Program at a Glance | Accreditation and Approvals | Is a Music Business MBA Right for you? | What You'll Learn | Career Opportunities | Program Details | FAQ
Why Earn an MBA in Music Business at Belmont?
Music and entertainment companies need leaders who can read a balance sheet and a contract. Belmont University's Entertainment and Music Business MBA pairs a full MBA core from the Jack C. Massey College of Business with music business electives connected to the Mike Curb College of Entertainment & Music Business.
- Earn an accredited business credential. The Massey College is accredited by AACSB, a distinction held by the top 6% of business schools worldwide. The Princeton Review has named Belmont to its Best On-Campus MBA Programs list four years in a row.
- Connect with a top music business college. Billboard named Belmont's Curb College among the top music business schools worldwide in 2025.
- Choose a pace that fits your career. Finish in about a year through the Accelerated MBA or keep working and complete the Professional MBA on your schedule.
- Build your network in Nashville. Attend Curb College events and entertainment career fairs and pursue internships in music business and entertainment.
Entertainment and Music Business MBA at a Glance
- 36 credit hours: the required MBA core plus music business electives, with marketing-focused or other approved electives to round out your plan
- Two formats: the full-time Accelerated MBA or the Professional MBA for working professionals
- Hybrid music business electives in both formats
- Tuition: $1,645 per credit hour, or $59,220 total
- Nashville advantage: Nashville ranked No. 2 in the nation for job opportunities and earning potential (Checkr, 2025).
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Accreditation
The Jack C. Massey College of Business is accredited by AACSB International, a distinction held by the top 6% of business schools worldwide. Belmont is the only private university in Tennessee accredited by AACSB for both business and accounting. Belmont University is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC).
Study Music and Entertainment Business in Nashville
Belmont has taught music business for more than 50 years, and the Curb College sits minutes from Music Row. As an Entertainment and Music Business MBA student, you can attend Curb College events and entertainment career fairs and pursue internships in music business and entertainment. You finish with an MBA and a network in the city where much of the music business works.
Is This Program Right for You?
This MBA is a strong fit if you:
- Work in music or entertainment, at a label, publisher, venue, agency or management company, and want to move into management
- Recently finished your bachelor's degree and want a fast path to the business side of the industry
- Work in another field and want to bring finance, marketing or analytics skills to music and entertainment
What You'll Learn in the Entertainment and Music Business MBA
You'll build the business skills every MBA covers and apply them to music and entertainment. You'll learn to:
- Make financial, budget and investment decisions for a creative business
- Use data and analytics to guide marketing, distribution and strategy
- Explain how the music and entertainment industries are structured and who holds the key roles
- Work within the legal, regulatory and intellectual property frameworks that shape the industry
- Lead teams and manage organizations across the industry
Choose Your Entertainment and Music Business MBA Format
| Accelerated MBA | Professional MBA | |
|---|---|---|
|
Best For |
Little or no full-time work experience | Working professionals with at least two years of significant work experience |
| Pace | Full time, about one year | 15 months to two years full time or up to three years part time |
| Start Terms | Summer or fall | Fall, spring or summer |
| Core Courses | In person, late afternoons three days a week | In person, online or hybrid, chosen each term |
| Music Business Electives | Hybrid | Hybrid |
| Credit Hours | 36 | 36 |
Curious about your coursework? View requirements for this degree in the course catalog.
The Entertainment and Music Business MBA requires 36 credit hours. You complete the required MBA core and choose music business electives that cover the structure of the music and entertainment industries and the legal and regulatory frameworks that shape them. You can round out your plan with marketing-focused or other approved electives.
Your core MBA courses meet on Belmont's Nashville campus, and your music business electives use a hybrid format. Outside class, you can attend Curb College events and entertainment career fairs and pursue internships in music business and entertainment.
Apply through BusinessCAS ($58 application fee). You'll submit:
- An essay on your personal and professional goals
- A current resume
- Official transcripts (or transcript evaluation if you attended college outside the U.S.)
- Two recommendations
You’ll also complete an interview, in person or on Zoom. The GMAT and GRE are optional.
Before you start the program, you’ll need to complete Accounting I and II, microeconomics, macroeconomics and statistics. The Summer Business Institute lets you finish these prerequisites in 12 weeks.
Applications for the Entertainment and Music Business MBA are accepted for three start terms. Deadlines are:
- Summer admission: April 15
- Fall admission: July 17
- Spring admission: Dec. 1 (Professional MBA only)
Apply before March 1 for the best scholarship opportunities.
Entertainment and Music Business MBA students are eligible for the same aid as all Belmont MBA students, including merit scholarships, need-based scholarships, graduate assistantships and the Bruin Alumni Grant. The Bruin Alumni Grant is a 20% tuition reduction for Belmont graduates. It can’t be combined with other Belmont awards, but it can be combined with external awards like the Hope Scholarship.
