Twin Cities campus

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Twin Cities Campus

Arts and Cultural Leadership M.P.S.

CCAPS Graduate Programs Instruction
College of Continuing and Professional Studies
Link to a list of faculty for this program.
Contact Information
College Continuing and Professional Studies, M.P.S. in Arts and Cultural Leadership, 20 Ruttan Hall, 1994 Buford Avenue, St. Paul, MN 55108 (612-624-4000; fax: 612- 626-2800)
Email: ccapsacl@umn.edu
Website: https://ccaps.umn.edu/arts-and-cultural-leadership-masters-degree
  • Program Type: Master's
  • Requirements for this program are current for Fall 2018
  • Length of program in credits: 30
  • This program does not require summer semesters for timely completion.
  • Degree: Master of Professional Studies
Along with the program-specific requirements listed below, please read the General Information section of this website for requirements that apply to all major fields.
The Arts and Cultural Leadership (ACL) program is designed for students who have at least three years of professional, volunteer, and/or advocacy work in the arts and cultural field. Required curriculum, blended with flexible course work, allows students to build a program around their current strengths, experiences, and career direction. Courses in leadership and nonprofit management, along with seminars and directed studies in arts and cultural studies, provide working adults a degree with a clear, career-related focus. The ACL program is designed to help students: • Gain insight and develop approaches to creating and stewarding the relationships and interdependencies necessary for sustaining a vibrant arts community • Refine strategic planning and communications skills in order to better lead organizations in complex environments • Advocate for the arts and culture sector by promoting better understanding and integrating the economic, political, ethical, technological, and diverse social environments in which it functions • Understand and convey the international context for the arts and the impact of the global economy • Appreciate and nurture the creative process, recognizing how art and the artist function in society The ACL program uses a foundation of 18 credits (out of 30 that are required for the degree), with latitude built in to pursue elective coursework in support areas such as nonprofit management, leadership, education, public affairs/policy, urban planning, strategic planning, etc. Using an applied learning approach, students receive a high-quality education that draws on the expertise of University faculty and community-based faculty. By the end of the program, students will be knowledgeable in: • Critical and strategic thinking, and effective communication • The intersection, navigation, and impact of cultural and creative practices within local and global dynamics • Policy formation, implementation, and application relevant to culture, creativity, and the arts • Leadership practices in a variety of contexts • How to implement expertise, improve relationships, and optimize resources
Program Delivery
  • via classroom (the majority of instruction is face-to-face)
Prerequisites for Admission
The preferred undergraduate GPA for admittance to the program is 3.00.
To be admitted, students must have a bachelor's degree from an accredited post-secondary US institution or its foreign equivalent.
Other requirements to be completed before admission:
At least 3 years of professional, volunteer, and/or advocacy work in the arts and cultural field is required. Factors of academic preparation, relevant experience, evidence of readiness and maturity, writing ability, and reasons for seeking the degree will be taken into account as part of the admissions review. GRE scores may be submitted, but are not required.
Special Application Requirements:
The application package must include official transcripts of all baccalaureate and post-baccalaureate work, a current resume, two letters of recommendation, a two- to three-page written statement of purpose in which the student elaborates on his or her interest in the program, and an additional writing sample of approximately 10 pages. Application deadlines are in spring for fall semester admission, and fall for spring semester admission. Please refer to the program website for further details.
International applicants must submit score(s) from one of the following tests:
  • TOEFL
    • Internet Based - Total Score: 84
    • Internet Based - Writing Score: 21
    • Internet Based - Reading Score: 19
    • Paper Based - Total Score: 563
  • IELTS
    • Total Score: 6.5
    • Reading Score: 6.5
    • Writing Score: 6.5
  • MELAB
    • Final score: 84
Key to test abbreviations (TOEFL, IELTS, MELAB).
For an online application or for more information about graduate education admissions, see the General Information section of this website.
Program Requirements
Plan C: Plan C requires 30 major credits and up to credits outside the major. There is no final exam. A capstone project is required.
Capstone Project: See department for more details.
This program may be completed with a minor.
