Highlights
Program highlights
In addition to the lectures related to the chosen specialization, this program offers case studies, conferences, and meetings with professionals and leading figures of the arts and culture scene, which help build a theoretical and practical artistic culture.
The program ends with a group cultural project, a written report, and a theoretical thesis written individually or in pairs. Students are supported by a research advisor and a coach.
A study trip to a European city is organized each quarter, raising students' awareness of professional practices, in France as well as internationally. Each of these trips is fully integrated into the MBA’s theoretical program.
Previous trips: London, Berlin, Amsterdam, Brussels, Athens, Venice, Lille, Lyon.
The internship calendar
> From June to December for the September intake and from January to June for the January intake
Some examples of internships:
- Olivia Verelst - Class of 2017, Mies House plateform, Paris
- Sun Ye - Class of 2017, Jayan Films, Paris
- Rocio Chillida Bergareche - Class of 2016, Juan March Foundation, Madrid, Spain
- Marie Van Zeyl - Christie’s Toronto, Canada
- Beatriz Forti - Class of 2016, Carmignac Foundation
- Margarita Baresch - Class of 2016, Centre Pompidou
- Emma Jewson - Class of 2016, Laura Bartlett Gallery, London
THE PROGRAM
Program overview
- Course in Art History and Contemporary Creation
- Course in Art Market, heritage, and intellectual property law
- Course in Finance and Funding of Cultural Projects
- Marketing and communication course
- Course in digital business and strategy
- Producing an auction or an exhibition
- Museums and the legal framework
- The Art Market and its economics
- Course in the history of performing arts and contemporary creation
- Event production
- Economics of the cultural industries
- Case studies, workshops, conferences, guided tours of galleries, museums, and cultural venues, meetings with professionals…
Live your passion for art!
This innovative MBA in arts and cultural management is offered jointly with Paris School of Business (PSB).
It combines the expertise of a leading business school with IESA arts&culture’s specializations. The program is meticulously designed to prepare students for roles within the arts and cultural industries through rigorous teaching and training in professional practices.
By combining core management courses with art and culture studies, students are empowered to become dynamic, innovative, and creative managers in the arts and culture field. Throughout the program, participants take part in a group exhibition project, undertake a thesis in pairs, and extend their learning with a six-month internship. This immersive experience exposes students to Paris’s vibrant cultural landscape, offering direct encounters with its museums, esteemed collections, art galleries, and performance venues through visits, professional meetings, and hands-on sessions.
Three study trips to art centers in European cities are also organized so students can meet seasoned professionals in the art sector. Graduates receive a PSB degree and an IESA MSc (level 7 professional certification registered with the RNCP).
Program Highlights:
- Study Contemporary Art in Paris, the World’s Cultural Capital
- Numerous visits and meetings with professionals in the sector
- Several study trips in France and Europe
83%
of students would recommend that a student pursue their studies at IESA
Toluna - Harris Interactive Survey - February 2025
Key Information About the MBA
| Program | MBA in Arts & Cultural Management |
|---|---|
| Duration | 2 years |
| Admission | Bac+3 completed |
| Start of the Academic Year | October or February |
| LANGUAGE | The program is taught entirely in English |
| Certification | RNCP title no. 42330 - level 7 “Administrator of Artistic and Cultural Projects” |
| 2027-2028 Fees | €22,780; €150 in tuition-related fees |
What Are the Goals of This Program?
This program prepares you to design, structure, and lead artistic and cultural projects, at both the strategic and operational levels. It develops advanced skills in:
- project management and operational steering;
- economic modeling and administration;
- mediation and audience development;
- communication.
It is built on a common core and two options, dedicated to the art market and cultural financing.
Students engage in case studies, individual exercises, and essays, take part in a group exhibition project in their chosen specialty, and complete an end-of-studies thesis. Exhibition projects and end-of-studies theses are assessed by juries made up of faculty members and professionals.
