Vocationalizing Event Management Degrees

Abstract

This article evaluates an approach to teaching and assessment that deviates from the norm in higher education. It assesses graduating students' experiences with the BA (Hons) Event Management degree at a post-1992 university in the UK. Instead of writing a thesis, students stage a complex but sophisticated live event as partial fulfilment for their honors degree. The methodology was underpinned by an interpretivist philosophy with three graduating cohorts of 2012/13/14 participating in the research. The findings highlighted positive outcomes related to skills development and wider operational issues that affected student learning. The majority of students were satisfied with the overall degree outcomes but anxiety and fear about the assessment objectives, client idiosyncrasies, and demands; and, the fact that event management is hard work was perceived negatively by some students and as flaws with the university and client organizations. The findings precipitated changes to how students are supported on live event projects and to the collaborative relationships between clients and the university.