Stage Management or Arts Admin??

[DeeCap]

I am currently working at a major university that offers free tuition. The school offers a masters program for stage management.

They also offer a masters in Arts Administration. With this degree I could become a production manager or managing director at any arts institution.

I feel if I just go for the masters in stage management, I'm limiting myself to just stage managing or teaching stage managing at universities. There aren't that many stage management departments out there.

Is there anyone that has a masters in Arts Admin? Does anyone feel "limited" with a masters in Stage Management?

P.S. I used to be in the anti masters degree camp, but gosh darn it, I can get it for free now!

[nmno]

First, I second the experience that most production managers come from the tech side (SMs, TD's, design background).  The people I know with degrees in Arts Admin are Managing Directors, GM's and Company Managers.
I love tuition remission - paid for my last year of undergrad.  But what are the demands of the program vs the demands of your job.  I had a great boss who didn't care WHEN I got my work done as long as it was done.  I was also able to take a lighter load to balance my full-time employment. 
Just some ?'s to throw out there:
Do you have to be enrolled in a degree program to be eligible for the tuition remission?  If not, can you take a class in the arts admin field to see if it's really what you want/expect, before putting in all that time?  Or do you know that you are interested in Arts Admin but having a hard time letting go of stage managing?
Just because there are more job prospects, doesn't make it right for you.
Finally, If it weren't free, which one, if either, would you be willing to pay for?

[LisaEllis]

IF I go back for a masters degree, it will be in business or arts administration.  Something that will teach me what I don't already know and make me more qualified for a variety of positions.  I would love to have a way to get that degree without stopping work.  Not really possible when freelancing...

[DeeCap]

All good responses. I'll show you my cards.

I work at the School of Music at Boston University. I would be able to work and then get my degree. I can take a class a semester for free; and if I want to take another class I would have to pay 10%. It's a slow process, but I'm not in a rush to get out of here because I like what I do.

There is a part of me that wants to go into Arts Administration. I am getting tired of the stage management "lifestyle" so to speak. The Managing Directors and General Managers that I liked working with were once stage managers and understand that production still goes on even after 5:00. I would like to be that type of GM.

However, I've been a professional stage manager for 10+ years. If I got my Masters, I can teach Stage Management, or go back into the field. But I'm not sure because of the reason above.

Finally if I had to actually pay for my degree, Arts Admin would squeak out only because I'm not sure what a masters program could teach me that a decade in the business didn't.

[nmno]

For the record, just throwing questions out there (not meant to put you on the defensive...)
(I took a quick peek at the website and didn't find any information about an arts admin MFA.)
One class a semester, in what is typically a 2-3 year program, means you would probably not finish until 5-10 years from now, depending. What do you think you will want to do then?  **Would either program even let you enroll as part-time?**
Plus, even with an MFA, you are going to have to start at the bottom (either in terms of looking for teaching positions or MD/GM/PM positions.)  How are you going to feel about being in that position 10 years from now?
Do you have any teaching experience, i.e. do you know if you even like it or is it just that's the "next logical step"?  Have you been SMing at all while working at BU?  If not, it doesn't sound like you are itching to get back into it...  maybe it is time to explore other options further.  (And you know that you don't need your MFA to get back into the business...  being away will be a slight setback as you'll have to rebuild contacts but that's manageable.)

[DeeCap]

For the record, just throwing questions out there (not meant to put you on the defensive...)
(I took a quick peek at the website and didn't find any information about an arts admin MFA.)

It's there; under the Metro. College. It's not a MFA but an MS degree