A Fully Online, Affordable Master’s Degree
Complete your 30 credit master’s degree on your schedule with one of the most accessible and affordable graduate event management programs in the country.
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Contact UsAdvance Your Event and Experience Career, Fully Online
Innovating the Future of Global Events and Experiences
- Fully online
- 30 credit hours
- Prepare to lead events, festivals, meetings, and experiential campaigns worldwide
You have experience bringing people together. Now you want to design events and experiences that move audiences, brands, and communities. MSU Denver’s online Master of Science in Event and Experience Management gives you advanced skills in event design, marketing, finance, and risk management so you can lead at a higher level across the global events ecosystem. Complete your degree in 12 to 18 months while you work and step into roles that shape the way people gather, connect, and remember.
Program at a Glance
Built for Today’s Global Event Industry
Gain advanced skills in event design, budgeting, sponsorship, marketing, and risk management so you can lead the complex events and experiences shaping the industry today.
High Impact, Accessible Investment
At less than $20,000 total, this master’s delivers graduate-level leadership training at one of the most affordable rates in the nation with no compromise in quality.
Advance Your Career with MSU Denver’s Event and Experience Management Master’s Degree
About the Program
The Master of Science in Event and Experience Management at MSU Denver’s School of Hospitality is a 30 credit, fully online graduate program for people who already plan, produce, or support events and want to lead them at a higher level. It is built for professionals who care about how experiences feel for guests as much as how they run behind the scenes.
You will take courses in event design, marketing, sponsorships, contracts, finance, and risk management and apply them to real projects in meetings, destination events, festivals, conventions, and hybrid or virtual experiences. The goal is simple: help you design and deliver events that move audiences and brands, not just get through the run of show.
Program Highlights
Here is what you can expect from the online Event and Experience Management M.S.:
- 100 percent online format designed for working professionals wherever you live
- 30 credit degree you can typically complete in 12 to 18 months while you keep working
- Core courses in leadership, experience design, marketing, and finance plus electives you can tailor to your interests
- Option to complete either a research thesis or an applied executive capstone project tied to your career goals
- Faculty with deep experience running conferences, festivals, and hospitality brands and strong industry connections
- One of the most affordable graduate event management programs in the country, with total tuition typically under $20,000
What You’ll Learn
Build Career-Ready Skills
In MSU Denver’s Master of Science in Event and Experience Management, you will build the strategic, creative, and analytical skills needed to design and lead high impact events in a fast changing global industry. Each course connects directly to what event professionals do every day, from shaping audience experiences and managing complex logistics to making informed financial decisions and driving innovation across in person, virtual, and hybrid environments.
By the time you graduate, you’ll be able to:
- Design innovative, high impact events using audience insights, experience mapping, and advanced event theory
- Use financial planning, sponsorship strategy, contracts, and risk management tools to support successful events
- Apply evidence based marketing, branding, and digital storytelling to attract and engage participants
- Lead cross functional and culturally diverse teams with strategic, ethical, and inclusive leadership practices
- Evaluate event outcomes, sustainability practices, and community impact using data informed decision making
- Incorporate emerging technologies, event tech platforms, and hybrid formats into event planning and delivery
- Manage complex logistics, budgets, vendor relationships, and partnerships across local and global contexts
- Complete an applied capstone or thesis that solves a real industry challenge and strengthens your professional portfolio
Who This Program is for
You already help bring people together and want to play a bigger role in how events are designed, marketed, and led. The online Master of Science in Event and Experience Management is built for working professionals who are ready to move from “making it happen” behind the scenes to shaping the overall strategy and impact of events and experiences.
- Event and meeting professionals who plan conferences, festivals, trade shows, or brand activations and want to step into strategic or leadership roles
- Hospitality, tourism, marketing, or communications professionals who are drawn to experiential marketing and event strategy
- Career changers looking for a creative, people centered field where they can apply project management, marketing, or business skills to live and virtual experiences
- Entrepreneurs and small business owners who run their own event, production, or consulting companies and want stronger tools in finance, contracts, sponsorships, and experience design
- International professionals seeking a flexible, fully online U.S. graduate credential focused on global events and experiences
Ready to Take the Next Step?
Call the Graduate Program Director 303-615-1616 or send us an email with your questions.
Email the School of HospitalityCareers With a M.S. in Event and Experience Management
Where a Master’s in Event and Experience Management Can Take You
Employers are investing in conferences, festivals, destination events, and brand experiences, which is creating steady demand for people who can plan and lead them.
- Projected job outlook (2024-2034)
- About 5% growth
- Openings each year (2024-2034)
- About 15,500
- Median annual wage for meeting, convention, and event planners (2024)
- $59,440
Source: BLS Handbook
A master’s in Event and Experience Management moves you up in salary with roles that make decisions, own larger budgets, and guide teams.
Graduates can take what they learn into roles such as event or conference manager, experience designer, meetings and events director, destination or venue manager, or experiential marketing and brand events specialist. Those skills can travel with you to:
- Hotels, resorts, and casinos
- Destination marketing organizations and tourism boards
- Convention centers and large venues
- Event production companies and creative agencies
- Universities and nonprofit organizations
- Corporate event and experiential marketing teams
- Your own freelance or consulting business
Curriculum at a Glance
The Master of Science in Event and Experience Management blends strategy, creativity, and operations. Every course is designed to help you plan, design, and lead events and experiences that work on paper and feel unforgettable in person.
Program structure
You will complete 30 credits fully online, typically within 12 to 18 months, combining a leadership and strategy core with event and experience focused electives. Along the way you will choose between a research thesis or an applied executive capstone project that ties directly to your current role or career goals.
What you’ll learn and experience
You will deepen your skills in event and experience design, marketing and sponsorships, financial and risk management, contracts and legal issues, and team leadership. Courses ask you to work with real event scenarios and projects, so you graduate ready to design and deliver conferences, festivals, brand activations, destination events, and hybrid or virtual experiences with confidence.
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How to Apply to the Online Master of Science in Event and Experience Management Program
Applying to the Master of Science in Event and Experience Management is straightforward and most qualified applicants are admitted within just a few days.
What you’ll need
- A completed bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution
- A minimum GPA of 2.50 (applicants below 2.5 may still qualify based on industry experience)
- Your résumé or CV highlighting relevant experience
- A personal statement outlining your goals and professional interests
- Official transcripts from all previously attended colleges and universities
- A $50 nonrefundable application fee
How to apply
- Complete the online MSU Denver Graduate Application.
- Upload your materials directly to the application portal.
- Submit and check your application status — most decisions arrive in just a few days.
A Message From the Graduate Program Director
Kiyan Shafieizadeh, Ph.D., CHIA
I’m genuinely excited about our master’s programs because they provide meaningful pathways for students to grow as leaders, innovators, and experience creators within the hospitality and events fields. These programs were thoughtfully designed to integrate real-world practice, strategic thinking, and a strong understanding of emerging industry trends, all while fostering a supportive learning environment that values students as whole individuals. By combining advanced leadership development with hands-on opportunities and a focus on human-centered service, our graduates are prepared to elevate guest experiences, lead high-performing teams, and make a lasting, positive impact on the organizations and communities they will serve.