I haven't heard many people discuss the benefits of an MBA toward a
   career as an administrator in cultural organizations.  That is the
   path I followed way back in 1981, through what was then a new program
   at SUNY-Binghamton.  The program, known as MBA-Arts is still thriving,
   with an international student body and the support of the State
   University system (after a few scares over the last several years).
   It consists of 1 1/2 years on campus (which is in Vestal, NY, next to
   Binghamton, and reasonably can be called the armpit of the
   Northeast...), and the final semester as an intern.

   When I was in the program, there were only two others in the country
   which offered MBA's specifically in Arts Administration: UCLA and
   University of Wisconsin.  Since I was a native NY'er and got a full
   fellowship/assistantship, there was not much question about which was
   best for me. I actually don't know if those two programs still exist,
   or whether new ones have sprung up over the years.

   The course work consisted of the same core curriculum as MBA students
   take, but the specialized courses were small symposia in issues
   surrounding the arts.  At the time, government funding was a big part
   of the arts mix, so there were several speakers from the federal,
   state, and regional arts organizations.  Nowadays, there is more
   emphasis on marketing and corporate sponsorships, from what I gather.

   There was, surprisingly, no good course on NFP accounting, though
   there were some seminars.  I had to learn that on the job in my first
   position.

   Whether or not the coursework was particularly appropriate or
   intellectually stimulating (not), I do know that I got snapped up as
   soon as I got out of school, and have had a pretty reasonable career
   as an administrator and development person since then.

   So, it's worth looking into, particularly if curatorship is not your
   principal concern.  Marketing, development, finance, and general
   administrators are well-served by an MBA.  Even from a school that
   does not offer a specialty in Arts Administration, one can generally
   find a selection of courses about various NFP organizational issues.
   MBA's are still a relative rarity in the field, and attending the
   local state university is an inexpensive route into this aspect of the
   museum profession.

   My .02

   Eric Siegel
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