MSc/Postgraduate Diploma/Postgraduate Certificate Events Management

Entry year
2024/25
Course code
N8201
Application
University
Level
Postgraduate
School
Bristol Business School
Campus
Frenchay
Duration
One year full-time
Delivery
Full-time; starts September
Programme leader
Clare Mackay

This course is open for applications

Page last updated 7 December 2023

Introduction

Open to graduates from any discipline, this A Greener Future accredited course provides you with the critical understanding required to operate as a responsible, strategic events practitioner. You'll gain teamwork skills and hands-on experience through organising live and virtual sustainable events.

Accreditations and partnerships:

By studying our MSc Events Management, you'll be equipped with in-depth knowledge and understanding of this diverse industry. You'll gain practical experience in designing, planning, marketing, managing, and evaluating sustainable events to generate a return on objectives. 

Getting hands-on practical experience will help you to develop the core values, attributes and skills required to be a strategic, responsible, and reflective events practitioner, team player, and leader. 

Develop wide-ranging expertise

Events management is coming of age as a discipline. Academic research and industry practice mutually inform each other to further the development of the industry and event studies. Our team of lecturers comprise both PhDs and lecturers with industry experience to offer you the latest insight. 

Our MSc in Events Management brings together our established and internationally recognised expertise in event studies and business and management. This blend will give you solid grounding in the various concepts and issues, research techniques and examples of best and distinctive practice across this diverse field.

Gain relevant industry experience

The international events industry encompasses live and technologically produced and enhanced events and experiences, such as virtual and hybrid events and augmented and virtual reality experiences.

Events span a range of industry sectors including music, festivals, arts and entertainment, sports, and business. These range from small meetings and parties through to mega-events like World Expos, the Olympic Games, and the FIFA World Cup.

Throughout the course, you'll have opportunities to volunteer at a variety of events, allowing you to gain experience of working on different types of events within a variety of sectors of the industry. Previous students have volunteered at events such as St. Paul's Carnival, Bristol Light Festival, MEET South West, and the Commonwealth Games.

Any industry volunteering you engage in will count towards your required 40 hours of work experience. Our extensive network of industry connections may also present unique opportunities to learn about particular events or sectors you'd like to gain experience in.

Structure

Content

The optional modules listed are those that are most likely to be available, but they may be subject to change.

You'll study the theories and practice of events management, which is an inter-disciplinary subject area underpinned by a variety of disciplines including economics, management, and psychology.

Develop knowledge of contemporary issues within events management and the expertise required to strategically plan, manage and evaluate responsible events to generate positive impacts and legacies. You'll also have the opportunity to personalise your studies to suit your interests and professional aspirations.

You'll study:

  • Contemporary Issues in Events - introduces you to the core concepts that underpin event studies within the context of contemporary issues in events. You'll have the opportunity to explore the influence of one of the foundational disciplines of events management in practice and evaluate a live event. 
  • Strategic Event Creation - contributes to your development as a reflective events practitioner. You'll develop the knowledge, understanding and skills required to work as part of a team to strategically design, plan, stage and evaluate an ethical and accessible event.
  • Event Marketing - prepares you to conduct market analysis, identify your target market, and develop your marketing communications plan and materials for your own live event.
  • Managing Risk in Events - builds on the knowledge, understanding and skills you develop in Strategic Event Creation to broaden and deepen your knowledge and understanding of managing risk in events. 
  • 21st Century Experiences - focuses on technologically produced and enhanced experiences. Building on your knowledge from Strategic Event Creation, you'll work as part of a team to design, plan, market, stage and evaluate a virtual event.
  • Events Professional Practice - provides you with an opportunity to develop your skills, professional network, and employability through gaining experience within the events industry.

Plus:

  • Developing Thought Leadership in Events - allows you to conduct a sustained enquiry on an events topic of your choice to develop thought leadership within the field of events.

Or

  • Enterprise Project New Business Plan - provides you with the opportunity to conceptualise, research, and develop a business plan for a new or existing business.

Plus, one of the following optional modules (subject to availability or change):

  • Corporate Communications - is an important tool for communicating to internal and external stakeholders to manage relationships and an organisation's image. This module equips you with the knowledge and skills required to develop a corporate communications marketing campaign and associated materials for a real-world organisation.
  • Customer Relationship Marketing - explores the contribution of changes in marketing theory to a more relationship-based approach to dealing with customers in business-to-business and consumer contexts. There's a focus on the processes of strategy development and the design of customer relationship management programmes that reflect customer behaviour.
  • Digital Marketing - is integral to the marketing of events. This module focuses on the planning and execution of digital marketing campaigns, developing the practical skills needed to maximise the benefit of digital marketing channels.
  • International Project Management - these tools are frequently used within events management. This module will provide you with in-depth insight into project management through applying your knowledge of the critical success factors required for the successful management of projects.
  • Marketing and Sustainability - equips you with critical understanding of how private, public, and not-for-profit organisations use marketing principles and techniques to influence behaviours for social and environmental good. You'll also learn how to apply these techniques in the real world.
  • Marketing Events and Tourism Destinations - focuses on the role of events within destination marketing, where you'll apply your learning to the development of a destination marketing campaign.
  • Social Marketing - is increasingly adopted by values-led events organisations to encourage positive social change. This module provides you with the opportunity to create a proposal for a social marketing campaign designed to influence behaviour change.

