Overview

The Live Entertainment Management graduate degree program is a comprehensive and intensive investigation of the essential knowledge and expertise required of professionals in live entertainment management today, that offers a diverse and abundant curriculum. Whether a seasoned professional or emerging leader in the field, we know the landscape for creating, presenting, managing, and assessing live events is quickly evolving in ways both exciting and challenging. So, throughout the curriculum, we explore the best practices of live entertainment management perfected over many decades by leading-edge arts innovators, and explore the innovative practices now transcending traditional arts and entertainment boundaries. Given the breadth of careers in the industry, students can tailor the program to their professional goals. Students emerge from the program with the essential skills, experiential learning experiences and confidence to make an immediate positive, lasting difference in the fast-paced arts and entertainment industries across the globe. For more information, please visit the Live Entertainment Management website

Admission Requirements

On-Campus Programs

The application priority deadline is December 1st.  
The supplemental materials deadline is January 1st.
Please click here for special deadlines related to our Live Entertainment Management, Media Writing, Music Business, and Music Engineering programs 
 
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Step 1 - Apply

Step 2 - Submit Supplemental Materials

All supplemental materials must be submitted either via email to fsom.graddocs@miami.edu or via US Mail to PO Box 248165, Coral Gables, FL 33124.

Required for all applicants:
  • Transcripts – an official transcript from ALL post-secondary schools attended, regardless of if a degree was granted or not, must be sent directly to the Frost School of Music from the issuing institution in order to be considered official
    • Applicants with international transcripts, please click here for specific instructions about approved evaluation services
    • An official transcript is required for every school attended, even if it was only a single class
    • Current University of Miami students applying to a new degree program must provide an official University of Miami transcript
  • Three letters of recommendation - sent through CollegeNet as part of application submission. These do not need to be sent separately
  • Resume - attached to the application at the time of submission. This does not need to be sent separately
The following supplemental materials may be required for some applicants:
  • GRE Score - Please contact your program faculty for specific GRE information
  • TOEFL/IELTS Score - Please click here for more specific TOEFL/IELTS information
  • Teaching/Conducting Sample
  • Writing Sample
  • Prescreening/Audition/Interview
  • Portfolio

Not all supplemental materials are required for all degree programs. Please see the Degree Program Requirements for specific requirements.

For information regarding specific program requirements, please see Application & Program Requirements.

Applicants are responsible for tracking the status of their application materials and should do so on CaneLink.  Please allow at least two weeks for documents to be processed and marked as complete. If you are unable to access your CaneLink account, please check the CaneLink FAQ.

Step 3 - Audition/Interview/Upload Portfolio

Audition - If your program requires an audition, you will be contacted after the December 1st deadline to schedule a date. All performance programs require a prescreening and invitations to audition will be extended to those applicants approved by faculty review. Check the Audition/Portfolio Requirements page for specific requirements. Do not make travel plans until you receive a confirmation email from Frost Admissions.

Interview - If your program requires an interview, you will be contacted by department faculty to schedule a date. 

Portfolio - If your program requires a portfolio, please upload it through SlideRoom.  Check the Audition/Portfolio Requirements page for specific requirements. 

Music, Media, & Industry Application Deadlines

If you are applying to Music Business & Entertainment Industries, Live Entertainment Management, JD/MM, or JD/MA programs, the following deadlines apply:

December 1 - International applicants and priority domestic applicants
April 1 - All JD/MM and JD/MA applicants 
June 1 - Final application and supplemental materials deadline for domestic applicants 

If you are applying to Music Engineering Technology or Media Writing and Production, the following deadlines apply:

December 1 - International applicants and priority domestic applicants
February 1 - Priority portfolio deadline
April 1 - Final application and portfolio deadline - all applications/supplemental materials/portfolios are due by this date

International Applicants

  • TOEFL/IELTS - Test scores are required for international applicants whose native language is not English and who have not received a degree from an accredited English-speaking institution. Additional information can be found under International Applicants.
  • Applicants must submit a copy of their passport before a decision can be made. The name on your passport must match the name with which you apply.

If accepted, you will be contacted by the Office of Admission to submit documentation of financial responsibility.

Documents Required 

Submit the following educational documents to an approved international credentialing evaluation service:

a) Official original diplomas and certificates in the original language, and

b) Official original transcripts in the original language (names of courses, grades, and hours of instruction) for every year of study. 

Documents in a language other than English must be accompanied by professional, certified English translations.  Translations supplement but do not replace, the official documents.

Type of Evaluation Required

The Frost School of Music is requiring international applicants to their programs to complete a course-by-course evaluation with GPA. 

Where to Submit Documents for Evaluation

Josef Silny & Associates (JS&A), Inc. International Education Consultants, is the preferred evaluation service for international applicants to the University of Miami due to their competitive prices and high-quality service.  Please see the Application for Evaluation of Foreign Educational Credentials for more information.

World Education Services (WES) is the second preferred evaluation service for international applicants to the University of Miami.  Click here for more information, including the Application for Evaluation of Foreign Educational Credentials.

Please note that international applicants are not required to use the services of JS&A or WES exclusively, but the University of Miami requires that an international credential evaluation must be done by one of the approved evaluation vendors found on this list.

Evaluation Fee

Applicants are responsible for the evaluation fee.

