5 Most Affordable Master’s in Entertainment Management Online in 2021

Auditioning for affordable online master's in entertainment management programs could present a cost-effective advantage over cutthroat competition for successfully starring in media leadership jobs with behind-the-scenes action. According to Billboard, the entertainment business is worth $632.09 billion domestically and $2.152 trillion globally. Upper-level opportunities abound in several niches like film, music, theatre arts, and publishing. Online master's degrees can give 24/7 Web access to executive instruction that nurtures strategic skills for producing enjoyable entertainment audiences applaud. Besides the glitz and glamour of larger paychecks, attending graduate school can deepen your industry-specific managerial prowess for better hirability. Fast Company reported that 27 percent of U.S. organizations bumped bachelor's-level jobs up to master's qualifications. Online colleges are often the cheaper, easier routes toward booking dream administrative roles with entertainment master's credentials.

5 Most Affordable Entertainment Management Master's Online in 2021

• Collapse All
• Expand All

1. University of Colorado Denver

   Location

   Denver, CO

   Tuition

   $6714

   View School Profile

   Budgeting $290.7 million annually, the University of Colorado Denver is a top-tier, public RU/VH institution of the Rocky Mountain Conference that's charging our list's lowest price to 14,119 Buffaloes learning on its 352-acre joint campus in the Auraria neighborhood and online throughout Canvas. CU Denver is crowned America's 91st best business school by the U.S. News & World Report, 261st top university in Washington Monthly, and 146th best public college on Forbes with the 110th biggest influence by the CWUR. Holding the Jake Jabs Center Competition each Spring, the AACSB-accredited Business School confers an Online M.S. in Management with a Sports and Entertainment Specialization. Led by Dr. Kenneth Bettenhausen, the 30-credit, non-thesis curriculum fosters organizational transformation skills for the country's sixth largest sector. Online courses like Leading Individuals and Teams may be supplemented with the two-week London Calling trip, dual MBA study, or internships at Broncos Football Club.

2. Southern Utah University

   Location

   Cedar City, UT

   Tuition

   $7280

   View School Profile

   Southern Utah University is a public, state-funded coeducational school founded in 1897 that's endowed for $25.4 million to ensure "Learning Lives Forever" for 9,299 Thunderbirds studying atop its 129-acre campus near Zion National Park and online via Canvas. SUU is named America's 55th most conservative college on Niche, 182nd best master's university in Washington Monthly, and 52nd most popular liberal arts school by College Factual. Organized by Professor Rachel Parker, the Arts Administration Program in the College of Performing & Visual Arts awards a face-to-face Master of Fine Arts and an online Master of Arts. The online MA consists of specialized graduate coursework totaling 36 credit hours, including non-profit financial management, development, fundraising, marketing, legal issues, leadership, and board relations. At the end of the program, students complete a final Capstone Project which focuses on the practical aspects of the academic material studied.

3. Colorado State University

   Location

   Aurora, CO

   Tuition

   $9628

   View School Profile

   Linked to 175,823 LinkedIn alumni, including entertainment sensations Keith Carradine and Jason Momoa, Colorado State University is a public, three-campus land-grant system opened in 1879 by Elijah Edwards that's endowed for $286 million to instruct 33,058 Rams in Fort Collins and on Canvas. CSU is honored for America's 59th highest research expenditures in Washington Monthly, 39th top value on WalletHub, 66th best student life on Niche, and 131st best fine arts programs by the U.S. News & World Report. The College of Liberal Arts' LEAP Institute of the Arts offers creative entrepreneurs the Online Master of Arts Leadership and Cultural Management. Coordinated by Dr. Constance Devereaux, the 32-credit, non-thesis program admits until June 30th or November 15th annually to build administrative capacity in courses from Arts Collaboration to Event Management. Online coursework is applied in two semester-long internships at organizations like Clyfford Still Museum, The Arvada Center, and Aspen Filmfest.

