Event Management BA (Hons)

About the course

This is a new course designed to give you the knowledge, skills and expertise necessary to enter a career in event management.

The events industry has grown rapidly in the last decade, and the value of events as an 'experience' is increasingly recognised in a variety of industry settings, from the arts, heritage, music, fashion, film and theatre to sports and tourism, and both nationally and internationally. Indeed, the industry is seen by many destinations as of considerable importance economically, to which events, such as the Edinburgh Festival, Glastonbury, the Olympics and World Cup bear testimony.

The course provides you with the industry knowledge and skills to work successfully in event management. In particular, it enables you to focus through a live project on a particular area of interest.

It also utilises guest speakers and field visits to enrich the learning experience. We have good links with the industry, and event managers in the areas or sport, tourism, arts and theatre are frequent guest speakers.

The first year gives you a business underpinning, insights into the industry and public relations, and relevant skills, such as working with media, and managing hospitality services.

The second year builds upon this foundation, and includes legal aspects, entrepreneurship, and managing people, customers and the media.

The final year takes a strategic approach, looking particularly at managing risk and uncertainty and managing media and communications.

To further enhance your job prospects in such an international industry, we also offer you the opportunity to take a language.

Between the second and final years, you can elect to take an optional work placement in the events industry, or you can study abroad, and possibly work abroad, giving your degree a truly international perspective.

View a detailed breakdown of the modules you will study

Why choose this course?

• Study a course that will give you the insight you need to work in events management
• Develop your skills and gain valuable experience through work-based projects and learning
• Take the opportunity to study abroad or complete a work placement

Study routes

• Sandwich, 4 Years
• Part Time, 6 Years
• Full Time, 3 Years

Locations

• University of Hertfordshire, Hatfield

Careers

Seventy eight per cent of our graduates from the Joint Honours programme have gone into employment straight from university, with a further eleven per cent going on to further study. Our graduates have found in employment in roles such as advertising executive, computer consultant, financial analyst, management trainee, marketing support, sales executive, trainee IT consultant, or underwriter with major companies such as:

• Barclaycard
• British Airways
• Coca-Cola
• Deutsche Bank
• IBM
• Lloyds TSB
• Marks and Spencer
• Orange
• Pitney Bowes
• Reed
• Royal and Sun Alliance
• Sainsburys
• Times Newspapers
• Virgin Retail
• Whitbread
• Xerox

Teaching methods

Alongside traditional teaching methods of lectures, seminars and tutorials, we operate a web-based student support system called StudyNet where you can expect to find a range of material and communications about every module.

The teaching method for most modules on the course is a one hour lecture followed by a one hour seminar. Typically, a new topic will be introduced in each lecture.

The seminars provide an opportunity to discuss and obtain feedback on the topic introduced in the previous week's lecture.

Usually, assessment is split between coursework and examination. Coursework may take a variety of forms and could be individual or group work.

Work Placement

As with all our courses students have the opportunity to complete a sandwich placement, which will usually last for one year. During this time you will be employed by the company and will subsequently be paid; for students on placement salaries have ranged from £11,500 - £14000. In past years students have completed placements:

• KPMG
• PricewaterhouseCoopers
• Clark & Co Accountants
• Lloyds TSB

Structure

Year 1

Core Modules

• The Event Industry

  The module is designed to introduce students to the event industry, special event tourism and the processes of planning for such events. Students will explore the nature and scope of events and the event experience alongside the examination of event tourism typologies. This module will enable students to gain an appreciation of the political, economic and environmental costs and benefits of local, national and international events. This module will focus on mega events through to smaller community festival tourism, live communications and business tourism.

• Professionalism in Event Management

  The module provides students with a series of academic skills and study strategies which will underpin their subsequent studies. The module is composed of several themes which will include communication, thinking and methods of enquiry, IT-literacy, numeracy and the nature of knowledge. These will allow students to effectively match problem-solving techniques to different scenarios. In doing so, students will be expected to operate in teams, reflect on their practice and recognise aspects for self-development and improvement. The module selects a series of issues that are pertinent to event management professionals and management issues within the events' sector. The module will apply academic skills and study strategies to key aspects of event management, including industry trends, event marketing, customer service, legality of events and HR issues related to events.

• Global Perspectives in Business

  Internationalisation of business is creating a substantial increase in intercultural contact, which is reflected in the skills set of managers operating in a globalised world. Managers need to develop sensitivity to and a critical understanding of issues arising out of cultural difference, and be equipped to manage and operate in diversity. The module will explore themes of: a) concepts of culture, b) cultural differences and c) globalisation. It will also explore related ideas such as ethnocentrism and prejudice. It will look at and draw upon the work of leading theorists, such as Hofstede and Trompenaars, in the analysis of cultural difference. It will look at cross-cultural differences in communication and negotiation style. The workshop element of the module will consider the practical consequences of cultural difference for corporations and sojourners. Types of international corporate culture will be examined, including expatriate staffing policies. The nature of culture shock will be explored.

• Quantitative Methods for Business (UJH)

  This module introduces the student to a number of essential mathematical and statistical techniques that are extensively used in business and management. Particular attention will be paid to the circumstances in which the methods considered should be employed. The following quantitative methods are likely to be included in this module: equations and graphs; measures of location and dispersion; weighted averages and indices; probability and normal distribution; basic optimisation; critical path analysis; correlation and simple linear regression; time series forecasting; investment; simulation. Appropriate software (eg Excel) will be used to support learning.

• The Hospitality Industry

  The module examines a series of issues in the hospitality services industry and provides students with academic knowledge that is pertinent to the management of hospitality services. This includes current trends and issues in the hospitality service industry, such as man-made or natural disasters, the environment, the economic climate, technology and socio-cultural changes. Different management practices in the provision of hospitality services in an international context are defined, such as managing across cultures, national and international policies and management theories in international business. In addition, links between the hospitality sector and the events management industry as well as the differences in the nature of hospitality services in various international locations will be explored.

• Food Service Operations and Management

  This module is designed to introduce students to the fundamental theory and practical aspects of food operations. This module also enables students to develop the management skills required to plan, execute and evaluate the performance of a catering operation. In addition, analytical skills of reviewing catering operations will be developed through the use of case studies.

• Image, Paper, Screen: Working with Media

  It is important that professionals in Events Management are able to use contemporary media processes and make things such as posters, leaflets, web pages, short videos and sound recordings. This ensures that they can communicate effectively to their peers, colleagues and clients in presentations and in the development of ideas. It also means that when necessary they can work with and brief professional designers and other creative workers in an appropriate way. This module establishes and develops basic process literacies in a range of media practices using contemporary design software. Centred in project work the module enables the student to develop their skills in design, in producing good visual communication and in using narrative media forms to present ideas and information and to influence views and opinions. Lecture and workshop learning is extended through structured self-managed assignments which develop software skills and an understanding of visual and narrative communication.

Optional

Fees & funding

Fees 2013

UK/EU Students

Full time: £8,500 for the 2013 academic year

International Students

Full time: £9,500 for the 2013 academic year

Discounts are available for International students if payment is made in full at registration

View detailed information about tuition fees

Scholarships

• National Scholarship Programme

Find out more about scholarships for UK/EU and international students

Other financial support

Find out more about other financial support available to UK and EU students

Living costs / accommodation

The University of Hertfordshire offers a great choice of student accommodation, on campus or nearby in the local area, to suit every student budget.

View detailed information about our accommodation

How to apply