All scholarships and graduate assistantships: For the best opportunities, be admitted before March 1. There is no separate scholarship application.
Merit scholarships: Submit a GMAT score to maximize your funding opportunities.
Need-based scholarships: Submit the FAFSA for the academic year you’re applying. Graduate students don’t use their parents’ income on the FAFSA, so it’s worth submitting even if you don’t plan to use student loans.
Learn more on the Graduate Tuition & Aid website.
Belmont University’s MBA programs are accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB), the premier agency for bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degree programs in business administration and accounting.
Fewer than 5 percent of business schools worldwide achieve AACSB accreditation, and Belmont is the only private college or university in Tennessee that is accredited by AACSB International for BBA, MBA and accounting programs.
Careers in Entertainment and Music Business
The Entertainment and Music Business MBA prepares you for administrative and management roles across the music and entertainment industries, such as:
- Artist manager: guides an artist's business decisions, team and career strategy
- Label or marketing manager: leads release strategy, budgets and campaigns
- Music publishing or rights manager: manages catalogs, licensing and royalty income
- Live events or touring manager: plans tours and events and manages their budgets
- Venue general manager: runs a venue's operations, booking and finances
- Business affairs manager: negotiates and manages contracts and deals
As an MBA student, you can attend the Curb College's entertainment career fairs and pursue internships in music business and entertainment while you study.
Not Sure Which Massey MBA Fits?
- Healthcare MBA. In person, five semesters, built for early careerists moving into healthcare and hospital management.
- Entertainment and Music Business MBA. For anyone moving into management in music and entertainment, with music business electives and an accelerated or working-professional format.
- Professional MBA. The most flexible option for professionals with at least two years of experience — in person, online or hybrid.
- Accelerated MBA. For recent graduates who want to finish an MBA and an internship in less than a year, in person.
Learn From Faculty
Massey College faculty teach your MBA core, and Dr. Amy Smith teaches the music business electives.
Bryon Balint
Email: bryon.balint@belmont.edu
Office Location: Barbara Massey Rogers Center 446
Catherine Bass
Office Location: Jack C. Massey Center 628
Rudolph Bedeley
Email: rudy.bedeley@belmont.edu
Office Location: Jack C. Massey Center 447
Colin Cannonier
Email: colin.cannonier@belmont.edu
Office Location: Barbara Massey Hall 321C
Dennis Chen
Email: dennis.chen@belmont.edu
Office Location: Barbara Massey Rogers Center 348
Howard Cochran
Email: howard.cochran@belmont.edu
Office Location: Barbara Massey Hall 350A
Francis Daniel
Email: francis.daniel@belmont.edu
Office Location: Barbara Massey Hall 431
James Doyle
Email: james.doyle@belmont.edu
Office Location: Barbara Massey Hall 346
Kristen Faile
Email: kristen.faile@belmont.edu
Office Location: Barbara Massey Hall 450
Jennifer Wilgus Fowler
Email: jennifer.fowler@belmont.edu
Office Location: Barbara Massey Rogers Center 447
Adam Fulton
Email: adam.fulton@belmont.edu
Office Location: Barbara Massey Hall 323
Gary Garrison
Email: gary.garrison@belmont.edu
Office Location: Jack C. Massey Center, Room 445
John Gonas
Email: john.gonas@belmont.edu
Office Location: Barbara Massey Hall 333B
José González
Email: jose.gonzalez@belmont.edu
Office Location: Jack C. Massey Center 459
Elizabeth Gortmaker
Office Location: Jack C. Massey Center 639
David Harkins
Email: david.harkins@belmont.edu
Office Location: Jack C. Massey Center 433
Alex Hoffman
Email: alex.hoffman@belmont.edu
Office Location: Jack C. Massey Center 444
Brandon Holle
Email: brandon.holle@belmont.edu
Office Location: Barbara Massey Hall 345
Kyle Huggins
Email: kyle.huggins@belmont.edu
Office Location: Barbara Massey Hall 441
Michelle McKenney Jones
Email: michelle.jones@belmont.edu
Office Location: Barbara Massey Hall 435
Kenny Jordan
Email: kenneth.jordan@belmont.edu
Office Location: Barbara Massey Hall 322C
Luke Langlinais
Email: luke.langlinais@belmont.edu
Office Location: Barbara Massey Hall 328
Eduardo Lopez
Email: eduardo.lopez@belmont.edu
Office Location: Barbara Massey Hall 333A
Lora E. Mitchell
Email: lora.mitchell@belmont.edu
Office Location: Barbara Massey Hall 330
Haskell Murray
Email: haskell.murray@belmont.edu
Office Location: Barbara Massey Hall 438
