Career Studies

The mission of the career studies department dovetails with the mission of Curtis: In order to develop the absolute highest level of artistry, graduates will need the ability to conceive and realize projects rooted in their art as well as know how to deeply engage audiences of all kinds.

Social Entrepreneurship

Career studies coursework begins with a required course in Social Entrepreneurship. It invites students to participate in the process of pursuing innovative solutions to social problems. More specifically, social entrepreneurs adopt a mission to create and sustain social value. This one-semester course is project based and matches students with community-based projects conceived of by the Chair of the Career Studies Department.

Elective Courses

Students are also able to select from a number of courses as electives. Recent six-week minicourses have included the following.

  • Artistry in Pedagogy
  • Teaching and Learning in Music
  • Discipline-Specific Pedagogy
  • Music and Technology
  • Recording Technology
  • Digital Engineering for Artists
  • The Full Human Mind
  • Music for Social Good

Community Artist Program

A weekly course on entrepreneurship and social practice, students learn methods of design thinking and a human-centered approach to innovation. Five to seven students are selected based on their project ideas. In the fall students go through the process of learning about their community, defining a problem they want to address and ideating around that issue. In the spring they design a prototype, test and implement a unique performance project that combines artistry with invention, leadership with advocacy, and citizenship with community. Seed funding is provided by the school based on the merits of each individual proposal.

Community Artist Fellows

Recent Curtis graduates bring their artistry to underserved communities in Philadelphia through the Community Artist Fellowship, a program that fortifies Curtis’s commitment to service and allows alumni to extend, where possible, work they may have begun as students through the Community Artist Program. Curtis Community Artist Fellows are placed in existing partnerships between Curtis and institutions such as schools, hospitals, prisons, and rehabilitation centers. Fellows are able to continue their vital performance careers while serving the community.

Career Guidance

Additionally, there are office hours for the development of career skills such as resume writing, grant-writing, personal finance, artistic planning, website development, and networking.

Open to the entire school is the Careers in Music Speaker Series, which brings in leaders within the field to share unique paths and perspectives to our students and faculty.