Event Management Major - Bachelor of Arts

A great event can generate positive publicity, create loyal clients and leave lasting memories. Event managers are the people behind these events. This major prepares you for a career in event management.

As an event manager you plan, organise and manage events of all sizes – including concerts, conferences, weddings, award ceremonies and sports events. To work in event management you need an eye for detail and the ability to work across diverse areas including design, sound, project management, financial management, human resources, logistics, public relations and communication.

Throughout your studies you plan events of various sizes and genres. You learn to prepare management plans, create contracts and write plans that help stakeholders evaluate their experience against pre-planned objectives.

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This is part of the Bachelor of Arts.

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With this major you develop the skills for a career in event management. As part of your degree, you can include courses from related disciplines like business, public relations, hospitality, tourism, psychology, languages, and sport and recreation.

Apart from the courses below you also need to complete courses from your second major, your chosen minor(s) or electives.

Core courses

All Bachelor of Arts students need to complete core courses that help you develop transferable skills and support your work in all other courses in the degree.

Complete one course from each of the following clusters. Each cluster aligns with one of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

Partnerships and Reduced Inequalities

Peace and Justice, Climate Action and Economic World

Choose one of:

  • CRIM580 Criminology and Criminal Justice
  • EVNT500 Introduction to Event Management
  • HIST500 Introduction to New Zealand History
  • HIST501 The Holocaust: Its Causes, Character, and Legacy
  • PSYC580 Introduction to Psychology A
  • SOSC582 Social Thinking
  • SOSC583 Social Institutions
  • SOSC585 Climate Action
  • TOUR511 Global Issues in Tourism

Sustainability, Health and Wellbeing

Choose one of:

  • FOOD501 Food and the Senses
  • CLSY513 Organisation and Human Behaviour Perspectives
  • HOSP509 Hospitality Social Enterprise
  • TOUR512 Tourism and Sustainability

Quality Education, Gender Equality and Reduced Poverty

Workplace experience is an important part of your degree, and the Work Integrated Learning course is the final part of your degree. This is a supervised work placement related to your major(s), for an organisation of your choice. It's a great way to get industry experience while still being able to get feedback from AUT lecturers, and for many of our students this workplace experience also leads to a job offer.

Projects you can undertake include competitor analysis, social media networking and promotion, event planning and execution, post-event evaluation, event design and marketing.

Recent placements included:

  • YMCA Rise Up - Youth Fashion to New Zealand Fashion Week
  • Artweek Auckland
  • Auckland Tourism Events and Economic Development (ATEED):
  • Diwali Festival
  • Total Sport: Trail Running NZ
  • Our: House Events (dance parties)
  • Whoa Studios and The Grounds
  • Villa Maria Event Team
  • XPO Exhibitions
  • ICE Events
  • Compass Dance Company

You could also take the Foundations in Research course if you’re considering continuing into postgraduate study.

Want more info about work integrated learning at AUT?

Read more about workplace experience in AUT programmes, how it works and why it’s so beneficial when you start your career.

Workplace experience in AUT programmes

Event management major courses

If you're majoring in event management, this is the main subject area you specialise in. It makes up one third of your degree and consists of eight event management-related courses you study throughout your degree.

Year 1 courses

Complete the following course:

  • EVNT500 Introduction to Event Management

And one of the below courses:

  • DIGM550 Making Digital Media I
  • MAOR507 Te Matariki

Year 2 courses

Complete the following courses:

  • EVNT601 Event Planning
  • EVNT603 The Event Design Experience
  • EVNT604 Event Partnerships

Year 3 courses

Complete the following courses:

  • EVNT701 Event Production
  • EVNT702 Contemporary Issues in Event Management
  • MGMT721 Leadership Principles, Perspectives and Practice

Ready to enrol in your courses?

Find out how you can enrol in the courses and classes for your programme, whether you’ve just joined AUT as a new student or you’re already studying with us. If you’re looking for more info on a specific course use our course search.

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Build your degree

Use our online tool to build your own degree and see what your three years of study could look like.

Build your degreeBuild your degreehttps://www.aut.ac.nz/courses/bachelor-of-arts/event-management-major

Skills you will develop

The outcomes for graduates of the Bachelor of Arts in Event Management are outlined in the Graduate Profile below.

Graduate Profile

A Bachelor of Arts in Event Management will equip you with the critical thinking and the skills to enable to you flourish in a wide range of exciting careers, including:

  • Advertising
  • Conference organisers
  • Entertainment industry
  • Event employees in local authorities
  • Event manager/assistant manager
  • Event marketing
  • Festival management
  • PR and communications
  • Sport, recreation and leisure
  • Trade shows
event-management.jpg

Find out more about industry trends, job descriptions and what employers may be looking for.

Event Management Careers

Other majors in the Bachelor of Arts

*This major focuses on New Zealand Sign Language and developing the skills to become a Sign Language interpreter. It doesn’t include the option to include courses from different subjects.

Key features
  • Opportunity to work with a wide range of people and industries
  • Emphasis on practical event management experience
  • Valuable workplace experience in your final year
  • Option to include subjects from across AUT in your degree
See yourself as
  • Creative, imaginative and innovative
  • Confident
  • Organised and detailed
  • A great communicator and decision-maker
Kim Keromen
Leila Hansen
Jolyon Walsh
Hannah Thorne
Ruby Straugheir
Kim Keromen
Great graduatesKim KeromenBachelor of ArtsShe has always loved events and tourism, says Kim Keromen who came to AUT as an international student from Tahiti in French Polynesia, and is studying a Bachelor of Arts.She has always loved events and tourism, says Kim Keromen who came to AUT as an international student from Tahiti in French Polynesia, and is studying a Bachelor of Arts.
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Leila Hansen
Great graduatesLeila HansenBachelor of ArtsShe has always wanted to do something creative, says Leila Hansen who is currently studying a Bachelor of Arts in Event Management with a minor in Marketing.She has always wanted to do something creative, says Leila Hansen who is currently studying a Bachelor of Arts in Event Management with a minor in Marketing.
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Jolyon Walsh
Great graduatesJolyon WalshSales & Event Coordinator, Eventfinda StadiumBachelor of ArtsSuccessfully planning and producing a public event as part of his degree was a massive highlight, says Jolyon Walsh who studied event management and marketing.Successfully planning and producing a public event as part of his degree was a massive highlight, says Jolyon Walsh who studied event management and marketing.
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Hannah Thorne
Great graduatesHannah ThorneMarketing & Customer Experience Manager, SMC EventsBachelor of ArtsBeing able to travel all over New Zealand for a range of events is amazing, says event management alumna Hannah Thorne who now works for SMC Events.Being able to travel all over New Zealand for a range of events is amazing, says event management alumna Hannah Thorne who now works for SMC Events.
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Ruby Straugheir
Great graduatesRuby StraugheirEvent Operations Coordinator, The IRONMAN Group New ZealandBachelor of ArtsShe enjoys everything about her work, says event management alumna Ruby Straugheir who is now the event operations coordinator for The IRONMAN Group New Zealand.She enjoys everything about her work, says event management alumna Ruby Straugheir who is now the event operations coordinator for The IRONMAN Group New Zealand.
Read full story
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The information on this page was correct at time of publication. For a comprehensive overview of AUT qualifications, please refer to the Academic Calendar.

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