Submission of Evaluation

The evaluation vendor is required to send all official copies of related documents to:

Frost School of Music
PO Box 248165
Coral Gables, FL 33124-7610

or electronically to: 
fsom.graddocs@miami.edu

  • Please click here for additional details
  • Applicants who are applying with a current degree in progress will be required to have their final transcripts and diploma evaluated upon arrival at the Frost School. If applicants use Josef Silny for the initial evaluation, the Frost School will cover the evaluation. If applicants choose a different vendor, they will be responsible for the cost of the re-evaluation.

Decisions

Students are recommended for admission to the Frost School of Music by the faculty and admission committees. Final acceptance to the Graduate program is made after all materials requested by the Frost School of Music have been received and evaluated. Scholarships and/or Assistantships are awarded based on faculty recommendation. Admission decisions are sent out starting in late March.  

Application Guidelines

  • Applications are accepted for the fall term only
  • Applications are accepted for only one degree program 
  • Graduate applicants must have a minimum of a 3.0 cumulative GPA for consideration
  • Applicants must be in-progress toward completing or have earned the appropriate prior music degree(s) from a regionally accredited institution in order to apply for a graduate level music program. If you are accepted and decide to attend the Frost School, you will be required to provide a final transcript showing a conferred degree.
  • The MM in Music Business & Entertainment Industries and the MA in Live Entertainment Management do not require prior music degrees. The MS in Music Engineering Technology is open to students who have completed an undergraduate degree in an appropriate engineering/science field.
  • Current University of Miami students applying to a new degree program must provide an official University of Miami transcript 
  • Materials submitted in support of an application cannot be released for other purposes nor returned to the applicant
  • For information on where to submit supplemental materials, please see our Contact Information

Curriculum Requirements

Major Area
MMI 643Marketing in the Music Industry3
MMI 726Global Live Entertainment3
MMI 736Financial Management in Live Entertainment3
MMI 738Legal Aspects of the Live Entertainment Industry3
Electives
Select 15 credit hours of approved Graduate Course Electives15
Final Project
Choose from:3
Live Entertainment Practicum
Project in Live Entertainment
Exit Exam
Total Credit Hours30

Sample Plan of Study

Plan of Study Grid
Year One
FallCredit Hours
MMI 726 Global Live Entertainment 3
MMI 736 Financial Management in Live Entertainment 3
MMI 738 Legal Aspects of the Live Entertainment Industry 3
 Credit Hours9
Spring
MMI 643 Marketing in the Music Industry 3
Approved Graduate Course Elective(s) 6
 Credit Hours9
Year Two
Fall
Approved Graduate Course Elective(s) 9
 Credit Hours9
Spring
MMI 804 or 840 Live Entertainment Practicum
or Project in Live Entertainment
3
Exit Exam  
 Credit Hours3
 Total Credit Hours30

* This is a suggested Plan of Study.  Your actual course sequence may vary depending on your previous academic experience as well as current course offerings.  Students should meet with their academic advisor each semester to determine the appropriate course selection.

Mission

The Live Entertainment Management masters degree program makes possible specialized, comprehensive and experiential learning in the multifaceted field of live entertainment presentations. Keen attention to leadership, project management, operations, personnel, finances and for-profit and non-profit arts business models serves as the foundation of the curricular learning, research and activity. With greater-Miami and arts connection to professional across the U.S. and beyond, students graduating from the University Miami and the Frost School of Music are fully prepared to enter the workforce as dynamic professionals poised to step in successfully to wide-varieties of arts settings around the world.

Goals

The program has three primary objectives:

  • Each student is fully engaged in the entirety of Live Entertainment Management subject matter, with exposure to all of the professional-level issues of the field.  To that end, courses are designed with syllabi that ensures a sequence of learning filled with each of the best-practice topics and tactics necessary for gaining professional level skills and wherewithal.

  • Each student is engaged in research designed to capture far-reaching information formed from intense study and field experiences. Such research will result in (at least) two formal papers and presentations that exemplify exceptional effort and provide lasting value for the learner. Such research includes, but is not limited to creating and managing projects of various sizes, business models and implementation strategies, industry-related statistical analysis such as environmental scans, demographics and so forth, as well as the exploration of entertainment-based subjects that go to the heart of the Live Entertainment Management reason d’etre.

  • Each student is introduced to professionals in the field—across the U.S. and beyond—such that they have developed a meaningful and useful network of mentors and contacts offering insights into live entertainment management issues, best practices and opportunities for further learning. The network of contacts is compelled into existence by way of course-work throughout the degree program that relies upon expert input as part of the assignments objectives, as well as professionals introduced by faculty.

Student Learning Outcomes

  • Students will demonstrate the ability to create a graduate-level, high quality and extensively researched paper on a critical topic applicable to the course.
  • Students demonstrate mastery of live presentations. Through research on an entertainment-based, course-specific topic, students organize information and share in a formal presentation as a means of exhibiting A) appropriate and effectual planning and format organizational skills, and B) proper and engaging communication competence.In so doing, students gain experience and capacities for successful live presentations frequently required in the professional field, such as funding requests, board reports. pre-concert discussions, educational lectures and more.
  • Students demonstrate mastery of creating a comprehensive grant request.