What You Will Learn
The Administrator of Artistic and Cultural Projects title aims at the acquisition of the following skills:
- Defining an Artistic and Cultural Project
- Conducting Administrative and Financial Operations of an Artistic and Cultural Project
- Deploying a Marketing and Distribution Strategy for an Artistic and Cultural Project
- Manage an artistic and cultural project
- Appraise and package artworks and art objects (specialization A)
MSc in Arts & Cultural Management Curriculum
1st semester
- Modern art history and visits: Realism through 1945
- Commentary on artworks
- Marketing management
- International trade
- Strategic management
- Finance for managers
- Intellectual property law
- Economics and structures of the art market
- Digital business
- Media analysis
- Exhibition project methodology
- Capstone project methodology
2nd semester
- Contemporary art history and visits
- Exhibition setup/construction
- Museum, art, and heritage: Preservation - Law and policy
- Funding cultural projects and the economics of culture
- Corporate social responsibility and cultural management
- Exhibition project methodology
- Capstone project methodology
- Marketing management
- International trade
- Strategic management
- Finance for managers
Assessment method
Assessment linked to the professional certification of RNCP title 42330:
The level 7 certified title “Administrator of Artistic and Cultural Projects” is awarded after validation of the 5 skills blocks. Each block involves simulated or real professional scenarios, with structured deliverables assessed by a jury of professionals.
Defining an artistic and cultural project
- Professional simulation based on a real or fictional case on defining an artistic and/or cultural project
- Case study based on a real or fictional case of designing a cultural and artistic mediation proposal, including documentation on defining an artistic and cultural project
Conducting the administrative and financial operations of an artistic and cultural project
- Practical case based on a real or fictional case on conducting the administrative and financial operations of an artistic and cultural project
- Professional simulation based on a real or fictional professional situation of implementing a partnership
Deploying a sales and distribution strategy for an artistic and cultural project
- Professional simulation based on a real or fictional case of deploying a digital sales and distribution strategy for an artistic and/or cultural project
- Practical case based on a real or fictional project to carry out in the art market and/or cultural industries sector
Leading an artistic and cultural project
- Professional simulations based on a real or fictional case on coordinating a project’s stakeholders and on a real or fictional case of implementing a quality system after project closure
- Practical case based on a real or fictional case presenting project management process optimization challenges
Appraising and packaging artworks and art objects (specialization A)
- Professional simulation
- Ongoing projects based on a real or fictional case on the appraisal of an artwork and within the real or fictional framework of organizing an exhibition or a sale
- Real or fictional practical case completed during the program, including a corpus of artworks
Project-based learning
Throughout their program, students are encouraged to engage in various professional projects, such as an exhibition project, auctions, and artist residencies. They thus have the opportunity to apply the knowledge acquired during their studies and develop project management skills, which they will use in their final group project, launched at the end of the year.
The MBA Arts and Cultural Management relies on a teaching approach that blends solid academic instruction, field experience, and concrete real-life scenarios through 3 trips during the year to discover the most dynamic scenes in Europe. This method enables students to gain both a critical understanding of the art world and practical skills directly applicable in the professional world.
Regular meetings with art world professionals, immersion in exhibition venues, and participation in highlights such as biennials or international fairs: these concrete experiences let students confront the many facets of art careers, build a solid professional network, and test their ideas in varied contexts.
Throughout their program, students also learn to structure and carry out a personal project. Guided by an expert, they design an end-of-cycle project that draws on all the skills acquired during the program. Presented before a jury, this work is both a demonstration of know-how and an affirmation of their professional individuality.
Professional Development
The professionalization of students throughout the program is a priority. It takes the form of:
- Teaching delivered by French and international culture and art market professionals to engage with the reality and current trends of the market.
- A personalized professionalization pathway to discover all the professions related to the art market and build your own project in contact with professionals.
- Whatever their program, students work on group or individual projects to put into practice the knowledge and skills they are acquiring. These projects are also an opportunity to learn to work in a team, build self-confidence, and tackle the fields and topics that interest them in a concrete way.
