If you have a passion for the visual or dramatic arts, you could have an exciting career by studying arts management. Persons who choose to go into arts management assist in bringing the arts to more people by managing art organizations and institutions such as museums, galleries, and studios.Obtaining a minimum of a bachelor’s at a college or university usually completes preparation for an arts management career. Students who enter arts management programs should expect to obtain a solid background in business and economics, and learn about challenges and special issues confronting the world of the arts.The arts management graduate will work directly with artists, museums, and institutions to coordinate and develop programs that promote art, raise funds, handle finances, and implement art education and promotion programs. Some studio art majors may choose to carry double major in arts management in order to learn the business side of the arts in preparation for running their own studio or gallery.Students seeking admission to an arts management program should have adequate high school educational backgrounds. Some useful classes for the prospective college student include: speech and communication, accounting, advanced placement art history, business, dance, economics, music history, and theater arts.Many prestigious programs exist for the student to pursue art management. How should the student begin to find the best program? Start by evaluating the schools for which you meet the admission requirements. Then screen the schools to be certain that the institution is properly credentialed and accredited. Next, call the school and inquire about their connections within the art industry. Also inquire about the percentage of graduates who obtain job placements within the art industry following graduation. The percentage should be quite high.Location of the school is important when considering an art management program. The best opportunities will exist in cities and communities that have a strong focus on the arts. New York City, Chicago, Washington, D.C., London, and Paris immediately come to mind, but it is also possible to find great opportunities in other communities as well. Choose a location that you think that you would be comfortable with.It is vitally important for the art management student to make connections and network while they are pursuing their education. Most art management positions come by word or mouth, not by advertisement. Many positions are filled before the student graduates so that there is an almost seamless transition between college and beginning the job. Art professors are a great resource for networking as they usually have many connections and associations within the art world.Networking is fine, but that alone may not be enough to secure a coveted position. Your may need experience, but how do you obtain experience without having a job? An internship is the perfect solution to this dilemma, so make sure that your school offers an internship before graduation. In short, no one can tell you what program will be best for you, but by applying the tips that you have learned you can be assured that you will have the best possible chance in pursuing your career goals.