Use of 4xxx courses toward program requirements is permitted under certain conditions with adviser approval.
A minimum GPA of 3.00 is required for students to remain in good standing.
A minimum of 30 credits are required for completion of the MPS degree. Take core courses for a letter grade, earning a B- or better. Obtain a cumulative GPA for all degree course work of 3.0 or better.
Required courses (15 credits)
ACL 8001 {Inactive} (2.0 cr)
ACL 5211 - Trends and Impacts in Arts and Cultural Leadership and Management (3.0 cr)
ACL 5221 - Creative Entrepreneurship and Resource Development (3.0 cr)
ACL 5231 -  Ethical Dilemmas and Legal Issues for Cultural Leaders (3.0 cr)
ACL 6201 - Reimagining Cultural Leadership (3.0 cr)
ACL 6202 {Inactive} (2.0 cr)
Electives (12 credits)
Elective courses can be selected from related academic departments including ACL, MST, OLPD, and PA. Electives should relate to the professional tasks required of arts and cultural leaders or enhance the student's understanding of the arts within a broader cultural context. Courses must be chosen in consultation with the advisor. Examples include, but are not limited to the courses listed below.
Take 12 or more credit(s) from the following:
· ACL 5100 - Topics in Arts and Cultural Leadership (1.0-4.0 cr)
· ACL 5241 - Financial Management for Arts Nonprofits, Community Organizations, and Artists (3.0 cr)
· ACL 5251 - Courageous Imagination in Action: Art and Culture as Forces and Resources of Change (3.0 cr)
· ACL 5950 - Special Topics (1.0-4.0 cr)
· ACL 5993 - Directed Studies (1.0-4.0 cr)
· DES 5165 - Design and Globalization (3.0 cr)
· GCC 5005 - Innovation for Changemakers: Design for a Disrupted World [GP] (3.0 cr)
· GEOG 8106 - Seminar: Social and Cultural Geography (3.0 cr)
· JOUR 4263 - Strategic Communication Campaigns (3.0 cr)
· JOUR 5251 - Strategic Communication Theory (3.0 cr)
· LA 5413 - Introduction to Landscape Architectural History (3.0 cr)
· LS 5100 {Inactive} (1.0-4.0 cr)
· MST 5011 - Museum History and Philosophy (3.0 cr)
· MST 5012 - Museum Practices (3.0 cr)
· OLPD 5011 - Leading Organizational Change: Theory and Practice (3.0 cr)
· OLPD 5048 - Cross-Cultural Perspectives on Leadership (3.0 cr)
· OLPD 5080 - Special Topics: Organizational Leadership, Policy, & Development (1.0-3.0 cr)
· PA 5003 - Introduction to Financial Analysis and Management (1.5 cr)
· PA 5011 - Dynamics of Public Affairs Organizations (3.0 cr)
· PA 5101 - Management and Governance of Nonprofit Organizations (3.0 cr)
· PA 5102 {Inactive} (3.0 cr)
· PA 5103 - Leadership and Change (1.5-3.0 cr)
· PA 5104 - Human Resource Management for Public and Nonprofit Organizations (3.0 cr)
· PA 5111 {Inactive} (3.0 cr)
· PA 5190 - Topics in Public and Nonprofit Leadership and Management (1.0-3.0 cr)
· PA 5204 {Inactive} (3.0 cr)
· PA 5211 - Land Use Planning (3.0 cr)
· PA 5251 - Strategic Planning and Management (3.0 cr)
· PA 5253 {Inactive} (3.0 cr)
· PA 8203 {Inactive} (4.0 cr)
· Other electives chosen in consultation with student's adviser.
Final Project
The ACL Final Project provides students with an opportunity to focus on the needs of a particular organization or community as they identify and carry out, in consultation with the leadership of that group and their academic advisor(s), a project that meets a need within that group and reflects both the interest of the students and their academic achievement.