4. University of Miami

   Location

   Coral Gables, FL

   Tuition

   $10925

   View School Profile

   Totaling $325.3 million in annual research expenditures, the University of Miami is a private, nonsectarian RU/VH institution of the Atlantic Coast Conference that's enrolling 16,801 Hurricanes from 150 nations in 340 academic programs from its 453-acre campus near Lake Osceola and online via Blackboard. Miami is ranked America's 277th best value in Money magazine, 22nd top music school on Niche, 77th best private university by Forbes, and 44th top college on Times Higher Education. Starting six times yearly, the Phillip and Patricia Frost School has an accelerated, 18-month track toward the Master of Arts in Arts Presenting and Live Entertainment Management Online. Chaired by four-time Grammy nominee Shelly Berg, the 30-credit, non-thesis curriculum tailors financial, marketing, and legal skills for creative endeavors before the cumulative exit exam. Other options are the Online Master of Music in Music Business and Entertainment Industries degree or free, two-week Entrepreneurship for Musicians MOOC course.

5. University of Kentucky

   Location

   Lexington, KY

   Tuition

   $10925

   View School Profile

   Serving 30,473 Wildcats with 92.7 percent retention, the University of Kentucky is the Bluegrass State's largest public, land-grant and research-heavy SEC school founded in 1865 that's now endowed for $1.2 billion to teach in Lexington, Bowling Green, Morehead, Highland Heights, and online via Canvas. Kentucky is deemed America's 131st best management school by Bloomberg, 76th top value on WalletHub, 97th best public college in Forbes, and 105th top university by the CWUR. Known for its John Jacob Niles Gallery, the College of Fine Arts keeps the Online MA in Arts Administration affordable with funds like the Braun Endowed Scholarship. Directed by Dr. Geraldine Maschio, the 36-credit, residency-free degree has asynchronous training for the entertainment industry. The program charges low in-state tuition for all taking courses from Principles of Fundraising to Teaching Artistry with optional overseas trips to Paris. Possible internship partners include the Singleton Center, Liberty Hall, Southern Oboe Intensive, and others.

• Collapse All
• Expand All

Our Methodology, Explained

Grad School Hub compiles rankings based on public data released from educational, commercial, and government databases. Sources such as the National Center for Education Statistics and the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics play a significant role in how we source our educational data. After collecting insight for each institution, we organize information into five weighted categories.

Metric	Data Used	Percentage
Academic Quality	Full-time faculty percentage, student-to-faculty ratio, student retention and graduation rates	30%
Affordability	Tuition rates, median student debt, and financial aid	10%
Reputation	Admission and enrollment rates	30%
Program Offerings	Number of program options	20%
Online Enrollment Score	Portion of learners taking at least one online course	10%

A more comprehensive evaluation of how each category is determined and scored is accessible on our Ranking Methodology page.

Related reading: 15 Most Affordable Master's in Public Relations Online

Other Master's in Entertainment Management Online Degree Offerings

Rowan University

M.A. in Theatre Arts Administration Online

Average Graduate Tuition: $12,960 per year

Full Sail University (Only possesses national ACCSC accreditation)

Online Master of Science in Entertainment Business

Average Graduate Tuition: $16,401 per year

Southern New Hampshire University

MBA in Music Business Online

Average Graduate Tuition: $18,810 per year

Roosevelt University

Online Master's in Performing Arts Administration (MA)

Average Graduate Tuition: $18,996 per year

Drexel University

Master of Science in Television Management Online

Average Graduate Tuition: $32,184 per year

Savannah College of Art and Design

Online M.A. Degree in Business Design and Arts Leadership

Average Graduate Tuition: $36,045 per year

The New School

Master of Science in Media Management Online

Average Graduate Tuition: $42,610 per year

Which Careers Benefit From Master's in Entertainment Management Online Study?

