Introduction

The study program prepares students for careers in cultural management within the public, private and voluntary sectors, with a particular focus on the skills required for the establishment and management of cultural enterprises. Theoretical studies are combined with courses in practical topics that are of relevance for cultural managers and entrepreneurs. The theoretical aspects of the study program benefit from the long tradition of cultural studies at Bø campus, while practical courses cover topics such as economics, marketing, audience development, and cultural project management. Graduates from the study program will have extensive knowledge of the cultural sector and will possess a broad range of skills designed to equip them for a wide variety of roles within the sector. Students benefit from close supervision throughout the study program. The study program includes a range of specialist study options and opportunities for studying abroad. The study program is taught by a team of highly qualified tutors and lecturers, who deliver the program in close collaboration with individuals and organisations from within the cultural sector.

Target Group and Admission Requirements

General admission requirements.

The study program is aimed at persons with or without previous work experience in the cultural sector who wish to qualify for positions in the cultural field within public, private and voluntary sectors. It is specifically aimed at applicants who wish to establish and operate cultural enterprises in the private sector or work with cultural management and dissemination in the public sector, including semi-public organizations and institutions. The study program is specifically tailored for applicants who wish to lead, develop or establish cultural enterprises such as cultural centres, museums, galleries and festivals; work with cultural management in relation to specific audiences, such as children and adolescents; or manage and develop frameworks for public and private cultural life in Norway and abroad. It is designed to cater for individuals who wish to hold positions, in the public and private sectors, with responsibility for development and operation of cultural sponsorship, social responsibility and cultural understanding. The study program also provides excellent opportunities for further education and development of applicants’ expertise.

Aim of the Programme

The objective of the study program is to qualify candidates for positions in the public, private and voluntary cultural sectors, with an emphasis on positions within cultural management of organizations and institutions; and the possibility of establishing and operating cultural enterprises. The study program builds on the well-established program in Cultural Studies at Bø campus, and combines the best of this with practically-oriented management courses such as Economics, Marketing, Audience Development, and Cultural Project Management. This provides students with a broad and flexible competence in the job market. Students are closely followed-up throughout the program via regular contact with course teachers. Teaching resources from local, regional and national cultural spheres will also be utilised.

The study program provides a thorough understanding of the social conditions for cultural life in the public, private and voluntary sectors, and it aims to develop students’ theoretical knowledge and practical skills in cultural management and entrepreneurship. Furthermore, it qualifies candidates for work on projects in the cultural sector, and cultural entrepreneurship and innovation within the whole cultural field. The study program prepares candidates for a job market that is constantly changing and they will develop the ability to adapt and change to meet changing needs. The student’s professional identity is enhanced through the flexibility offered in designing the structure of their studies, and through close links between the study program and the cultural sector.

Successful candidates will be qualified to enrol on the Master’s degree study program in Cultural Studies at University College of Southeast Norway (USN).

Learning outcome

After successfully completing the course, the candidate will have achieved the following learning outcomes defined in terms of knowledge, skills and general competence.

Knowledge

The candidate has

• Broad knowledge of key themes, theories, work processes and tools for cultural management in the public, private and voluntary cultural sectors
• Knowledge of the social, historical, scientific and artistic foundation for the arts and cultural sector
• An overview of current research and development work in the cultural field, especially cultural policy, and he/she is able to update his/her knowledge in the field

Skills

The candidate can

• Develop and apply managerial and entrepreneurial skills through experiential knowledge in the encounter with players, organizations and institutions in the cultural field
• Realize different cultural values in society in new and innovative ways
• Reflect on, discuss and analyse the role of culture in society’s various sectors and industries
• Reflect on his/her professional role and identity; develop and modify it under guidance
• Apply knowledge of the field along with research and development results to practical and theoretical problems, and make reasoned choices

General competence

The candidate can / has

• Understand how the cultural market operates and identify his/her needs for skills development
• Insight into ethical issues related to the cultural field, and can apply this to the study program’s assignments and projects independently or as a member of a group, within the study program or in collaboration with players, organizations and institutions in working life
• Convey and communicate their work in writing, orally and digitally, in an appropriate manner to different groups