ACL 6002 - Capstone: Applied Research Project (1.0 cr)
ACL 6003 - Capstone: Reflections and Presentation (2.0 cr)
 
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· College of Continuing and Professional Studies

View future requirement(s):
· Spring 2023
· Fall 2022
· Summer 2021
· Spring 2021
· Fall 2020

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ACL 5211 - Trends and Impacts in Arts and Cultural Leadership and Management
Credits: 3.0 [max 6.0]
Grading Basis: A-F or Aud
Typically offered: Every Fall
Through discussion and analysis, research and peer presentation projects, this seminar will investigate and question the theoretical nuances from which nonprofit arts and cultural organizations are built and the practical influences that affect them daily. Leadership in the cultural sector is evolving rapidly; textbook strategies are being re- evaluated and organizations are re-inventing themselves in creative ways in response to current social and economic conditions. Emphasis is placed on current events, immediate and long- term trends and research into what is happening now. Topics include the role of arts and cultural organizations within the community; past, current and future concepts in organizational structures; and the application of traditional and integrated relationship-based strategies.
ACL 5221 - Creative Entrepreneurship and Resource Development
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Grading Basis: A-F or Aud
Typically offered: Every Spring
An entrepreneurial approach to developing resources (including financial, human, and partnership) for arts and culture based enterprises whether using a nonprofit, for-profit or social enterprise business model. The course will investigate and discuss the complexities and nuances of how to determine the appropriate business model and develop both earned and philanthropic income. Students focus on framing and articulating the relevance of the enterprise as well as understanding the perspectives of audiences, customers, funders and donors. The course also explores the role of communications strategies in support of fundraising, and the importance of leadership in acquiring resources to sustain and grow successful organizations. Students develop both a broad understanding of resources as well as detailed strategies for supporting work in arts and culture based enterprises.
ACL 5231 - Ethical Dilemmas and Legal Issues for Cultural Leaders
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Grading Basis: A-F or Aud
Typically offered: Every Spring
This course explores topics in ethics, law and leadership. Through interactive sessions, readings, presentations, discussions, papers and guest speakers, student-leaders will develop knowledge, tools and resources for assessment of ethical and legal issues within arts and cultural contexts. The course will engage student-leaders with an overview of relevant topics and a foundation for further exploration of self selected topics. Student-leaders will learn to spot issues and identify when to seek legal guidance, and assess considerations relevant to critical problem solving and informed decision-making.
ACL 6201 - Reimagining Cultural Leadership
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Grading Basis: A-F or Aud
Typically offered: Fall Even Year
Seismic societal change has intensified calls for relevant, bold, innovative leadership to reimagine the roles and possibilities of arts and culture. Students will reflect on how their personal passions, strengths, and capabilities can help them meet this moment as cultural leaders. Students will examine cultural competency models and develop their vision of culturally intelligent leadership. They will explore systems of privilege and power in relation to arts and culture, and conceive of ways to promote diversity, equity, access, and inclusion. The course will cover other core leadership accountabilities, including strategic thinking, organizational change, community engagement, board and staff development, fiscal solvency, public advocacy, and crisis management. Students will be assigned to case presentation teams that explore specific arts and culture leadership challenges and generate corresponding strategies and solutions. Three cultural leaders will visit the class. Finally, students will write a synthesis paper identifying their personal mission and values, career aspirations, and how they will apply strategic and behavioral aspects of cultural leadership covered in class.
ACL 5100 - Topics in Arts and Cultural Leadership
Credits: 1.0 -4.0 [max 24.0]
Grading Basis: A-F or Aud
Typically offered: Periodic Fall, Spring & Summer
Topics in Arts and Cultural Leadership.
ACL 5241 - Financial Management for Arts Nonprofits, Community Organizations, and Artists
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Grading Basis: A-F or Aud
Typically offered: Spring Even Year
This course introduces students to concepts and applications of financial management and leadership practices with a specific focus on nonprofit arts and cultural organizations. The goal of the course is to develop both theoretical and practical understanding of the central responsibilities of financial management and leadership to equip students to use financial information, identify business models, and employ a financial lens for planning and decisions. Focus will be on the fundamentals of budgeting and accounting, interpretation of financial statements, data, and procedures for operational forecasts, as well as the fiduciary responsibilities of nonprofit boards. This course is designed for individuals working within arts nonprofits or community organizations, considering a career in the arts, or interested in learning more about nonprofit financial management principles. Individuals interested in financial sustainability as individual artists or cultural leaders will also benefit from this foundation in financial best practices. The goal of the course is to develop both theoretical and practical understanding of the central responsibilities of solid financial management to benefit arts, cultural, and/or community organizations and the sector as a whole. Students will have the opportunity to apply what is learned to a case study organization.
