MA-Track Capstone

Students will demonstrate knowledge of the field through a Capstone project, bringing evidence of increasing skills and applying scholarly theory directly into practice. Students must obtain project approval from the Arts Administration Director and work under the supervision of the AA Graduation Committee.

Learning Outcomes
As the capstone of two years of Arts Administration theory and practice, the Learning Outcomes for the Master of Arts Capstone class are the same as those for the Arts Administration Program as a whole, building upon those of the College of Performing and Visual Arts, and Southern Utah University. Through successful completion of this course, students will:

  1. Become empowered advocates for the arts
  2. Apply scholarly theory directly into professional practice
  3. Develop adaptability and critical thinking skills necessary to work in the arts
  4. Cultivate both practical and creative approaches to problem solving
  5. Communicate in an effective and persuasive way.

Project Criteria
The Capstone should be the culmination of a well thought-out sequence of academic experiences. It should be substantial, arts-related project in line with AA curriculum, totaling approximately 10 weeks (or 200 hours) of work, and include a Field Mentor with at least 5 years of arts administration experience. While the project is reported on as part of the Capstone class during Summer semester, students can begin work on (and potentially finish) the project before that semester.

Approval Process
Submit to the instructor of the Capstone course a one-page Capstone Proposal with (a) an overview of the project and host organization, (b) an explanation of the goals of the project (both for the student and for the organization), and (c) a narrative on how things learned and experiences gained while in the AA Program has prepared the students for this Capstone Project. The instructor will then present the proposal to the AA Graduation Committee for approval. Once officially approved, the student can begin work in earnest on the project.

Design Statement
Once the Capstone Proposal is approved, and as the project is an arrangement between the student, the AA program, and an outside arts organization, the student must create a Design Statement, or contract, to ensure all participants are on the same page. This document must contain the following elements:

  • Student career goals
  • A reflection on student preparation and qualifications
  • Project information (location, organization, dates, title)
  • Project description (information on the project & expected responsibilities)
  • Expected project learning outcomes
  • Field supervisor information (name, title, qualifications, contact information)
  • Signatures of the Student, the Instructor, and the Field Supervisor

The Project Proposal (see Approval Process above) should be used as a foundation for the creation of the Design Statement. While this document is technically not due until the first week of Summer semester, it should be in place before the student begins work on the project.

Capstone Blog
During the Summer semester, students will make weekly Journal Entries on the Arts Administration Capstone: Master of Arts (https://suuaama.wordpress.com/) blog, accessed by the Graduation Committee, current AA students, and invited guests. Students are encouraged to look through the blog to see what students have done for Capstone projects in past years, and to get an idea of how things progress through the Summer semester.

Final Presentation
When possible, the student will return to Cedar City to give a presentation on their Capstone experiences in conjunction with the annual Arts Administration Conference (link to the Conference page) at the beginning of September. When travel to Cedar City is not possible, the student will give the presentation on their experiences remotely using video conferencing. These remote presentations must take place within the two weeks following the Arts Administration Conference, and are scheduled by the Instructor. Presentations should focus on the project, relating experiences back to the two years in the AA program. There will also be an Exit Interview, scheduled by the AA Program Director, in those two weeks following the conference.

Grading
All grading in this course is Pass/Fail. If a student fails the course, the student will not be granted the degree and will be dismissed from the AA Program. The Capstone course may not be repeated (link the Arts Administration Program Graduate Student Handbook).

Questions
For more information, please contact your Academic Advisor.

Contact

Arts Administration