Finding funds like the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences' $2,500 Mark Beaumont Scholarship to cover entertainment management master's online programs would open a plethora of senior-level jobs. Entertainment management majors are equipped to handle the business side of artistic expression and creative development like MBAs. Online master's courses are flexible enough to pursue along with career-boosting entertainment internships with companies like Warner Bros, Paramount, CBS, Sony, Penguin Random House, and more. Your graduate degree could even be paired with industry credentials, such as Certified Special Event Professional and Certified Talent Management Specialist. Let's explore six potential job descriptions available from New York to Hollywood for online master's in entertainment management grads:

Art Director- Recognized for America's #3 best creative job by the U.S. News & World Report, art directors are the masterminds behind groundbreaking designs for magazine spreads, TV commercials, websites, movies, and more. Getting a master's in entertainment management online would prepare for graduates for supervising media staff, setting stylistic direction, outlining production goals, targeting audiences, sticking to budgets, and meeting tight deadlines.

Music Business Manager- Though their names aren't famous like Beyonce or Justin Timberlake, music business managers are pivotal for handling the financial affairs of high-profile singers with multi-million accounts. Their responsibilities include tour budgeting, protecting assets, filing taxes, negotiating contracts, tracking album royalties, overseeing investments, selecting insurance, recovering unpaid fees, analyzing endorsements, and doing payroll.

Television Producer- Business Insider reports that American adults watch 35 hours of TV weekly on average, so a cheap entertainment management master's could serve well in the cable and Internet viewing industry. Television producers select viable scripts, raise investor support, settle budgets, hire cast and crew, oversee timely productions, tweak designs, direct post-production editing, handle network feedback, and promote shows to fans.

Talent Agent- Show business characters rely on licensed talent agents to promote their best interests during gigs for a maximum 10 percent cut of earnings. Finishing an online master's in entertainment management might help agents construct positive client images, orchestrate auditions, collaborate with casting directors, locate fresh talent, procure endorsements, fight for beneficial contracts, schedule appearances, and update portfolios or resumes.

Museum Curator- Displaying an entertainment management master's online could open gallery doors for curator jobs since the Washington Post reported that the number of museums has doubled to 35,000 since 1990. From the Smithsonian to the Met, museum curators acquire artistic or historic collections, create exhibit designs, organize tours, direct technical staff, oversee piece restorations, secure archive storage, and attract media buzz.

Gaming Manager- Graded "A" by OwlGuru, gaming management is another potential job for online master's in entertainment grads to hit the career jackpot and take the reins of casino operations. Gaming managers form house rules, book musicians or performers, promote special events, staff tables, review betting accounts, coordinate beverage services, track cash flow, remove suspected cheaters, set security protocol, and address guest complaints.

How Much Do Entertainment Management Master's Online Graduates Make?

Investments in cheap entertainment master's online programs can reap big returns with income that's significantly higher than the median post-grad salary of $60,000 on the NCES. In Los Angeles County, the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce reported that the mean entertainment wage was $117,000 in 2011. The U.S. Department of Labor reports that the 13,470 entertainment business managers and agents nationwide make $86,560, or $41.62 per hour, on average. Art directors bring home an average salary of $101,170. Producers and directors snag mean income of $93,850. Publicists manage median pay of $107,320 annually. On Salary.com, entertainment technical directors earn $104,988. Other high averages include $85,525 for creative managers, $62,337 for casting directors, $79,895 for media operations managers, and $67,437 for museum exhibit designers.

What is the Job Outlook With Online Entertainment Management Master's Degrees?

Entertainment employment can be tricky to predict with market fads, but signs are looking good. CMO Today's Entertainment Outlook recognized the explosion of digital TV, videos on-demand, virtual reality, and wearable media. Sixty percent of U.S. consumers now use streaming devices for bingeworthy content!

Audience interest is expected to spark faster-than-average job growth of 10 percent in entertainment occupations by 2026 according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The number of producers and directors will soar by 12 percent for 16,500 new jobs. Art directors will see positions rise by 5 percent from 90,300 to 95,200 this decade. Projected job growth is also currently 14 percent for curators, 13 percent for talent scouts, and 6 percent for music directors. Choose from these online master's in entertainment management to improve career prospects without breaking the bank or a leg.

Still Looking for the Right Fit? Explore Additional Programs.

Sources:

Billboard
Fast Company
NCES College Navigator

This concludes our list of the 5 most affordable online master's in entertainment management programs.