Business and Management (Festivals and Events) - Professional Placement Year

Gain real-life festivals and events experience while studying in the vibrant South West.

• Explore the world of business with a focus on creating and hosting festivals and events.

• Put your ideas into practice by working on live briefs and organising your own events.

• Choose either a ten-month or ten-week work placement and apply what you’ve learned in the real world.

From large-scale festivals to unique bespoke events at heritage sites, our Festivals and Events course offers you the chance to experience the full breadth of the events sector in the UK today. Want to launch the next top music festival or become an events manager? Whatever your aims, this Business and Management pathway will teach you the core skills needed to succeed in this ever-changing and innovating industry.

We capitalise on our enviable location in the World Heritage City of Bath, which is in the heartland of cultural festivals and events, close to both Glastonbury and Bristol. Our local area has a thriving cultural and arts industry, and is home to some of the biggest festivals, venues and events in the country.

This course enables you to gain first hand experience, work with clients on real briefs and explore the sector as you apply your learning to your own events.

More about the Professional Placement Year
A Professional Placement Year (PPY), traditionally known as a sandwich year, is where you undertake a period of work with an external organisation for between 9-13 months. The placement occurs between your second and final years of undergraduate study. You can engage in multiple placements to make up the total time and are required to source the placement(s) yourself, with support from the Careers team.

Year one: Gain a broad understanding of today’s business environment – from the context that organisations operate in through to trends in economic thinking and the importance of data in business. Modules will cover topics such as organisations and the business environment; economics and globalisation; managing data.

Year two: Focus on the inner workings of businesses. Use business techniques to solve problems and start developing the skills that employers look for. Modules cover key themes including creativity and innovation in business. At the end of the year, you can choose to embark on a ten-month business placement or a ten-week summer placement - applying what you’ve learned so far in the real world.

Final year: Develop and explore your business learning, focusing on creating and hosting festivals and events. Undertake an in-depth business research project in festivals and events. You’ll also have a chance to set up a business on your own or with fellow students. Other topics to explore include: managing sustainability; organisational strategy; new trends in management; cross cultural management in international business; and strategic human resource management.

You'll be assessed in a wide range of ways that will test your business knowledge and management skills. These could include presentations, work related projects, group-work, computer based simulations, podcasts, examinations, essays, videos and business reports.