About this course
Events are of local, national and international importance. Their economic contribution is well documented, but they are also important signifiers of personal, community, national and globalised identity.
Whilst it is important for a student to be able to organise an event efficiently and effectively, they must understand that events do not operate in a vacuum. To justify their actions and decision to key stakeholders event managers must be aware of the external environment and be able to predict and critically evaluate the impact of their event.
As such, a student must develop the skills to look beyond the operational aspects of an event and analyse the role that events can and do play in contemporary society.
The aim of this short course is to give students the opportunity to look beyond the operational aspects of event management and critically examine the wider environment in which event organisers must plan and manage their event. Globalisation, advances in technology and terrorism are just a few of the factors which have transformed the context within which events are created.
This short course adopts a critical approach to event studies and in doing so is designed to make students realise that event management is a multi-layered responsibility which must be managed accordingly.
The short course is designed to give students an opportunity to analyse the impact of events and current issues affecting the industry. As contemporary issues reflect the national and international circumstances of the day, the range of issues and events to be presented will be determined accordingly.
Theme 1 (Day 1) The Event Policy Arena
Event Policy
This topic will discuss how and why events have moved up the political agenda in both developed and developing countries.
Funding
This topic will examine sources of funding and the increasing importance of accountability and ROI.
Event Bidding
This topic will discuss the bid process and why it has become so competitive.
Theme 2 (Day 2) Niche Markets
Event tourism
This topic will discuss why and how tourism and event strategies are often inextricably linked.
Green issues
This topic will discuss the issue of climate change and why and how event professionals must adopt a sustainable approach.
Culture and creativity
This topic will explore the growth and changing role of culture and creativity in festivals and events.
Theme 3 (Day 3) Challenges and Opportunities
Terrorism
This topic will discuss the range of security issues that event managers must consider to counter the threat of terrorism.
Social inclusion and cultural diversity
This topic will explore how some events promote inclusion and build social capital whilst other are exclude sections of the community and are divisive.
Technology
This topic will look at how technology can be a double edge sword for event organisers and examine the latest developments such as the growth of e-events.
Linked programmes
MSc International Event Management,
PG Cert Professional Development
Assessment
Essay (Coursework) [50%]
Students will present an essay on a current issue.
Presentation (Practical) [50%]
This will consist of an individual presentation in which the student will be expected to analyse the impact of an event in a specific destination.
Attendance
This course requires on-campus attendance, at our Belfast campus, during Semester 2 in 2026 and is timetabled for the following days:
- Wednesday 11 February 2026, 09:00am - 5:00pm
- Thursday 12 February 2026, 09:00am - 5:00pm
- Friday 13 February 2026, 09:00am - 5:00pm
You will also attend a support ‘Learning Set’ on dates below :
- Wednesday 18 February 2026, 10:15am - 2:15pm
- Wednesday 25 February 2026, 09:00am - 5:00pm
- Wednesday 04 March 2026, 10:15am - 5:15pm
* Please note, dates and timetabling may be subject to change.
Entry requirements
Applicants must normally have gained:
A second class honours degree or better from a recognised university of the UK, Republic of Ireland, from the Council for National Academic Awards, the National Council for Educational Awards, the Higher Education and Training Awards Council, or from an institution of another country which has been recognised as being of an equivalent standard; or
An equivalent standard (normally 50%) in a Graduate Diploma, Graduate Certificate, Postgraduate Certificate or Postgraduate Diploma or an approved professional qualification or other qualification.
Applicants do not have to hold their primary degree in a cognate area, but prior knowledge of studying tourism at an undergraduate level or relevant work experience may be beneficial.
In exceptional circumstances, where an individual has substantial and significant experiential learning, a portfolio of written evidence demonstrating the meeting of graduate qualities (including subject-specific outcomes, as determined by the Course Committee) may be considered as an alternative entrance route. An interview may form part of the selection process.
English Language Requirements
Applicants whose first language is not English must meet the minimum English entrance requirements of the University and will need to provide recent evidence of this (certified within the last two years).
Most of our courses require a minimum English level of IELTS 6.0 or equivalent, with no band score under 5.5. Trinity ISE: Pass at level III also meets this requirement.
Additional information on English language requirements for admission at Ulster University, is available at - www.ulster.ac.uk/global/apply/english-language-requirements
Start dates
Teaching, Learning and Assessment
The content for each course is summarised on the relevant course page, along with an overview of the modules that make up the course.
