Do you enjoy organizing events and working with people? Are you good at solving problems and building relationships? Event management might be the perfect career for you. With dozens of undergrad and graduate-level options and hundreds of concentrations and certificates, event management course options at US universities offer foundational skills that make ambitious international students like you ready to hire.
But that’s just the beginning.
The real draw comes from the exciting event management internship and professional experience roles available to students who choose to study in the US. Giant corporate conferences, professional sports teams, impactful nonprofits, and more: the United States gives students access to some of the biggest events on the planet.
Keep reading to learn more about the unique opportunities available with event management degrees in the US.
What Is Event Management?
Both in person and online, the events industry has shown growth year over year, despite disruptions from technology and global pandemics. Globally, the corporate and business events industry was valued at $1.6 trillion USD in 2023.
Events can be big or small. They can be music festivals, online webinars, and even dinner parties. They have guests, budgets, and require coordination, hospitality, marketing, and on-the-spot execution.
How Does an Event Management Course Work?
Just like the events themselves, event management degrees at US universities can also be big or small.
Some schools offer dedicated events management bachelor’s and master’s degrees, while others are concentrations within larger hospitality or tourism programs. For example, Florida International University (FIU), located in Miami, offers a Bachelor of Science degree in Events and Entertainment Management. Students can also find a dedicated events management bachelor’s degree program at Auburn University in Alabama.
Some universities only offer certificates in event management. These classes are typically held within a university business department and require students to learn from and participate with experts, such as the Meeting and Event Planning program at Belmont University. The five-session certificate program teaches students the specifics of events related to health care, nonprofit organizations, governmental agencies, public corporations, privately held companies or independent businesses.
Event Management Course Details
Regardless of the certificate, degree, or specialization, the goal of event management courses at the university level is to learn how to plan, organize, and execute events at the correct scale that effectively reach the intended audiences.
Event management course subjects typically include finance, marketing, and sales, as well as hospitality management and event technology courses. Several areas of study in hospitality and business require an understanding of event management courses.
Students pursuing a degree in hotel management, for instance, must learn event management as part of their program of study. Events take place in more spaces than hotels and conference halls, however. Students enrolled in the University of South Carolina’s (USC) College of Hospitality, Retail and Sport Management (HRSM) also focus on event management.
Alumni from South Carolina’s HRSM Sport and Entertainment Management program run professional sports teams — such as Jessica O’Neill, President & COO of the Houston Dash American soccer team — as well as manage the biggest arenas and stadiums in the world, including Duane Scott, VP of booking and event operations at the Toyota Center.
Event Management Course Subjects
Event management — sometimes a subset of hospitality management — requires a combination of academic and experiential learning. An event is an experience that often requires in-person, real-life skills like problem-solving and people management.
But that’s not to say learning business theory, financial math, and the principles of marketing won’t be helpful requirements for students studying events management.
Many programs break down types of classes into areas, such as event planning and operations, hospitality, marketing and PR, and technology innovation. If you study for a Bachelor of Science from the University of Central Florida’s (UCF) Rosen College of Hospitality Management, you’ll also take courses in:
Restaurant management
Leadership fundamentals
Lodging operations
UCF’s program, the #1 hospitality school, also requires three internships with actual businesses in your areas of interest.
Interested in the events management curricula at other universities?
FIU Events and Entertainment Management: The bachelor’s degree program requires 500 hours of hospitality/tourism-related practical training work experience and 300 hours of an advanced internship.
University of South Carolina Sports Entertainment Management: Love American football? Program grads are employed by more than half of the NFL’s 32 teams and the league’s home office.
Auburn University’s Horst Schulze School of Hospitality Management offers a bachelor’s degree program with classes in beverage appreciation and live event management.
Event Management Courses and Skills
As mentioned earlier, students pursuing events management will encounter a wide range of classes, covering everything from business and management fundamentals to marketing, hospitality, and technology.
That’s because hosting an event requires a variety of skill sets. Here are five courses that develop the skills event management professionals use in their career.
Business and Management
Budgeting, strategic planning, marketing, and human resources management are skills that event managers typically acquire through business and management courses.
