Antoinette Westphal College of Media Arts & Design
Overview
Motion pictures and television. Performing arts. New media. Museums. These "creative industries," and others like them, belong to one of the fastest-growing economic sectors not only in the United States, but worldwide. The tremendous growth of these industries has created a need for professionals who can combine both management and leadership skills with a thorough understanding of art, entertainment, and media production.
Drexel's Entertainment and Arts Management (EAM) program, offered through the Antoinette Westphal College of Media Arts & Design, prepares students for this challenge by providing both a specialized curriculum - through which students may choose an arts or media concentration of his or her choice - with a nationally-ranked co-operative education component. Students in Drexel's EAM program choose an area of concentration in media management, performing arts management, or visual arts management. However, unlike other undergraduate programs in this field, students are not required to choose a nonprofit or for-profit focus.This allows Drexel students increased flexibility when choosing their career paths, and a distinct professional advantage in today's ever-changing arts and entertainment industries.
Career Opportunities
A Drexel degree in EAM prepares students for a variety of careers in both for-profit and nonprofit organizations; from creative, hands-on positions to administrative and management roles. Nonprofit creative industries are typically funded through the government, corporations, foundations, and individuals. Americans for the Arts and the Foundation Center estimate the expenditures from these sources at $18.2 billion annually. In the for-profit arena, the movie industry alone grew 34 percent between 1998 and 2003, according to the Motion Picture Association, resulting in industry-wide expenditures of $14 billion. In addition, American television programs are broadcast to more than 125 international markets and broadband internet is creating countless new opportunities for content creators and managers. Given the large number of organizations in this field - ranging from small, independent production companies to major studios - the career possibilities in this field are extensive. Students with an EAM degree from Drexel are well-prepared for a variety of careers, including the following:
- Artistic or creative director
- Concert and live events manager
- Gallery manager/owner
- Grant writer
- Marketing coordinator
- Production and development executive
- Promoter
- Publicist
- Talent agent
Drexel Co-op: Experience Counts
Drexel University has long been known for its co-operative education program, through which students mix periods of full-time, career-related employment with their studies. All EAM students pursue co-op employment.The degree is completed in four years, and students complete two, three-month co-op experiences, ideally in the summer term of the second year and the summer term of the third year. Many opportunities exist in for-profit and nonprofit areas, including some of the following types of organizations:
- Advertising Agencies
- Arts festivals
- Art and historical museums
- Community arts centers
- Dance companies
- Educational institutions
- Film companies
- Opera companies
- Orchestra companies
- Presenting organizations
- Regional theaters
- Television stations
Dual Degree Option
- BS/MS: Students who complete the EAM program may also choose to pursue a graduate degree at Drexel in Arts Administration. Students who apply for the graduate Arts Administration program and graduate with a 3.5 GPA in the last two years of the EAM degree program are automatically accepted into the program.