Music Industries: Music Business

The Associate in Applied Science (AAS) in Music Industries: Music Business is designed to provide aspiring music industry professionals with a broad background in music management, production, and entrepreneurship activities. The program combines theoretical and applied learning experiences to help students gain a strategic understanding of commercial music as both an art and profession. Students will choose a focus area among business and marketing, commercial performance, and music production. They will employ analytical and communication skills and explore aesthetic, cultural, and historical perspectives relevant to the music industry.

Details

Field of Interest

Visual and Performing Arts

Degree Type

Associate in Applied Science (AAS)

Academic Plan

Music Industries: Music Business (DEG)

Academic Plan Code

3017

Total credits required

61-70

Catalog Year

2024-2025

Effective Term

Fall 2023

Notes

Students must earn a grade of C or better in all courses within the program.

What You'll Learn

This pathway map will help you gain the expertise needed to:

Analyze the values, ethics, and key factors, including economic, legal, policy, audience, and consumer that influence the creation of music-related media products.
Utilize applications and tools to manage business and creative activities in the music industry.
Create a project plan applying project management skills.
Demonstrate interpersonal skills in building relationships and networking with clients, colleagues, and organizations.
Identify opportunities for expanding creative, innovative, and entrepreneurial skills in the music industry.
Analyze and synthesize musical content for social, cultural, aesthetic and historical significance.
Evaluate branding, marketing communications, and sales skills to build a music brand.
Investigate intellectual property law, rights management, publishing, licensing, and contracts.
Differentiate operating structures and business types.
Analyze metrics and revenue data to improve business processes.
Use effective written, oral, and visual communication skills for diverse audiences and outcomes.
Assess the music industry and its role in the gig economy.

Successful completion of this degree may lead to employment in a variety of different occupations and industries. Below are examples of related occupations with associated Arizona-based wages* for this degree. Education requirements vary for the occupations listed below, so you may need further education or degrees in order to qualify for some of these jobs and earn the related salaries. Please visit with an academic advisor and/or program director for additional information. You can click on any occupation to view the detail regarding education level, wages, and employment information.

Advertising and Promotions Managers

$99,360 Show expanded career information for Advertising and Promotions Managers

Agents and Business Managers of Artists, Performers, and Athletes

$57,610 Show expanded career information for Agents and Business Managers of Artists, Performers, and Athletes

General and Operations Managers

$99,490 Show expanded career information for General and Operations Managers

Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists

$66,790 Show expanded career information for Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists

Marketing Managers

$131,350 Show expanded career information for Marketing Managers

Music Directors and Composers

$65,720 Show expanded career information for Music Directors and Composers

Musicians and Singers

$39.11 hourly Show expanded career information for Musicians and Singers

There are additional career opportunities associated with this degree that do not have occupational data available for Arizona at this time. These occupations are listed below:

Business Operations Specialists, All Other
Media and Communication Workers, All Other

* Career and wage information provided by Pipeline AZ using data, reports, and forecasts which are generated using government data sources. Sources

Course Sequence by Term

The following is the suggested course sequence by term. Please keep in mind:

Students should meet with an academic advisor to develop an individual education plan that meets their academic and career goals. Use the Pathway Planner tool in your Student Center to manage your plan.
The course sequence is laid out by suggested term and may be affected when students enter the program at different times of the year.
Initial course placement is determined by current district placement measures and/or completion of 100-200 level course and/or program requirements.
Degree and transfer seeking students may be required to successfully complete a MCCCD First Year Experience Course (FYE) within the first two semesters at a MCCCD College. Courses include FYE101 and FYE103. Course offerings will vary by college. See an academic, program, or faculty advisor for details.
Consult with your faculty mentor or academic advisor to determine educational requirements, including possible university transfer options, for your chosen career field.

Full-time
Part-time

Full-time Sequence

Full-time status is 12 credits to 18 credits per semester.

Term 1

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 1
Course Number	Course Name	Requisites	Notes	Area	Credits
MUC109	Music Business: Content Creation and Copyright		Critical course Gateway course		3
ENG101 or ENG107	First-Year Composition or First-Year Composition for ESL	Prerequisites: Writing test score or (C or better in ENG091 or ESL097or WAC101) or (B or better in ALT100) or (ALT100 & Corequisites: ENG101LL or ENG107LL or WAC101 or ENG100A+) or (ESL202 & Corequisites: ENG101LL or ENG107LL or WAC101 or ENG100A+). or Prerequisites: Writing test score or (C or better in ENG091 or ESL097or WAC101) or (B or better in ALT100) or (ALT100 & Corequisites: ENG101LL or ENG107LL or WAC101 or ENG100A+) or (ESL202 & Corequisites: ENG101LL or ENG107LL or WAC101 or ENG100A+).	Critical course	FYC or FYC	3
MUC242 or MHL155	Music Genres and Styles or Survey of American Music			None or C, H, HU	2–3
MAT14+	College Mathematics		Critical course	MA	3–6
FYE101 or FYE103	Introduction to College, Career and Personal Success or Exploration of College, Career and Personal Success				1–3

