Objectives and competences
This 90-credit master's degree is part of the University of Barcelona's Cultural Management Programme. It seeks to provide training to prospective cultural management, administration and mediation professionals with the skills to take on responsible roles in the public or private sector, tackling generalist projects and a variety of cultural sectors such as audiovisual media, publishing, performing arts, music, heritage services and visual arts. It is also aimed at training researchers in cultural management and policies, leading to the doctoral programme in Cultural and Heritage Management.
The teaching and research experience of the University of Barcelona in this field dates back to 1989. Over time, the UB has been able to carefully construct a didactic discourse that has garnered broad international recognition. A considerable effort has been made to structure content, collect experiences and documentation, and design simulation exercises and teaching methods to develop intellectual curiosity and a common-sense approach. The challenge of this collective work has been to create high-quality training to prepare competent professionals for work across the entire range of cultural institutions, projects, facilities and services.
The University of Barcelona also offers a variety of UB-specific lifelong learning programmes and part-time vocational courses for professionals in the field of cultural management, including athe master's degree in Management of Cultural Institutions and Organizations and the postgraduate diplomas of International Cooperation and Cultural Management, of Performing arts and festivals production and Managementand of Design of Cultural Projects.
The main language of instruction is Catalan, but some subjects are taught in Spanish or English (this information will be given in the individual course plans).
Basic information
| Type | Master's degree |
|---|---|
| Faculty or school | Faculty of Economics and Business |
| Branch of knowledge |
|
| Mode of delivery |
|
| Credits | 90 |
| Number of places available | 35 |
| Length of course | 2 academic years |
| Language(s) of instruction | Catalan: 78%, Spanish: 12%, English: 10% |
| Approximate price per credit | 27.67 euros per credit (82 euros for students who are not EU nationals and do not currently reside in Spain). Fees for the academic year 2024-2025 |
| Coordination | MONTSERRAT PAREJA EASTAWAY |
| mgc@ub.edu | |
| Course details | Indicators |
| Open pre-enrolment | No |
| Open enrolment | No |
| Lead to doctoral studies | Yes |
| Admission for applicants not holding a degree qualification | No |
| Bridging courses | Yes |
Objectives and competences
Objectives
Competences
On completion of the master's degree, students will be able to:
- Acquire specialized knowledge and use it to solve problems.
- Integrate knowledge and tackle the complexity of formulating judgements based on limited information, taking due consideration of the social and ethical responsibilities involved in applying knowledge and making judgements.
- Transmit conclusions, and the information and reasons that justify them, in a clear and unambiguous manner.
- Harness the learning skills acquired to pursue further learning requiring a more independent and self-directed approach.
Specific:
On completion of the master's degree, students will be able to:
- Analyse the economic, political, personal, social and cultural phenomena that drive the creation, production, diffusion, consumption and appropriation of cultural products.
- Assess and compare a range of cultural management approaches and practices and suggest improvements.
- Communicate confidently, professionally and effectively on topics related to the field of cultural management.
- Gather, organize and critically analyse information.
- Take part in critical discussion of conclusions drawn from papers and technical/scientific reports in the field of cultural management.
- Use and adapt theoretical and applied models, instruments and techniques to analyse current situations and prepare, plan, intervene in and evaluate projects and practices in the field of cultural management.
- Analyse the behaviour of people in social, organizational, group and interpersonal contexts in the general field of cultural management, using the knowledge acquired to evaluate and predict the effects of this behaviour on cultural products and their consumption.
- Identify and critically appraise new management trends and cultural practices that can be harnessed for the development of specific cultural products.
- Design cultural management projects and practices in keeping with the principles of socio-cultural diversity and strategic management.
Access and admission
Applicant profile and access requirements
Recommended applicant profile
The academic backgrounds and profiles of students in the master's degree in Cultural Management vary widely, but as a general rule the following candidates are ideally suited to the course:- Recent graduates who would like to acquire more specialized professional training in the organization and management of cultural projects.
- Cultural agents who wish to acquire a structured, conceptual understanding of their professional experience.
- Culture professionals (creators, educators, mediators, curators and specialists in a range of areas) interested in acquiring specific training in cultural management.
- Teachers and researchers interested in moving into applied research or preparing a doctoral thesis on cultural management and policies.
To stand a good chance of successfully completing the course, candidates should have an interest in the field of study, possess the ability to process information on a conceptual level, know how to lead a team, possess management and communication skills, and be involved in the cultural development of their communities or artistic fields.
Access requirements and conditions
General requirementsIn accordance with Article 16 of Royal Decree 1393/2007, of 29 October, students wishing to be admitted to a university master's degree must hold one of the following qualifications:
- Official Spanish university degree.
