BA (Hons) Events Management

People never forget great events. Reading this, you’ve probably got one in mind. Perhaps a festival you went to with a group of friends, a huge sporting event, or even a wedding at a fantastic venue.

But have you ever wondered what it takes to manage an event? If you’re curious about what goes on behind the scenes, our course is for you. We’ll immerse you in the world of events, connect you with experts and prepare you for your first role. 

Create connections

Even as a student, you’ll feel part of the industry. At our annual conference, Connect, you’ll have the chance to meet top employers. Businesses that have joined us in the past include the organisers of Parklife and managers of local venues like Manchester Central.

If you really want to boost your CV, we’d encourage you to do a placement year. Or, if you can’t take a year out, take advantage of our connections and volunteer around your studies. With hundreds of opportunities every year, it’s a great way to get a feel for different areas of events.

Experts in all areas of events

With years of experience between them, our teaching team will share their stories and pass on their expertise to you. Many of them carry out research, so understand the latest challenges the industry faces. We’re also one of the only universities to specialise in crowd management.

We’ll bring in industry specialists to support our teaching too. For example, experts in audio visual training will show you how to use the kit. And we’ll help you gain short course qualifications in areas like health and safety. By making sure you have these opportunities, you’ll stand out to top employers in this industry.

When designing modules for this course, we talked to industry experts to find out what challenges they face and what skills they look for when hiring graduates.

In your first year, we’ll introduce you to the world of events by exploring areas like marketing and finance. Then, as you move into your second year, you’ll start to specialise with optional modules. Pick from sports, fashion events, celebrations, and more.

You’ll also have the chance to work with a charity to put on a real event, from a family fun day to a night club event. Past students have worked with RNLI, Teenage Cancer Trust, Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital and more. Without any budget, you’ll need to be creative about fundraising.

After your second year, you can either move on to your third year or go on placement. We’ll ask you what you’d like to do nearer the time. In your final year, you’ll complete a project that puts all your skills into action. Students explore a whole host of areas, from the role of big data to managing waste at festival sites. Or, if you’ve gone on placement, it might be linked to the area of events you worked in.

What is the length of the course?

• 3 years full-time
• 4 years with placement
• 4 years with overseas study
• 4 years with foundation