When AJ Schwartz ’26 moved to Chicago to study theater at Loyola University, they found more than the right degree program in The Windy City—they also found their creative community.
After graduating with a bachelor’s degree in 2017, Schwartz served as a freelance director and arts administrator for some of the city’s most notable storefront theater companies: About Face Theatre, Steep Theatre, First Floor Theater, etc.
After a few years of self-employment, Schwartz then joined Northwestern’s Feinberg School of Medicine as an assistant registrar to provide students with logistical and academic support.
At that time, they also started weighing graduate-degree options as an opportunity to reconnect with their creative side. As a Northwestern employee, Schwartz had access to reduced-tuition plans. While a full-time program wasn’t an option, a part-time program was feasible with their schedule.
“When I learned that the MS in Leadership for Creative Enterprises program offered a part-time option, I decided to explore it,” says Schwartz. “I’d been aware of this program for a while and thought maybe I would go back to school to earn the degree one day. But when I realized that things seemed a little light on the theater front over the next year, I decided this was the right time.”
While they continue to work full-time, they also get to earn an MS in Leadership for Creative Enterprises (MSLCE) on a part-time basis to help sharpen a vision of the future.
“In Organizational Processes in Creative Enterprises, taught by Clinical Assistant Professor Allison Henry, I get to think about being in a position of theater leadership down the line,” they explain. “It’s giving me a framework I can take out into the real world, and I’m already excited to do that.”
Economics of Creative Enterprises, led by Cory Sandrock, adjunct professor, is another course that ties directly to Schwartz’s future plans. “That class taught me things I should have already known, like how to budget, do accounting, and prepare financial plans. Those skills will serve me well when I work in theater after I graduate. I’ll be able to prepare a budget and understand where and how money is coming in and where it’s going.”
Meanwhile, Adjunct Lecturer Laverne McKinnon’s The Power of Pitching + Persuasion is giving Schwartz the opportunity to think out loud about their ideas and the steps required to bring them to life.
For the class, Schwartz developed a pitch for a playreading series that was produced in their living room. Prior to the course, they had only thought about the series in abstract form. “It’s because of the class, the way I was pushed to articulate my ideas, and the support I got from classmates who were excited about my idea that I followed through and produced the reading series in September.”
In addition to the lessons learned in class, Schwartz is also taking advantage of every opportunity available to MSLCE students outside the classroom, whether that means listening to guest speakers or participating in workshops.
“I also think it’s important to take advantage of everything offered beyond formal MSLCE events,” they say. “My advice is to go all in. Chicago is a great city for the creative industries, whether you’re seeing shows, going to art festivals, or reaching out to people and networking. You’re coming into a big artistic world, and you should see as much of it as possible. The artistic output here is so exciting.”
In fact, Schwartz enjoys the creative community in Chicago so much that they envision themselves staying after graduation to take on a theater leadership role, whether it’s with an existing theater company or in an ensemble-driven organization they launch on their own. Schwartz is interested in starting a company where the artists involved are also the ones deciding what to produce and then creating the work.
As a future theater leader, they plan to put collaboration at the forefront. “I want to be a facilitator; I never want to be the only person making creative decisions. And Northwestern is preparing me well for that.”
The Benefits of a Part-Time Experience
Because they work full-time, AJ Schwartz ’26 chose to pursue an MS in Leadership for Creative Enterprises on a part-time basis. The arrangement works well for several reasons:
- The opportunity to develop friendships and professional connections. “I consider myself lucky to have three cohorts to do that with instead of just one.”
- The pace of the coursework. “I’m really happy with my setup. Taking one class per quarter allows me to have a workload that’s engaging but not overwhelming.”
- Flexibility to pursue freelance work. “If I were approached about a directing project, I could take that on while keeping on top of my full-time job and school workload. Last fall, I worked on a self-produced staged reading, and I was able to handle it all.”
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