Certification Studies in Music Business

Transcription

1 Certification Studies in Music Business The Certification Studies in Music Business is a competencybased program that enables students to earn an industryleading certificate from MuseSpring. The Music Business Certificate is great preparation for a variety of careers in the music industry. This program consists of a balanced program of study, MuseSpring competency-based assessments, and a capstone project.

2 Areas of Study within the Certificate of Studies in Music Business Program The MuseSpring certification program is based on the knowledge and skills that provide expertise in the areas of music industry operations, management, and leadership. The emphasis of the program is to develop more knowledgeable industry professionals for the music industry as a whole. The following assessments are required in order to obtain your MuseSpring certification. Each assessment has a course of study, which contains a study guide and recommended learning resources for you to use while completing said assessment. Your assigned mentor will help guide you through this process and more information is included within this guide. Course Course of Study/Assessments Units MIC1 Communications Foundations 2 LAE1 Language and Communication: Essay 2 MIL1 Fundamentals of Music Law 6 MIE1 Ethical Situations in the Music Industry 3 CMG1 Principles of Career Management 4 EGC1 Music Economics, Global Business and Quantitative Analysis 4 MKT1 Music Industry Marketing Principles and Applications 2 RWT1 Music Industry Research and Writing 2 MEL1 Program Electives 12 MIT1 Music Industry Management Tasks 3 MCP1 Capstone Project 24 Understanding the Competency-Based Approach Practically speaking, what does competency-based learning mean? Unlike when you were in school, MuseSpring does not award its certificate based on credit hours or on a certain set of required courses. Instead, our students earn their certificates by demonstrating their skills, knowledge, and understanding of important music industry related concepts through a series of carefully designed assessments. Progression through your certificate program is governed, not by classes, but by satisfactory completion of the required assessments that demonstrate your mastery of the competencies. Of course, you will need to engage in learning experiences as you brush up on competencies or develop knowledge and skills in areas in which you may be weak. For this learning and development, MuseSpring has a rich array of learning resources that will assist you as your progress through your studies. You will work closely with your adviser to schedule your program for completing your assessments. These assessments (discussed further below) are

3 designed to lead you through the content you must master in order to gain certification. The benefit of this competency-based system is that it makes it possible for students who are knowledgeable about a particular subject to make accelerated progress toward completing the MuseSpring certification even if they lack formal educational training. You may have gained your skills and knowledge of a subject on the job, accumulated wisdom through years of life experience, or indeed, took a course on a particular subject. MuseSpring awards its certificate to you based on the skills and knowledge that you possess and can demonstrate. Disclaimer of Accreditation Courses offered by MuseSpring are proprietary and intellectual property of urthots, Inc., MuseSpring, Inc. and/or authorized course development partners. The courses are non-credit. Completion of the courses or certification does not count or transfer toward any diploma or degree from any college or university. For more information, refer to our Terms of Service found on the MuseSpring.com website. The Curriculum Plan The focus of your training program is your personalized Curriculum Plan. The Curriculum plan is a detailed blueprint of the learning resources and assessments that comprise your training program. The length of your program depends on both the amount of new information you need to learn as well as the amount of time you plan to commit each week to study. Students will vary in the specific skills and information they need to learn. For example, some may be very knowledgeable in a subject matter and would not need to engage in new learning opportunities. Others may find that portions of the program require completely new learning and that they may need to take an online class or participate in a study module to acquire the knowledge and skills required to pass the program competencies in that area. Some individuals may be able to devote as little as 5 hours per week to the program, while others may have more time. For this reason, you will complete pre-assessments to help your adviser form a profile of your prior knowledge and experience for use in creating your Curriculum Plan. Your individual personal goals will play an integral factor in determining your Curriculum Plan as well. MuseSpring s Adviser Approach Our adviser approach is a powerful component of the MuseSpring educational experience. When you enroll in the MuseSpring certification program, you will begin interacting with your personal adviser immediately. Your adviser takes an active role and a personal interest in your success. Whether by , Skype, or phone, your adviser will be your point person of communication throughout your program. You adviser will help motivate you to work hard to complete your program. When you have questions or concerns, your adviser will be there to help you resolve them.