Students enrolled in FIU’s Events & Entertainment Management program can take higher-level undergraduate business courses, such as Management Accounting for the Hospitality Industry.
Event Planning and Logistics
From scheduling talent and venue selection to vendor management and on-site execution, curriculum topics ensure students learn how to develop strong organizational, problem-solving, and multitasking skills in event planning and logistics.
UCF offers a 27-credit core component in event management as part of its Bachelor of Science in Event Management program. Some of the classes in the required component include event tourism strategies, event technology, and event risk management.
Hospitality & Guest Experience
Attention to every detail. Creating a welcoming environment for all guests and delivering above-average service through interpersonal communication skills and project management. These are essential aspects of event management programs, such as this one at Auburn. Introduction to Hospitality Management is a required course for the Event Management option of the Hospitality Management degree.
Media and Communication
Media and communication courses teach students the skills of storytelling, public relations, and digital marketing. They build essential skills that enhance event visibility and impact.
Examples of media, communication, and marketing courses for event management majors include those from the University of South Carolina’s Sport and Entertainment Management program, such as business communication, principles of marketing, and sports and entertainment marketing.
Practical Training
Lastly, and perhaps the most significant draw, are the practical training, internship, and other career-based experiences that international students can access at US-based universities.
At the University of Central Florida, for example, you have exclusive access to all things Disney. Students enrolled at Florida International University have access to international business conventions, professional sports, and entertainment luminaries in the popular city of Miami. Students enrolled at Auburn have access to a partnership with Ithaka Hospitality Partners, including experiential learning opportunities and internships.
Event Management Degree Requirements
A four-year bachelor’s degree in events management combines business acumen with the specialized skills required to run successful events in various areas. This usually means a combination of real-world practical experience and coursework.
A typical four-year bachelor’s degree from a US university will generally require 120 credit hours over approximately four years. The credit hours will be divided into general education and a mix of the different required courses in events planning discussed above, such as business, marketing, and strategic planning.
Most programs require a minimum amount of industry experience in the form of internships and practical training. Auburn, for instance, requires 600 hours of real-world experience to graduate with a BS in Event Management.
Event Management Career Options
The types of event management careers available are as wide and diverse as the types of events that exist, from world-class sporting events to nonprofit fundraisers. Many graduates specialize in the following areas:
Corporate Events
From seminars to weekend team-building retreats, trade shows, and industry conferences, there is no shortage of options for event managers in the corporate event space.
An events marketing specialist, for instance, might promote a corporate event on social, email, and web-based channels.
Average events marketing specialist salary
Brazil (Restaurant manager): R$34.352, according to PayLab
China: ¥457,581, according to SalaryExpert
India: ₹20.5 lakhs, according to 6figr.com
US: $43,170, according to Indeed
Social Events
If planning the perfect wedding is more your speed, you may find employment working as a catering and hospitality manager for a destination resort or luxury hotel.
Average catering and hospitality manager salary
Brazil (Restaurant manager): R$51.666, according to PayLab
China: ¥220,834, according to SalaryExpert
India: ₹17.4 lakhs, according to 6figr.com
US: $62,262, according to Indeed
Nonprofit Fundraisers
Organizing nonprofit events might require securing corporate sponsorship or booking a benefit concert for a special charity. A public relations management professional with a strong network is the perfect role for creating buzz around a worthy cause.
Average public relations manager salary
Brazil: R$63.434,04, according to Salario
China: ¥348,134, according to SalaryExpert
India: ₹17.5 lakhs, according to 6figr.com
US: $83,626, according to ZipRecruiter
Sports and Entertainment
Want to go big? Filling an arena with sports fans requires crowd, logistics, security, and talent management. A concert hall venue manager possesses the operational experience to ensure that each event held at their location is a success.
Average venue manager salary
Brazil (Event manager): R$101.471, according to SalaryExpert
China (Event manager): ¥217,790, according to SalaryExpert
India: ₹17.4lakhs, according to 6figr.com
US: $50,168, according to Indeed
Study at the Best US Universities with Shorelight
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