Special Events Management, Certificate
Want to create experiences that people will remember? Learn how to plan and manage every stage of professional events. You'll develop the skills to organize successful events for corporate, public and community audiences.
Quick facts
Locations
Credits
Additional facts
Accreditation
Accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.
Certificate description
Special Events Management undergraduate certificate description
In the certificate program in special events management, you gain hands-on experience in planning and managing professional events while developing a broad understanding of modern event operations. Coursework covers budgeting, venue management, safety and security, production and event technology.
You build practical and teamwork skills through opportunities to plan and coordinate events in real-world settings. Designed for both current ASU students and working professionals, the certificate program strengthens your leadership, organization and communication abilities that are valuable across many industries.
Through your studies, you explore how events bring communities together and support business, nonprofit and public initiatives through effective planning and collaboration. You learn to apply skills in planning, communication and risk management to design experiences that meet the needs of diverse audiences and organizations.
Why earn a special events management undergraduate certificate at ASU?
This special events planning coursework sits within the Watts College of Public Service and Community Solutions, which emphasizes how events support public service and community engagement. You learn to plan gatherings that bring people together and advance business, nonprofit and public goals through careful coordination and collaboration. Plan and manage professional events while building practical skills in budgeting, venue operations and event technology.
Located in the heart of downtown Phoenix, you have direct access to a major hub for sports, entertainment and large-scale conventions. That setting puts you close to the venues and organizations where events actually happen, so you can turn coursework into hands-on practice.
Courses
This undergraduate certificate includes courses focused on a specialized topic, so you can advance your skills for further professional opportunities. Explore all courses below:
2026-2027 Catalog Year
The certificate requires 18 credit hours. A "C" minimum is required for all courses in the certificate, although students must maintain a 3.00 GPA in the post-baccalaureate certificate program.
| Requirement | Minimum grade | Credit hours |
|---|---|---|
|
The certificate requires 18 credit hours of graded classroom coursework (no internship, no independent study), of which 15 are upper division. Courses taken as part of a university major may count toward that degree and the certificate. To earn the certificate, students must complete all coursework in the certificate with a minimum grade of "C" (2.00 on a 4.00 scale) or better. |
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| Required Courses | ||
|
PRM 203 Designing Experiences: Events and Programs
PRM 203 must be taken before PRM 423, PRM 422 and PRM 427
3 credit hours
|
3 | |
|
CRD 350 Tourism, Hospitality, Recreation and Sports Marketing
3 credit hours
Minimum
grade:C
|
C | 3 |
|
PRM 422 Special Event Technology and Production
Only offered in spring semesters.
3 credit hours
Minimum
grade:C
|
C | 3 |
|
PRM 423 Special Event Operations
Only offered in fall semesters.
3 credit hours
Minimum
grade:C
|
C | 3 |
|
PRM 427 Where's the Money: Special Event Revenue Generation
Only offered in fall semesters.
3 credit hours
Minimum
grade:C
|
C | 3 |
|
PRM 487 Advanced Special Events Management
or
PRM 307 Event Leadership Experience
PRM 487 is only offered in spring semesters. PRM 307 is only offered in fall semester.
3 credit hours
Minimum
grade:C
|
C | 3 |
|
Prerequisite courses may be needed in order to complete the requirements of this certificate.
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||
|
A minimum ASU GPA of 2.00 is required for those pursuing the certificate. |
What you'll learn
The following learning outcomes highlight some of the knowledge and skills you'll develop to support your future success.
- Apply programmatic principles relevant to the special event industry to a variety of event-related scenarios.
- Plan an event using current practices & concepts.
Apply programmatic principles relevant to the special event industry to a variety of event-related scenarios.Enrollment requirements
A student pursuing an undergraduate certificate must be enrolled as a degree-seeking student at ASU. Undergraduate certificates are not awarded prior to the award of an undergraduate degree. A student already holding an undergraduate degree may pursue an undergraduate certificate as a nondegree-seeking graduate student.
Here are the admission and application details
Paying for college
Use our calculator to estimate your full-time or part-time tuition fees for this program prior to any financial aid. Keep in mind that most of our students receive financial aid, which can reduce out-of-pocket costs.
Get an estimateCareer opportunities
Careers this special events management undergraduate certificate prepares you for
Graduates are prepared for roles in event planning, coordination and operations across corporate, nonprofit and public sectors. They may work on conferences, festivals, trade shows, concerts or sporting events.
Career paths include positions such as event coordinator, production assistant, venue operations specialist, and marketing and logistics associate.
Contact information
Use the contact information below to get in touch if you're a current student or have general questions.
School of Community Resources and Development
|
UCENT 500
scrdadvising@asu.edu
602-496-1658
Frequently asked questions about degree programs
Accelerated programs allow students the opportunity to expedite the completion of their degree.
Accelerated master's
These programs allow students to accelerate their studies to earn a bachelor's plus a master's degree in as few as five years (for some programs).
Each program has requirements students must meet to be eligible for consideration. Students typically receive approval to pursue the accelerated master's during the junior year of their bachelor's degree program. Interested students can learn about eligibility requirements and how to apply.
Concurrent degrees allow students to pursue their own personal or professional interests, earn two distinct degrees and receive two diplomas. To add a concurrent degree to your existing degree, work with your academic advisor.
Joint programs, or jointly conferred degrees, are offered by more than one college and provide opportunities for students to take advantage of the academic strengths of two academic units. Upon graduation, students are awarded one degree and one diploma conferred by two colleges.
ASU adds new programs to Degree Search frequently. Come back often and look for the "New Programs" option.
ASU Online offers programs in an entirely online format with multiple enrollment sessions throughout the year. See https://asuonline.asu.edu/ for more information.
