• The Master of Fine Arts in Arts Leadership (MFAL) at Seattle University—the first program of its kind on the West Coast—brings together nationally-renowned faculty in arts leadership with the essential business, management, advocacy, and community engagement skills necessary for students to lead in the arts sector.  With the low student-to-faculty ratio and the program’s cohort approach, students will benefit from direct access to faculty and develop lifelong relationships and support networks. In the thriving, arts-dense Seattle region, students will gain the theoretical and practical experience necessary to successfully compete for arts leadership positions nationally and internationally. students will learn alongside a cohort from various backgrounds including community art practitioners, curators, designers, development managers, education directors, public artists, and theater directors. 
  • At the core of the MFAL program is the institution’s commitment to social justice and professional development complemented by a deep foundation of academic rigor and applied research. A signature of this program is the final capstone Summary Project, where students use academic research and experience in the field to investigate a topic of interest such as a cultural sector, curatorial, policy, or arts management issue. Throughout this program, students will use their skills and knowledge to build a broad portfolio of practice in the arts sector of their choice to take with them into their arts leadership career.