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Studies & Degrees in Management of Entertainment Industry

Management of the entertainment industry, also called entertainment industry management, is the business side of film, television, music, video games, live shows and events. Students learn how an entertainment product is developed, financed, produced, marketed and distributed, and how the companies behind it are run. The field combines general management subjects such as finance, marketing, law and strategy with knowledge of one or more creative sectors.

The subject suits people who want to work around creative content without being the artist: in producing, marketing, business development, talent management or content strategy. Programmes rely heavily on practice. Case studies, projects with companies and internships are the normal way to build the contacts that the sector depends on.

Qualifications and levels

Entertainment management is taught mainly at master's level, to graduates of business, communication or arts degrees. At bachelor's level it usually appears as a specialisation within business, communication or media degrees.

  • Two-year master's: the Master of Entertainment Industry Management (MEIM) at Carnegie Mellon University's Heinz College, in the United States, lasts two years (four semesters). Students spend the first year in Pittsburgh on business, finance and management, and the second year in Los Angeles. An internship is required.
  • One-year master's in Spain: Spanish business and design schools offer one-year programmes of 60 ECTS credits in neighbouring areas such as event management, sports management and brand communication. Some are official master's degrees (máster universitario) and others are the school's own qualifications (título propio or máster de formación permanente). Check which one a programme awards and ask the school what recognition it has in your country.

Where to study it

SpainExchange lists two active schools for this subject, both in Spain: EAE Business School, with campuses in Barcelona and Madrid, and IED Madrid. Neither has a programme with the exact name of the subject, but both teach related master's programmes in Spanish.

At EAE Business School, the Máster en Dirección y Organización de Eventos starts in October 2026, has 60 ECTS credits and is taught full time in Spanish. Its Barcelona study plan includes a module on themed events: musicals, film and television, corporate, sports, congresses, and fashion and beauty. According to the school, the Barcelona edition leads to its own qualifications (títulos propios de Máster de Formación Permanente) from EAE Business School, Ostelea and the Universitat de Lleida, while the Madrid edition is the official Máster Universitario en Dirección y Organización de Eventos (EAE and UNIE), taught full time over 10 months. Applicants need a degree in a field such as event organisation, journalism, communication, economics, tourism, advertising and public relations or business administration.

EAE also teaches the Máster en Sports Management in Barcelona, with 60 ECTS credits and modules on sports sponsorship and on the organisation and management of sports events. The school states that it awards its own qualification from EAE Business School and a título propio de Máster de Formación Permanente from the Universitat de Lleida.

IED Madrid is a design school. Its Máster en Dirección y Gestión de Comunicación, Marketing y Publicidad covers brand management, creative leadership and communication strategy. It is taught in Spanish over 9 months from October 2026, has 60 credits and is described by the school as a titulación propia, its own qualification.

Students who want a degree dedicated to film, television, music and games can also look to the United States. The Carnegie Mellon programme described above is one example; it is not among the schools listed on SpainExchange.

Careers

Graduates work for film and television studios, streaming services, record labels, game companies, talent agencies, promoters, festivals and event agencies. Typical roles are in production management, marketing, distribution, sponsorship, business development and artist or talent management. Carnegie Mellon states that its graduates work for studios, labels, game makers and agencies; EAE lists roles such as event manager and congress and trade fair organiser.

There are no official statistics for entertainment managers as a single occupation. As a reference, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics counts 181,000 jobs for producers and directors in the United States in 2025, people who make the business and creative decisions about film, television, stage and other productions, and projects 4 percent growth from 2025 to 2035. The Bureau notes that these professionals typically need a bachelor's degree and several years of experience in productions, which is why internships and first jobs in junior roles are a normal part of the career path.

Frequently asked questions

Is entertainment industry management a bachelor's or a master's subject?

It is mainly a master's subject. The programmes described here are master's programmes of one year (60 ECTS credits in Spain) or two years (Carnegie Mellon University).

Can I study it in Spain?

The two schools listed, EAE Business School and IED Madrid, teach related master's programmes in event management, sports management and brand communication, in Spanish. Neither offers a programme with this exact name.

Are these master's degrees official?

It depends on the programme and the campus. EAE states that its events master is an official máster universitario in Madrid and its own qualification in Barcelona. Ask the school what recognition the qualification has before enrolling.