Program Overview

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MSc International Festival & Event Management

Overview

Edinburgh is the most famous festival city in the world with more than 70 years’ history of arts and cultural festivals. Visitors from all over the globe travel to this tourism-friendly capital city every year to experience its renowned arts and cultural festivals alongside its thriving portfolio of entertainment, business, and sporting events, making it a great place to study international festival and event management.

This Masters degree will equip you with the knowledge you need to successfully plan, coordinate and manage international festivals and events, and to devise policies and strategies for the festival and event industry.

Mode of Study:

• Part-time (available as full-time)

Duration:

• 2 years

Start date:

• January
• September

Course details

You’ll develop skills such as formulating policy and planning for the future, as well as developing your softer skills in the likes of time management, project management, and formal presentations.

You’ll also develop business and marketing skills that relate specifically to the design, management and evaluation of large and small-scale events and festivals with an international focus.

Through lectures, guest speakers and case studies, you’ll develop an advanced understanding of the contemporary issues and key concepts involved in the international festival and event industry.

With our close connections within Edinburgh’s festivals community, and the large number of tourist ventures and operations in or near the city and further afield, you’ll have plenty of options for part-time work and opportunities for employment after graduation.

If starting in January you may have the opportunity to gain some of your own work experience by gaining employment within the sector during Edinburgh’s summer festivals, for example the Festival Fringe, International Festival, or Jazz and Blues Festival.

Modules

• Festival and Event Management
• Business Skills for Tourism, Hospitality and Event Management
• Experience Design and Management for Tourism, Hospitality and Events
• Contemporary Issues in Festivals and Events
• Two option*
• Research Methods
• Dissertation

Lead Academics

• Dr Jane Ali-Knight is a Professor in Festival and Event Management and a Visiting Research Professor at Curtin University, Perth.
• Dr Ivana Rihova, FHEA, is a Lecturer and the Programme Leader for the MSc International Festival and Event Management.
• Dr Martin Robertson's career in academia followed his professional development and managerial experiences within the areas of conference organisation, tourism, travel and economic development (private and public sector).
• Dr Louise Todd is a Lecturer at Edinburgh Napier University.

How you’ll be taught

This is a part-time course runs across two years. You can choose to start in either January or September.

You’ll learn by a variety of teaching methods including lectures, guest lectures, site visits, case studies, tutorials and independent study.

Duration:

• September starts: 12 months
• January starts: 18 months with a three-month break over the summer (after the first taught trimester)

Assessments

The assessments on this course include individual coursework such as:

• Written reports
• Essays
• Portfolios
• Exams
• Oral presentations
• Business plans
• Design pitches

Entry requirements

Entry requirements

• The entry requirement for this course is a Bachelor (Honours) Degree at 2:2 or above.
• We look for applicants to have a background in any discipline in order to be eligible for the programme.
• Please note this is a conversion programme and may not be suitable for those with an academic background in event management.
• We may also consider lesser qualifications if you have sufficient professional work experience within the industry.

English language

• If your first language isn't English, you'll normally need to undertake an approved English language test and our minimum English language requirements will apply.
• This may not apply if you have completed all your school qualifications in English, or your undergraduate degree was taught and examined in English (within two years of starting your postgraduate course).

International students

• We welcome applications from students studying a wide range of international qualifications.
• Entry requirements by country

Admissions policies

• We’re committed to admitting students who have the potential to succeed and benefit from our programmes of study.
• Our admissions policies will help you understand our admissions procedures, and how we use the information you provide us in your application to inform the decisions we make.

Fees & funding

Tuition fees for 2024/25

• Students from Scotland, England, Wales, Northern Ireland, and Republic of Ireland:
  • Stage 1: £3,940
  • Stage 2: £4,785
  • Total: £8,725
• Overseas and EU-Total Fee:
  • Stage 1: £8,450
  • Stage 2: £10,350
  • Total: £19,215

Careers

By studying International Festivals & Event Management at Edinburgh Napier University, you will be equipped with the knowledge you need to successfully plan, coordinate, and manage festivals and events of all sizes, from smaller community events to larger national and international events and festivals.

You will also gain knowledge on how to devise policies and strategies for the festival and event industry.

This specialized degree attracts individuals who are detailed oriented, organised, creative, and passionate about people and communities across the globe.

Gaining a degree in International Festivals & Events Management gives you discipline-specific knowledge and skills, but it is not restrictive.

You will gain a range of highly desirable transferable (meta) skills, including teamwork, communication, project management, people management, and presentation skills, which are valued by employers within, but also outside the Events sector.

What does a Festival Director do?

A Festival Director is responsible for overseeing and managing the planning, organization, and execution of a festival or cultural event.

Their role is multifaceted, involving artistic direction, logistics, financial management, marketing, and overall leadership.

The specific responsibilities of a Festival Director can vary depending on the nature and size of the festival.

Daily tasks and responsibilities in this role may include:

• Post-Festival reporting
• Marketing & Promotion
• Budget management
• Strategic Direction
• Funding & Sponsorship