Innovation and Organization of Culture and the Arts (GIOCA) – (M.Sc.)

Graduates of this course will be professional figures with advanced management training, qualified for working in cultural organisations and able to collaborate competently with the artistic-cultural dimension of these organisations. The degree programme thus responds to a specific market demand for professionals:

• working in cultural organizations;
  acting as consultants for cultural organisations;
• acting as interface between public or private organisations to support the activities of individual organisations (local bodies, sponsors, foundations etc.).

The degree program has the following specific learning outcomes:

• to attribute specific management knowledge within cultural organisations, using an interdisciplinary approach. The program aims to establish professional skills for working in the creative industries and in the cultural and artistic institutions in both the public and the private sector.
• to provide the necessary skills for managing and planning cultural institutions and organisations.
• to understand the role of art and cultural products in public policy and the broader subject of economic and corporate development and renewal.
• to identify the main innovations (with specific reference to cultural organisations) from a managerial point of view, understanding governance structures, operative mechanisms and corporate processes.

Specifically, three types of innovation are analysed: managerial and institutional innovations linked to a growing pressure for economic efficiency in a time of restriction and limitation of public spending; innovations linked to new models of consumption of cultural goods and activities (for example, entertainment studies at an international level); innovations in multi-media technologies creating new perspectives for cultural organizations.

• to provide a methodology for the analysis and understanding of arts and culture through the creation process of value, cultural consumption, public policies and privatisation, and outsourcing and reorganisation tools.
• to enhance understanding of corporate dynamics and the impact of technology in creative industries.
• to develop strong team-working and problem-solving abilities and creativity and thus innovative project-development abilities and solutions for cultural institutions and organisations.

The study program aims to develop a sound background in business studies and humanities, in particular in sociology, urban planning, art history and music.

Operation management course units for the individual cultural sectors give students direct involvement in the management of cultural organizations and the possibility to analyse real life problems.

The GIOCA program prides itself on its interdisciplinary approach comprising business studies (management, economics and law) and humanities. Museums and cultural heritage are the focus of the course but other kinds of cultural organisations are also studied. The less distinct managerial roles in these sectors are compared with other more “technical” economic areas, and it thus makes it easier to apply experiences and knowledge to various art fields (visual arts, entertainment, music etc.).

The course is characterized by its international approach. It is one of the experimental international degrees promoted by the University, which means that the course is taught entirely in English. Furthermore, there are foreigners among the students and teaching staff. Students are encouraged to carry out work experience abroad. Thanks to this internationalisation process, the GIOCA program aims to become one of the most recognized players in high-quality university education at a European and international level, and it is part of a network of international degrees in the arts management field. The program is also involved in the spreading of university qualifications in arts management, taking part in the Double Degree Program with the Carnegie Mellon University of Pittsburgh.