- A degree issued by a higher education institution within the European Higher Education Area framework that authorizes the holder to access university master's degree courses in the country of issue.
- A qualification issued by an institution outside the framework of the European Higher Education Area. In this case, applicants must request homologation of the degree to its equivalent official Spanish university qualification or obtain express approval from the University of Barcelona, which will conduct a study of equivalence to ensure that the degree is of a comparable level to an official Spanish university qualification and that it grants access to university master's degree study in the country of issue. Admission shall not, in any case, imply that prior qualifications have been recognized as equivalent to a Spanish master's degree and does not confer recognition for any purposes other than that of admission to the master's degree course.
Specific requirements
Applications will be accepted from any candidate in possession of the necessary qualifications to enrol in a university master's degree in Spain, according to the current regulations. Students must also be able to demonstrate a good level of Spanish and English (equivalent to B1 in the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages).
Pre-enrolment
Calendar
- First period: Until April 11 2024.
Online test: April 13
- Second period: Until July 12 2024.
Online test: July 12
- To upload the documentation in the form, you must first confirm the request.
- Further information (Catalan).
Notes:
- Pre-enrolment fee: A pre-enrolment fee of 30,21 euros is charged. Students who apply to more than one master's degree must pay the fee for each pre-enrolment request. Pre-enrolment requests cannot be processed until this fee has been paid.Fees will only be refunded if the master's degree in question is suspended.
- Reserved places: A maximum of 5% of the new places of the master's degree are reserved for students who meet the general and specific access requirements and accredit the recognition of a degree of disability equal to or greater than 33%.
Required documentation
- Pre-enrolment application
- Photocopy of degree certificate or equivalent qualification. In case of admission, foreign degrees that require so should be translated and authenticated through diplomatic channels before completing the enrolment.
- Other specific documentation related to the selection criteria
Selection criteria
The Admissions Committee will select candidates on the basis of the written test, the content of their curriculum vitae and the academic documents submitted, taking into account the following selection criteria:
- Skills and capabilities (55%): written or video test, statement of interest, etc.
- Academic and professional experience (30%).
- Foreign language skills and computer skills (15%).
Notification
The body in charge of resolving applications is the master's degree Admissions Committee. This procedure is carried out in the period established in the pre-enrolment calendar. Once the Committee has met and the corresponding resolution has been reached, electronic confirmation is sent. The faculty's Master's and Doctoral Office will contact admitted students to inform them of the steps to take to complete enrolment.Enrolment
As a general rule, at the UB you will be required to enrol online. Remember that you can lose your place if you do not enrol on the day you have been assigned
- Documents required for enrolment
- Procedure to formalize enrolment
- Grants and financial aid (in Catalan)
- Economic information (in Catalan)
Course curriculum
Subjects and course plans
Distribution of credits
| Type | ECTS |
|---|---|
| Compulsory | 25 |
| Optional | 40 |
| Compulsory placements | 10 |
| Compulsory final project | 15 |
| TOTAL | 90 |
List of subjects
Bridging courses
| Subject | Type | Language | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Specialization: BC for Admission to the Master's Degree in Cultural Management | |||
| Principles of Accounting for Cultural Management | Optional | 1st semester | 3 |
Previous years
Placements
Placements in a company or another type of organization are an integral part of university studies, providing first-hand experience of working methodologies in students' chosen professional fields. They offer invaluable practical experience for the transition into work after graduation.
Placements are supervised by tutors and subject to assessment. They are therefore included in the academic record. There is also an option to complete non-curricular placements of up to 500 hours, which can be extended to 900 hours. For both curricular and non-curricular placements, an educational cooperation agreement is signed between the UB and the company, institution or other organization at which the placement will be carried out.
Institutional information
Career opportunities
What can you work on ?
Cultural managers operate in a range of roles and fields depending on the specific cultural and institutional parameters of their local and regional contexts. The primary factors that shape opportunities in the sector are the degree of direct or indirect governmental involvement in cultural organizations; the degree of development of private management of cultural activities; the scale of existing projects; and the degree of interaction with other culture professionals and with professionals outside the framework of cultural organizations.To address these emerging challenges, the master's degree in Cultural Management provides the training for a range of career options:
- Manager, specialist or administrator in the framework of public, civic or business services, teams and projects.
- Planner/producer of cultural events (in the arts and humanities, festivals, heritage, tourism, etc).
- Regional cultural manager.
- Planner/promoter of intercultural dynamics and socio-cultural activities.
- Researcher in cultural management and cultural policies.
Watch the video The profile of the cultural manager in the 21st century, by Lluís Bonet (in Catalan).