Each course is approved by the University and meets the expectations of:
Attendance and Independent Study
As part of your course induction, you will be provided with details of the organisation and management of the course, including attendance and assessment requirements - usually in the form of a timetable. For full-time courses, the precise timetable for each semester is not confirmed until close to the start date and may be subject to some change in the early weeks as all courses settle into their planned patterns. For part-time courses which require attendance on particular days and times, an expectation of the days and periods of attendance will be included in the letter of offer. A course handbook is also made available.
Courses comprise modules for which the notional effort involved is indicated by its credit rating. Each credit point represents 10 hours of student effort. Undergraduate courses typically contain 10, 20, or 40 credit modules (more usually 20) and postgraduate courses typically 15 or 30 credit modules.
The normal study load expectation for an undergraduate full-time course of study in the standard academic year is 120 credit points. This amounts to around 36-42 hours of expected teaching and learning per week, inclusive of attendance requirements for lectures, seminars, tutorials, practical work, fieldwork or other scheduled classes, private study, and assessment. Teaching and learning activities will be in-person and/or online depending on the nature of the course. Part-time study load is the same as full-time pro-rata, with each credit point representing 10 hours of student effort.
Postgraduate Master’s courses typically comprise 180 credits, taken in three semesters when studied full-time. A Postgraduate Certificate (PGCert) comprises 60 credits and can usually be completed on a part-time basis in one year. A 120-credit Postgraduate Diploma (PGDip) can usually be completed on a part-time basis in two years.
Class contact times vary by course and type of module. Typically, for a module predominantly delivered through lectures you can expect at least 3 contact hours per week (lectures/seminars/tutorials). Laboratory classes often require a greater intensity of attendance in blocks. Some modules may combine lecture and laboratory. The precise model will depend on the course you apply for and may be subject to change from year to year for quality or enhancement reasons. Prospective students will be consulted about any significant changes.
Assessment
Assessment methods vary and are defined explicitly in each module. Assessment can be a combination of examination and coursework but may also be only one of these methods. Assessment is designed to assess your achievement of the module’s stated learning outcomes. You can expect to receive timely feedback on all coursework assessments. This feedback may be issued individually and/or issued to the group and you will be encouraged to act on this feedback for your own development.
Coursework can take many forms, for example: essay, report, seminar paper, test, presentation, dissertation, design, artefacts, portfolio, journal, group work. The precise form and combination of assessment will depend on the course you apply for and the module. Details will be made available in advance through induction, the course handbook, the module specification, the assessment timetable and the assessment brief. The details are subject to change from year to year for quality or enhancement reasons. You will be consulted about any significant changes.
Normally, a module will have 4 learning outcomes, and no more than 2 items of assessment. An item of assessment can comprise more than one task. The notional workload and the equivalence across types of assessment is standardised. The module pass mark for undergraduate courses is 40%. The module pass mark for postgraduate courses is 50%.
Calculation of the Final Award
The class of Honours awarded in Bachelor’s degrees is usually determined by calculation of an aggregate mark based on performance across the modules at Levels 5 and 6, (which correspond to the second and third year of full-time attendance).
Level 6 modules contribute 70% of the aggregate mark and Level 5 contributes 30% to the calculation of the class of the award. Classification of integrated Master’s degrees with Honours include a Level 7 component. The calculation in this case is: 50% Level 7, 30% Level 6, 20% Level 5. At least half the Level 5 modules must be studied at the University for Level 5 to be included in the calculation of the class.
All other qualifications have an overall grade determined by results in modules from the final level of study.
In Masters degrees of more than 200 credit points the final 120 points usually determine the overall grading.
Figures from the academic year 2022-2023.
Academic profile
The University employs over 1,000 suitably qualified and experienced academic staff - 60% have PhDs in their subject field and many have professional body recognition.
Courses are taught by staff who are Professors (19%), Readers, Senior Lecturers (22%) or Lecturers (57%).
We require most academic staff to be qualified to teach in higher education: 82% hold either Postgraduate Certificates in Higher Education Practice or higher. Most academic and learning support staff (85%) are recognised as fellows of the Higher Education Academy (HEA) by Advance HE - the university sector professional body for teaching and learning. Many academic and technical staff hold other professional body designations related to their subject or scholarly practice.
The profiles of many academic staff can be found on the University’s departmental websites and give a detailed insight into the range of staffing and expertise. The precise staffing for a course will depend on the department(s) involved and the availability and management of staff. This is subject to change annually and is confirmed in the timetable issued at the start of the course.
Occasionally, teaching may be supplemented by suitably qualified part-time staff (usually qualified researchers) and specialist guest lecturers. In these cases, all staff are inducted, mostly through our staff development programme ‘First Steps to Teaching’. In some cases, usually for provision in one of our out-centres, Recognised University Teachers are involved, supported by the University in suitable professional development for teaching.
Figures from the academic year 2022-2023.
