Program Overview

Contemporary Management in Arts and Culture

The certificate in Contemporary Management in Arts and Culture (CMAC) is an affordable part-time, ten-month program designed specifically to develop the skills, knowledge, and confidence of those aspiring to be arts and culture leaders in the Maritimes or across Canada.

Advance Your Career

This practical, interactive, and fully online program is tailored for early-career working professionals wishing to effectively lead their organizations, projects, and ideas with a solid knowledge base in today's rapidly changing ecosystem. CMAC's cohort-based program includes three courses and a capstone project. Participants learn from leaders in the field from the Atlantic region and across Canada through on-demand lectures, interviews with experts, and virtual discussions.

Program Overview

Why Choose the CMAC Certificate?

• Relevant, practical training: The curriculum is designed in consultation with arts and culture professionals to ensure a balance of contemporary sector specifics and business acumen.
• Small cohort approach: With limited enrolment, the program offers valuable opportunities for interaction.
• Flexible online format: With one course per semester over ten months, the program is structured for working professionals. Virtual classes are held every other Friday, with additional coursework completed independently.
• Experienced instructors: Learn from senior industry professionals and gain insights through exclusive interviews and mentorship opportunities.
• National networking: Connect and collaborate with peers from across Canada, building a supportive professional network.
• Official university certificate of proficiency upon completion.

Program Highlights

• Duration: 10 months (September - June)
• Format: Fully online, both synchronous and asynchronous, cohort-based
• Class schedule: Two hours every other Friday (Atlantic Time), plus independent coursework
• Workload: 8 - 12 hours biweekly per course; 15 hours for the Capstone Project
• Enrollment: Limited to 15 participants for a personalized experience

Who Should Apply?

• Current managers seeking professional development or advancement
• New and aspiring arts and culture managers seeking foundational business knowledge
• Artists moving into management roles who lack formal business training
• Newcomers to Canada seeking insight into Canada's arts and culture sector

Certificate Content

The program aims to cover traditional areas of concern for cultural managers as well as some of the key issues being addressed by the sector today and into the future. The context looks at Canadian organizations, large and small, non-profit and entrepreneurial, with some focus on the needs and issues in the Atlantic provinces.

Term | Course | Key Topics ---|---|--- Kick-off | Introduction to Contemporary Arts and Culture Management | Sector trends, keynote address, panel with culture leaders on Canadian issues Fall | Leadership, Governance and Planning | Governance best practices, strategic/business planning, leadership, legal structures, entrepreneurship Winter | Effective Operations | Financial management, budgeting, HR management, labour relations, legal/IP, technology essentials Spring | Relationship and Revenue Management | Advocacy and cultural policy, community engagement, marketing, fundraising, grantsmanship Wrap-up | Capstone Project | Develop and present a high-level business plan for an arts organization

Admission and Fees

• Application deadline: August 7, 2026
• Eligibility: Open to Canadian citizens and permanent residents with some post-secondary training and work experience in arts and culture
• Tuition: $2,600 total
• Bursary: $1,000 available for eligible New Brunswick participants

Start Date and Application Deadline

• Start date: September 8, 2026
• Application deadline: August 7, 2026 (Apply early; limited enrolment)