Nearly every type of organization has a need to create and manage events, from corporations to political organizations, nonprofits to sports teams.
The event management certificate is designed to serve the career goals of students who want to learn about and enter the profession. The program combines experiential learning with academic course work to give students the practical skills and knowledge to succeed in this growing industry.
The School of Journalism and Mass Communication and the Departments of Communication Studies, Health and Human Physiology (College of Liberal Arts and Sciences), and the Department of Marketing (Tippie College of Business) collaborate to offer the certificate. The Certificate in Event Management is administered by the School of Journalism and Mass Communication.
The certificate may be earned by any student admitted to the University of Iowa who is not concurrently enrolled in a UI graduate or professional degree program.
This certificate program can be completed entirely online.
Information
Iowa graduates have a 96 percent job/grad school placement rate within six months of graduation. Our Pomerantz Career Center offers multiple resources to help students find internships and jobs.
In addition to more than 500 student organizations, Iowa students choose from more than 100 study abroad programs and multiple undergraduate research opportunities.
The University of Iowa provides a variety of scholarships to eligible undergraduate students through the Iowa Scholarship Portal. Scholarships are available to first-year, transfer, and currently enrolled students. For additional details on scholarships for your program of study, check directly with the department or college.
The Office of Admissions and the Office of Student Financial Aid are great resources for students seeking scholarships.
The undergraduate Certificate in Event Management requires a minimum of 21 s.h. of credit, including at least 6 s.h. in event management course work.
Course work required for this certificate includes two core courses and at least 12 s.h. of focused electives. Since this is an interdisciplinary and intercollegiate program and some prerequisites may apply, it is strongly recommended that students work closely with their adviser in planning their course work.
Students who earn the event management certificate will know and be able to demonstrate the basic principles of organizing a successful event and will be proficient in:
- strategic and professional communication (oral, written, visual/design, interpersonal, group, professional, social media, and marketing)
- project management (goal setting, time management, financial, risk management, site and staff management, event design, and technology)
- cultural and social awareness (best practices, legal and ethical issues, and religious, cultural, physical, and social factors that impact event planning choices).
As a part of their focused educational experience, students complete a 3 s.h. internship at an organization that has significant event-planning needs. To qualify, the internship must take place after a student has completed the certificate's two core courses and it must total a minimum of 135 hours during the academic session.
To learn more about course requirements, review Event Management Certificate in the UI General Catalog.