MAS Arts Management

The diverse management tasks in all cultural areas require sound technical, methodological, and strategic knowledge. The MAS in Arts Management program is aligned with current social, cultural, and technological developments, and prepares participants to handle both current and future challenges competently.

The MAS in Arts Management is designed for managers in the cultural arts sector who want to systematize their existing knowledge and bring it entirely up to date. For new entrants and career changers with expertise in related fields, this program serves as a gateway to a diverse and exciting professional environment.

The part-time Master’s in Arts Management program is an academically sound and practice-oriented degree that enables graduates to take on strategic and operational tasks in management, administration, the management of cultural institutions and cultural projects, and as self-employed professionals.

The Master’s program curriculum builds on the program objectives and promotes interdisciplinary practice in cultural management. The four CAS courses cover the central topics of cultural management: management know-how, financing, marketing and communication, as well as perspectives from cultural policy, cultural law, and cultural theory. This content is structured in a way that enables graduates to competently fulfill their roles as mediators between art, culture, education, business, society, and politics. 

The MAS in Arts Management has a modular structure and is divided into three compulsory CAS and one elective CAS. The order in which these are taken can be determined individually. After completing the four CAS courses, students are admitted to the Master’s phase (the preparation and production of a Master’s thesis). The duration of the program, including the Master’s phase, ranges from one and a half to five years.

Compulsory CAS courses:

• CAS Kulturpolitik und Kulturförderung 
• CAS Kulturmarketing und Kulturvermittlung 
• CAS Kulturbetriebsführung 

One elective CAS can be chosen from the following CAS courses:

• CAS Eventmanagement
• CAS Sponsoring Management
• CAS Fundraising Strategies
• CAS Cultural Entrepreneurship
• CAS Digital Marketing
• CAS Public Management

In addition to the four CAS courses, attendance at the following additional courses may be required, depending on individual prior knowledge:

Continuing Education Course: “Kulturgeschichte Antike bis Postmoderne” (Cultural History from Antiquity to the Postmodern Era):
Duration: Five days (offered once per academic year)
Course dates: 15-16 January, 30 January, 27-28 February 2026
Course fee: CHF 500 for MAS students. Separate regulations apply to CAS only and external participants. For more information, click here.
Prerequisites: Compulsory for MAS students without a degree in arts or humanities.

Academic Writing Course (“Wissenschaftliches Arbeiten”)
Duration: One day (offered once per academic year)
Course date: 7 February 2026
Course fee: Included in the MAS program fee
Prerequisites: Compulsory for MAS students without a university degree. Open to all CAS/MAS students.

Once every spring and fall semester, a practical day is held as part of the continuing education curriculum. The practical day features:

• Current topics and trends in the cultural sector.

• Insights into practice through visits to cultural institutions.

• Practical and specialist input, workshops, and discussions with practitioners.

• Inter-year exchange and networking with CAS and MAS students, lecturers, and alumni.

Practical days create space for exchanges, networking, and inspiration, and strengthen the flow of knowledge between academic study and professional practice.

The MAS program is based on a diverse, practice-oriented, and interdisciplinary learning methodology. It combines scientific principles with practice-oriented forms of learning, facilitating the direct transfer of knowledge into participants’ everyday working lives. 

Characteristics of the program include:

• Interdisciplinary Learning: Lecturers and practitioners from various disciplines and (cultural) sectors contribute a variety of perspectives and backgrounds.
• Innovative Mix of Methods: A combination of lecturer input, group work, practical exercises, workshops, and digital learning formats (blended learning).
• Practical Orientation: Work on topical case studies, excursions to cultural institutions, exchanges with specialists, and integration of real practical projects.
• Creative and Collaborative Methods: The application of design thinking, scenario, and project lab approaches to develop new solutions for cultural management.
• Reflective Learning: Individual coaching, peer feedback, and facilitated discussions.

Face-to-face teaching takes place in seven blocks on Fridays and Saturdays (usually every fortnight) between 9 am and 4 pm in Winterthur. Exact dates can be found in the key data sheets on the websites of the individual CAS courses in the download area.   

Get to know your lecturers for the Master’s in Arts Management here.

Detailed information on the admission requirements for applicants with and without a university degree can be found in the academic regulations below under Downloads.

Would you like a personal and non-binding phone consultation? We will be happy to advise you and support you in your personal continuing education endeavors. Please contact us via the consultation form and we will get back to you.