Deakin University

Graduate Certificate of Business (Arts and Cultural Management) Online

  • Delivery: Online
  • Study Level: Postgraduate
  • Duration: 12 months
  • Course Type: Graduate Certificate

Learn to manage arts and cultural organisations with practical business capabilities spanning marketing, finance, people management and creative-sector operations.

Course overview

Turn your passion for the creative sector into practical management expertise with Deakin University’s Graduate Certificate of Business (Arts and Cultural Management). Study as part of Australia’s only business school-based arts management program and combine rigorous business learning with a strong understanding of creative organisations.

You will explore arts marketing, arts management, financial decision-making and human resource strategy. Guided by academics and practitioners connected to the arts and creative sectors, you will learn to apply business principles to the challenges faced by cultural institutions, festivals, galleries, performing arts organisations and creative enterprises.

Delivered online over one year of part-time study, the course can support progression towards management and leadership opportunities across the creative sector. It also provides a pathway to Deakin University’s Master of Business (Arts and Cultural Management). The course is delivered by Deakin Business School, which holds AACSB and EQUIS accreditations.

Key facts

Delivery
Online
Course Type
Graduate Certificate
Duration
More Information
Not available full-time
12 months (Part time)
Price Per Unit
From $3,975
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The estimated fee is determined by individual units of study and the year the course was commenced.
Intake
February, 2027
June, 2027
Units
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You may be required to complete 0 credit point units throughout your course. The university will confirm this as part of your enrolment.

The unit total reflects the number of units required for course completion, not the total credit point weight. Some units may be double- or triple-weighted, so the number of units you complete may be lower.
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Fees
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FEE-HELP loans are available to assist eligible full-fee paying domestic students with the cost of a university course.
FEE-HELP

What you will study

To earn the Graduate Certificate of Business (Arts and Cultural Management), you must successfully complete units totalling 4 credit points, as detailed below. Unless otherwise noted, each course is worth 1 credit point.

Core units

  • Arts Marketing
  • Arts Management
  • Financial Decision Making
  • Human Resource Strategy

Entry requirements

Academic requirements

To be eligible for this course, applicants must meet at least one of the following requirements:

  • Hold a bachelor’s degree or higher in any discipline and have at least two years of relevant work experience, or part-time equivalent.
  • Have at least five years of relevant work experience, or part-time equivalent.

Relevant work experience must include at least two years of paid or voluntary experience in arts or cultural management. This experience may be accumulated across one or more full-time or part-time roles but must have been gained within the past 10 years.

The university considers applicants’ academic history, work and life experience and individual circumstances. Meeting the minimum academic and English language requirements does not guarantee admission.

English language requirements

Applicants must provide evidence of at least one of the following:

  • A bachelor’s degree completed in a recognised English-speaking country.
  • An IELTS overall score of 6.5, with no individual band score below 6.0, or an accepted equivalent.
  • Other accepted evidence of English language proficiency.

Contact the university for further information.

Recognition of prior learning

You may be eligible for recognition of prior learning if you have previously studied or have relevant work experience. This will help reduce the number of units you need to study to finish your course. Contact the university for more information.

Outcomes

Learning outcomes

  • Assess a broad range of specialised management approaches and their application to arts organisations
  • Develop appropriate communication strategies and techniques in the practice of arts management
  • Employ technologies to find, use and disseminate information, concepts and theories in relation to arts management
  • Appraise and analyse information in order to understand and apply theories of arts management
  • Formulate solutions to a diverse range of current and emerging arts management challenges and issues
  • Personalise observations of arts management practice
  • Analyse the contributions made to arts management from a range of disciplines and backgrounds
  • Translate arts management theory and practice from a range of cultural and international contexts

Career outcomes

The course can support progression towards management and leadership opportunities across areas such as:

  • Arts and cultural venues
  • Community arts and cultural development
  • Festivals
  • Museums and galleries
  • Performing and visual arts
  • Publishing houses
  • Screen industries
  • Touring companies

Fees and FEE-HELP

Indicative annual fee in 2027: $15,900 (Full-fee paying place)

Indicative annual fees are based on your first year of study.

A student’s annual fee may vary by:

  • The number of units studied.
  • Choice of units.
  • Credit from previous study or work experience.
  • Eligibility for government-funded loans.

Student fees shown are subject to change. Contact the university directly to confirm.

FEE-HELP loans are available to assist eligible full-fee paying domestic students with the cost of a university course.