A young male university student in a black jumper and event coordinator lanyard seated at a trestle table with a laptop showing a colour-coded event spreadsheet, a walkie-talkie and printed floor plan on the table, overseeing other students setting up folding chairs and adjusting teal-gelled stage lighting on a small stage with flight cases stacked nearby, representing the live event planning and coordination focus of Event Management degrees

DEGREE GUIDE

Event Management

What do Event Management degrees involve?

Event Management degrees teach you how to plan, organise, and deliver memorable events, from music festivals and conferences to corporate functions and sporting events. You will explore key areas such as project management, marketing, budgeting, logistics, and risk assessment. These courses help you develop problem-solving, communication, and leadership skills while learning how to create engaging experiences for different audiences. You will also gain hands-on experience through live event projects, industry placements, or collaborations with event professionals. Many degrees offer networking opportunities and real-world case studies, preparing you for a dynamic career in the events industry.

Example
Modules

Introduction to Event and Experience Management: Explore how events are designed, planned and delivered, from festivals and conferences to brand activations and live performances.

Managing Teams in the Events Industry: Learn how to build and lead effective event teams, using communication, delegation and leadership styles suited to fast-paced environments.

Event Technologies and Digital Innovation: Discover how digital tools like apps, ticketing platforms and live streaming enhance modern event experiences.

Common Degree Names

💼 A placement year is widely available, often in live events, festivals, hospitality, or tourism.
🌍 Study abroad is offered at many universities.

BA (Hons) Event Management
BA (Hons) International Event Management
BA (Hons) Event and Tourism Management
BA (Hons) Event Management and Marketing
BA (Hons) Festival and Event Management

A laptop displaying event floor plan software with a colour-coded seating layout and stage alongside a printed Gantt chart timeline with pink teal and yellow task bars, an event budget spreadsheet, a spiral notebook open to a risk assessment with colour-coded hazard ratings, a walkie-talkie, a laminated event coordinator pass, fabric swatches and a branding mood board with font samples, illustrating the planning, logistics and project management skills developed in Event Management degrees

Level 3 (A-level / IB Diploma (HL) / Scottish Highers)

Event Management degrees prepare you to plan and deliver conferences, festivals, weddings, and corporate events. Universities welcome students from many different subject backgrounds – there are no specific required subjects.

Subjects that can strengthen your application:

Business Studies or Economics – useful for planning, budgeting, and marketing
Travel and Tourism – directly relevant if offered
English Literature, English Language & Literature, or Media Studies – helpful for communication and promotion
Drama, Music, or Design – great for creative and production aspects

✨ You don't need to have studied Event Management or Business before. A mix of essay-based, creative, or analytical subjects works well.

Universities may also accept:

BTEC Extended Diplomas in Business, Travel and Tourism, or Creative Digital Media Production
BTEC National Extended Certificates or National Diplomas alongside relevant A-Level subjects
T-Levels in Management and Administration or Digital Software Development
IB Career-related Programme (IBCP) with at least two IB Higher Level subjects (ideally three - see relevant subjects above) alongside your Career-Related Study; a Hospitality pathway would be directly relevant

Some courses are combined with Business, Marketing, or Tourism. Always check specific course requirements.

Level 2 Qualifications (GCSE / MYP / National 5)

Most courses require:

GCSE English Language and Maths at grade 4/C or above, or equivalent such as National 5s or MYP

📘 Strong English skills are important for planning documents and presentations.

If available, GCSEs (or equivalent) in Business Studies, Travel & Tourism, or ICT can also be helpful.

💬 Interviews
Interviews are not usually required, but some universities interview as part of the selection process.

🔍 Work Experience
You don't need work experience to apply, but event management is a practical subject and getting involved in organising things helps you understand what it involves. Helping to plan school productions, charity fundraisers, sports events, or community activities all give you first-hand experience of logistics, coordination, and problem-solving. Volunteering at local festivals or events is also a good way to see how things work behind the scenes.

✨ Personal Statement Tips

What draws you to the world of planning and delivering events? Event management combines creativity with practical problem-solving — whether it's festivals, conferences, weddings, or corporate events, someone has to make sure everything works on the day. If you've helped organise anything, from school productions and charity fundraisers to sports days or community events, think about what you enjoyed about the process and what you found challenging. What did coordinating people, budgets, or logistics teach you? You don't need professional experience, but showing you've thought about what goes into making an event successful — and what can go wrong — demonstrates the kind of practical, detail-oriented thinking admissions tutors are looking for. Reading about how major events are planned, following event industry trends, or reflecting on events you've attended and what made them work (or not) can all show genuine curiosity about the field.

