Bachelor of Science in Economics and Management for Arts Culture and Communication

The program gives you a strong preparation in the field of Economics and Business along with a distinctive focus on the humanities, enhancing your critical assessment skills. The variety of subjects covered is what sets it apart from the other Bocconi BSc programs.

Graduates of this program work at a wide range of companies and institutions in different industries, but the program’s approach and teaching methods make it particularly suitable to students interested in artistic industries (museums, theaters, and auction houses), cultural sectors (publishing, music, and television) and creative areas (fashion, design, communication, and urban development).

It offers a comparative approach. Management and entrepreneurial professionals are prepared for international environments requiring the ability to adapt to and interact with different cultures and languages.

During the program, you will focus especially on project management through group projects and workshops inspired by companies and institutions, and managed by faculty members. Active learning is an essential feature of the curriculum and interaction between students with different backgrounds encourages an exchange of views and the development of listening skills.

You will live in a bustling and exciting city: Milan is an ideal setting, due to the great number of opportunities to contact and meet with companies from all industries and cultural institutions of all types.

Program Structure

First Year

Main topics

• Management of Cultural Companies and Institutions
• Philosophy of Art
• Critical Approaches to the Arts
• Economics
• Math
• Economic History
• Law
• First foreign language
• Computer science

During the first year, you will be given a solid grounding in economics, management, quantitative methods, and law, focusing on the creative industries and sectors, that will be strengthened during the second year.

The program also features specific courses in humanities. In particular, Method and Research in Arts is arranged into 3 courses (spread across the first and the second year), and allows students to learn the artistic and cultural language typical of the Western tradition. The first introductory course, in the first year, is compulsory.

Second Year

Main topics

• Accounting
• Statistics
• Organization
• Cultural Anthropology
• Critical Approaches to the Arts
• Second foreign language
• Soft skills seminar

In the second year, you will keep studying the main topics related to economics and management in the cultural industries. Accounting will teach you the basic logic and techniques of corporate accounting, and how to read related documents. Organization will help you understand how a company/institution is organized, and the individual behaviors and group dynamics within it.

Then you will undertake another course in humanities, Cultural Anthropology, and complete Method and Research in Arts with two monographic courses that provide you with the appropriate background needed to critically read, understand and appreciate specific subject areas, which may lead to a career choice. They can be freely chosen among:

• Visual Arts and Cultures
• Information, Narration, Media
• Music and Performing Arts

Finally, you will attend a seminar aimed at improving your leadership and managerial skills.

Third Year

Main topics

• Marketing
• Finance
• Competitive Strategy in Creative Industries
• Business Law
• Workshop
• Exchange program
• Internship
• Final report

In the last year, you will complete your managerial preparation in the creative industries by studying topics such as Marketing, Strategy, Finance (both corporate finance and financial markets and institutions) and Business Law. Moreover, you will have to choose one workshop (or replace it with an internship):

• Communication and Cultural Consumption Decisions
• Market Research for Cultural Settings
• Policies for Arts and Culture
• Tourism, Local Identity, and Destination Management
• The Transformation of the Cultural Sector and the Art Market: Critical issues and cases
• Country Specific Business Models in Fashion and Luxury
• The Global Industry of Imaginaries
• The Sustainability of Local Production in a Global World
• Digital Disruption and Entrepreneurship

You can also take part in a study abroad program at one of the partner universities abroad.

Program requirements are subject to change.

International Opportunities

Studying abroad can be a great opportunity for growth both academically and personally, allowing you to challenge yourself in a multicultural environment. The Exchange Program gives you the chance to spend one semester abroad at a partner university, starting in your Bachelor of Science program.

Exchange Programs

One-semester programs with prestigious partner universities, including:

• Erasmus University (The Netherlands)
• New York University, Stern School of Business (USA)
• Universidad de San Andres (Argentina)
• Singapore Management University (Singapore)
• University of Technology, Sydney (Australia)

Career Opportunities

Most graduates in Economics and Management for Arts, Culture, and Communication continue their education at the graduate level; graduates may also have direct access to the labor market.

Graduates may work in the management of creative and cultural institutions and companies, working in marketing and communication; sales and distribution; administration, planning and control, financial management; and planning, organization, and management of events.

Skills include interpreting artistic languages and analysis of the cultural dynamics in today's world and their impact on social relations; analyzing markets, sales, channel and management of consumers with particular reference to communication, creative and cultural institutions and companies; and preparing and analyzing financial statements, planning and management control, and related legal aspects particularly copyright and trademarks.

Career opportunities for graduates may be at small, medium and large enterprises; public, private and non-profit companies; companies providing goods or services related to areas of social issues and art, culture, communication, show business, sport, tourism, fashion and design and media and digital media or starting an entrepreneurial initiative; startups.

Admission

Every year, Bocconi University selects the best candidates and sets a number of students who can be admitted to its programs in order to guarantee the best welcoming conditions and success in the academic path and to facilitate the entrance of our Graduates in the professional world.

Usually, a total of 2700 places are available for Bachelor of Science and Integrated Master of Arts in Law programs' first-year students. Classes are made up of approximately 100 students for BSc programs taught in English and approximately 120 students for BSc programs taught in Italian. The Integrated Master of Arts in Law classes (taught in Italian only) are made up of around 140 students.