Master in Performing Arts Management

“The Master in Performing Arts Management can play a fundamental role in creating the expertise needed to run opera companies. More than ever today and tomorrow, opera managers must be competent in a variety of skills. My wish is that this wonderful initiative in Milano, at the heart of the land which invented opera, will attract students not only from Italy but throughout Europe and beyond Europe. It promises to become a centre of excellence which will nurture both the future of our profession and the diffusion of the art which we love” – Nicholas Payne, Director Opera Europa

OSMOSIS

“Economy” and “culture” are two perfectly complementary materials, when we’re talking about the performing arts. The main goal of this Master is to forge professionals with strong skills in both areas.

UNIQUENESS

The Accademia has developed one of the best teaching methods in the world. You will have the rare opportunity to live and breathe a 360° experience of the dynamics of the Teatro alla Scala, learning directly from the professionals who work there.

GLOBAL NETWORK

Collaboration between the Accademia, POLIMI GSoM and the Piccolo Teatro di Milano puts you right in the middle of an international network of contacts that includes theatres, festivals and show institutions.

You’ll also get the chance to analyse all aspects of the show live through testimonials, seminars, meetings and much, much more. Our teaching staff includes professionals from Opera Europa, Metropolitan Opera House, Royal Opera House Covent Garden, English National Opera, Opera de Rennes, Berliner Philharmoniker, Hong Kong Arts Festival, DeVos Institute and WolfBrown.

LEARNING BY DOING

Our teaching approach helps you to have direct contact with the working world. The centrepiece of this Master is the internship, which you will do at the most important Italian and foreign institutions in the sector.

TUTORING

Our talented staff makes sure you have constant support during your Master, especially regarding the myriad of ways of working in this field.

We are targeting junior profiles with little or no work experience.

Our ideal candidate has:

• A B.A. or equivalent and wants to pursue a career in the performing arts or cultural sector.
• Formal music, arts, or dance education and wants general knowledge of international cultural policies and to develop their management and organisational skills.
• No formal degree but has a minimum of 3 to 5 years working experience in any field and wants a career change. General knowledge of the non-profit sector would be a plus.

You need to be under 35 to be admitted into this Master programme. But if this is not your case, we will evaluate your application separately.

You will spend 8 months in Milan and then 3-to-6-month internship in a qualified performing arts institution in Italy or abroad. After that, you will create and discuss your own project work.

Am I eligible for the MPAM Programme?

If you have a B.A. or equivalent and you would like to pursue a career in the performing arts or cultural sector, then our MPAM might just be the thing you’re looking for. We recommend this course if you have:

• A formal music, arts, or dance education and you want to gain general knowledge of international cultural policies and develop your management and organisational skills.
• No formal degree but you do have a minimum of 3 to 5 years working experience in any field and are looking for a career change. General knowledge of the non-profit sector would be a plus.

Please take note that knowledge of the English language at an upper intermediate level is highly recommended.

How long is the MPAM programme?

Our MPAM programme goes for 20 months.

What language do you teach the programme in?

This programme is taught almost entirely in English.

Do I need to speak Italian?

You will need a fair knowledge of Italian.

How many students are in the programme?

Our average class size is around thirty-five students.

Is there an age limit for the programme?

You need to be under 35 to be admitted into this Master programme. But if this is not your case, we will evaluate your application separately.

APPLICATIONS 2022 ARE OPEN

Please note that we process applications on a rolling basis, which means applications may close even before this deadline. This is because of the limited number of seats available in the class.

You should get your application in as early as possible. If you are a non-EU candidate, you should apply at least 3 months before the programme starts, to allow enough time for Italy’s Declaration of Value (DOV) procedure and to get you settled in here.

OUR SELECTION PROCESS

We have a careful selection process, and we limit our Master to a fixed number of students. This makes sure we can give you the best environment for personal development as well as for group learning.

Please fill out the application form that you can find at www.applyformasters.net

Remember that during the first step (Submit your Application), you will need to give us:

• Your CV or resume in English
• Cover letter in English
• Copies of your degrees and academic transcripts
• Copy of an English certificate (TOEFL, TOEIC or equivalent) if you have one
• The application fee of €80
• A copy of the information page of your passport
• Two reference letters

Our selection will be based on CV analysis, an interview (face-to-face or via Teams) and a written test.

Selection Rounds:

• 17 February 2022
• 22 March 2022
• 8 April 2022
• 16 May 2022
• 10 June 2022
• 8  July 2022
• 2  September 2022
• 3  October 2022

Our MPAM programme costs €18,300. These costs cover the entire length of the programme, although they do not include living and travel expenses.

FINANCIAL AID

You might find our MPAM programme more accessible with help from our Financial Aid Programme. We have a number of tuition fee contributions based on different parameters, such as your merits and needs. Details will be coming soon.

Gianluca Spina Memorial Scholarship

We at POLIMI GSoM, together with the Accademia Teatro alla Scala and the Gianluca Spina Association, will award three scholarships to three deserving MPAM candidates.

For more information click here

MAECI

Are you an international student interested in our MPAM programme? The Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MAECI) has 9 stipends of €900 per month, for six months, from January 2022 to June 2022 that you can apply for. This comes to a total of €5,400 euros. 

For more information click here

How much does the programme cost?

Our MPAM programme costs €18,300. These costs cover the entire length of the programme, although they do not include living and travel expenses.

How do I apply for tuition fee contributions or grants?

Just take a look at the “Financial Aid” Box and if you want any more information, please write to us at ipa@gsom.polimi.it

Will I have to buy textbooks?

Not at all, we will give you all the textbooks you need, and the cost is included as part of the overall programme fee.

Discover more on our financial aid opportunities