The University continually enhances our offer by responding to feedback from our students and other stakeholders, ensuring the curriculum is kept up to date and our graduates are equipped with the knowledge and skills they need for the real world. This may result in changes to the course. If changes to your course are approved, we'll inform you.

Learning and Teaching

Teaching is informed by research and practice, based on international published literature and the academic and professional knowledge and experience of specialist staff who are thought leaders in their field.

You'll learn through a combination of lectorials and coaching style seminars, as well as through authentic and experiential learning, teamwork, and independent study.

The work will include discussion, case studies, designing, planning, marketing, staging and evaluating a live and virtual event, conducting a skills audit and producing a personal development plan, and a variety of other evaluative and applied activities.

Outside of the classroom, you'll have access to the latest research, publications and intelligence on events and business/management.

See our full glossary of learning and teaching terms.

Study time

Full-time

For the full-time course, you'll attend the University for 12 months with scheduled classes taking place for an average of 12 hours per week during term time.

Assessment

To allow you to learn from your own and others' experiences, your learning will be assessed through a range of evaluative, reflective and applied methods. These include case study evaluations of events, oral examinations, your event planning and evaluation, and your critical reflections and evaluations of your performance as a team player.

Depending on the optional modules you choose, you may engage with various other forms of assessment.

See our full glossary of assessment terms.

Features

Professional accreditation

This course is accredited by the international association A Greener Future (AGF), pioneers in advancing the sustainability of the events industry.

Placements

Gaining experience within the events industry is crucial to your success in gaining employment after graduating from MSc Event Management. You're therefore required to undertake a minimum of 40 hours of work experience within the events industry as part of your Events Professional Practice module.

Throughout your studies, there'll be a number of opportunities to gain industry experience through volunteering/internships with our extensive network of industry connections. This experience will contribute towards the 40 hours of industry experience you're required to gain for your Events Professional Practice module.

If there's a particular sector or organisation you want to gain experience within, we can support you to try to secure a placement. Some examples of the many organisations who have provided volunteering opportunities and placements for our students include St. Paul's Carnival, Bray Leino, Destination Bristol, and MEET South West.

Industry Mentoring

You'll have the opportunity to develop your professional network, gain industry insight, build your confidence, and enhance your employability through mentoring from an allocated industry professional*.

A few of the many organisations who have supported this initiative include Richmond Events Management, The Event Safety Shop, and the International Conference and Convention Centre Wales.

*subject to availability.

Fieldwork

A field trip is organised as an 'ice-breaker' and to get you thinking about the subject and profession.

Study facilities

In our new £55m Bristol Business School building, you'll have access to cutting-edge learning spaces.

Designed with student input, the Bristol Business School building offers learning spaces for individual and group study, interactive learning environments and conference rooms you can book. It's a space for students and businesses to come together, collaborate and form new partnerships.

In our specialist library, business librarians manage vast collections to support your research. 

Learn more about UWE Bristol's facilities and resources.

Take a Virtual Tour of the Marketing facilities and see what's on offer here for you.

Meet leaders of industry

You'll have the opportunity to gain industry insight from events professionals invited to speak to you about their experience.

Plus, hear about the critical challenges and decisions being made at the highest level of strategic leadership in a variety of sectors though The Bristol Distinguished Address Series.

Life

Postgraduate support

Our support includes access to fantastic facilities, study tools and career consultants, plus practical help to access everything from funding to childcare.

Bristol

A stunning city for student living with all the qualities to make you want to stay.

Sports, societies and activities

There is more to your experience here than study. Choose to make the most of it and try new things.

Health and Wellbeing

We provide support in the way you need it.

Campus and facilities

Discover our campuses and the wealth of facilities provided for our students.

Careers

Careers / Further study

Careers in event management are diverse, and roles include working as an event organiser, conference centre manager or event marketing executive. There are opportunities to specialise in particular events and event types, including meetings and exhibitions, and sporting and cultural events.

The MSc in Events Management will give you the broad-based skills and insights needed for a successful career within the industry. Networking with event organisers and other employers, and gaining hands-on experience, will stand you in good stead for shaping a successful events career.

Fees

Supplementary fee information

See our funding pages for more information. 

Entry

Entry requirements

You will need:

  • An honours degree (minimum 2.2) in any subject.

If you do not meet the above requirement, but have at least two years events management responsibility or experience as a consultant/sole practitioner and/or equivalent qualifications, we will consider you on an individual basis.

Personal Statement

You are required to complete a personal statement for this course. Please read the personal statement guidance carefully and make sure that you answer the questions on the postgraduate application form within the personal statement tabs, keeping to the advised word count.

UWE Bristol's International College

International students who do not meet the academic or English language requirements to study this course can qualify by completing preparatory study at our International College.

English language support

If you meet the academic requirements but require additional support to take your language skills to the required level, you may be able to attend one of our pre-sessional English courses. Students who successfully complete the pre-sessional course can progress onto their chosen degree course without retaking an IELTS or equivalent.

Read more about our Pre-Sessional English Programme.

English Language Requirement

If English is not your first language, you will be required to meet the UK Border Agency and Universities minimum English Language requirements such as the International English Language Test (IELTS) overall score of 6.5 with 5.5 in each component.

Further details are available on our English Language requirements.

How to apply

Apply now

Read about postgraduate applications.

Read more about international applications and key international deadline dates.

For further information