ACL 5251 - Courageous Imagination in Action: Art and Culture as Forces and Resources of Change
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Grading Basis: A-F or Aud
Typically offered: Every Fall
This class is for anyone passionate about the unique capacities embedded in arts and cultural work, concerned about the cascade of challenges facing humanity, and determined to lead with and through the powerful resources of the arts and culture. Fundamental changes in organizations, programs, and resources are needed to meet the complex challenges of our times. A key emphasis of the course is development of a personal mission and purpose by each student as a leader in working with existing organizations and systems and leading changes essential for a sustainable, humane, creative, and thriving future. The course is designed to challenge and support students as they choose a direction and purpose they wish to address ? contacts, examples, resources, local, regional, national, websites, people, and examples will be provided. The course examines existing organizations and systems, those in transformation and the opportunity, need and challenge in creating new forms. Students meet key people in different sectors and stages of change. This is a highly interactive course, with simulations, imaginative work and a variety of visitors, site visits, and explorations of ideas and beliefs that may be challenging. These may include connections with Minnesota State legislature, regional arts councils, City of Minneapolis and/or St Paul, large and small arts and culture organizations in the area. National networks including USDAC, Americans for the Arts, Climate Generation, The Wounded Warrior Project, and others. Students will prepare a presentation that links their personal purpose and mission with the work they seek and the differences they hope to make and support.
ACL 5950 - Special Topics
Credits: 1.0 -4.0 [max 12.0]
Grading Basis: A-F or Aud
Typically offered: Periodic Fall, Spring & Summer
Special topics. prereq: dept consent
ACL 5993 - Directed Studies
Credits: 1.0 -4.0 [max 15.0]
Grading Basis: A-F only
Typically offered: Every Fall, Spring & Summer
Guided individual reading or study for qualified graduate students. prereq: Grad student, dept consent
DES 5165 - Design and Globalization
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Course Equivalencies: Des 4165/Des 5165
Grading Basis: A-F or Aud
Typically offered: Every Fall
The course explores how culture, identity, and difference are defined and produced and the role that design plays in the production of difference, inequality, and marginalization. prereq: Grad student
GCC 5005 - Innovation for Changemakers: Design for a Disrupted World (GP)
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Course Equivalencies: CEGE 5571/GCC 3005/GCC 5005
Grading Basis: A-F only
Typically offered: Periodic Fall & Summer
Do you want to make a difference? We live in a world full of complex challenges, such as COVID-19, racism, economic recession, and environmental collapse, to name a few. Now is the time to use your own skills and passion to make a positive impact in the world. In this project-based course, you will learn how to develop effective and sustainable responses to current social and environmental problems. You'll study a variety of tools, mindsets, and skills that will help you to address any complex grand challenge, as well as engage with case studies of successful grand challenge projects in the past. Your project may address food insecurity, unemployment, housing, environmental impacts, equity, or other issues. Proposed designs for how you might have an impact may take many forms (student group, program intervention with an existing organization, public policy strategy, or for-profit or non-profit venture) but this class will focus on how to make ideas financially sustainable. The primary focus of this (GCC 5005) course is how to develop a pilot project plan that addresses a grand challenge. You will learn business modeling, financial projections, and pitching to potential investors and funders. You will build a model for your idea around input from primary and secondary research, as well as the affected community?s culture, needs, and wants. Community members, locally and globally, may serve as mentors and research consultants to teams. External speakers will be brought in to share their stories of how to build and scale innovative efforts to serve the common good. Students enrolled will work either independently, or in small teams, on a project of their own choosing. Ideally, students will apply to take this class with a project in mind. By the end of the class, students will have a well-designed plan to turn their project into an actionable solution if that is of interest. This is a Grand Challenge Curriculum course. GCC courses are open to all students and fulfill an honors experience for University Honors Program students.
