Marley Miller stands for a portrait on the stage built in Washington - Grizzly Stadium on the University of Montana campus for the summer concert series.

Entertainment, Events and Sports Management

Entertainment, Events and Sports Management

Entertainment, Events and Sports Management is for students who want a career in live music, sports, or events — not just studying the industry, but running it. Housed in UM’s AACSB-accredited College of Business, it’s a four-year major built around five career-focused tracks and taught in part by working entertainment executives. 

94%

of College of Business graduates are employed in their field or accepted to graduate school within six months of graduation

$77,180

BLS reported median annual wage (May 2024) for entertainment and recreation managers

8%

UM projected field growth from 2024–2034, much faster than average

2024 Tyler Childers Concert Washington Grizzly Stadium - Logjam Presents

Where Our Graduates Work

Program alumni and student placements include Logjam Presents, the Adams Center, Zootown Festival, Paramount Pictures, TBN Entertainment, WME | IMG, and the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally production team; founders/instructors have backgrounds with major talent and entertainment firms nationally.

Alumni network

EESM traces back to a certificate program founded in 2001 by a group of Montana-native entertainment executives; the program maintains an active alumni spotlight and achievement page.

What only UM College of Business offers: 

  • One of the only entertainment/sports management degrees built inside an AACSB-accredited business college 
  • Guest instructors who are active industry professionals (studio executives, talent managers, agency presidents) flying in to teach hands-on sessions 
  • Students produce real, live events every year, including the annual Spring Thaw Festival 
  • Direct pipeline into Montana’s growing film/TV production industry 
  • Small, close-knit classes with strong industry mentoring relationships 
  • 80% of COB students complete at least one internship 

FAQ

  • Personal management for artists, show marketing/promotion/production, budgeting for live events and film/TV, funding acquisition, agency and artist relations, and venue management.

  • A mix of College of Business faculty and adjunct guest instructors — working professionals in music, film, sports, and live events — who teach hands-on, in small groups, with mentoring built in.

  • Careers across five tracks: Agency & Talent Management, Athletic Administration, Event Management, Sales & Development, and Venue & Facility Management — roles from talent agent to festival director to athletic director.

  • BLS projects 8% growth for entertainment and recreation managers from 2024–2034, well above the average for all occupations.