Bringing Business Insight and Leadership to the Arts

Arts and cultural managers bring energy, connection, sustainability, and impact to the arts at a local, regional, national, and international scale. They combine business strategy with community insights in innovative and resourceful ways. And they connect artists, the arts, and audiences in ways that transform their communities.

For over four decades, the Wisconsin School of Business Arts Administration major has been the graduate degree program of choice for high-potential arts and cultural managers seeking intensive training in business, an immersion in strategic and innovative thinking, and a broad and dynamic knowledge of nonprofit cultural management. The degree has delivered on that promise through its world-class business curriculum, continual interaction with leading practitioners, and hands-on work experiences for every student.

If your career interests involve managing or leading initiatives in the arts, culture, heritage, or the humanities, come explore how the Wisconsin MBA can put you out in front.

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Applied Learning
Students learn from practitioners through the Bolz Center visitor speaker series. Recent speakers have included top-level managers from the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts,Walker Art Center, Ballet Hispanico of New York, Ohio Historical Society, National Arts Strategies in Washington, DC, The Henry Ford, and many others. Speakers also take time to meet students individually and in small groups, helping students build their own professional network as they learn.
Practitioner Network

A key aspect of the Bolz Center program is the development of a solid and diverse network of peer professionals, an essential tool for any active arts administrator. The Bolz Center program builds this network through its competitive and selective admissions process, its active alumni network, and its frequent contact with distinguished visiting lecturers.

Bolz Center students have access to one of the university's most active and vital alumni networks, providing an excellent resource for professional development, consultancies, or career advice.

Learn more about our Board of Advisors

Student Profiles
Brian HinrichsMBA 2013
Brian comes to the Bolz Center after working at Madison Opera for three years, first as the Manager of Communications and most recently as the Director of Marketing and Community Engagement. Earlier in his career, he held internships at the...Read More
Your Career

Students may choose to participate in summer internships at organizations around the country. These have included work with the National Endowment for the Arts, the Walker Art Center, Lincoln Center, the National Cultural Alliance, the Museum of Modern Art, and the Wolf Trap Farm Foundation.

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Alumni Profiles
Kelly GauthierClass of 2011