The Department of Culture Management has been operating within the structures of the Institute of Culture of the Jagiellonian University since 2009, although its origins date back to 1994, when on the initiative of Prof. Emil Orzechowski the School of Culture Management was established, with its seat at the Main Market Square 8 in Krakow. Previously, the Department of Culture Management functioned within the structures of the JU Institute of Public Affairs and in 2008 became part of the Group of Chairs of Culture Sciences.

The scientific activity of the Department of Culture Management focuses mainly on issues related to management in the cultural sector (public, private and social organisations). The employees of the department undertake in their research various topics related to the management in the cultural sector. They concern, among others: strategic management, cultural heritage management, cultural economics, copyright law, cultural staff or contemporary challenges faced by cultural organisations.

The Department of Culture Management also conducts postgraduate studies in the field of culture management, which have been run since 1996, thus being the second oldest of their kind in Poland. So far, about 700 people have received a diploma of completion of their studies.

In cooperation with the Attyka scientific publishing house, "Library of Culture Management" was created, a series of publications which already comprises over 20 volumes authored by members of the Department and its collaborators.

The key project implemented by the Department of Culture Management is the conference "Research in the Cultural Sector", organised for the first time in 2019. Its core idea is to present the results of current research on the cultural sector and to integrate the scientific community with practitioners in the cultural sector. So far, the editions of the conference were devoted to: the audience (2019), future and change (2020), accessibility (2022).

In 2020, employees of the Department of Culture Management jointly published the book Zarządzanie w kulturze. Teoria i praktyka [Culture Management. Theory and Practice] published by PWN. The publication is an up-to-date source of knowledge on management in the cultural sector. It derives its unique value from a comprehensive approach to the most important theoretical issues, and from consistent referencing to the practice of management through aptly selected case studies. The topics discussed in the book reflect the research interests of members of the Department of Culture Management.