Cultural Policy and Cultural Management (Master’s Degree, On-Campus)

General Characteristics

The master’s degree program in cultural policy offered by the Faculty of Political Science and International Studies is the first program of its kind in Poland. The program was developed and is conducted in collaboration with other units at the University of Warsaw: the Faculty of Polish Studies—Institute of Polish Culture, the Faculty of Culture and Art Studies, the Faculty of Management, the Faculty of Economic Sciences, and the University of Warsaw European Center. A comprehensive program combining humanities and social sciences in the fields of political science and public administration, international relations, management and quality studies, economics and finance, cultural and religious studies, and art studies. The appeal of the program lies in its combination of classes taught by specialists from various fields focusing on the relationship between culture and politics, as well as by cultural practitioners.

There will be a strong emphasis on the practical aspect of “experiencing culture,” which will enable students to participate in culture both passively and actively. Students will carry out individual culture-related projects in the form of tutorials, with access to tutors and cultural institutions of their own choosing.

In addition, they may expand the content of their degree programs to include selected university-wide courses. Students who are interested have the option of writing and defending their master’s thesis in English.

The program is designed for individuals who hold a bachelor’s, engineering, or master’s degree in any field of study.

Study Program

The program’s curriculum focuses on a combination of three modules that define the interdisciplinary nature of the program and ensure a blend of theoretical knowledge and practical skills in cultural policy and cultural management:

• Module I – Cultural Policy and International Cultural Relations
• Module II – Culture and Art
• Module III – Economics and Management in Culture

Examples of subjects:

• Polish Cultural Policy in the 20th and 21st Centuries
• International Cultural Relations
• Cultural Knowledge
• Management in Culture
• The Economics of Culture
• Experiencing Culture – a two-semester practical course

Graduates of the program possess a deeper understanding (compared to first-cycle studies) of how the spheres of politics and culture function and intersect. They understand the principles and significance of cultural policy as a form of public policy that is formulated and implemented, as well as the methods and direction of cultural management.

Graduates also possess the knowledge and skills necessary to conduct independent, in-depth analyses and syntheses of processes occurring in public cultural life, as well as to competently lead teams and make managerial decisions in cultural institutions in accordance with ethical principles. Graduates will be familiar with the basic tools of the trade in this field (legal, financial, managerial, and project-related), possess theoretical and historical knowledge and awareness related to culture—both in anthropological and artistic terms—as well as the practical skills to collaborate with people who create culture.

Graduates can find employment in national and local government institutions, EU institutions, and international cultural institutions, as well as in agencies responsible for cultural policy, including those in the nonprofit sector. In addition, they can work in private-sector cultural management (as a producer, impresario, or agent/manager for creators and artists).

Graduates acquire advanced skills in organizing cultural events and are able to present, in a performative format, a project of their choice from any cultural field.

Graduates have also developed habits of lifelong learning and professional development and are prepared for research work and further study in a doctoral program.