  • On the ground: Guidelines for a more environmentally and socially sustainable practice in the cultural sector

Learning outcomes and competencies

  • Know and understand key ideas of sustainability and the accompanying discourse
  • Know and understand the political regime around sustainability
  • Understand possible roles of culture and the cultural sector in the sustainability discourse and practice
  • Be able to build an argument for making cultural productions and practice more environmentally and socially sound
  • Get to know dimensions and practical advice on how to develop cultural projects as well as everyday routines in the cultural sector towards more environmental and social sustainability
  • Develop a strategy for more environmental and social sustainability for an existing or planned project

F14 Culture & Digitality (5 CP)

In this interdisciplinary module students reflect on the conditions and effects of digital transformation processes on cultural production and reception. The transformation of the role and relevance of cultural actors in the digital condition will be addressed as well as the question how they can contribute to the societal process of sensemaking in digital transformation.

Lecturer: Christian Holst & Dr. Marguerite Rumpf
Annually (May - June), exact dates on request

Course content
 
One problem facing young fields of knowledge and research is that a uniform terminology must first emerge. This is not yet the case for digitality: Sometimes, the same terms are used differently and different terms are sometimes used synonymously.

  • In the first phase, we will therefore develop a uniform understanding of the terms and deal with the basic technical concepts of the digital.
  • In the second phase, we go into more detail and deal with concrete options, tools and modes of digitality. We reflect on how these can be applied and made beneficial in the cultural sector, i.e. how cultural players can make sense of the digital transformation for themselves.
  • In the third phase of the course, we address the question of how cultural players can give sense in the societal process of digital transformation. How can they take on a leading role as inspiration and contribute to positive and constructive perspectives for the digital transformation of society as a whole?

Learning outcomes and competencies
 
After completing the module students

  • are familiar with basic theoretical concepts about digital transformation,
  • are aware of major effects of digital transformation on artistic production and consumption,
  • are able to reflect on major opportunities and risks of digital transformation in relation to artistic production and consumption,
  • feel confident to lead digital transformation in their field of expertise.

Complementary studies

C1 The Individual & Interaction (Introduction to the study programme) (optional)

This module is an introduction to your degree and to working with the learning platform. You will learn the basics of academic writing and research, modern time management skills and techniques for ensuring a good work-life balance.

Learning outcomes and competencies

  • Ability to work with the teaching platform.
  • Knowledge about a range of additional online collaboration tools
  • Ability to write scientific texts, taking into account given principles of quoting and structuring
  • Familiarity with all relevant information regarding examinations and course work

C3 Society & Responsibility (5 CP)

After completing this module, you will be able to apply theories of leadership, change management and organisational ethics to specific situations in your own personal and professional context. You will be able to assess leadership styles, processes and challenges for organisational ethics from different perspectives and anticipate the positive and negative impact of management action.

  • The C3 module is offered across all Professional School programmes as a joint module. This means students from different programmes join this online module so that they can benefit from their respective experiences in very different professional and academic contexts.
  • Consequently, one of the key aims of all courses of the C3 module is to promote inter- and multidisciplinary exchange and encourage students to look at issues from a different perspective.
  • In contrast to the subject-specific modules, module C3 focuses not on learning specific skills in the respective discipline but on developing and improving general political skills which are relevant to all.

Masters Dissertation

Masters Dissertation (15 CP)

The final semester is set aside for writing your Masters dissertation. Your dissertation can be related to your place of work and its specific cultural, political and social aspects.

Course Content

  • Introduction into scientific working
  • Citation style and avoiding plagiarism
  • Identifying a research question
  • Useful advice

Learning Outcomes and Competences

  • Understand the particularities of scientific working
  • Developing of research questions
  • Applying the correct citation style

Important documents

300 CP Guideline

In order to obtain the Master's degree, 300 CP of student workload must be able to be proven due to legal regulations after completion of the degree programme including the initial academic training. Students have the opportunity to acquire any CP that may still be lacking, e.g. by taking additional elective modules during their continuing education studies. The duration of study is extended accordingly. Further information

Contact & Advising

Coordinator

Christian Holst
Universitätsallee 1, C6.217
21335 Lüneburg
Fon +49.4131.677-2534
christian.holst@leuphana.de

Coordinator

Sabine Engel
Universitätsallee 1, C6.217
21335 Lüneburg
Fon +49.4131.677-1858
sabine.engel@leuphana.de

E-mail contact

Please feel free to contact the team of the study programme via macuma.info@leuphana.de or the team of our cooperation partner via macuma.info@goethe.de.