Lipscomb University launches new MBA concentration blending business strategy and creative practice to prepare leaders for Nashville’s $15.6 billion entertainment industry

Lipscomb University launches new MBA concentration blending business strategy and creative practice to prepare leaders for Nashville's $15.6 billion entertainment industry

Flexible online program designed for working entertainment industry professionals is among a few of its kind in the nation

Kim Chaudoin | 03/26/2026

Lipscomb University is launching a distinctive new graduate program designed to prepare professionals to lead in Nashville's thriving entertainment industry and the broader creative economy.

Beginning this fall, Lipscomb will offer a new Master of Business Administration concentration in Creative Industries Leadership through a partnership between its AACSB-accredited College of Business and the George Shinn College of Entertainment & the Arts. The concentration creates a graduate pathway for professionals seeking to lead at the intersection of business, storytelling and creativity.

Designed for professionals in music, fashion, film and television, or nonprofit arts, the program is intended for those ready to move beyond entry-level or freelance work into leadership and decision-making roles within creative organizations. It will equip students to launch ventures, lead teams and help shape culture in today's rapidly evolving creative economy.

"Our new Creative Industries Leadership concentration will prepare leaders to navigate the complex intersection of the arts, technology and commerce. What sets this program apart is its integration of cutting-edge AI applications, intellectual property monetization strategies and systems-level thinking that reflects how creative industries actually operate today," said Allison Duke, dean of Lipscomb's College of Business. "From the capstone's real-world venture pitches to hands-on AI workflow development, our students will graduate not just understanding creative businesses, but ready to lead them with both entrepreneurial vision and ethical clarity."

Located in the heart of Nashville, one of the nation's most active creative economies, Lipscomb is uniquely positioned to connect students with the realities of the entertainment marketplace. According to a recent Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce study, the music and entertainment industry contributes more than $15.6 billion annually to the regional economy and supports more than 80,757 jobs.

Students can elect to take the MBA core courses in-person or fully online, while the concentration is delivered fully online, which provides flexibility for working professionals. The program connects coursework to real-world creative industry contexts and gives students opportunities to engage with industry networks, emerging trends and practical application. Duke said students will also benefit from mentorship by industry professionals who help bridge classroom learning with practical insight and career guidance.

Unlike programs that offer only a few entertainment-focused electives, Lipscomb's concentration is designed as a cohesive leadership pathway embedded within its MBA. Students will pair rigorous graduate business training with a deeper understanding of how creative industries function in practice, preparing them to translate creative vision into sustainable, scalable enterprises.

"The creative economy is one of the most influential forces shaping culture today. Our goal is to prepare leaders who not only create for that future, but are equipped to be business leaders and entrepreneurs within it," said Mike Fernandez, dean of the George Shinn College of Entertainment & the Arts. "A few leading universities are at the intersection of business and entertainment, but Lipscomb brings a distinctive approach as a Christian university, integrating faith, purpose and leadership with rigorous business training and real-world creative practice. That combination positions our graduates to lead in this space in a meaningful way."

Fernandez said the concentration reflects the reality of today's marketplace, where professionals often move fluidly among roles as creators, entrepreneurs and organizational leaders. In addition to advanced leadership theory and strategic management, the curriculum emphasizes innovation, ethical decision-making, cultural impact and value creation in industries where intellectual capital and intangible assets are central to success.

Nationally, the concentration places Lipscomb among a relatively small group of universities connecting graduate business education with entertainment, media and creative enterprise, including New York University, the University of Southern California and UCLA. Lipscomb's approach is differentiated by its Christ-centered mission, its placement within an AACSB-accredited MBA and its intentional partnership between business and the arts.

"Earning an MBA from Lipscomb University equipped me with the strategic, financial and faith-based leadership foundations required to navigate the increasingly complex and evolving music industry," said Luke Anderson (MBA '24), global touring analyst at Live Nation Entertainment. "As the entertainment sector continues to expand across both domestic and global markets; there is a growing demand for data-driven, cross-functional leaders who can dynamically bridge the gap between complex business ecosystems, creatives and fans. Lipscomb's MBA is uniquely beneficial for this as they prepare students to lead with both innovation and integrity in the interconnected world of business, culture, and entertainment."

The concentration consists of a 27-hour MBA core and a 9-hour concentration and is delivered through a collaborative model drawing on the strengths of both colleges. New courses offered through the George Shinn College of Entertainment & the Arts include:

• Strategic Leadership in Creative Industries Capstone - A course in which students develop a venture or leadership plan, negotiation brief and intellectual property monetization strategy rooted in a specific creative field such as film, music, fashion or nonprofit arts management, culminating in a professional pitch.
• AI in Creative Industries - A hands-on course exploring how artificial intelligence is reshaping ideation, content development, production workflows, audience engagement and decision-making, while also addressing ethics, authorship, intellectual property, bias and responsible adoption.
• Creative Industry Ecosystems - A course examining how creative work is developed, financed, distributed and sustained across interconnected networks of creators, institutions, platforms, funders, audiences and policy environments.

Applications are now being accepted and classes begin this fall. For more information visit lipscomb.edu/graduate-business or contact Karen Risley, senior director of graduate enrollment in the College of Business's Pfeffer Graduate School of Business at karen.risely[at] lipscomb.edu(karen[dot]risely[at]lipscomb[dot]edu).

About the Lipscomb University College of BusinessLipscomb's College of Business is consistently recognized nationally as a leader in business education. Last year, it was ranked among the top 50 undergraduate business programs in the nation and No. 1 in Tennessee by Poets&Quants for Undergrads in its 2025 Best Undergraduate Business Schools rankings. This marks the ninth consecutive year Lipscomb's College of Business has been ranked among the top programs nationally. In addition, Lipscomb was recently ranked No. 1 in the state in Niche's 2025 Best Colleges for Business in Tennessee list. The undergraduate business program has also earned U.S. News Best Business School status, and the College of Business's Pfeffer Graduate School of Business is ranked among the best in the nation in the U.S. News graduate school rankings. The College of Business is accredited by AACSB International, placing Lipscomb in an elite group of business schools worldwide, with fewer than 6 percent of institutions in 60 countries earning this distinction. Lipscomb is also accredited by the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs, and its Master of Health Administration program is the only CAHME-accredited program in Nashville. Learn more at https://www.lipscomb.edu/business.

About Lipscomb University's George Shinn College of Arts & Entertainment
Located in the heart of Music City, Lipscomb's George Shinn College of Entertainment & the Arts offers undergraduate degrees in animation, art history, art therapy, commercial music, fashion and interior merchandising, fashion design, film production, game art, graphic design, music, studio art, theater and visual art. It is home to Imagine House, an immersive professional content production house where students apprentice under nationally acclaimed faculty to create original, market-ready projects, including animated series, feature films, albums and live events. Through hands-on training, industry partnerships and innovative facilities such as its new virtual production volume wall, Lipscomb prepares the next generation of creatives for meaningful careers in today's dynamic entertainment industry. For more information, visit lipscomb.edu/cea.