Foundation Degree in Rural Events Management

Rural events management is the management of any event, situated within a rural location. From festivals to weddings and county shows to sporting events.

The programme is designed to prepare students with the competencies and knowledge required of rural events management professionals. It aims to provide students with the knowledge, skills and understanding to successfully embark upon a successful career in rural events, in a range of organisations, industries or contexts. The ‘rural’ focus of the events programme differentiates it from existing events management programmes offered at other HEIs, allowing students to identify and experience the specific skills and knowledge requirements of the sector and be able to apply the more generic skills and knowledge sets required of any events professional to the rural events sector.

During the course you will study event management and wider business theory, and apply this in many practical experiences throughout the course. This mix of both practical and theoretical elements provides students the best opportunity to develop a range of skills deemed as essential for a career in the events management sector.

University Centre Reaseheath is an academic partner of the University of Chester. Foundation degrees, Honours degrees, and Cert Ed are awarded by the University of Chester.

UCAS Entry Points

A minimum of 64 UCAS points

Start Date

September 2021

Course Length

Full-time: 2 years

Reaseheath is ideally situated within close proximity to rural events locations and hosts a variety of events on campus throughout the year.

The college and university centre also participates in a variety of annual events such as Bolesworth International Equine Event, Blakemere’s Winter Woodland Event, Cheshire Show, and the local Nantwich Food Festival.

Students are given the opportunity to participate in the organisation of institution events as part of their studies, as well as running their own events, attending study trips, conferences and events both in the UK and abroad.

What will I study?

On this course, you will not only study the theory of business and events planning and management, but you will also have the opportunity to develop your practical skills through event planning and management modules in both years of the course, work placement opportunities* and an international study tour†. The programme has been designed with industry consultation to develop the knowledge, skills and confidence the industry requires.

The location of our rural campus is ideal for student life and access to many events on-site. We also have strong links with both local and international events organisations which enrich our students experience.

Students will have strong support in the development of both their academic and events based skill-sets.

Studying with us, you will develop your theoretical subject knowledge and build your confidence in the more practical skills required in running events.

It is the combination of both of these, which makes the course interesting and valuable in supporting you in your future career.

Modules include:

Level 4

RC4710 Human Resource Management
RC4711 Introduction to Business and Rural Events
RC4712 Introduction to the Live Event
RC4713 Event Law
RC4714 Marketing of Rural Events
RC4715 Leadership and Organisational Performance

Level 5

RC5502 Work Based Learning for the Land Based Industries
RC5710 The Live Event (Reaseheath)
RC5711 International Events and Tourism
RC5712 Finance and Planning
RC5713 eMarketing and Social Media Management
RC5714 Research Methods for Business (Reaseheath)

Teaching and Learning

Overall workload

Your overall workload consists of class contact hours, independent learning and assessment activity, plus field trips. Your actual contact hours may depend on which optional modules you select, but the following information gives an indication of how much time you will need to allocate to different activities at each year of the course:

Year 1: 30% of your time is spent in timetabled teaching and learning activity

Teaching, Learning and Assessment: 360 hours

Independent Study: 840 hours

Year 2: 22% of your time is spent in timetabled teaching and learning activity

Teaching, Learning and Assessment: 296 hours

Placement: 100 hours

Independent Study: 774 hours

There are approximately 10-12 students per year group.

Assessment and Feedback

Percentage of course assessed by coursework

The balance of assessment by examination and assessment by coursework depends to some extent on the optional modules you choose. The approximate percentage of the course assessed by coursework is as follows:

Year 1

94% coursework

6% written exams

Year 2

94% coursework

6% written exams

Feedback is supplied via Turnitin or directly from the module tutor. The majority of submissions are made via Turnitin and feedback for coursework is provided within twenty working days after the submission date.

Written feedback will be supported verbally should the student require clarification. Formative assessment feedback will be provided at the time of completion where possible, with more detailed summative feedback for reports.

Timetable Information

Whilst we aim to deliver the course over two full days per week, and can usually provide some guidance as to which days these might be, your timetable cannot be confirmed as such until the September you enrol.

Course Information

In year two of the course there is a compulsory 10 day work-experience element to our Work-based Learning module. This would normally take place before the Easter break.

Students are encouraged to find their own placement to suit their preferred career path and interest. The college can provide some support with this.

Students are required to cover any financial expense incurred whilst on placement.

