First and foremost, we seek students who have a passion for the arts. Perhaps you are finishing your undergraduate career in an arts discipline and have discovered that the management side of the house holds more interest and challenge for you than creating the art. Or perhaps you have been working in an arts organization for a few years and realize that you need additional management skills to advance your career. If either of these scenarios fits your situation, then MAM Program is for you.

An academic background or experience in the arts is important, but it is not a prerequisite for application to the MAM Program. We just want to make sure that you are dedicated to a career in arts management and that your goals are in line with the focus of our program.

With each entering class, we seek to create a diverse community of future arts managers. And within the larger Heinz School environment, the students have no singular profile: they have a variety of undergraduate majors, differing amounts and types of work experience, and unique strengths. Together, they represent a lively population preparing to take on the challenges facing arts organizations today. We invite you to become a part of this community.

What We Look for in a MAM Applicant

Every applicant seeking admission to the MAM Program is reviewed as an individual. We appreciate the strengths each student brings to the university community and the richness these differing strengths create in the life of the school. Your record will be reviewed carefully and thoughtfully with special emphasis placed on your ability to succeed and how well your goals match the school's mission. If you'd like to know how we approach the application review process, here are the aspects of the application we think are most important (in no particular order).

• Commitment. We want students who are committed to the arts. We encourage you to relate this commitment to us in any way that you can. Speak about it in your essay or resume. Include information on volunteer activities, related work experience, leadership or membership in student organizations.
• Essay. This is the place where you should tell us who you are, what your goals are, and why you want to join our program. We look for evidence of your commitment to the discipline and we pay attention to how much thought and effort you put into writing your essay.
• Resume. It helps us if your resume includes volunteer activities, honors, achievements and computer skills. This is also a place where you can include information about yourself that might not fit anywhere else.
• Work Experience. We look favorably on any full-time work experience you have. But we also value volunteer activities, leadership in student organizations, participation in arts organizations and events, etc. If you're just graduating, or have recently graduated, be sure to include this information on your resume.
• Q.P.A. Your success in prior degree programs is important to us, but it's not the only thing. We certainly do not focus solely on the actual number. We look at individual courses you've taken. We look at your progress over the course of your education. We look at your curriculum as a whole. So if you had one bad semester, don't let it get you down.
• Standardized Test Scores. We do not use cut-off scores in our application review process. We recognize that not everyone is a good test taker. Obviously, we'll look at your scores. But we'll look at the rest of the materials you submit as well.
• Interviews. We do not require interviews. But we would welcome an opportunity to meet with you in person, talk by phone, or correspond by email.