Débouchés
- Cultural Project Coordinator
- Artworks Expert
- Audience Manager
- Collections or Art Fair Manager
- Cultural Mediator
Job placement rate:
90%
at 6 months for graduates (class of 2022).
Latest France Compétences rate - RNCP title 39360.
Open Day: December 5
Open days let you discover the campus, meet the teams, ask your questions about the program, admissions, work-study, student projects and career opportunities.
It is also an opportunity to better understand the teaching approach of IESA arts&culture and the organization of these programs.
International Experience
The program, like IESA itself, is strongly international in focus, thanks to:
- A faculty that includes international speakers or speakers of foreign origin who bring their knowledge of international best practices
- Professional English courses
- The possibility of taking a semester of study at one of IESA’s partner universities or doing internships abroad to develop expertise or knowledge of a specific market
- The presence of 20% international students at the school, fostering intercultural exchange and dialogue
Our Former Students Share Their Experience
"My quest led me to enroll in IESA’s prestigious MSc in Arts & Cultural Management, a decision that has since shaped my career path. I am currently lending my expertise to Sotheby’s in the dynamic field of the Post Sales Luxury department."
Fernando
Certification
This master’s program prepares for the RNCP title level 7:
"Artistic and Cultural Project Administrator"
| Employment Rate | 74% at 6 months for students awarded the title, class of 2024 (most recent France Compétences rate - RNCP title 42330) |
|---|---|
| Certification Rate | 100% (class of 2024) |
| RNCP Code | RNCP 42330 |
This title is issued by: ECAD Consultants - IESA arts&culture by decision of the Director General of France Compétences dated 05/29/2026 for a period of 3 years.
How to Apply to IESA?
Admission is based on an application file and an interview with the admissions committee
- 1. You find out about the school and its programs.
- 2. You apply to the school by filling out a form on the website.
- 3. We call you to schedule an admission interview
- 4. A few days after the interview, you receive your admissibility decision
How Much Does the Program Cost?
For the 2027-2028 year, the fees are as follows:
| Year | Tuition |
|---|---|
| Program | 22 780 € |
| Tuition fees | 150 € |
Applicants can contact the admissions team to find out about:
- payment options
- funding options
The MSc lasts 2 years.
Number of in-class teaching hours and exams:
- Year 1: 373 h
- Year 2: 332 h
Current-year schedule: the number of hours may vary slightly from year to year.
Prerequisites:
- For entry into the 1st year (M1): hold a level 6 certification (Bac+3) or an equivalent degree (foreign degree, etc.), or have earned 180 ECTS credits in the targeted or a related field (art history, culture, etc.).
- For entry into the 2nd year (M2): hold a level 6 certification (Bac+3) or an equivalent degree (foreign degree, etc.), or have earned 240 ECTS credits in the targeted or a related field (art history, culture, etc.).
Admission is based on the submission of an application file and an interview with the admissions committee.
Access timeframes: Admissions are open from November 2026 to September 2027 for the October 2027 intake and from March 2026 to January 2027 for the February 2027 intake.
Applications are processed within 3 weeks maximum after receipt of the complete file. Enrollment is possible until the start date, subject to available places.
By exception, enrollment is possible after the program start date, following review and verification of the learner’s ability to catch up on the learning already delivered, within a maximum of 1 month after the start of the program.
More information: international@iesa.fr
The program takes place at IESA on the LE DELTA campus (16 rue Claude Bernard, 75005 Paris) and at partner cultural venues.
IESA premises are accessible to people with disabilities. The admission interview and the course of study can be adapted to the needs of those concerned, who are therefore invited to express them as soon as they apply to the school. Contact: handicap@iesa.fr
If you do not obtain the RNCP title, please note that if you have validated all the skills of a block, that skill block is yours permanently.
Equivalences: In the case of an equivalence, whether through VAE and/or the award of a skill block or an equivalent certification, it is up to the applicant to present this equivalence to the jury for validation.
Bridging paths: No bridging path for this program.
Further studies: This program is designed for professional entry.
Project