Jeff Overby
Email: jeff.overby@belmont.edu
Office Location: Barbara Massey Rogers Center 111
Barry Padgett
Email: barry.padgett@belmont.edu
Office Location: Barbara Massey Hall 349
Luke Petach
Email: luke.petach@belmont.edu
Office Location: Barbara Massey Hall 344
J. Mark Phillips
Email: mark.phillips@belmont.edu
Office Location: Jack C. Massey Center 456
Dan Privott
Email: dan.privott@belmont.edu
Office Location: Jack C. Massey Center 443
Cliff A. Robb
Email: cliff.robb@belmont.edu
Office Location: Barbara Massey Hall 444
Paula Roberts
Email: paula.roberts@belmont.edu
Office Location: Barbara Massey Hall 453
Dustin Rumbaugh
Email: dustin.rumbaugh@belmont.edu
Office Location: Barbara Massey Hall 327
Tony Saunders
Email: tony.saunders@belmont.edu
Office Location: Barbara Massey Hall 340
Mark Schenkel
Email: mark.schenkel@belmont.edu
Office Location: Jack C. Massey Center 452
Angela Sebby
Email: angela.sebby@belmont.edu
Office Location: Barbara Massey Hall 322B
Alexey Semenov
Email: alexey.semenov@belmont.edu
Office Location: Barbara Massey Hall 329
Kara Smith
Email: kara.smith@belmont.edu
Office Location: Barbara Massey Hall 349
Joe Smolira
Email: joe.smolira@belmont.edu
Office Location: Barbara Massey Hall 437
Bernard Turner
Email: bernard.turner@belmont.edu
Office Location: Jack C. Massey Center 451
Marieta Velikova
Email: marieta.velikova@belmont.edu
Office Location: Barbara Massey Rogers Center 319
Lee Warren
Email: lee.warren@belmont.edu
Office Location: Barbara Massey Hall 336
Thor Wasbotten
Email: thor.wasbotten@belmont.edu
Office Location: Jack C. Massey Center 550C
Matthew Wilson
Email: matthew.g.wilson@belmont.edu
Office Location: Jack C. Massey Center 457
Rachel Wilson
Email: rachel.wilson@belmont.edu
Office Location: Jack C. Massey Center 453
Tommy Wooten
Email: tommy.wooten@belmont.edu
Office Location: Barbara Massey Rogers Center 446A
David Wyant
Email: david.wyant@belmont.edu
Office Location: Barbara Massey Hall 440
Sean Sehyun Yoo
Email: sean.yoo@belmont.edu
Office Location: Barbara Massey Hall 337
Claudia Guerrazzi Young
Email: claudia.young@belmont.edu
Office Location: Barbara Massey Hall 451
Marilyn Young
Email: marilyn.young@belmont.edu
Mark Zhang
Email: mark.zhang@belmont.edu
Office Location: Barbara Massey Hall 350B
FAQ
An MBA in music business prepares you for administrative and management roles in music and entertainment, including artist management, label and publishing leadership, live events and business affairs. At Belmont, you pair an MBA core in finance, marketing, analytics and strategy with music business electives, so you can lead the business side of a creative company.
A music business degree is worth it if you want to lead the business side of music and entertainment, where decisions turn on finance, data, contracts and intellectual property. An MBA with music business electives adds a graduate business credential to that industry knowledge. At Belmont, that credential comes from an AACSB-accredited business school.
The Accelerated MBA takes about one year of full-time study, and you can start in summer or fall. The Professional MBA lets you keep working and takes 15 months to two years full time or up to three years part time. Both formats require 36 credit hours.
Yes. The Professional MBA is built for working professionals and lets you choose in-person, online or hybrid courses each term. The music business electives are offered in a hybrid format.
You do not need full-time work experience for the Accelerated MBA. The Professional MBA requires at least two years of significant work experience. The GMAT and GRE are optional for both formats, though merit scholarships require a GMAT score.
Choose an MBA if you want a broad business credential for management roles, and choose a specialized master's degree if you want deeper study of the industry itself. Belmont offers both. The Entertainment and Music Business MBA is 36 credit hours built on a full MBA core. The Mike Curb College's Master of Arts in Media and Entertainment Industries is 30 credit hours, primarily online with two weekend residencies, and includes a music business track.
Contact Us
Jack C. Massey College of Business
Carrie Finnegan
Graduate Recruiting & Admissions Counselor
615.460.6171
Email Carrie
Explore the Curb College
As an MBA student, you can attend Curb College events and entertainment career fairs.
Plan Your Visit
There's no better way to experience Belmont than by visiting campus. Whether you attend an admissions event, take a student-led campus tour or explore Nashville while you're here, a visit helps you picture yourself as part of the Belmont community.