Business and Entertainment (BS)

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Offered by the Kogod School of Business and unique to American University, the Business and Entertainment (BS) is a four-year program for students with strong interests in business and the business of entertainment. The program offers a substantial, exciting, and integrated curriculum that prepares students for a career in the entertainment sector. Students learn about the business of entertainment by completing Kogod’s AACSB-accredited core business program, an entertainment core, and an entertainment specialization track.

The Business and Entertainment program gives students a strong foundation of academic and hands-on coursework. The business core provides a broad array of basic business knowledge and skills in areas such as accounting, finance, management, marketing, operations management, information technology, and business strategy. The entertainment core focuses on economic, legal, and business aspects of the entertainment industry itself, preparing students for work in this challenging area. In completing the entertainment specialization track, students learn more about a particular sector or field of interest within the general entertainment industry. Specialization areas include agency, audio technology, and music performance. In consultation with the Business and Entertainment Program Director, students may also create self-designed specializations. Finally, students may leverage their academic experience with a for-credit internship, membership in the Business and Entertainment Club, and numerous co-curricular experiences.

Admission to the Program

New first-year and transfer students are admitted through the university’s Admissions Office.

In addition to university requirements for transfer admission, transfer students are required to take KSB-421 Integrative Strategic Management (3) and at least 18 upper-level credit hours toward their major requirements in residence. Transfer credits for business courses at or above 300-level are subject to validation by the appropriate department chair and may be conditional on successful completion of a more advanced course at American University.

University Requirements

120 credit hours with minimum 2.00 cumulative GPA (Undergraduate Academic Regulation 2 )
Completion of all requirements for a major (Undergraduate Academic Regulation 9 )

AU Core Requirements

Completion of AU Core foundation requirements (Undergraduate Academic Regulation 8.2-8.6 )
Completion of AU Core Habits of Mind requirements (Undergraduate Academic Regulation 8.7 )
Completion of AU Core integrative course requirements (Undergraduate Academic Regulation 8.8-8.11 )

For additional information, see AU Core Curriculum .

Major Requirements

63-66 credit hours with grades of C or better, including at least 18 credit hours at or above 300-level, and minimum 50 percent of the credit hours earned at American University
Specializations: Agency; Audio Technology; Film; Marketing; Music Performance; Self-Designed
No more than 66 of 120 total credit hours may be completed within the Kogod School of Business
No more than 6 credit hours of internship may be counted toward the 120 credit hours graduation requirement
Minimum 2.00 cumulative GPA required to enroll in business courses

Course Requirements

Students are responsible for fulfilling university and school requirements following a prescribed sequence. The academic advisors in the Kogod School’s Office of Undergraduate Programs must be consulted for counseling and advice when preparing class schedules. However, it is the student’s responsibility to consult course descriptions to identify course prerequisites and when courses are offered.

Business Core (38 credit hours)

Entertainment Core (13 credit hours)

Required

Internship

Complete 1 credit hour from the following, or other approved internship:

KSB-391 Internship (1-6)

Content Management

Complete 6 credit hours from the following:

Specialization (12-15 credit hours)

Complete one of the following entertainment specializations with the assistance and approval of the Business and Entertainment Program Director:

Agency

Required (12 credit hours)

Audio Technology

Required (10 credit hours)

Elective (3 credit hours)

3 ATEC credit hours at or above 300-level

Film

Required (15 credit hours)

Marketing

Required (9 credit hours)

Electives (6 credit hours)

Complete 6 credit hours from the following:

Music Performance

Music Theory (3 credit hours)

MUS-124 Music Theory I (3)

Private Study (4 credit hours)

Complete 4 credit hours from the following:

Performance Ensembles (2 credit hours)

Complete 2 credit hours from the following:

Music History (3 credit hours)

Complete 3 credit hours from the following:

Self-Designed

Required (12 credit hours)

Note: When declaring a self-designed specialization, a student must provide the four courses and specialization title to the academic advisor.

12 credit hours at or above 300-level from four courses, with no more than 3 credit hours from independent study

Combined Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees

American University offers students the opportunity to earn both undergraduate and graduate degrees through its combined bachelor’s/master’s programs. Advanced undergraduates admitted to a combined degree program that includes a master’s degree from Kogod are eligible to take graduate-level courses and may apply up to 9 graduate credit hours earned as an undergraduate toward the requirements for both degrees. See Combined Bachelor’s and Kogod School of Business Master’s Programs for more information.