Today, the most successful entertainment executives are creative, hard working, motivated, and career-oriented. Full Sail’s Entertainment Business master of science degree program aims to create the industry’s future executives through specialized courses, networking opportunities with industry leaders, and a collaborative and project-based environment.

“[The Entertainment Business program] is a higher-level business degree that prepares executive leaders and entrepreneurs for advancement in the entertainment industry,” says Dr. Heather Dartez, the Director of Graduate Studies. “Many of our courses are very unique to the entertainment industry – you wouldn’t typically find them in a regular MBA program.”

The fast-paced 12-month program, offered both on campus and online, definitely requires a commitment, but it can lead to great opportunities. Entertainment Business grads have gone on to work as lawyers, tour managers, entrepreneurs, and more. (Grad Ed Wimp, for example, went to law school post-Full Sail and launched his own artist management and business development company after managing tours for A$AP Rocky and Earth, Wind, and Fire; and grad Lorena Robles is a senior account executive with NASCAR.)

Here are some of the traits and skills you need to bring to the table to succeed in the Entertainment Business program:

Before entering the Entertainment Business program, you don’t need to have a business degree, but some practical work experience in a business or creative field is a plus. The program’s best students, says Dartez, are those who are driven leaders, are aware of how everything affects the bottom line, and understand the importance of moving a company forward. We have also found that students with technical backgrounds who are interested in understanding the business side of their field (to better protect their creative works, run/manage their own companies, and/or move into a leadership position in their field) are excellent candidates for this program.

This is an advanced-level business degree, so you’ve got to be serious. “[The program is best for] people that are looking for advancement in their careers and are willing to make a sacrifice,” Dartez says. “Those who are ready to really focus on their studies and put their all into it.”

Be Ready For: Campus students spend 56 hours per month in class, plus extra time beyond that working on homework and other projects. Unlike undergraduate business programs, which are test and quiz-heavy, writing is a core part of the Entertainment Business master’s program – students write a 20-30-page paper in the Business Plan Development course, for example. “Students need to be very motivated and focused on their studies to find success,” Dartez says. “If you don’t pay attention to deadlines, the program’s accelerated nature can get away from you.”

Outside of the classroom, it’s important to make time for networking too, especially because it could lead to an opportunity in the future. “We really put an emphasis on networking and connecting with the industry in a unique and positive way,” Dartez says. “Students need to leverage guest-speaking and networking opportunities here as much as possible. If not, they’ll miss out on a huge chance to build those connections.” Entertainment executives and industry insiders often speak on campus as part of events that are also open to online students, who can participate virtually.

More Keys to Success: Great Entertainment Business students have strong leadership skills, a knack for self-motivation, and a good handle on time management, which is one of the most important skills to master while at Full Sail. The accelerated track means you’re getting a master’s degree in one year instead of the typical two. It’s a huge benefit – you’ll graduate with a head start in the industry and you get to focus on one relevant course per month – but it requires commitment and organization.

If Your Focus is Sports: “[Entertainment Business – Sports Management] is a higher-level business degree with a specialized focus on the entertainment industry,” says Dartez. “Students take the same classes as Entertainment Business students until months eight, nine, and ten, when they take sports-specific classes related to marketing, management, law and sponsorship.”

Full Sail offers its 12-month Entertainment Business master’s degree program both on campus and online – but the Sports Management-specific courses are currently only available online. The advanced-level courses prepare executive leaders and entrepreneurs for advancement in the entertainment industry. Entertainment Business grad Phillip McKibbens, for example, was working as a senior director of technology support at ESPN when he enrolled in the master’s program, Dartez says. “People were asking him, ‘Why are you in this program?’ He told them, ‘The next step in my career is to be a VP, and the only way I will have access to that is if I have a master’s degree.’ He chose Full Sail because he was so impressed with the program.”

More questions? Check out the Entertainment Business degree page or call an admissions representative at 800.226.7625.