Term 2

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 2
Course Number	Course Name	Requisites	Notes	Area	Credits
MUC110	Music Business: Marketing and Monetization		Critical course		3
MTC180 or MUC180	Computer Literacy for Musicians or Computer Literacy for the Music Business	Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in MTC101, or MTC105, or Corequisites: MTC105, or permission of Instructor. or Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in MUC109, or permission of Instructor or Department or Division Chair.	Note: Students who have not already completed MTC180 must take MUC180	CS or CS	3
MKT271	Principles of Marketing				3
RE	Restricted Elective				3
ENG102 or ENG108 or ENG111	First-Year Composition or First-Year Composition for ESL or Technical and Professional Writing	Prerequisites: Grade of C or better in ENG101. or Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in ENG107. or Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in ENG101 or ENG107 or permission of Instructor.	ENG102 or ENG108 is recommended for students who intend to transfer	FYC or FYC or L	3
CRE101	College Critical Reading and Critical Thinking	Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in (ENG101 or ENG107) and (RDG095 or RDG100 or RDG111 or RDG112 or RDG113 or an appropriate district placement or permission of Instructor).	OR Equivalent as indicated by assessment	L	0–3
General Elective			Select courses 100-level or higher to complete the minimum total program credits required for this degree. Consult with an Academic and/or Program Advisor.		0–1

Term 3

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 3
Course Number	Course Name	Requisites	Notes	Area	Credits
MUC209	Music Industry Entrepreneurship	Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in (MUC109 and MUC110) or permission of Instructor.			3
MUC293	Self Promotion for Music				1
MGT253	Owning and Operating a Small Business				3
MKT110	Marketing and Social Networking				3
RE	Restricted Elective				3–4
COM100 or COM110 or COM225 or COM230	Introduction to Human Communication or Interpersonal Communication or Public Speaking or Small Group Communication	No requisites or No requisites or Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in ENG101, or ENG107, or equivalent. or No requisites	Consult with an academic advisor about specific COM requirements if intending to transfer	SB or SB or L or SB	3

Term 4

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 4
Course Number	Course Name	Requisites	Notes	Area	Credits
MUC290AA or MUC296WA or MUC298AA	Music Business Internship or Cooperative Education or Special Projects	Prerequisites: Permission of Department or Division. or Prerequisites: Completion of 12 college credits, min 2.6 gpa and obtain a position related to academic or career goals or permission of Instructor. Corequisites: At least 1 class related to major or career interest or with permission of the Instructor. or Prerequisites: Permission of Program Director or Instructor.			1
HU	Humanities, Fine Arts & Design		MHL course recommended. Courses used to satisfy a requirement in Required Courses may not be used to satisfy this requirement.	HU	3
RE	Restricted Elective				3
RE	Restricted Elective				3
SG or SQ	Natural Sciences General or Natural Sciences Quantitative			SG or SQ	4
SB	Social & Behavioral Sciences			SB	3

Part-time Sequence

Part-time status is 11 credit hours or less.

Term 1

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 1
Course Number	Course Name	Requisites	Notes	Area	Credits
MUC109	Music Business: Content Creation and Copyright		Critical course Gateway course		3
ENG101 or ENG107	First-Year Composition or First-Year Composition for ESL	Prerequisites: Writing test score or (C or better in ENG091 or ESL097or WAC101) or (B or better in ALT100) or (ALT100 & Corequisites: ENG101LL or ENG107LL or WAC101 or ENG100A+) or (ESL202 & Corequisites: ENG101LL or ENG107LL or WAC101 or ENG100A+). or Prerequisites: Writing test score or (C or better in ENG091 or ESL097or WAC101) or (B or better in ALT100) or (ALT100 & Corequisites: ENG101LL or ENG107LL or WAC101 or ENG100A+) or (ESL202 & Corequisites: ENG101LL or ENG107LL or WAC101 or ENG100A+).	Critical course	FYC or FYC	3
FYE101 or FYE103	Introduction to College, Career and Personal Success or Exploration of College, Career and Personal Success				1–3

Term 2

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 2
Course Number	Course Name	Requisites	Notes	Area	Credits
MUC110	Music Business: Marketing and Monetization		Critical course		3
ENG102 or ENG108 or ENG111	First-Year Composition or First-Year Composition for ESL or Technical and Professional Writing	Prerequisites: Grade of C or better in ENG101. or Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in ENG107. or Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in ENG101 or ENG107 or permission of Instructor.	ENG102 or ENG108 is recommended for students who intend to transfer	FYC or FYC or L	3

