Professionals in the entertainment management industry work for athletes, independent artists, performing arts companies, and the sound recording industry. Typical job duties include organizing events and booking engagements. Professionals also specialize in music, cinema, television, or sports.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports a median $75,420 annual salary for these workers, significantly higher than the national median for all other occupations. Top salaries in this field pay more than $190,000.
An entertainment management degree provides learners with more than just industry best practices. Degree-seekers complete hands-on experiences, such as internships, to network with potential employers and choose a specialization.
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Leveraging a Master's in Entertainment Management
What is entertainment management?
Entertainment management concerns the entertainment field's business side. Professionals draft budgets, negotiate contracts, and perform accounting. Successful workers also possess honed communication and interpersonal skills.
What can I do with an entertainment management degree?
Job applicants with an entertainment management industry degree select from numerous entry-level career paths, such as freelance editor, events assistant, and media consultant.
Is entertainment management a good career?
The entertainment management field features career advancement leading to additional responsibility and a higher salary. Positions requiring at least five years of experience include digital strategist and events marketing manager.
How do you become an entertainment manager?
Entertainment management degree online programs hire industry professionals to educate degree-seekers. These programs' graduation requirements also include internships wherein learners hone skills and network.
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Why Get a Degree in Entertainment Management?
An entertainment management degree helps students turn their passion for the field into in-demand business skills. Coursework emphasizes concepts all entertainment managers must know, such as contract negotiation, financial planning, and distribution. Students typically graduate with applicable skills, a work portfolio, and contacts in the entertainment industry.
Universities offering entertainment management degrees online may provide an asynchronous curriculum, allowing degree-seekers to work while earning their degree. Benefits online degree-seekers may not consider include some schools' accelerated curricula. Learners generally graduate faster than their peers and save money on their education.
How Much Does an Entertainment Management Degree Cost?
Schools' tuition structures influence how much learners pay for an entertainment management degree. Universities that charge per-semester tuition benefits full-time and accelerated degree-seekers, as these students take more credits and graduate sooner than their part-time peers. Also, learners on a budget should research whether in-state public schools offer entertainment management degrees online.
Earning a degree online may feature additional financial advantages, such as not paying for on-campus housing. Online learners do not pay for a meal plan or commuting costs either. Also, parents may not need a babysitter or childcare service.
In addition to school fees, students should expect to pay travel fees if their program requires internships in different U.S. cities. Other programs charge miscellaneous fees, which may increase without warning. Current and prospective degree-seekers should contact schools' admissions and financial aid counselors to receive a detailed tuition and fees breakdown.
Break down your current financial situation, and receive a college tuition estimate you can afford to pay.
How Much Do Entertainment Management Majors Make?
The industry entertainment majors enter affects their salary significantly. Agents working for artists, athletes, entertainers, and other public figures earn an annual mean salary exceeding $100,000. Professionals who work for performing arts companies make $68,030. Sports and arts promoters earn slightly more than their performing arts peers.
Students should research states where entertainment managers earn the most. North Carolina, Connecticut, and Ohio feature a mean salary exceeding $113,000. Other states with careers paying above the national mean include California and New York. However, learners should consider starting a career in other states, as their lower cost of living may lead to a higher quality of life.
No matter their specific profession or state of residence, entertainment managers increase their salary potential through experience and networking with potential clients and employers. Other options include earning one or more professional certifications, which imparts new skills and knowledge.
Courses in Entertainment Management
Entertainment management industry degrees help students develop effective leadership, research, and interpersonal skills. Learners also analyze the entertainment industry's many subfields, such as music, film, television, and live performance. Degree-seekers develop their skills through internships in cities such as Pittsburgh and Los Angeles. Internships may take place during the summer or the academic year.
The sample curriculum introduces three typical courses that programs require for graduation. Please note that curriculum offerings vary by university, affecting students' academic experiences and career trajectories. Visit a program's website or speak with an enrollment counselor to learn more about courses, expectations, and graduate outcomes.
Production Management
Students in production management examine the film and television industry. Course topics include production stages, marketing and distribution, and studio and network operations. Degree-seekers also analyze industry best practices and the industry's unique business culture. Top entertainment management degrees invite industry experts to speak with learners.Navigating the Industry
Navigating the industry provides students with the skills necessary to enter the film and television industry. The course emphasizes talent representation, the studio system, and how actors transition from stage to screen. Coursework also includes analyzing different methods that industry insiders use to advance their career.Artist Development in the Music Industry
Internet streaming and other technological advances changed the way musicians and their agents work in the entertainment field. Artist development in the music industry explores this evolution and asks students to examine how modern agents discover and foster artists' talent. Other course topics include mapping career trajectories and helping musicians set career goals.
Certifications and Licensure for Entertainment Management
A professional certification complements an entertainment management industry degree, helping job applicants demonstrate mastery of one or more subjects. Earning a certification may require professional experience, taking a course, and passing an exam. A university career counselor helps degree-seekers explore relevant certifications and start the application process.
CBMs possess honed relationship management skills, which they use to advance a client's personal or professional brand. Candidates take a course covering integrated marketing communications, brand maintenance, and brand identity. Interested professionals start the certification process in joining the Association of International Product Marketing and Management.
The American Management Association (AMA) offers this certification to business professionals wanting to hone their leadership skills. The three-lesson course covers different leadership styles, strategic thinking, and professional resilience. LCP benefits include the ability to build trust with and gain respect from clients. AMA members receive a certification discount.
The WLCP appeals to women at different stages of their management career. Professionals who earn the certification online complete four lessons emphasizing the differences between leadership and management, how to overcome biases, and strategic direction's importance in daily work. AMA offers new start dates monthly.
