BELMONT UNIVERSITY

MIKE CURB COLLEGE OF ENTERTAINMENT AND MUSIC BUSINESS

COURSE SYLLABUS

 

Course Title: Entertainment Industry Entrepreneurship (Entrepreneurship in the Music Industry)

Course #: MBU 4800.11                     Credit Hrs: 3    Semester: Summer 2005

Class Location: MBC 203-a     Meeting Time(s): MTWRF 11:30am-1:15pm

 

Final Exam:      Final exam is 11:30am Thursday July 7, 2005

Instructor:          Dr. Wacholtz

Office:               224 B. Massey

Contacts:           Phone:   460-5437           Email:   wacholtzl@mail.belmont.edu

                                                      wacholtz@comcast.net

COURSE DESCRIPTION:

MBU 4800. Entrepreneurship in the Music Industry (3). Prerequisite: MBU 1110. Entertainment entrepreneurship is based on the process of identifying opportunities in the entertainment marketplace, exploring potential resources to pursue those opportunities, and committing to action the resources necessary to exploit the opportunities for long-term gain.

COURSE OBJECTIVES:

To provide students with an opportunity to determine their entertainment industry entrepreneurship career preferences, establish short, career, long term goals and to develop research methods and analysis to determine start-up funding and operations, management skills; a business plan, and an exit strategy.

·       To possess a well grounded understanding of entrepreneurial business principals.

·       To develop an understanding of important business issues as they relate to new ventures.

·       To identify, appreciate, and assess the knowledge, attitudes, and skills of an entrepreneur.

·       To study and observe entrepreneurial settings and entrepreneurial role models through exposure to actual business settings and experiences.

·       To have an expanded awareness of the resources available for creating a business plan.

·       To establish a level of confidence in creating a business plan for your specific area of study as a tool to assess, create and communicate your business concept.

In addition the course will provide a better understanding of:

·       Entrepreneurship

·       Leadership techniques and skills

·       The mega entertainment conglomerates and their dependence on entrepreneurial artist products and services

·       The value of copyrights with respect to the entertainment industry

·       The process of taking an idea to the business plan process to public for sale.

·       Different types of deals for songwriters, publishers, recording artists and managers/artists

·       The effects and industry uses of new technologies such as MP3.com, Napster, and Internet marketing, digital file sharing and downloads

·       The principal job responsibilities of attorneys, managers, talent agents, concert promoters, musicians, publishers, recording artists, vocalists, producers, booking agents, film industry contacts, and how they interface

·       Icons, message, and consumer psychographics and demographics

·       A basic business entrepreneurship industry vocabulary

·       Industry related ethical responsibilities

·       Industry marketing practices, promotion publicity and uses of mass media outlets

·       Distribution, retail and Internet career opportunities

·       Artist management and concert promotion processes and career opportunities

·       Basic business strategies and non-profit organizations as related to the music and entertainment industry

·       Trends for entrepreneurship and related industry strategies and career opportunities

·       Retail outlets and types of distribution

·       Unique business mergers and practices such as virtual corporations

·       Financial information and industry breakeven points

·       Industry related historical perspectives and future trends

 

GOALS OF THE MIKE CURB COLLEGE OF ENTERTAINMENT AND MUSIC BUSINESS:

The following objectives will be applied toward course completion:

·       To provide a personalized, career-oriented and practical education that emphasizes leadership, innovation, private enterprise, and entrepreneurship.

·       To equip students with the tools to think critically, communicate effectively, accept responsibility, make successful decisions, and prosper in diverse work environments.

·       To emphasize quality classroom instruction within the parameters of ethical Christian principles.