Term 3

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 3
Course Number	Course Name	Requisites	Notes	Area	Credits
MUC242 or MHL155	Music Genres and Styles or Survey of American Music			None or C, H, HU	2–3
MAT14+	College Mathematics		Critical course	MA	3–6

Term 4

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 4
Course Number	Course Name	Requisites	Notes	Area	Credits
MTC180 or MUC180	Computer Literacy for Musicians or Computer Literacy for the Music Business	Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in MTC101, or MTC105, or Corequisites: MTC105, or permission of Instructor. or Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in MUC109, or permission of Instructor or Department or Division Chair.	Note: Students who have not already completed MTC180 must take MUC180	CS or CS	3
MKT271	Principles of Marketing				3
CRE101	College Critical Reading and Critical Thinking	Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in (ENG101 or ENG107) and (RDG095 or RDG100 or RDG111 or RDG112 or RDG113 or an appropriate district placement or permission of Instructor).	OR Equivalent as indicated by assessment	L	0–3

Term 5

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 5
Course Number	Course Name	Notes	Area	Credits
MUC293	Self Promotion for Music			1
MKT110	Marketing and Social Networking			3
HU	Humanities, Fine Arts & Design	MHL course recommended. Courses used to satisfy a requirement in Required Courses may not be used to satisfy this requirement.	HU	3

Term 6

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 6
Course Number	Course Name	Requisites	Notes	Credits
MUC209	Music Industry Entrepreneurship	Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in (MUC109 and MUC110) or permission of Instructor.		3
MGT253	Owning and Operating a Small Business			3
General Elective			Select courses 100-level or higher to complete the minimum total program credits required for this degree. Consult with an Academic and/or Program Advisor.	0–1

Term 7

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 7
Course Number	Course Name	Requisites	Notes	Area	Credits
RE	Restricted Elective				3
COM100 or COM110 or COM225 or COM230	Introduction to Human Communication or Interpersonal Communication or Public Speaking or Small Group Communication	No requisites or No requisites or Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in ENG101, or ENG107, or equivalent. or No requisites	Consult with an academic advisor about specific COM requirements if intending to transfer	SB or SB or L or SB	3

Term 8

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 8
Course Number	Course Name	Requisites	Credits
MUC290AA or MUC296WA or MUC298AA	Music Business Internship or Cooperative Education or Special Projects	Prerequisites: Permission of Department or Division. or Prerequisites: Completion of 12 college credits, min 2.6 gpa and obtain a position related to academic or career goals or permission of Instructor. Corequisites: At least 1 class related to major or career interest or with permission of the Instructor. or Prerequisites: Permission of Program Director or Instructor.	1
RE	Restricted Elective		3
RE	Restricted Elective		3

Term 9

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 9
Course Number	Course Name	Requisites	Notes	Area	Credits
RE	Restricted Elective				3–4
SB	Social & Behavioral Sciences			SB	3

Term 10

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 10
Course Number	Course Name	Requisites	Notes	Area	Credits
SG or SQ	Natural Sciences General or Natural Sciences Quantitative			SG or SQ	4

Restricted Electives

Students should work with their program advisor to select 12-13 credits from courses that align with the academic/career goals and further their development in the areas of music business and marketing, music production, and commercial performance. Courses from required courses area may not be used.

Business and Marketing
GBS+++ Any GBS General Business course
MKT+++ Any MKT Marketing course
MUC+++ Any MUC Music: Commercial/Business course

Music Production
MTC+++ Any MTC Music: Theory/Composition course
MUC+++ Any MUC Music: Commercial/Business course

Commercial Performance
MTC+++ Any MTC Music: Theory/Composition course
MUP+++ Any MUP Music: Performance course

Course Area Key

Gateway Course = Generally the first major-specific course in a pathway.

Critical Course = A course that is highly predictive of future success in a pathway.

C = Cultural Diversity in the US
CS = Computer/Statistics/Quantitative Application
FYC = First Year Composition
H = Historical Awareness
HU = Humanities, Fine Arts, and Design

L = Literacy & Critical Inquiry
MA = Mathematics
SB = Social-Behavioral Sciences
SG = Natural Sciences General
SQ = Natural Sciences Quantitative

Disclaimer

Students must earn a grade of C or better for all courses required within the program.

Course Sequence total credits may differ from the program information located on the MCCCD curriculum website due to program and system design.

View MCCCD’s official curriculum documentation for additional details regarding the requirements of this award (https://aztransmac2.asu.edu/cgi-bin/WebObjects/MCCCD.woa/wa/freeForm13?id=183949).

At Maricopa, we strive to provide you with accurate and current information about our degree and certificate offerings. Due to the dynamic nature of the curriculum process, course and program information is subject to change. As a result, the course list associated with this degree or certificate on this site does not represent a contract, nor does it guarantee course availability. If you are interested in pursuing this degree or certificate, we encourage you to meet with an advisor to discuss the requirements at your college for the appropriate catalog year.