Three students at Oxford Brookes University chatting and smiling while walking down the stairs in the new teaching building.

MSc Global Events Management

Explore how events are planned and delivered, developing practical skills in organisation and audience experience.

Key facts

Duration
Full time: 1 year or 2 years in sandwich mode which includes one year's full-time paid supervised work experience (a work placement).
Part time: 24 months for UK students (teaching normally provided on one day or two half days each week during semesters.)
Starts
January 2027, September 2027
Level
Master's and postgraduate
Course code
MSC-GEM
Location
Headington
School
Oxford Brookes Business School

About this course

Famous festivals. Mega sporting competitions. Global meetings and congresses. On our Global Events Management MSc, you’ll unlock opportunities to take the lead organising large-scale events like these around the world. It doesn’t matter if you haven’t got experience in this area – we’ll give you the know-how you need.

Responsibility, sustainability, and inclusion are at the heart of this course. You’ll also benefit from a global programme of guest speakers. Hear from experts from all corners of the globe and learn about current issues for the industry such as event accessibility, and sustainability.

Take your learning beyond the lecture theatre with our practice focused electives. You can deliver a real-life event – with our Planning and Delivering the Sustainable Event module. Pick the Dark Tourism module and you’ll design a new experience for an attraction in this area. All these experiences will boost your employability and prepare you for success.

Ranked 3rd in the UK & 24th in the world – Hospitality and Leisure Management Programmes, QS World University Rankings 2023

  • Unique approach

    We’re the only course in the UK which offers a holistic overview of global events.

  • Exciting electives

    Oxford, with its rich cultural heritage and reputation as an innovation hub is the perfect backdrop for immersive field-based electives such Dark Tourism and Planning and Delivering the Sustainable Event.

  • Unrivalled support

    The Bacchus Mentoring and Leadership programme focuses on boosting your employability by providing you with access to senior leaders from your industry, who can help you chart your career path.

  • Industry placement

    We’ll help you find a paid placement with organisations such as Richmond Creative Events and Entertainment Technology Partners so you can apply your skills and boost your employability.

Research expertise

Our research staff publish in prestigious top tier internationally rated journals including Annals of Tourism Research, Tourism Management, International Journal of Hospitality Management, Event Management, The Service Industries Journal, European Journal of Marketing, Journal of Services Marketing, International Small Business Journal and Journal of Small Business Management.

Entry requirements

Entry requirements

A minimum of a second class honours degree (2:2) in any academic discipline, or equivalent overseas degree from a recognised institution.

Applicants who possess a diploma rather than a good degree may be eligible for entry provided they have compensatory work experience and can demonstrate career development.

Entry will also be subject to one satisfactory reference (academic).

If English is not their first language students will need to satisfy the university's English language requirements: IELTS minimum level 6.0 (with a minimum of 6.0 in reading and writing, and 5.5 in listening and speaking) or equivalent. Students who have completed their undergraduate degree in the UK (at least one full year of study) will automatically meet the university’s English language requirements.

Fees and funding

Fees

Tuition fees
Fee types2026/272027/28
Home full-time£12,300£12,650
Home part-time£6,150£6,325
Home placement year£2,300£2,425
International full-time£18,900£19,900
International placement year£2,300£2,425

Fees quoted are for the first year only. If you are studying a course that lasts longer than one year, your fees will increase each year.

The following factors will be taken into account by the University when it is setting the annual fees: inflationary measures such as the retail price indices, projected increases in University costs, changes in the level of funding received from Government sources, admissions statistics and access considerations including the availability of student support.

How and when to pay

Tuition fee instalments for the semester are due by the Monday of week 1 of each semester. Students are not liable for full fees for that semester if they leave before week 4. If the leaving date is after week 4, full fees for the semester are payable.

  • For information on payment methods please see our Make a Payment page.
  • For information about refunds please visit our Refund policy page.

Questions about fees?

Contact Student Finance on:

+44 (0)1865 534400

financefees@brookes.ac.uk (opens in a new tab)

Learning and assessment

Events, tourism, and hospitality depend on each other. That’s why you’ll start by looking at the global visitor economy and how these areas interact. You’ll then look more specifically at the organisation behind global events and the impact of events on nations, discussing major events like the World Cup and the Olympics.

Understanding the role of digital marketing will be key to your success. You’ll look at consumer experience, different platforms used to connect with customers, and the importance of social networking sites and other applications for events.

