Throwback#5 – Master’s Degree

Hey Guys,

Today, I’m going to talk about my master’s degree by explaining what it consisted of and the reasons for choosing this one.

So, I finished my bachelor’s degree in July 2018, and I had two options:

1. Enter the labour market;
2. Do a master more focused on what I wanted – EVENTS.

And at that time, the only thing I knew for sure was that I wanted to go abroad again and that if I started working, sometime in the future, I would have to study events. However, I know that once you start working, it’s much more challenging to begin studying again. So, I decided to first finish all my studies and then start working. Therefore, I began searching for a master that fitted my profile. That is, one more focused on practicality than on theoretical aspects.

With all of this happening so fast and it being July, the range of choices I had was small. For example, I considered a Master on Events and Experience Management at the Goldsmiths University of London, but the applications were closed. During my search, a friend of mine suggested looking into Coventry University. At first glance, Coventry University had a Master’s degree in International Events Management, which seemed to look at all the aspects of events from the planning to the post-event. And it offered the option of doing an internship with a report or doing a dissertation in the last semester. 

It is important to mention that, because of all my learning issues (dyslexia; ADHD; ...), having the option of doing an internship instead of the dissertation was crucial.

So, I applied to Coventry University. Essentially, the degree consisted of three semesters, the first two were classes, and the last one was dedicated to the dissertation. 

The first semester was primarily focused on the basics of managing an event; the subjects were:

• Understanding the Events Industry;
• Human Resource Management in Events;
• Event Planning and Strategic Management; 
• Event Design and Technology.

The second semester was more focused on how to actually plan the event and which factors should be taken into consideration economically, socially and environmentally. The subjects were:

• Event Risk Management and Legislation;
• Event Sustainability and Corporate Social Responsibility;
• Event Operations Management;
• Event Finance Management (optional);
• Event Marketing Management (optional).

At the end of the first semester, a professor started discussing with me the possibility of doing a PhD afterwards, which meant that I had to do a dissertation (will be explained in a later post). But I loved the subject that I was focusing on, so it’s fine.

My master’s dissertation looked at how mega-events use and design public spaces, aiming to influence the inclusion and/or exclusion of particular interests, by drawing on Stakeholder Theory. More specifically, how the 2012 London Olympic Games privatised public spaces within Greenwich (such as Greenwich Park), who was included and/or excluded and how such ‘social exclusion’ issues impacted the local community. 

Overall, it was a great experience for several reasons. Firstly, because I finished my degree with distinction. Secondly, I was awarded the prize of the best student in the class. Lastly, because I made a lot of good friends that helped me throughout the year. IT WAS A UNIQUE EXPERIENCE!!!!!

So, if you are thinking about doing a master’s degree in events, I do recommend Coventry University. But I have to be honest; if I knew what I know today, there are optional Universities more focused on tourism and hospitality than Coventry University. I am not saying that Coventry University is bad. NO. I loved my degree and I do highly recommend to all of those who are searching. I’m just suggesting you look at other universities too and see what fits your profile.