As Queens College prepares to launch the new School of Arts and School of Business, one of the goals set forth by QC is for the two schools to collaborate–with the aim to provide students with the interdisciplinary skills that can be integrated in both fields.
The School of Business emphasizes providing students from all walks of life with the knowledge, experience and skills necessary to thrive in business, as stated by the QC School of Business 2024-2029 Strategic Plan. Since creative and entrepreneurial skills are so valuable and yet interconnected for both arts and business students alike, QC President Frank H. Wu encourages students to take advantage of the opportunities granted by both schools to build upon and broaden their skills.
“Everyone in the business school should take an art class, everyone in the art school should take a business class,” said QC President Frank H. Wu during a Fall luncheon with The Knight News held on Sept. 8th, 2025. He added that he hopes it will become common for QC students to pursue double majors, so they will develop multi-faceted skills that prepare them for a variety of careers.
QC has always highlighted its status as a civic institution that provides leadership opportunities and encourages community involvement. Through this collaboration, students will be able to acquire and hone skills that strengthen their career readiness alongside the expertise to contribute to the vibrant culture of QC.
An example of a new program is the Arts Leadership Bootcamp, which intends to refine students’ art skills through a business-oriented lens, focusing on arts administration and entrepreneurship skills. The program puts students in a variety of collaborative academic-based projects that equip them with new skills to apply in their field. Students were also given the opportunity to listen to panels of successful Artists and Art Administrators, and had the chance to be mentored and advised by them.
“As I had never put my career goals on paper before, actualizing them like this, alongside the mentors/panelists, was extremely helpful,” said August Bacchus, a second-year Philosophy major when asked about the bootcamp.
The Queens College Website states that “For now, the Arts Leadership Bootcamp is open to students from Queens College, York College, LaGuardia Community College, and Queensborough Community College.”
Alongside the bootcamp is the Diversifying The Business of Art Business Program, which contributes to strengthening the rich artistic culture of QC. It is a joint-effort between the Queens College School of Arts and Sotheby’s Institute of Art, the global leader in art business education. The program also gets students involved in the business world, and offers the expertise to build a sustainable career in the arts. The collaboration between the School of Arts and the School of Business brings experts of both fields to support students in their academic and professional growth.
While collaboration between the two schools is still in its early stages, these programs represent two recently developed opportunities that showcase QC’s commitment to student growth. As both schools are still in a developmental phase, President Frank H. Wu remains hopeful stating, “Our priority right now is to get the Business school accredited and build the Arts school.”