Then it’s up to you to shape your study with optional modules. What we offer sometimes changes but you’ll have the choice of exciting areas like tourism innovation and entrepreneurship and revenue management.

You’ll apply everything you’ve learnt to a final project. This might be a dissertation which can be on anything from online events to the impact of a certain event. Or perhaps you’d prefer to do a client project instead.

Teaching and learning on the MSc Global Events Management is guided by student study plans for each module which consist of in-class, face-to-face teaching, field visits, guest lectures, experiential learning, online tutorials and other online activities, guided and self-study activities geared towards completing coursework assignments and suggested enrichment activities. Enrichment activities are optional activities which are optional but meant to enhance the teaching and learning experience.

Assessment

You will be assessed on individual and group coursework and your final project.

Year 1

Compulsory modules

  • HOTO7029

    20 credits

    This module aims to provide students with a broad overview of the core competencies required to lead the complex organisational structures involved in global...

  • HOTO7017

    20 credits

    The module focuses on three themes: the social and cultural contexts in which events take place; the various stakeholders who affect and are affected by events...

  • HOTO7010

    20 credits

    You will be introduced to the visitor economy and look specifically at the sectors of tourism, hospitality and events. You will develop knowledge and...

  • HOTO7028

    20 credits

    You will explore the nature of digital marketing in the global visitor economy and how this is transforming the nature of tourism, hospitality and events. You...

  • HOTO7016

    20 credits

    You will develop an in-depth understanding of leadership theory and practice. Your understanding of leadership theory will develop by engaging with contemporary...

  • AISO7005

    40 credits

    Your learning is supported through a structured programme of face-to-face workshops and/or support sessions, which may include one-to-one consultations, group...

Optional modules

  • HOTO7032

    20 credits

    This module aims to introduce students to the context and practice of dark tourism within the hospitality, tourism, and events industries. Students are...

  • HOTO7030

    20 credits

    This module aims to introduce you to the context and practice of film-induced tourism within the hospitality, tourism, and events industries. You will discover...

  • HOTO7031

    20 credits

    This module is designed to equip you with the knowledge, regulatory tools, and reflective practices required to navigate contemporary debates surrounding...

  • LOCAL-G5763

    This module introduces you to key concepts within Revenue Management such as capacity management, dynamic pricing and creative product development. To fully...

  • AISO7009

    20 credits

    You will explore the variety of organisational, social, and environmental contexts in which projects operate. You will examine sustainable project management...

  • OBBS7001

    20 credits

    If you decide to take the sandwich mode your year of full-time taught study will be followed by one year of full-time, supervised work experience. The time on...

Field trips

The International Business in Practice Study Trip module allows you to experience ideas and practices of global business. During the trip you will have direct interaction with management executives and practices. You will: attend presentations from local management executives and experts and go on site visits to major corporations and agencies. This study trip is voluntary and you will need to fund all costs associated with the trip. It is not linked to university assessments in any way.

We also run a study trip to Chengdu, China. If you choose the study trip (which runs in July), we will give you all the details by March so that you can make your decisions ahead of the trip in July.

If you successfully complete this non-credit bearing module, it will be recorded on your transcript as P58335 International Business in Practice: Study Trip.

As an example of costs, the fees in 2020 varied between £350 - £1500 and included: accommodation for seven nights, insurance, company visits and group transportation for all activities. This fee did not include international airfare, visa application fee (if relevant), dinners and activities during your free time.

There are also field trips within the for credit modules taught within the semester, which seek to acquaint with the city of Oxford and its unique attractions.

Careers

A future in global events management is full of opportunities, challenges, and amazing experiences. You’ll understand the issues facing the industry and be ready to work anywhere in the world.

Armed with a degree in this area, you’ll be ready for roles in:

  • global meetings,
  • conferences and exhibitions,
  • mega sporting events,
  • live music tours,
  • major music festivals,
  • carnivals and parades,
  • sales events hosted by global brands.

Former graduates who have qualified in events management are currently working as:

  • conference and banqueting coordinators for hotels,
  • marketing and events specialists for the National Health Service (NHS),
  • museum event managers,
  • freelancers and entrepreneurs running their own event businesses.

After you graduate, you might decide to continue your research with a PhD. A PhD helps you become a subject matter expert, become a consultant, or teach the next generation of global event leaders.

Our courses are reviewed regularly as part of our quality assurance framework, so module availability and course structures may vary from what is listed here. On rare occasions, we may also need to make updates to our course programmes after publication; for full details, please visit our changes to programmes page (opens in a new tab)