Founded in 1976, the Arts, Entertainment, and Media Management Department offers a Bachelor of Arts with specialized concentrations to prepare students for management positions in the visual arts, performing arts, media, sports management, music business, small business/entrepreneurship, and fashion/retail management. Students may choose to focus on either non-profit or for-profit management. Each concentration combines conceptual and theoretical learning with practical experience, including a possible internship.

The Arts, Entertainment, and Media Management (AEMM) Department emphasizes the importance of efficiency, sound judgment, and demonstrated social responsibility. In addition to studying comprehensive business foundations, students develop skills in critical thinking, communication, and quantitative and qualitative analysis. The goal is to equip students with skills that will advance the industry and encourage constructive participation in civic, political, and cultural affairs.

The Columbia College Chicago AEMM Department offers:

• education in the classroom and the field for those who want to manage creative enterprise in the arts, entertainment, media, and fashion industries.
• coursework to enhance the knowledge of those already active in the field.
• classes to assist the individual artist or entrepreneur with economic, legal, and business issues.

Students majoring in AEMM select from among seven concentrations, tailoring their education to fit their needs and interests. The AEMM Department provides majors with an intensive education in their field of concentration and prepares its students to enter the professional work force after graduation. At the same time, the AEMM Department stresses the development of knowledge and skills that are widely transferable and that are applicable throughout life.

As a manager of creative enterprise, students can specialize in areas such as marketing, financial management, fundraising, sales, or production. Students might also choose to be an entrepreneur and organize their own company. No matter what option students select, two attributes are necessary to be an effective manager in the arts: a genuine love of the art form and the practical business skills and knowledge that enable organizations to effectively fulfill their missions. As managers, professionals can help provide the realistic framework upon which creative artists can build. Good management increases opportunities for good art to develop and flourish.

Classroom experience includes team learning, group projects, and interactive learning. Case study methods and seminar-style learning are common in many classes. Students are challenged to relate real-life situations to classroom instruction. Many classes base assignments upon actual companies or organizations.

Internships are an integral part of the AEMM major, bringing together theoretical concepts with real-world situations. In cooperation with leading organizations in the Chicago area, qualified students have the opportunity to acquire hands-on field experience, confidence, and contacts to help them gain a leading edge in the competitive job market. The student becomes more aware of what is involved in his or her chosen career by actually working in a professional organization. The student, faculty advisor, and sponsoring organization work together to make the internship one of the most important experiences in the student’s college education. Internships are credited by graduating students as instrumental in helping them land their first job in their chosen field.

The Arts, Entertainment, and Media Management Department also offers a post-baccalaureate certificate of major and a minor in Arts, Entertainment, and Media Management.

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