*Travel arrangements at your own cost.

†Study tours are optional and charged at an additional cost.

Entry requirements

A minimum of 64 UCAS points from the qualifications listed below, including a grade C equivalent in one of the subjects recommended by the department.

The department recommends one of the following qualification(s):

GCE A Level
GCE Applied A Level
BTEC Extended Diploma (Grade: MPP)
BTEC Diploma (Grade: MM)
OCR National Extended Diploma/Diploma: merit profile plus one of the GCE A Level subjects listed above
Irish Highers/Scottish Highers: BBCC in 4 subjects
International Baccalaureate: 26 points
Access to HE approved programme.

Please note: we accept a maximum of 20 UCAS points from GCE AS Levels and that the Welsh Baccalaureate (core) and A Level General Studies will be recognised in our offer. We will also consider a combination of A Levels and BTECs/OCRs.

Mature students (21 years of age or over) working in (specified sector/industry) and without evidence of the above qualifications, will be required to demonstrate enthusiasm and aptitude for higher level study, and have the support of their managers for linking their education with their work activities. Where mature students do not have standard academic qualifications but are able to demonstrate considerable vocational experience and transferable skills, their applications will be viewed on an individual basis to assess suitability. All students in his category will be required to attend an interview and may be asked to submit a piece of work to confirm their ability to undertake the programme.

Any applicant who has not received certification for prior learning experiences, but has worked within the discipline, will also be considered. Acceptable work-based experience could include one, or a combination of several, of the following: Event Management, Marketing, Finance, Human Resource Management, Management role, Customer Relationship Management.

Further study

If you wish to further progress your event management studies on completing your foundation degree you might consider a one year top-up with our partner (university of Chester) in either BA (Hons) Business and Events Management or a BA (Hons) Festival and Events Management. Likewise you could choose to top-up at another institution.

Career Options

On successful completion of your studies there will be many pathways and career opportunities open to you in the field of event management and beyond. These could include roles within the celebratory events field (weddings, parties, festivals etc), corporate or sporting events arenas.

Useful Information

How much will this course cost?

Tuition Fees

As a Higher Education student you will have two main costs to meet; your tuition fees and living costs.

Our full-time tuition fees for UK and EU students, entering University, can be found on the student finance page. These fees are charged for each academic year of a course and are set by the college annually.

If you are an international student or for the latest information on tuition fees visit the student finance page on our website.

Additional Costs

International residential in year 2 (approximately £400)*
Textbooks (approximately £40 per book if purchased)
Stationery (approximately £30)

*The international study tour is optional

Additional financial support

University Centre Reaseheath is committed to providing additional financial support to those who need it. To find out about the bursary schemes available visit the additional financial support pages on our website.

Accommodation

All Higher Education students are given the opportunity to apply for residential accommodation. First year students are guaranteed accommodation and this offer is made to all applicants who live more than a reasonable daily travelling distance from Reaseheath and who apply before 31st July of the year they intend to start their course. For full details on our halls of residence visit the accommodation pages.

Student support

We have a team of dedicated professionals on hand to offer you support when and if you need it during your time with us. These include our Student Services team, Higher Education Support Team (HEST), Library and Learning Resources and the Reaseheath Careers Service. You will find more information on the support provided at Reaseheath here.

How do I apply?

Before you apply you can come and visit us at one of our HE Open Events to see what we have to offer. Once we have received your application we will invite you to attend an Offer Holder Day.

Applications for full-time Degrees and Foundation Degrees are made through UCAS. Applications for all other full-time courses such as Access to HE and Level 4 Diplomas should be made directly to Reaseheath via the online application form. You can find out more here.

Student contract

For students to get the best out of their time at University Centre Reaseheath, we must both recognise that we owe obligations to each other. These obligations are set out in our Higher Education Student Contract. Before you accept an offer of a place at University Centre Reaseheath, it is important that you read these contract conditions. If you are going to be living in Halls of Residence, you will also need to read the Student Accommodation Licence Conditions. Both of these contracts can be found here.

Click here to view the University Centre Reaseheath Student Protection Plan.

My degree gave me a wider appreciation of how businesses work from both the theory and practical aspects. For instance, I researched staff training for my dissertation and I aim to apply this knowledge by implementing a training programme at my workplace.

Abi Bore BSc (Hons) Business and Events Management

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