Bachelor of Event Management

Collarts runs this bachelor degree over three years of full-time study, and it sits at level 7 on the Australian Qualifications Framework. You study event management as a business discipline, how events get planned, funded, marketed and delivered, with the creative and production side that comes from being at an arts college. Expect units on event operations, budgeting and finance, marketing and promotion, risk and safety, sponsorship, and project management. Assessment is mostly practical: event proposals, budgets, marketing plans, group projects, and work you can show an employer. The course is delivered through semesters, with each unit carrying credit points toward the 144 points a three-year Australian bachelor degree usually requires. Exact unit lists and credit point values change from year to year, so check the official course page for the current structure.

What the degree covers

You learn the whole life of an event, from the first pitch to the post-event report. That means writing a business case, building a budget that survives contact with reality, sourcing venues and suppliers, booking talent, running a marketing campaign, managing crowds and safety, and measuring whether it worked. Collarts is an arts and entertainment college, so the teaching leans toward live music, festivals, arts and cultural events, and the creative industries rather than corporate conferences alone. You also build general business skills, accounting basics, contracts, leadership, client management, that transfer to any organisation that runs events.

Structure and work-integrated learning

Australian bachelor degrees are made of units of study, each worth a set number of credit points, usually eight units a year across two semesters. This one runs three years full time. Event management is a field where you learn by doing, so expect practical projects and industry-linked work as part of your units, working on real events, with real clients and real deadlines. Many students also pick up paid or volunteer work with festivals, venues and production companies alongside study. If you hold a student visa, you can work up to 48 hours per fortnight while your course is in session, which is a realistic way to get event-day experience. Confirm placement requirements and any capstone or final-year project on the official course page.

Who it suits

This suits someone who likes making things happen, who is organised, good with people, and happy working odd hours when the event is on. You do not need to be a performer. You need to be the person who keeps the run sheet, the budget and the supplier list straight. It also suits people already working in hospitality, venues, music or community events who want a qualification behind their experience. Graduates come out able to plan, cost and deliver an event, and to explain to a client or a sponsor exactly what they are paying for.

International applicants need to meet the college's English requirement, and the Department of Home Affairs sets a separate English threshold for the Student visa. Tuition is published on the CRICOS register under course code 111795C. Check the official page for current fees, intakes and entry requirements before you apply.

• Event coordinator or event manager, festivals, conferences, exhibitions, community and cultural events, run by event companies, councils and venues.
• Festival and live music roles, programming, artist liaison, production coordination and site operations for music and arts festivals.
• Venue and operations roles, bookings, front of house, logistics and venue management for theatres, stadiums, clubs and function centres.
• Marketing, sponsorship and partnerships, promoting events, managing sponsor relationships and running ticketing campaigns.
• Conference and business events, corporate events, incentives and meetings run by hotels, convention centres and professional conference organisers.
• Weddings and private functions, planning and coordination for couples, families and private clients.
• Exhibitions and trade shows, stand sales, floor planning and show delivery for industry expos.
• Fundraising and community events, charities, not-for-profits and sporting organisations.

Event management is a people-facing industry, and most roles start with hands-on event-day work before moving into planning and management. Australian graduates can apply for the Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485) post-study work stream, which lets you stay and work after your degree, check your eligibility with the Department of Home Affairs.