GEOG 8106 - Seminar: Social and Cultural Geography
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Typically offered: Periodic Fall & Spring
Role of space and place in constitution of social and cultural life, social relations, and social identities; class, space, and place; geography of race and racism; environmental racism; geography of gender and sexuality; nationalism, national identity, and territory. prereq: instr consent
JOUR 4263 - Strategic Communication Campaigns
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Grading Basis: A-F or Aud
Typically offered: Every Fall & Spring
This course provides an in-depth look at all aspects of strategic communications culminating in the development of a strategically sound communications campaign. Emphasis is on ?real-life? examples of campaigns, their creation, and development. All essentials of developing a strategic campaign are covered, including advertising strategy, positioning, developing creative, consumer research, planning and setting objectives, media strategies, budgeting, public relations programs, and promotion. This course is designed to bring together all aspects of communications planning that students have gained from previous classes. The class will focus on the integration of various techniques and elements available to most effectively create a strategic communications campaign. This course will simulate the teamwork involved in working in a strategic communications agency. Case studies will be used extensively to apply the theory to the practice in a meaningful, memorable way. prereq: [JOUR 3004 or 3004H], JOUR 3201, any 32xx skills course, any 4/5xxx skills course or coreq, Strat Comm major
JOUR 5251 - Strategic Communication Theory
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Typically offered: Every Spring
This course is an introduction to psychologically-grounded concepts, theories and research and their applications for strategic communication. The course objectives involve comprehension and application of a range of psychological concepts and theories related to attitude development, susceptibility to message influence, and opinion formation and change. The course will provide opportunities to apply theoretical concepts to critically evaluate strategic communications (advertising, public relations, brand marketing, etc.) and to use psychological theory and research to inform the development of communication strategies. The course will examine how these theories help us understand communication processes in digital media environments, as well as how they inform relationship-building areas of strategic communication such as reputation and crisis management. The course will provide opportunities for students to apply concepts and theories to potential research for graduate degree capstone projects. Prereq: Strat Comm MA grad major
LA 5413 - Introduction to Landscape Architectural History
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Course Equivalencies: LA 3413/LA 5413
Grading Basis: A-F or Aud
Typically offered: Every Fall
Introductory course examines the multiple roots of landscape architecture by examining the making of types of landscapes over time. Emphasis on ecological and environmental issues, and issues related to political, economic, and social contexts of landscape architectural works. prereq: One course in history at 1xxx or higher
MST 5011 - Museum History and Philosophy
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Grading Basis: A-F or Aud
Typically offered: Every Fall
Historical and philosophical roots of museums and emerging philosophical issues faced by museums today - from art, history, science, and youth to living collections, living history sites, and historic houses. Field trips to area museums.
MST 5012 - Museum Practices
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Prerequisites: Grad student or #
Grading Basis: A-F or Aud
Typically offered: Every Spring
Practical aspects of museum work. Standards, practices, responsibilities, issues, all set in greater museum context. Curatorial/educational duties, collections management, security, funding, boards, public relations, installation, budgeting. prereq: Grad student or instr consent
OLPD 5011 - Leading Organizational Change: Theory and Practice
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Typically offered: Every Fall
How theory is incorporated, affects the change process, and can improve schools/institutions of higher education. Characteristics that impact change processes/outcomes. Leadership/policy effects.
OLPD 5048 - Cross-Cultural Perspectives on Leadership
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Typically offered: Every Fall & Summer
Introduction to cultural variables of leadership that influence functioning of cross-cultural groups. Lectures, case studies, discussion, problem-solving, simulations. Intensive workshop.
OLPD 5080 - Special Topics: Organizational Leadership, Policy, & Development
Credits: 1.0 -3.0 [max 9.0]
Typically offered: Every Fall, Spring & Summer
Topical issues in organizational leadership, policy, development.