 

Honor CODE:

As members of the Belmont community, students, faculty, staff, and administrators are all responsible for ensuring that their experiences will be free of behaviors, which compromise value. In order to uphold academic integrity, the University has adopted an Honor System. Students and faculty will work together to establish the optimal conditions for honorable academic work. Following is the Student Honor Pledge that guides academic behavior:

 

“I will not give or receive aid during examinations; I will not give or receive false or impermissible aid in course work, in the preparation of reports, or in any other type of work that is to be used by the instructor as the basis of my grade; I will not engage in any form of academic fraud. Furthermore, I will uphold my responsibility to see to it that others abide by the spirit and letter of this Honor Pledge.”

 

COURSE REQUIREMENTS:

 

1.       Attendance:   

Belmont University is committed to the idea that regular class attendance is essential to successful scholastic achievement. When the number of absences for any reason exceeds four times the number of scheduled class meetings per week (25% of meetings during summer term), the student is involuntarily dropped from the course with a grade of “WF” – ^{Belmont University Catalog}

 

2.         Materials: Textbooks and software

Entrepreneurship In Actn&Busn Planpro 6.0, 2/E
	ISBN: 0131039520 Publisher: Prentice Hall Copyright: 2004 Format: Kit/Package/ShrinkWrap Published: 11/19/2002 Business Plan Pro®	Entrepreneurship in Action, 2/E Mary Coulter ISBN: 0-13-101101-4 Publisher: Prentice Hall Copyright: 2003 Format: Paper; 384 pp Published: 11/19/2002

 

3.         Course Components

Internet Access
The Internet has become an essential tool for entrepreneuring in the real world. Students may be provided with articles on the Internet to read and answer basic questions. The goal is to enable the students to apply the information that we have discussed to real-world situations and give us a basis to discuss the concepts and principles further.

Business Plan

The creation of a business plan will be a tool to assist you to put the concepts we have addressed together. Resources will be provided to help you with the plan, including software that can assist you through the process. You will be able to select the type of business for the business plan and are encourage designing the plan based on your area of interest. The objective is to make this a positive, obtainable, and useful experience.

Exams

 

There are four tests on Friday of each week. The final is your business plan presentation to the class scheduled for Thursday July 7, 2005

 

4.         Test and Business Plan Grades:        

 

Points		Percentage
Test One Chapters	15	15%
Test Two: Chapters	15	15%
Test Three Chapters	15	15%
Test Four/Final Exam	25	25%
Business Plan and Presentation	30	30%
TOTAL POINTS	100	100%

5.         Basis of grade evaluation: Grading scale as per the current Undergraduate Bulletin.

Exams may consist of a variety of question types: multiple choices; true/false, short answer, matching, or essay questions. Students will be advised prior to the exam what type of questions to expect. In addition to the text, students are also responsible for any information presented in class in the form of readings, handouts, videos, exercises, cases, etc. Your instructor will announce the exact date of examination. Please see policies stated in the current Belmont University Bulletin. However, the grading system and scales are based on a formula that states that only a certain segment of the class may attain a particular grade on each exam (curve). The final grade is determined by a formula without regard to the number of students who can attain a particular overall course grade (absolute grade). Each individual test is curved with a mean/standard deviation scale. Each test score is competitive and the final course grades are not curved.

 

GRADING SCALE

CHEATING

Students caught cheating (during exams, through plagiarism or any other form) will result in a grade of zero (0) for that exam or assignment. Please refer to the Belmont University Student Handbook. Appropriate college personnel will be notified to determine if student will receive a grade of “F” in the course.

 

Accommodation of Disabilities:

In compliance with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act, Belmont University will provide reasonable accommodation of all medically documented disabilities. If you have a disability and would like the university to provide reasonable accommodations of the disability during this course, please notify Tammye Tanksley, Director of Counseling & Developmental Support in the Office of the Dean of Students (460-6407) as soon as possible.

 

6.             Class Schedule:

*THIS SYLLABUS PROVIDES A GENERAL PLAN FOR THIS COURSE. DEVIATIONS MAY BE NECESSARY AND WILL BE ANNOUNCED IN CLASS.

 

 

TENTATIVE CLASS SCHEDULE-MBU 4800

Date