By Abby Bitterman

A new graduate certificate program in the arts and business could be coming to the University of Oklahoma by next fall.

The Weitzenhoffer Family College of Fine Arts and the Michael F. Price College of Business have partnered together to create a new cross-college graduate certificate program, to be called the graduate certificate in arts management and entrepreneurship.

Laku Chidambaram, Price’s associate dean for academic programs and engagement, said the two colleges have been in talks to create the program for about 18 months. This isn’t the first program of its kind, he said, as Price has created other graduate certificate programs with the Gaylord College of Journalism and Mass Communication and the College of Public Health.

“One of the most important things that I found in terms of my background as an artist was the idea of translating the pursuit of excellence in a craft to what is out there in terms of a potential career,” Adrian Fung, associate dean of the Fine Arts College, said.

This program will help artists be better able to create work their audiences will be interested in as well as prepare them for things like contract negotiations.

The program is currently going through an extensive approval process. It must be approved by the faculties of both colleges, the university and finally the board of regents before it can become available to students. Both associate deans hope the program will be available by the Fall of 2018.