If your qualifications don't match the usual entry requirements, there are some other possibilities.

🌱 Foundation Year in Event Management or Business

Some universities offer a foundation year if you don't have the required subjects or grades. This adds an extra year but leads directly into the full degree.

🎓 Access to HE Diploma (Business or Travel & Tourism)

Widely accepted by universities offering Event Management degrees. Aim for Merits and Distinctions in your graded units.

💼 Level 3 Apprenticeships

Apprenticeships such as Events Assistant or Hospitality Supervisor carry UCAS tariff points from 2026 and can support a university application. Event Management degrees are typically offered by universities with flexible admissions policies.

Is this degree right for you?

Members can explore whether this degree fits who they are:

Skills you'd develop and whether they match your strengths
How this aligns with your interests, motivators and values
Career paths and where graduates end up

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Skills you would develop in X degree

Skill Name

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Is this a good fit for you?

Use the tabs to explore the kind of person that this would be a good fit for. Do you share the Interests, Motivations, Values, Work identity and skills that people who thrive in this course tend to have?

Not sure what these things are? Explore your Identity Tree with us first.

Interests that connect well with an Event Management degree

Students who enjoy this degree often share these interests. You don't need to feel strongly about all of them, and interests develop over time. If one or two catch your curiosity, or sound like something you'd like to know more about, that's a good sign.

Running Projects, Events & Ventures: Event Management is project work top to bottom. You'll learn how to design, plan, budget, staff and deliver real events from concept to wrap-up, working through logistics, suppliers, risk, contingency and the live demands of show day.

Brands, Media & Influence: Events are how brands and audiences meet. You'll study event experience design, sponsorship, audience engagement, and how festivals, brand activations and corporate events are shaped to leave a lasting impression on the people who attend.

Students who thrive in an Event Management degree are often motivated by

Sharing Your Work with Others

You take pride in showing what you've created to others, whether that's exhibiting artwork, demonstrating an invention, publishing writing, or presenting project results. The moment when someone else experiences or responds to your work gives you a buzz. You create with an audience in mind, even if that audience is small.

Practical Problem-Solving

You're energised by finding fixes to real-life issues, whether they're mechanical, technological, or social. You're motivated by problems you can see, touch, or experience directly, and you get satisfaction from solutions that work in practice, not just in theory. You'd rather build a prototype than write a report about one.

Creativity and Innovation

You're energised by the act of creating something new or finding a fresh way to approach a problem. Whether it's designing, writing, building, or experimenting, you feel most alive when you're generating original ideas rather than following established methods. The possibility that something has never been done before excites rather than intimidates you.

Organisation and Planning

You feel satisfied when everything is organised and running smoothly. Bringing order to chaos, creating efficient systems, and making sure nothing falls through the cracks gives you energy. Disorder and inefficiency frustrate you, and you're often the person who steps in to create structure when things feel chaotic.

What makes Event Management click for the students who love it?

Months of planning come down to a single day, and that is the part they live for: the doors open, and everything they imagined comes alive in front of a crowd. They love dreaming up what an event could be, then working out the hundred details that make it happen on time. When something goes wrong on the day, and it always does, they think on their feet and put it right. There is nothing like a room full of people lost in the night they built.

These are the skills that students who love this degree tend to enjoy using. You don't need to be great at them already, but if they sound like you, that's a good sign.

Skill Name

Skills that suit this degree

You don't need to be great at these already — but if you enjoy using them or want to get better at them, that's a good sign.

Do you enjoy planning things from start to finish — organising all the moving parts and making sure everything comes together on time?
Do you like being the person who keeps things on track — managing lists, deadlines, and making sure nothing gets forgotten?
Do you enjoy coming up with ideas for experiences or events — thinking about how to make something feel special and memorable?
Do you find it natural to talk to different kinds of people — explaining what's needed, pitching ideas, or keeping a team in the loop?

Careers an Event Management degree could lead you to

Event Management

What do Event Management degrees involve?

Example Modules

Common Degree Names

Is this degree right for you?

Skills you would develop in X degree

Skill Name

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Is this a good fit for you?

Careers an Event Management degree could lead you to

Example
Modules