Mike Curb College of Entertainment and Music Business | Music Business Courses

Mike Curb College of Entertainment and Music Business
Pamela G. Browne, Associate Dean

Wesley Bulla, Don Cusic, James Elliott, E. Michael Harrington, David Herrera, Ken Landers, David Moser, Billy Wayne Prince*, Clyde Rolston, Timmy Tappan, Larry Wacholtz.
*Part-time.

Mission Statement:
The Mike Curb College of Entertainment and Music Business seeks to achieve its vision by implementing a course of study in the creative processes of Marketing, Management, Product Development and Recording Technology areas within the music industry.

Goals:
The Mike Curb College of Entertainment and Music Business has the following goals:

1. Provide a personalized, career-oriented and practical educational program in Business Administration which emphasizes the four themes of leadership, innovation, private enterprise and entrepreneurship.
2. Equip students with the ability to think critically, communicate effectively, accept responsibility, make effective decisions, and operate in diverse work environments.
3. Emphasize quality classroom instruction within the parameters of Christian and ethical principles.

The Mike Curb College of Entertainment and Music Business offers a BBA degree with two areas of emphasis: Production emphasis and Business emphasis.

Belmont University offers a music business program that combines experience with real world applications. After careful counsel with members of the Nashville music industry, Belmont pioneered a program in 1972 to prepare men and women for operational, administrative as well as creative and technical positions within the music industry. In November of 1995, the program was named The Mike Curb School of Music Business in honor of Mike Curb, Chairman of Curb Records. In June of 2003, the music business program became a part of the newly created Mike Curb College of Entertainment and Music Business.

The program consists of three major areas: (1) general education core; (2) a business base, consisting of basic tool and core subjects; and (3) two music business emphasis specialization areas: Production and Business.

The College maintains highly credible status by constantly evaluating and implementing curricula that teach cutting-edge management, marketing and technology skills. The full-time faculty and staff of music business professionals are complemented by adjunct professors who work full-time in the music industry. An active Board of Advisors, consisting of music industry executives, assists in setting the direction of the College.

The placement of Belmont students in music business depends almost entirely upon the students’ own initiative through interning and finding ways to make a niche for him/herself. Despite the presence of a large number of music industry companies, the music business is a relatively small, fragmented industry with virtually no employee recruitment program. An active internship program provides opportunities for students to work in virtually any music company in Nashville as well as nationally and internationally. Frequently, those internship (MBU 300) experiences lead, directly or indirectly, to full-time employment after graduation.

The Mike Curb College of Entertainment and Music Business offers a four-year Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) degree with a concentration in Music Business. Students take a variety of classes that cover the business and technical aspects of entertainment and music business. The university cannot, and does not, guarantee job placement.

Progression Requirements

The following requirements apply to the students pursuing the Music Business concentration:

1. Music Business majors must earn a grade of “C” or above in all required Music Business courses.
   
2. Music Business majors must maintain at least a “C” average in all other courses required within the Bachelor of Business Administration degree with a concentration in Music Business.
3. As a condition of graduation, full-time Music Business students enrolled for 12 or more semester credit hours must receive credit for attending a minimum of four Music Business seminars and one Music Business Showcase during the semester. Students having met this requirement for eight semesters are exempt from attending additional seminars and/or showcases.
4. A maximum of 6 credit hours of MBU 300 Internship may be counted towards degree completion in the Business and Production Emphasis.
5. Music Business students are required to maintain a minimum Belmont semester GPA of 2.8. Those students failing to maintain this requirement will be reviewed by the College Admissions Committee and may be placed on academic probation within the College. A student placed on Music Business academic probation will not be allowed to take any Music Business courses.
6. If placed on academic probation within the College, the student must attain a minimum semester GPA of 2.8 in the following semester to remain in The Mike Curb School of Music Business and to be removed from academic probation. Students who do not meet this requirement will be suspended from the program. Any appeal from suspension shall be made to the Music Business Admissions Committee.
7. All Music Business students must complete a minimum of 50% of their business coursework at Belmont University.
8. Music Business majors must pass a comprehensive “Exit Examination” with a grade of 70 or higher during the last semester of work prior to graduation. The examination will cover four core areas: general music business knowledge, music publishing, intellectual property law, and recording studio principles. Additional questions in the student’s chosen emphasis (Business and Production) are included. Participation in a senior focus group is required for graduation.

Bachelor of Business Administration (B.B.A.)