Curriculum and structure

The study program includes both compulsory and elective courses. The first year includes only compulsory courses, while the second and third years include both compulsory and elective courses. The compulsory courses in the first and second years are - Culture: Policy, Sector and Industry; Understanding the Cultural Sector; Communications and Creativity; Culture and Social Change; Audience Development; and Cultural Project Management. The course, Bachelor’s Thesis with Research Methodology is compulsory, which students must complete in the third year. The study program also includes compulsory courses that are taught at the Department of Business Administration and Computer Science: Project Management; Marketing; and Introduction to Economics. The choice of elective courses is linked to specialization and advanced studies of certain cultural areas, which are taught in the autumn semester in the second and third years. In the fifth semester, students may choose to either study abroad (for further specialization or advanced studies); or take the course, Student Enterprise / elective courses; in the sixth semester students may choose the orientation of their Bachelor’s thesis. The elective courses that are offered will depend on resources at the college; however, the study program aims to offer some elective courses where the language of instruction is English. It may be possible to offer specific elective courses every two years, or possibly also offer students the opportunity of taking elective courses taught at the Department of Business Administration and Computer Science or the Department of Humanities and Cultural Studies.

Internationalization

The college places emphasis on internationalization, offering courses in English and encouraging students to study for a semester abroad at prestigious institutions USN has agreements with; this enhances students’ opportunities to specialize or take advanced studies.

Teaching and Learning Methods

Instruction is based on relevant research, and academic or artistic development work. Some courses are mainly taught through lectures and seminars, while others have interdisciplinary topics, are based on casework, or involve project-based teaching. Experiential knowledge and active student involvement contribute to specialization. Active student working methods develops students’ competence in relation to the objectives of the study program. Electives in the second year of the study program offer students the opportunity to design their own course of study. Work on their own Bachelor’s theses fulfils the aim concerning specialization and provides students with an introduction to research and development work.

Theory and Practical Training

Cultural Management is a practical and theoretical study program. Fieldwork, assignments and exercises as well as learning through meetings with players, organizations and institutions in the cultural field are a common thread throughout the study program. Some of the study program’s courses also include teaching and learning methods that have been developed in cooperation with external players in the cultural field. This especially concerns the courses Understanding the Cultural Sector; Communications and Creativity; Audience Development; Cultural Project Management; Student Enterprise; and the Bachelor’s Thesis with Research Methodology. For example, the course Understanding the Cultural Sector uses expertise from the field of culture with respect to case-based seminars. In the course Communications and Creativity, students will develop skills through varied instruction activities and experiential learning. In the course Cultural Project Management, students will be given the opportunity to combine management theory with the design of their own projects. At the same time, the other common thread throughout the study program is a theoretical-analytical orientation; this is based on the structure of the former study program further developed in this new program. This applies in particular to the courses Culture: Policy, Sector and Industry; and Cultural and Social Change. Just as practice-oriented courses have theoretical elements, the more theoretical courses also include practical elements through the use of observation exercises, concrete examples from the field of culture and excursions and especially through the research-based curriculum, where the cultural sector is the subject of empirical research.

In the course Bachelor’s Thesis with Research Methodology, students may choose one of two alternatives. The first alternative is research-based, in which the student develops a research question and writes a minor thesis. The second alternative is practice-based, in which the student develops a question based on practice in the field of culture or on his/her own ‘student enterprise’. Students who have chosen the course Student Enterprise in the study program’s fifth semester must choose the practice-based variant of the Bachelor’s Thesis.

Assessment Methods

Assessment methods are varied and adapted to the objectives of the study program. The following assessment methods are used: oral presentations, group examinations/assignments, individual written exams with and without invigilation, and demonstrations (students pitch their ideas with respect to their student enterprises). The assessment methods used in the various courses will be governed by which teaching and learning methods the respective courses use. Courses of more than 10 ECTS credits will include continuous assessment in addition to final assessment. Courses of less than 10 ECTS credits will include mandatory coursework with assessment and final examination. Individual written final examinations, with and without invigilation, will be used in courses where the assessment of knowledge in relation to learning outcomes is important, but also when assessment of analytical and reflective skills are emphasized. The study program aims, as far as practically possible, to use Fronter for the submission of individual written final examinations. Continuous assessment is carried out by written submission individually or in groups. Specific information concerning examinations and assignments is given in the individual course descriptions.

Minor adjustments may occur during the academic year, subject to the decision of the Dean