From a birthday party to a music festival or a product launch to the World Cup final, memorable events make life special and take planning, skill and, above all, creativity.

Our BA Event Management degree will provide you with the knowledge and skills you need to thrive in a vibrant industry that contributes an estimated £36 billion to the UK economy.

At UEL you’ll be learning just a few miles from some of the capital’s most famous venues – including the Excel Centre, O2 Arena and the Olympic stadium – and learning in London gives you access to some of the most exciting cultural pioneers in the world. Take a look at our own guide to East London to see what's nearby!

The course is designed with your career in mind; it is accredited by the Institute of Hospitality and you’ll benefit from placements and guest lectures held with industry leaders across the capital.

The course covers a wide range of topics that are essential for a career in events management, as well as broader themes in business management that will root your understanding of events in the wider business environment, helping you to remain flexible in the job market and contribute more to your employer.

Course structure
The first year is focused on building your key skills in events management while cementing the basics of good business, such as people management and marketing.

In the second year, you will study core modules that cover different practical aspects of event planning, including design and theming, finance, law and leadership. You will also have the chance to choose from a number of optional modules that allow you to focus on themes such as e-business, destination marketing, social media or food and beverage management. You will also have the option of undertaking a work-based project that takes the form of a real internship at an events organisation.

The third year is the overseas placement year for International Events students or the final year for those taking the core BA degree programme. In this year you will focus on an individual Research Project, Consultancy Project or Enterprise Project (for Event Entrepreneur students), giving you the chance to apply your skills to a practical project of your choice. You will also study core modules covering innovation and enterprise, conferences, sports and event tourism, and event contracts with further optional modules to choose from.

We pride ourselves on giving students a fantastic experience and great support from day one. We’re an inclusive university with a close-knit community of students and our teaching reflects that. Teaching is delivered through a diverse range of methods, not only to develop your different skills but also to enrich the learning experience. As well as traditional seminars and lectures, you’ll have the chance to go on field trips across London, learn from guest speakers and gain useful, practical experience.

Ultimately, events management should be fun and give you the chance to express your creative ideas in a professional environment – we want your student experience to be as great as your future customers’ will be.

When you begin this course you’ll join a cosmopolitan community of students in small classes to learn the fundamentals of the subject through a mixture of lectures, seminars and workshops. In addition to formal teaching time, you’ll be expected to put in independent study to enhance your learning, supported by our online digital materials, handbooks, notes and other resources.

You’ll also take part in debates and, of course, attend lots of events to see first-hand how professional event managers operate.

You’ll be able to visit iconic venues such as the Olympic stadium, Kensington Palace, the O2 Arena and many others to build your practical knowledge and understanding of the different aspects of the event professional’s role.

And when you’re not observing professionals in action, we’ll be bringing them to you with a programme of regular guest speakers who will keep you informed and inspire you for the career that lies ahead of you.

Who will teach on this course

Lynthon Musamadya

The teaching team includes qualified academics, practitioners and industry experts as guest speakers. Full details of the academics will be provided in the student handbook and module guides.

The event industry is thriving. Social events like music festivals, pop-up shops and street food markets have never been more popular, while formal gatherings like weddings, conferences and congregations will always be in demand.

The service sector is the largest sector in the world’s economy and short of good quality managers – exactly the skills gap that this course is designed to fill The course will give you the skills and experience you need to implement large-scale events, while giving you the industry contacts and guidance that will help you make the first step into a rewarding career.

The course’s International Events pathway gives you an opportunity to experience events management overseas and spend an entire year on placement, equipping you for an international-facing role.

Whichever path you take, this accredited course will thoroughly prepare you for a challenging role in a competitive industry. We place emphasis on a vocational approach to teaching, allowing you to develop a wide range of employability skills through experience and training. We also have a superb employability team that works with students to find placements, projects, graduate schemes and full-time employment, combining careers advice with practical training in interview technique and CV writing.

Explore the different career options you can pursue with this degree and see the median salaries of the sector on our Career Coach portal