A Mission-Based Program of Instruction

The MAM curriculum blends the theoretical and the practical. The curriculum also is flexible, allowing students to focus on particular areas of interest through core courses, electives, seminars, workshops, internships and apprenticeships.

• Core courses cover management, technology, financial, quantitative and communication skills within the context of creative enterprises in both the non-profit and for-profit sectors. Case studies, based on issues confronted by actual organizations, serve as the basis for analysis and discussion in many of the courses.
• Elective courses allow you to delve more deeply into specific management, technical, or arts areas that interest you.
• Seminars and special presentations are scheduled throughout the academic year which feature key national and international figures in the arts, entertainment and related policy areas.
• Project courses allow you to apply these new skills in problem-solving settings and provide you with experience in working in a team environment. Systems Synthesis, the second year capstone course, combines all aspects of the curriculum as you examine an important arts issue.
• A full-time internship during the summer between your first and second years, will give you the opportunity to apply the management skills you've learned and to gain further professional experience.
• Though not a requirement of the curriculum, you are encouraged to undertake a half-time apprenticeship to supplement your classroom work and further enrich your work experience. (Apprenticeships come with financial support from either the host institution or the MAM Program.)

MAM students share core coursework with Master of Entertainment Industry Management (MEIM) students in critical management areas for several important reasons. First and foremost, we believe the fundamental principles and practices of good management within a creative enterprise are the same for the non-profit and for-profit sectors. Second, the barriers dividing non-profit and for-profit creative enterprises have crumbled; collaboration between businesses in these sectors is increasingly more common every day and we must know how to maneuver through the challenges and opportunities in both arenas. Finally, our artists, audiences and funders move back and forth regularly between the two sectors; all of us must understand the larger creative enterprise sector and appreciate our position within that landscape.

MAM Program Graduation Requirements

In order to graduate with the MAM degree, you must:

• Complete a minimum of 198 units of coursework, which is approximately 18 full-semester length courses (a 12-unit course at Carnegie Mellon is roughly equivalent to a three-credit course at other universities)
• Maintain a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.0 or above
• Complete all required core courses, unless officially exempted from a class
• Complete an approved summer internship (minimum of seven weeks)
• Complete Systems Synthesis, a semester-long group management project, during the second year.

The MAM Program is designed to be completed in two years as a full-time student. Over the past fifteen years, more than 98% of all entering MAM students have completed the degree within that time frame.