4 You and your adviser will work together to evaluate your work and educational background, strengths, and weaknesses. With this analysis, your adviser will help determine in which areas you are already competent (and can move quickly to the assessment) and areas you need to work on. This will become your personalized Curriculum Plan. Your adviser will direct you to the courses of study that contain the best learning resources for you (courses, independent study modules, learning activities, etc.). As you proceed through your certification program, you and your adviser will determine when you are ready for the required assessment. Connecting with Fellow Students and Support As you proceed through your studies, you may also have direct contact with other students as well as MuseSpring administrators. These communications can take a variety of forms, including participation in the iconnect student forum. The iconnect Forum is specifically designed to support you as you develop competencies in preparation for your assessments through the utilization of threaded discussions, blogs, and chats that are guided by content experts. You will access the iconnect community through the MuseSpring course hub. Musespring also provides a Student Services area to help you solve any special problems that may arise. New Trainee Orientation The New Trainee Orientation is a required course that focuses on acquainting you with MuseSpring s competency-based model, distance education, technology, and other resources and tools available to you. You will utilize tutorials, message boards, and other activities to connect with other students in your program. The orientation is completed before you complete your Curriculum Plan development with your adviser. Assessments Your Curriculum Plan will include the assessments required to complete your program. To obtain your certification you will be required to demonstrate your skills and knowledge by completing the following assessments: Performance Assessments contain, in most cases, multiple scored tasks such as projects, assignments, essays, and/or research papers. Performance assessments contain detailed instructions for completing each task and are submitted via the Assignment Dropbox found in the MuseSpring course hub. Objective Assessments are designed to evaluate your knowledge and skills in a domain of knowledge. Many objective assessments include multiple-choice items, multiple-selection items, matching, short answer, and point-and-click item types as well as case study and video-based items. Essay Assessments are used to measure your ability to integrate and apply concepts. Your writing will be scored against competency-based rubrics established by MuseSpring.

5 NOTE: You will need a webcam and Skype account in order to complete proctored exams. Learning Resources You will work with your adviser to select the various learning resources needed to prepare for the required assessments. In most cases, the learning materials you will use are independent learning resources such as ebooks, e-lectures, study guides, real-world activities, and tutorials. The cost of all required learning resources are included in your training fees. Some resources (ie recommended reading, applications that you may be interested in, etc.) are not covered by your training fee however, they are NOT required purchases in order to complete your program. They are completely optional. Competency Units MuseSpring has assigned competency units to each of its assessments as indicated below. A competency unit is equivalent to a semester credit hour of learning. Because MuseSpring is self-paced, we don t have semesters or terms in the certification program. Students are however expected to complete competency units prior to receiving certification. Grades are assigned on a Pass/Not Pass basis; a Pass at MuseSpring is equivalent to a letter grade of B" or better in traditional classroom settings. Need More Information? MuseSpring Student Services MuseSpring has a student services team dedicated exclusively to help you achieve your academic and career goals. The student services department is available to assist you with general questions and administrative or accessibility issues. The student services team members is available to help you resolve issues, listen to your concerns, and make recommendations for improving policy and practice based on provided feedback. The student services team also provides formal means by which you may express your views, and those views in turn help guide the decisions we make. Student services also assist students with unresolved concerns to find equitable resolutions. To contact the student services team, them at studentservices@musespring.com. We are available Monday through Friday, 6 AM to 10 PM and Saturday and Sunday, 10 AM to 5 PM CST. If you have inquiries or concerns that require technical support, please contact the MuseSpring IT help-desk. The IT help-desk is available Monday through Friday, 6 AM to 10 PM and Saturday and Sunday, 10 AM to 5 PM CST. They may be reached via at support@musespring.com or via the online support area found in the course hub.