At a Glance

(BFA) Bachelor of Fine Arts
124 Total Credits
General Education Credits 39
Art &Science Credits 18
Program Credits 67
Elective Credits 0

The Bachelor of Fine Arts in Arts Management prepares students simultaneously for careers as both artists and arts management professionals. This program, unique to New York State, features the right combination of business, communications, and marketing courses alongside rigorous studio art training and a foundation in the liberal arts. 

If you are looking for a major that will prepare you for professional success in a creative field, the NASAD accredited Art Management program at Cazenovia College is the place for you.

Mission Statement
Our focus on business, critical-thinking and professional skills prepares students for entry-level positions in a wide range of careers in arts management and art creating, including: arts administration, development, promotion, museum studies, gallery or art center management, theater/dance/music management, festival management, arts policy, small business ownership, entrepreneurial endeavors or as fine arts and artisans. Students will additionally be well prepared for graduate school.

Dedicated, professional faculty carefully mentor students though a highly individualized approach tailored to each student’s artistic, academic and career goals. As students progress through the studio art, business, and professional sequences of courses, they combine an intimate knowledge of the arts with a solid background in business and marketing. Additionally, real-life business opportunities exist through internships and two student-centered businesses on campus, providing valuable practical management, retail, artistic, and marketing experience. Students in Arts Management exit the college well-prepared to become arts management professionals or practicing artists ready to start and manage their own business.

Cazenovia College is accredited by the prestigious National Association of Schools of Art and Design. Meeting NASAD standards confirms that Cazenovia’s curricula, faculty, facilities and student work are among the best in the U.S. 

  • Students will demonstrate solid business and management skills, display an understanding of the role of the arts in the public and private sectors, and apply their artistic insight to the management of the arts.
  • Students will demonstrate competency with the use of visual forms and design principles in both two-dimensional and three-dimensional media.
  • Students will possess the technical skills, knowledge, and experience needed to begin their careers in one or more art-related fields or to pursue graduate study.
Jephson Campus A (JCA), the historic stone building near beautiful Cazenovia Lake, is a newly renovated, state-of-the-art facility. JCA now houses a wood shop, metal/welding shop, painting/drawing studio, design/computer studio, and facilities for jewelry and small metals, ceramics, kiln-formed glass and sculpture.

An additional studio facility, the Printmaking Studio, is found on main campus in Coleman Hall. Reisman Hall includes a large professional gallery and sculpture court, exhibiting the work of students, faculty and other professional artists. Arts Management majors have opportunities to learn how to install and manage exhibits here and elsewhere on campus. The computer labs and photo studio in Reisman Hall are available for student use.
  • A variety of arts management opportunities await Cazenovia Arts Management majors. CazMade, now in its 3rd year, is a student-centered artisan shop housed within the College bookstore. Students, alumni, and staff have the opportunity to create and sell handcrafted items. In this way they learn about artistic production, pricing, and retail sales. Additionally, student managers learn all the ins and outs of owning and expanding a real business. Other student-run ventures include smART and the annual Holiday Craft Fair. Theater management opportunities, gallery assistant positions, and internships at museums, galleries and artisan businesses round out student experiences.
  • Since 2011, the student-run artisan business smART (student-made ART) has provided students interested in art/craft production, business skills and arts management with real-life experience in running and growing an art-based, sustainable business. Students repurpose wine bottles and corks from Magnus Ridge Winery on Seneca Lake into useful, ingenious products. Profits from sales are returned to the business and provide training and employment to students interested in art business management and kiln-formed glass.
  • Cazenovia College offers a special opportunity for Arts Management majors to be accepted while still an undergraduate into the LeMoyne College MS in Arts Administration. Students completing their BFA in Arts Management will have 6 graduate credits waived, and be able to complete their graduate studies in 18 months or less. Learn More: Read About the "Accelerated Path Program" View the Memorandum of Understanding with LeMoyne College (pdf)
  • Each student completes one or more professional internships, specifically selected in conjunction with the internship instructor. They explore careers, gain important professional experience, and form professional networks.
  • Our students benefit from a strong relationship with nearby Stone Quarry Hill Art Park, a nationally-recognized outdoor sculpture and nature park with a seasonal gallery, international artist-in-residency program, and sweeping views of the surrounding countryside. Students may exhibit their art in the gallery, work on the grounds and occasionally complete internships in its bucolic setting.
  • Arts Management seniors may use the  dedicated senior studio space in Jephson Campus A.
  • Arts Management majors may choose one or more minors to complement their major studies. Art History, Social Media Production, Photography, Studio Art, Communication Studies and Visual Communications are popular choices. For non-majors, the Arts Management minor is available.
Museums: curator, curator of education, development, gallery manager, marketing, registrar, director of operations, etc.
Art galleries: director, marketing director, sales staff, educator, development
Art centers: director, educator, director of programming, marketing, community liaison
Auction houses: appraisers, sales staff, art handlers
Theatre/dance/music management
Box office manager
Event promoter/organizer
Event planner
Artist agent
Small business owner
Self-employed artist or artisan
Government agencies: policy expert
Non-profit management: any nonprofit agency
Grantwriter

Curriculum

   Course (Credits)         
   See Degree Requirements: General Education requirements (33)
   Critical Thinking, Problem Solving and Information Literacy: 
      SA 498  Senior Project: Research and Development (3)
   Senior Capstone: SA 499 Senior Project: Thesis Exhibition (3)
TOTAL GENERAL EDUCATION CREDITS - 39
   Course (Credits)       
   FA 111    Art History I (3)
   FA 112    Art History II  (3)
   FA 210    Art of the World (3)
   FA 351    Museum as Medium (3)
   FA 401    Contemporary Developments in the Arts (3)
   FA 405    Arts in the Community (3)
Total Arts & Sciences Program Credits - 18

   AC 110    Fundamentals of Accounting (3)
   BU 110    Principles of Management (3)
   BU 215    Arts Management (3)
   BU 233    Human Resources Management (3)
   BU 240    Principles of Marketing (3)
   SA 111    Drawing: Perception/Observation (3)
   SA 115    Careers in Art and Photography (1)
   SA 131    Design and Color Theory (3)
   SA 132 or 168   Structuring Human Space or Time, Movement and Narrative (3)
   SA 161    Digital Photography I (3)
   Choose 2 of the following:
          SA 241    Ceramics (3) 
          SA 242    Sculpture (3)
          SA 308    Small Metals/Jewelry (3)
   Choose 2 of the following:
          SA 212    Drawing: Representation and Expression (3)
          SA 221    Painting (3)
          SA 231    Printmaking (3)
   SA 335    Junior Seminar I (1)
   SA 336    Junior Seminar II (1)
   SA 345 or 346    Intermediate 2D Studio I or Intermediate 3D Studio I (3)
   SA 355 or 356    Intermediate 2D Studio II or Intermediate 3D Studio II (3)
   SA 361    Site and Space  (3)
   SA 381    Internship (3)
   SA 393    Internship Preparation (1)
   SA 445 or 446    Advanced 2D Studio or Advanced 3D Studio (3)
   SA 493     Professional Practices and Portfolio (3)
   VC 174    Digital Page Layout (3)
Total Career Program Credits - 67

Open Electives  
    Courses (Credits) 
    100-400 level    (0)
    300/400 level   (0)
Total Open Elective Credits - 0