Kookmin University (President Jeong Seung Ryul) Graduate School of Comprehensive Arts will launch a new “AI + Arts Management” major for the first semester of the 2027 academic year and set out to cultivate interdisciplinary talent by combining expertise in artificial intelligence (AI) technology with the arts and culture sector. Through the establishment of this new major, the school plans to integrate AI into all aspects of arts management—from performance and exhibition planning to the operation of arts organizations, audience development, and fundraising—and to train professionals capable of responding to the evolving arts and culture landscape.

△ Photo: Information session on the new “AI + Arts Management” major held on November 2 at the K-art View in the Kookmin University Art Center
(From left) Dr. Shim Kyu-seon (CEO of SPI), Professor Park Shin-ui, and Dr. Kim Won-jae (Kyung Hee University Institute for Culture and Arts Management)

The AI + Arts Management major focuses on understanding the changes in the arts and arts management brought about by technological advancements and on developing new planning and operational models using AI. In particular, the program has established as its primary educational objectives not only improving operational efficiency through AI but also expanding access to culture and the arts and creating social value. Based on this, the program plans to integrate AI into various areas of arts management—such as planning, organizational operations, audience development, and marketing—and to support “impact business”-style startups that pursue social value.
 
The curriculum consists of core major courses and elective major courses. The core major courses build students’ AI application skills and lay the theoretical foundation for arts management through courses such as Introduction to Artificial Intelligence, Cultural and Arts Policy, Research Methodology for AI + Arts Management, Arts Organization Management and Fundraising, and Research on Measuring the Social Impact of the Arts. The major-specific electives offer practice-oriented courses such as AI and Art Marketing; Theory of AI Cultural Planning (Social Art Planning); Art Entrepreneurship and Leadership in the AI Era; AI-Driven Art Startups and Business Models; Technology Convergence and the Arts Ecosystem; and Planning for the Construction and Operation of AI-Enabled Cultural and Arts Spaces.
 
Classes are conducted through a combination of lectures and projects, and students will explore the latest technological trends and potential for collaboration in the arts and culture sector through “AI+Arts Management Special Lectures” featuring experts from the AI industry. Additionally, in partnership with support programs from the Arts Council Korea, the program provides current students with opportunities to participate in real-world arts and culture projects and promotes interdisciplinary collaboration with on-campus graduate schools, such as the Graduate School of Software Convergence and the Graduate School of Global Entrepreneurship and Venture.

△ Photo: Conceptual diagram of “AI+Arts Management,” which uses AI to analyze and utilize audience movement patterns and audience data in the arts (AI-generated)

The program is a small-scale specialized graduate program with an enrollment cap of 10 students. Classes are held on Tuesdays and Wednesdays in the evenings over four semesters using a hybrid online-offline format. This structure allows current professionals working in arts organizations, cultural foundations, and the fields of performance and exhibition planning to pursue their studies alongside their careers. Graduates can pursue careers as performance and exhibition planners, management experts for arts organizations and cultural foundations, audience development and art marketing specialists, consultants on AI applications in the arts and culture sector, and entrepreneurs in the arts.
 
Professor Sohn Changwoo of the Department of Music at Kookmin University serves as the program chair. The faculty includes experts in cultural and arts management such as Professor Park Shin-ui, who has led the Cultural and Arts Management program at Kyung Hee University’s Graduate School of Business; Dr. Kim Won-jae (Kyung Hee University Institute for Cultural and Arts Management); and Dr. Shim Kyu-seon (CEO of SPI).
 
Professor Sohn Changwoo, the program chair, stated, “When someone who understands the arts uses AI, the next chapter in arts management begins.” He added, “While anyone can apply, this program will particularly help those with experience in the arts field to utilize AI in their own language and create new models of arts management.”
 
Meanwhile, the AI + Arts Management major at Kookmin University’s Graduate School of Comprehensive Arts will accept applications for the first semester of the 2027 academic year from Tuesday, November 3, through Friday, November 13, with the admissions exam scheduled for Saturday, November 28. Detailed information, including course offerings, can be found on the program’s website (https://totalart.kookmin.ac.kr/major/ai) and official Instagram account (@kmu.arts.management).

 △ Photo: Image related to the “AI + Arts Management” major (AI-generated)