Skip to Content | Skip to Search | Skip to Navigation
Indiana University

Arts Administration Internships

Internships that are relevant for students pursuing the Arts Administration major in the Bachelor of Science in Arts Management (BSAM) degree should provide students with substantive and hands-on experience in the broad arena of arts management. Interns should be provided with the opportunity to apply and develop analytical tools and knowledge of particular relevance to the world of art in a public, private, or nonprofit setting.

Internship opportunities might involve, but are not limited to, one or more of the following areas:

  • Boards and Governance Issues: Board development and governance; board-staff relations; board retreats
  • Strategic Planning: benchmarking against similar organizations; establishing goals, objectives, measurement systems, and timelines; organizational structure and design; planning retreats; needs and capacity assessment
  • Volunteer Management/Staff Management: Recruiting, training, placing, managing, and recognizing volunteers
  • Human Capital Management: Job descriptions; reporting structures; compensation packages;  developing and managing employee teams; workforce diversity; staff retreat
  • Fundraising: Developing case documents/statements; developing, undertaking, and assessing fundraising programs (special events, foundation/corporate grants, direct mail solicitations, phone solicitations, personal solicitations of major donors, planned giving, capital campaigns); donor recognition/relationship building; donor research and information systems
  • Public Relations/Marketing: Communication and PR plan; communication systems and design components (logo, colors, etc.); media development (print, web, other); public sector marketing
  • Financial Management: Financial audits and reporting; endowment and investment management; financial reserves; managing planned giving instruments; financial information systems; financial indicators and planning; pricing of services or products
  • Program Management and Implementation: Launching new or innovative programs; field- or regional-office oversight and communications; developing training and technical assistance material for new or current programs
  • Accountability and Evaluation: Organizational effectiveness; program design and evaluation; measuring and assessing performance; benefit cost analysis; code of ethics; transparency and accountability initiatives
  • Collaboration and Networking: With other institutions, including government relationsResearch in support of the above activities (e.g. demographic, market, needs analyses)
  • Music Management: Management of bands and/or tours; venue management and scheduling
  • Exhibit Planning and Implementation: Overseeing the planning, construction, implementation, and education of an exhibit
  • Public Education and Outreach: Educating members of the public about exhibits, musicians, history, etc.

Internships should also provide the student the opportunity to:

  • Build upon their theoretical knowledge in an applied setting and contrast theory to practice
  • Refine their writing, verbal, and analytical skills
  • Reinforce their sense of professionalism and professional work ethic
  • Contemplate issues of access, cost, and quality regarding their organization
  • Gain an overall awareness of the operating structure of their organization
  • Understand the relationship between their organization and the community in which it operates