PA 5003 - Introduction to Financial Analysis and Management
Credits: 1.5 [max 1.5]
Grading Basis: A-F or Aud
Typically offered: Every Fall, Spring & Summer
Finance/accounting concepts/tools in public/nonprofit organizations. Fund accounting. Balance sheet/income statement analysis. Cash flow analysis. Public/nonprofit sector budgeting processes. Lectures, discussions. Cases. prereq: Public policy major/minor or major in development practice, public affairs or liberal studies or grad nonprofit mgmt cert or instr consent
PA 5011 - Dynamics of Public Affairs Organizations
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Grading Basis: A-F or Aud
Typically offered: Every Fall & Spring
Critical analysis of organizations in the world of public affairs from multiple levels - including the individual, group, organization, and sector - and the dynamics of relationships among them. Develop actionable recommendations to improve organizational effectiveness in the context of multiple (often contested) prosocial purposes and conflicting stakeholder demands. Memo writing, case analyses, simulations, guest speakers, and self-awareness exercises
PA 5101 - Management and Governance of Nonprofit Organizations
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Typically offered: Every Fall
Theories, concepts, and real world examples of managerial challenges. Governance systems, strategic management practices, effect of funding environments, management of multiple constituencies. Types of nonprofits using economic/behavioral approaches. prereq: Grad student or instr consent
PA 5103 - Leadership and Change
Credits: 1.5 -3.0 [max 3.0]
Typically offered: Periodic Spring
Models of change/leadership. How leaders can promote personal, organizational, and societal change. Case studies, action research. Framework for leadership and change.
PA 5104 - Human Resource Management for Public and Nonprofit Organizations
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Grading Basis: A-F or Aud
Typically offered: Every Fall
Theory/practice of developing, utilizing, and aligning human resources to improve culture/outcomes of nonprofit/public organizations. HR strategy, individual diversity, leadership, selection, training, compensation, classification, performance appraisal, future HR practices.
PA 5190 - Topics in Public and Nonprofit Leadership and Management
Credits: 1.0 -3.0 [max 9.0]
Typically offered: Periodic Fall & Spring
Selected topics.
PA 5211 - Land Use Planning
Credits: 3.0 [max 6.0]
Grading Basis: A-F only
Typically offered: Every Fall
Physical/spatial basis for land use planning at community/regional level. Role of public sector in guiding private development. Land use regulations, comprehensive planning, growth management, innovative land use planning/policies. prereq: Major or minor in urban/regional planning or instr consent
PA 5251 - Strategic Planning and Management
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Grading Basis: OPT No Aud
Typically offered: Periodic Fall
Theory and practice of strategic planning and management for public and nonprofit organizations and networks. Strategic planning process, management systems; stakeholder analyses. Tools and techniques such as purpose expansions, SWOT analyses, oval mapping, portfolio analyses, and logic models.
ACL 6002 - Capstone: Applied Research Project
Credits: 1.0 [max 1.0]
Course Equivalencies: 02902
Grading Basis: S-N only
Typically offered: Every Fall
Course provides an environment that will motivate, support, and assist students in the completion of their Capstone Project through development of a Project Proposal. Student projects explore personal, organizational, community, and/or systems change and as such generate valuable experiences and insights. There will be a minimum of five classroom meetings of students and instructor. Additional one-on-one meetings with the instructor are required. The instructor is also available for individual consultation as needed.
ACL 6003 - Capstone: Reflections and Presentation
Credits: 2.0 [max 2.0]
Grading Basis: S-N only
Typically offered: Every Spring
Course provides an environment that will motivate, support, and assist students in the completion of an excellent Capstone Paper that reflects knowledge and skills acquired during the course of study in the Arts and Cultural Leadership Program and place them in a meaningful and theoretical context. Past student projects explored personal, organizational, community, and/or systems change and as such generated valuable experiences and insights. There will be a minimum of five classroom meetings of students and instructor in addition to a final presentation event. Additional one on one meetings with the instructor are required. The instructor is also available for individual consultation as needed.