Scholarships for Entertainment Management
Even students who work while earning an entertainment management degree may need financial assistance to avoid debt. Fortunately, numerous scholarship opportunities exist for online learners majoring in entertainment management. The following three awards feature a 2021 application deadline.
Scholarships for Entertainment Management
| Scholarship |
Amount |
Who Can Apply |
Agota M. Bardos Award |
$1,000 |
First- and second-generation Americans majoring in a topic related to visual arts or music may qualify for the Agota M. Bardos Award. The Bardos Foundation selects four scholarship recipients. |
John Fischetti Scholarship |
Varies |
The Joint Civic Committee of Italian Americans awards funding to undergraduate and graduate degree-seekers with at least 50% Italian heritage. Application materials include an essay, official transcripts, and a recent photograph. |
NBCUniversal Tony Coelho Media Scholarship |
$5,625 |
Undergraduate and graduate students with a documented disability apply to this competitive scholarship. Applicants submit a resume, unofficial transcripts, a recommendation letter, and three brief essays. |
Online Master's In Entertainment Management Programs
#1 Online Entertainment Management Degrees
Southern Utah University
- Cedar City, UT
- 4 years
- Online + Campus
Cedar City-based Southern Utah University provides graduate programs for online and on-campus degree-seekers. Distance learners can earn master's degrees from the public institution in a fully online format. Students enrolled in the flexible master's arts administration program often work full time while earning their entertainment management degree.
Students in the online master's program complete core entertainment management coursework to develop foundational knowledge. In addition to taking entertainment management classes, degree-seekers can choose electives based on their career goals. Master's students can take advantage of faculty mentorship and hands-on learning opportunities.
Graduates with a master's in arts administration often qualify for raises and promotions. Graduate students and alumni can explore their professional options with the help of faculty advisors and career counselors.
Degree-seekers with financial need can submit the FAFSA to qualify for federal grants and loans. Scholarships, fellowships, and employer-sponsored tuition reimbursement programs can help distance learners fund their master's studies. At the school, 95% of graduate students fund their education through financial aid.
Percent Online Enrollment
35%
Percentage of all students who are enrolled online.
Accreditation
Yes
Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities
#2 Online Entertainment Management Degrees
Colorado State University
- Fort Collins, CO
- 4 years
- Online + Campus
Colorado State University educates degree-seekers online and at its Fort Collins campus. The institution's online master's degree in arts leadership and cultural management is ideal for students interested in entertainment management careers.
To succeed in the rigorous master's program, enrollees can receive academic advising from faculty members. Learners balancing academics with personal or professional obligations can take advantage of the online program's flexible scheduling options. Full-time master's students can typically complete their degree in 1-2 years.
The institution holds accreditation, which means students can receive federal grants, scholarships, and loans. The school reports that 40% of enrollees take out loans. Additionally, the institution reports that 79% of learners pay for their degree using financial aid.
Colorado State University Numbers:
Total Programs: 249
Number of Online Programs: 39
Online Master's Programs: 87
Number of Online Students: 8,786
Religious Affiliation: Non-affiliated
Transfer Credits Toward Degree: No
Percent Online Enrollment
26%
Percentage of all students who are enrolled online.
Accreditation
Yes
Higher Learning Commission
#3 Online Entertainment Management Degrees
University of Kentucky
- Lexington, KY
- 4 years
- Online + Campus
Distance learners can enroll in the University of Kentucky's high-quality, accessible graduate programs. Located in Lexington, the public institution's 28 online programs include nine master's-level options. At the school, graduate degree-seekers can enroll in the master's in arts administration program. Busy students often benefit from the online program's enrollment options and complete academic requirements around their schedule.
The master's program features core arts administration coursework, which helps learners prepare for high-level classes. The rigorous curriculum blends theoretical and practical knowledge, with an emphasis on industry-specific skills. Master's programs typically take 1-2 years for full-time master's degree-seekers to complete. Prospective applicants can contact an admissions advisor for exact application deadlines and requirements.
The school charges online learners affordable tuition rates. Graduate tuition rates at the institution average $12,055 for Kentucky residents and $31,215 for out-of-state students. The school charges an average of $693 per credit for online graduate programs. Enrollees at the accredited institution can qualify for federal financial aid. The school reports that 94% of its student body receives financial aid to fund their education.
Percent Online Enrollment
27%
Percentage of all students who are enrolled online.
Accreditation
Yes
Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges
#4 Online Entertainment Management Degrees
University of Miami
- Coral Gables, FL
- 4 years
- Online + Campus
Graduate degree-seekers can enroll in online and in-person programs from the University of Miami. Learners located anywhere in the country can pursue the online master's in live entertainment management from the private institution. After earning the master of arts, graduates often qualify for promotions or raises.
Faculty advisors support communications students during the course of their master's studies. The program's rigorous curriculum provides foundational knowledge through core coursework. In addition to gaining core knowledge in entertainment management, master's students develop and hone important analytical and leadership skills.
Online learners at the school pay affordable tuition rates. Financial aid counselors help degree-seekers locate and apply for scholarships, grants, and fellowships. Learners pursuing their master's degree online can apply for institutional funding.
University of Miami at a Glance:
Online Master's Programs: 104
Total Online Programs: 13
Number of Online Students: 3,874
Graduate Tuition In-State: $37,800
Graduate Tuition Out-of-State: $37,800
Transfer Credits Counted: No
Percent Online Enrollment
22%
Percentage of all students who are enrolled online.
Accreditation
Yes
Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges
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