Master Arts and Cultural Management: Erfahrungsberichte

The first time I heard about the Master of Arts and Cultural Management (MACUMA) at Leuphana University of Luneburg was when the Goethe institute- Palestine announced a scholarship for this programme to the workers at the cultural organisations in Palestine. Since I was in the middle of my second year working at the A.M. Qattan Foundation, one of the biggest cultural organisations in Palestine, I was encouraged to apply for the programme to enrich my knowledge and further develop my skills in the field.

The different modules and the balance between the theoretical and the practical courses made it the perfect programme for me. Moreover, studying from abroad, hence not having to quit or to take a break from work to finish my masters was an additional advantage.

Getting to meet and work with divers’ fellow students from all over the world and from different fields and backgrounds was a great opportunity to interact with inspiring people while learning from their experiences and practices. At the end of the day, the work in cultural field depends on relationships and I remember very well an advice that was given by one of the lecturers in the opening week in Luneburg to remember everyone in the room and to be friends with them, because that’s what counts in the cultural work.

With no doubt, the online studying didn’t come without challenges as nothing can compensate the face-to-face interaction, although it has become the new normal due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, this has developed my skills in time management and made me find a way to commit to the Program in addition to my other obligations. For me, what is special about the online studies is also the flexibility of time that it offers.

Learning about different theories related to cultural work, the practical examples and discussions with the lecturers and students have increased my confidence in dealing with cultural realities in the local context. Learning about theories of cultural production, cultural consumption, audience development and other subjects has given me new lenses to read the everyday practice in light of the complex relationships between the political, social and economic. The more you learn, the more you realise that there is a lot more that you still need to learn, although it might be frustrating sometimes, but I believe that this is the biggest win.

This new way of seeing made me capable of taking new steps in my work and more curious to experience new challenges that I’m confident I will be capable to deal with.

My advice for those who are willing to study while working is to prepare themselves for a period full of work, productivity and energy. It might be stressful sometimes, so a time management skill is much needed. The most important thing is to always remember yourselves that each moment of stress is worthy for the time you gain on the long run and the benefit you get from combining the work experience with studies.

After finishing my BA in Italian literature and my MA in multilingual communications. I decided to start a new professional masters that focuses on art and cultural management to develop my career and learn new skills. At the same time I was looking for an online program because I am committed to a full time job.

The flexibility that it offers in addition to the diversity of students. In my current cohort there are students from different backgrounds, countries and cultures.

The class I am taking at the moment; “Empowerment, Diversity & Participation” is very interesting and does cross all borders. The rich content about cultural management from all over the world in addition to some sociology and politics is interesting.

The fact that we learn about fields in which I am not an expert makes me aware of how all disciplines collide.

When I started the program, I was a communication officer and 6 months later I was promoted to be the cultural manager of the Institut français de Jordanie. MACUMA did have a big impact behind choosing me.

MACUMA did open new doors for my career, it made me able to shift to a senior position within my organization.

The multidisciplinary and the management skills that I learnt thanks to my studies at Leuphana professional school. These skills that are not limited to culture and arts

The program is very flexible and has a lot of online content. Even if one is overwhelmed with daily work duties; all webinars and recorded or pre-recorded, thus, it is possible to watch any seminar at the time that suits their schedule.

There are many videos and content online that explain the course in details, in addition to online brochures and immediate feedback from the course’s coordinators.

Montserrat Ros studiert seit 2018 in der 60-CP-Variante des Master Arts and Cultural Management. Die Kolumbianerin lebt und arbeitet in Hamburg.

I found out about the Master of Arts and Cultural Management (MACUMA) at Leuphana University of Lüneburg while browsing through potential master programmes with focus on the arts and cultural sector. I initiated that search with rather small hopes of finding a programme that didn’t involve a major life adjustment such as potentially having to quit my job or having to relocate or both - at least temporarily. The first would have been very inconvenient and the second quite uncomfortable taking into consideration that due to different life circumstances, I moved six times (out of which four were to a different country) within the three years prior to my settlement in Hamburg, Germany. I’m most grateful to the MACUMA programme of the Professional School because it offered me the opportunity to further my educational qualifications without having to make undesirable compromises.

Whereas combining full-time work with the studies has proven to be a great challenge, it has nevertheless taught me a new level of time-management and organisational skills, which have demonstrated to be extremely useful in life outside the academic sphere. Studying mostly online provides the necessary flexibility to incorporate the studies into one’s daily routine and the user-friendly online platform of the Professional School is key to this endeavour. I would advise others thinking of studying while working, especially when the workload is the toughest, to not lose sight of the benefits and the goal one is pursuing, as in the end, it is my opinion that the advantages surpass the difficulties of juggling work, studies and life while having less free time at night. 

Another important advantage from this programme has been the networking possibilities with my fellow students from all over the world, many of whom I now consider as friends and with whom I will surely meet again (once we agree on a country and time zone) in the future.

A further appealing factor about this Masters programme is that it comprises a carefully curated spectrum of subjects in management, cultural sustainability, marketing and research methods, as well as key supporting electives that both expand and complement the learning process and that very well connect with my academic background in international business, my work in international cooperation and my interest in culture and cultural studies.